Is That Electrical Cable Live or Dead?
Posted on: 3 August 2018
Do you like to tackle large, DIY projects at home? You may think that you are an avid handyman or woman and that no task is too large or complicated for you. With this in mind, you may have decided to do a lot of renovation work yourself. While this is all well and good, there are certain circumstances where you need to call in the professionals before you take any action. This is especially true if you remove a plasterboard wall only to discover some unusual cabling, as in this situation your next move could be a matter of life and death.
Why It's Better to Be Prudent
Many people may want to renovate an older home. For example, they may want to 'knock' one room into another so that they get more of an open living plan, and so long as this does not involve a retaining wall, should be relatively straightforward.
However, when the plasterboard is removed, that superfluous cabling is revealed, and this is where things get complicated. Unfortunately, you can never guarantee that this piece of cabling is safe, and in certain circumstances, it could conceal some live wiring.
Never Assume
Whenever electrical work is carried out on a home, all of the redundant wiring should be removed, and this type of situation should never arise. Still, you can't rely on this and have to assume the worst until you know otherwise. In the worst-case scenario, you could touch this cable to try and move it out of the way, and you could be electrocuted in the process.
No matter how innocuous this cable may appear to be, you should treat it with absolute respect. If you don't, you will be at risk of death from electric shock, as you don't know where this cable originates and whether it is connected to your mains system. It's better to be safe rather than sorry and call in an electrician as soon as possible.
Complete Inspection
In many respects it would be better to commission a complete electrical safety inspection before you begin any renovation work. The experts will then be able to follow the electrical feed from your junction box to all relevant outlets within the home and will quickly be able to see if there is anything suspicious. They will then be able to isolate and remove the associated cabling before you begin any work on your end.
So, with caution in mind, bring in an electrician first before you get down to the dirty work.
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