This topic

Removal of old master socket

trace7777777 — Tue, 03 Oct 2023 17:34:39 GMT

Hi, I've recently had fttp put in but I still have my old, no longer working, master socket and wires along the length of the house, do I need to get them to come back and take it out or can I do it myself? Thanks

Re: Removal of old master socket

36ULW — Tue, 03 Oct 2023 18:26:34 GMT

Just remove and bin them yourself.

Contrary to some people’s opinions there is no Openreach Police who will come round to give you a Fixed Penalty Notice for removing it.

Re: Removal of old master socket

trace7777777 — Tue, 03 Oct 2023 19:56:50 GMT

Thanks, I did think that but thought I'd check

Re: Removal of old master socket

Jonsysmum — Sun, 29 Oct 2023 16:04:28 GMT

Yes just been going round removing my old sockets and trimming wires back so they can't be seen. Quite therapeutic actually!!

Re: Removal of old master socket

rachelsargent — Sun, 26 Nov 2023 13:17:21 GMT

I would like to do this too but isn't there an electrical charge still in the old wiring? We had full fibre installed with a totally separate box wired in indepedently to the old line, but they left the old landline socket and wiring. I asked BT about it and they said there would still be an electrical charge in the old line as it's still connected to the telegraph pole. They said it would be £130 for them to remove it, which seems unfair as they made us move over to the new system and made the old one redundant.

Re: Removal of old master socket

gg30340 — Sun, 26 Nov 2023 13:32:37 GMT

There is about 50 DC volts in the wiring. The most you might feel is a slight tingle if that and it will do you no harm to remove the cables or just tuck them inside the wall and cover over them.

Re: Removal of old master socket

400 — Sun, 26 Nov 2023 16:12:40 GMT

If I may add, the last safety course I did, we were told to consider any voltage dangerous, reason being not know state of persons health, pacemakers, shock across body etc. Meter it. Don't touch it.

I understand that once you are fibre, going back to copper wont happen? Wholesale have my address now as copper only by exception (not sure what that is). Removed my box, plastered over the wall box.

Re: Removal of old master socket

licquorice — Sun, 26 Nov 2023 16:16:35 GMT

Unless you touch both wires simultaneously, you won't get a shock.

Re: Removal of old master socket

imjolly — Sun, 26 Nov 2023 16:17:52 GMT

If you are worried 50v will harm you then just wear rubber gloves when moving the wires

Re: Removal of old master socket

36ULW — Sun, 26 Nov 2023 18:45:17 GMT

If the Line is still connected to the Exchange Equipment then it’ll be 48v DC with a 4v Return.

You won’t get any shock, no worse than the static electric you get off something like an Escalator.

The only time you’ll get one that’ll make you jump is off an ISDN Circuit as they carry 115v or if you just so happen to be holding the bare wires and someone phones that line as when they do it converts from 48v DC to 75v AC.

Re: Removal of old master socket

gg30340 — Sun, 26 Nov 2023 18:53:39 GMT

@400 wrote:

If I may add, the last safety course I did, we were told to consider any voltage dangerous, reason being not know state of persons health, pacemakers, shock across body etc. Meter it. Don't touch it.

I understand that once you are fibre, going back to copper wont happen? Wholesale have my address now as copper only by exception (not sure what that is). Removed my box, plastered over the wall box.

Gosh I better watch out next time I'm changing the 1.5v AA batteries in my kids toys!

Re: Removal of old master socket

400 — Sun, 26 Nov 2023 21:20:49 GMT

@gg30340

It is a worth while comment when you don't know who is fiddling away.

I will leave it at that.

Goodbye.

Re: Removal of old master socket

licquorice — Sun, 26 Nov 2023 21:33:34 GMT

Ridiculous elfin safety without common sense is the ruination of this country.

Re: Removal of old master socket

gg30340 — Sun, 26 Nov 2023 21:48:29 GMT

@400 wrote:

@gg30340

It is a worth while comment when you don't know who is fiddling away.

I will leave it at that.

Goodbye.

It was not a worth while comment when it was known what cable the OP was talking about.

I will leave it at that.

Goodbye.

Re: Removal of old master socket

rachelsargent — Mon, 27 Nov 2023 12:41:30 GMT

Thank you for all the replies, I was primarily concerned with the fact that if there is a charge still present in the wire I would be cutting off and leaving in the wall, would this be a potential fire risk in any way? Many thanks.

Re: Removal of old master socket

licquorice — Mon, 27 Nov 2023 13:01:13 GMT

No, but if you are that worried, simply tape the ends with insulating tape.

Re: Removal of old master socket

highrocks — Wed, 06 Dec 2023 12:07:11 GMT

I may be a bit late i replying but you are able to request Openreach come and remove the mastersocket and line if they are no longer needed.

We switched to fibre and no longer use the copper line. I contacted OR via the form and they called me and arranged an appointment to come and remove the mastersocket and copper line to the house. There was no charge and it was very straightforward.

a llink to the Openreach form

https://www.openreach.com/building-developers-and-projects/altering-our-network/altering-our-network-enquiry

There is a thread on the ISPreview forum where several people have also done this

https://www.ispreview.co.uk/talk/threads/removal-of-old-bt-copper-cable.39610/

Re: Removal of old master socket

HHGTTG — Wed, 06 Dec 2023 14:07:58 GMT

Put a Wago/a connector on each wire and bury them or those Acorn thingies. It's not 240v 13A.

Re: Removal of old master socket

jeremygerbil — Sat, 07 Mar 2026 17:06:30 GMT

Sorry to reactivate an old thread, but I am in the situation of wanting redundant copper removed after FTTP upgrade, so I tried the Openreach form mentioned. It gives two options: existing project or new. I couldn't raise a new project as this is restricted to certain categories and "end user" isn't one of them. For existing projects, a reference has to be supplied in the form IS00000. I asked the ISP (Zen) that did the upgrade, but Openreach hadn't supplied them any project reference in this form. I asked Zen if they could help but they just provided a link to the same Openreach form.

Since others have used the form without problems, has it changed in some way? How did others deal with the problems noted above?

Re: Removal of old master socket

licquorice — Sat, 07 Mar 2026 17:25:14 GMT

Why, as a ZEN customer, are you posting on a BT forum about Openreach?