Removing Old Wall Light and how to Make old Wires Safe Ask questions and find answers to many subjects relating to electrics and electrical work

[samnunn92]

Hi all,

Sorry if this is an obvious question but I've googled a lot and still a bit confused so hoping for a bit of advice.

We have just moved and are in the process of doing up the house. In the bathroom there is an old (at a guess 70's) Dimplex wall light which has had the bulb holder removed and the exposed wires either side taped. It has a visible supply wire running into the loft. I'd like to remove it - I've checked for voltage using a multimeter between the two sides and it doesn't appear to be on so I'm wondering if it has been disconnected and just left in situ (though I will obviously double check the wires after removing the light unit itself). Ideally what I had planned to do was just pull the wire through into the loft and cap it off somehow, possibly using a chock box. My question is, is this safe to leave in the loft providing it is taped up securely and labelled as potentially live? I understand the best solution would be to remove the wire at the supply too but that would mean cutting away a large part of the first floor wall to get at the fuse box properly so if it is safe to do so I'd like to avoid that.

Any advice would be really appreciated.

Thanks!

[Mr White]

Don't "tape it" as over time tape can and does come off.
Ideally you should use maintenance free connectors (such as wago's) and a box for them.

[ericmark]

I has to be so it needs a key or tool to access the live parts, and you can unwind standard insulation tape so not an approved method, self amalgamating tape would comply, but better to put in a box with a screw in the lid so it needs a tool to access.

[samnunn92]

Thanks both for your replies - abandoned the tape altogether and instead went out and got a maintenance-free junction box to put them in. Pretty sure they weren't live after all - tested them with a meter while removing the light and no AC voltage but better safe than sorry! Safely in the box in the loft which I've labelled too. Ta for the help, cheers!