Can anyone tell me what this little box might be?

[TheChild]

Stripping wallpaper from behind our living room radiator in preparation for the plasterer and I've just come across this little box under the livingroom windowsill that has wired coming out both sides.

The wires on one side go into the wall and the wires on the other go down under the carpet.

I have absolutely no idea what it's for, this flat seems to be full of wires that are pinned to the skirting boards and have been painted over with thick gloss.

I'll need to unpin the wire that runs down the wall to get the paper off but I've no idea what this box is for, if it's live and if we need it.

We had a full re-wire in September and these wires were definitely there before the re-wire.

Any guesses?

I suspect something telephoney from when people had landlines in every room.

Looks like an old BT box to me.

It’s from the olden days.

Yes old BT box.

Yes old phone wiring from when we used landlines for actual phone calls not broadband.

Old BT perhaps connected to an alarm.

Yep it's an old phone junction box.

Ahh brilliant thank you! We don't have an alarm and don't use a landline.

Stupid question maybe but can it just be removed or will I risk electrocuting myself?

Yep, BT junction box

Electrocution? Low voltage and BT engineers change wires by hand as it is

I wouldn't touch anything wire-y unless you know what you're doing.

Definitely telephone.

Ye, old BT box. Take the cover off and make the wires safe, don't just snip them.

Old telephone box

Its a telephone connector box
It will have 2 lines-1 in from BT and 1 out.

I think that BT had to maintain it to a certain point in the house and if you didnt want the phone there you could extend it using a junction box.

We are pretty sure we will not ever be getting a landline, but I don't know what to do with the wire itself. I don't want to snip the wire just because snipping electrical wires doesn't sound too clever, but it's going to be in the way of plastering and decorating! I can't seem to get all the paper and paint off.

Maybe best just to leave it and it will be covered up by the radiator.

It's not really an electrical wire. It'll
be v low voltage so ok to cut through.

For broadband, BT always seem to want to know where the "master socket" is or where the phone line enters the house.
Where's your router plugged in?

Unscrew the cover and you should be able to access the screws that mount it on the wall. Take it off so you can get the wallpaper off behind it.

Its for a telephone

@TheChild

We are pretty sure we will not ever be getting a landline, but I don't know what to do with the wire itself. I don't want to snip the wire just because snipping electrical wires doesn't sound too clever, but it's going to be in the way of plastering and decorating! I can't seem to get all the paper and paint off.

Maybe best just to leave it and it will be covered up by the radiator.

Even if you do they are different now- so no issue removing it

Just pull it off and cut it.

Well I cut the wire off, at the top and the bottom.

Good news - I didn't electrocute myself

Bad news - I now have no internet!

Turns out the wire has something to do with the broadband as ours went off straight away and the flashing purple light on the modem confirmed it was a connection issue. An engineer is going to have to come out and fix it! Feeling like a prize bloody idiot

Still...the good news was more like excellent news!

Oh dear 😬
Which supplier are you with? I'd have assumed that if it was to do with your Internet it would have been connected to your router via a wire.

Don't cut it I think that maybe the old type copper cable that will be for your broadband. The junction box that you may need.

@Hapoydayz

Don't cut it I think that maybe the old type copper cable that will be for your broadband. The junction box that you may need.

Too late