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[proff1117]

I purchased a new house a year ago. I have been routing around in the roof space and have discovered all the wiring connections are made with terminal blocks wrapped in insulation tape. I thought all wiring connections now had to made with a proper junction box. Am I correct in my understanding?

Any help is much appreciated.

[ericmark]

You are of course right it is not good practice to connect cables without using either a junction box or other jointing system which does not include choc block and insulation tape. But the BS 7671 is a recommendation not law. Although it can be used in a court of law. And it is common where people replace ceiling roses with fancy lights that they do shove the joints into the ceiling. For this reason on change of occupancy our local council insists all non standard lamps are removed and replaced with ceiling roses. I know you are not allowed to use paint or varnish to insulate and I would give it a code 2 on an inspection 521.8.3 Where two or more circuits are terminated in a single junction box this shall comply with BS EN 60670-22 or BS EN 60947-7. Is the only regulation I can find and I am sure the choc blocks will not comply with BS EN 60670-22. Having said that the bakalite junction boxes if not mounted where they are unlikely to be damaged are very easily smashed and then can expose live terminals but the polythene choc blocks tend not to shatter but just deform and to fight a case in court one may be on a sticky wicket. Wait and see what the others say on this. I am industrial and there are other rules in houses maybe they can be of more help.