we have just rented a flat in a victorian mansion block and there is exposed wiring in the bedroom behind the bed, with various cables coming out of the walls, with exposed wiring coming out the cables where they have been split. The cables all appear to be connected to each other but nothing else. In the living room there is also a long black wire coming out of the floor that leads to nowhere, as well as a large grey box with lots of thick wires coming out of it onto the floor and what appear to the same sort of holes in it as you would plug a tv antenae into.
Can anyone help me identify these wires? are they safe? is there a law that i shoould bring up to encourage my landlord to have them made safe?
Are you a tradesperson and able to answer this question?
It may be a good idea to have all this checked properly by a qualified electrician. I would approach your Landlord first and express your concerns ,it may be possible they are not aware of this or they may be able to tell you exactly what these cables are.
If the cables in the bedroom are live electrical cables which the sheath (outer coat) is split it means they have no mechanical protection which the regulations clearly state in this situation they need.
Also cables in living room sound like they could be TV cables but this should be verified by somebody who is competent to do so.
I would assume the cables are live until proved otherwise
Answered24 October 2014
0
Anonymous user
I would also recommend in this instance that the landlord should get a Domestic Electrical Installation Condition Report carried out on the property. These inspections should be carried out every 5 years for rental properties and it sounds like this flat is in need of one. They are like MOTs for property and are designed to ensure that everything is safe.
Only after carrying out an inspection could anyone truly know what these cables are so as the previous mailer said, its best to presume they are live and be cautious of them in order to be safe.
Regards,
Steve
Cre8
