Low-profile electricals

[The Natural Philosopher]

If I'd let that stop me I'd never have gotten anything done at all.

Very early on I realised that if you want to do anything in a house that involves pipes or wires, you either track them round the surface or you dig in, put them where they should be, and face the fact that making good the surface finish is an inevitable and major part of the job.

filler sander and paint to match the old, and if you paper, keep a roll back just in case...

I am delighted to be able to match 20 year old paint perfectly

[Bert Coules]

Many thanks for all the new replies.

Mess concealed by a wardrobe is still mess!

That cutter tool is clever, but I'd like to see it in use on harder blocks. And "Continue until the correct depth is reached" is a glib way of covering a tricky part of the operation, isn't it?

[Brian Gaff (Sofa]

Or go back to somewhere convenient and run a new cable to the new socket with the wiring in plastic trunking. That way when you want the old socket it will still be there. Brian

[Bert Coules]

Thanks, Brian.

[Bert Coules]

A solution to one part of the project has presented itself: it turns out that the wardrobe has a slightly recessed back, which means there is just about enough clearance for a conventional-thickness plug in the existing socket.

In the apparent absence of surface-mounted sockets with less protrusion than normal, it looks as if I'll have to go with the smallest available option, which seems to be a 25mm box and a surface plate as slim as possible.

Thanks to all for the thoughts and advice.

[Robin]

A belated thought. What you have in mind means moving the wardrobe if the fuse in the plug goes. That's probably a *very* remote possiblity these days. But Sod's law may apply. Of course moving the wardrobe may not be a problem (now and in the fuure). But the risk wd be avoided if you ran a spur.

[nothanks]

These may be OK in soft blocks but are useless in bricks or dense blocks.

[nothanks]

... or: use a multitool to make a hole in the back of the wardrobe, fix some small battens around the back edge of the hole and use mirror screws to fix the piece you've cut out back in place

[Steve Walker]

And if you are only doing one or two in soft blocks, it's quicker and cheaper to use a router with an old bit, rather than making a trip and buying the special tool.

[Bert Coules]

Or simply cut the hole. Who's going to see it?

[Bert Coules]

It's an excellent thought. I might simply cut an access hole in the back of the wardrobe.

[Robin]

and it leaves easy access to the switch in case of emergency :)

[Andrew]

If you wallpapered it that might be a reason. If you still have the remains of the wall paint (everyone does keep the remnants 'just in case' don't they?) then this is not really an issue.

[Andrew]

Cut a hole in the side of the new wardrobe and fit a back box into it, with a flush fitting twin socket connected to a

3 pin plug in original socket with some suitably rated flex.

[Bert Coules]

An elegant idea, but unfortunately the sides of the new wardrobe will not be accessible. I have to run to a new wall-mounted socket.