Sockets

bastard disabled your spellchecker too.

"electrician!" Annoyingly some of the new sockets fouled on the grommets of the incoming cables.

Only in the kinchen, or prossibly somewhere else?

;)

Some of the flat plate stuff requires the back box to be 5mm behind the plaster edge and use 35mm back boxes.

And two cables through the same knockout is also a bastard with some sockets that are not flat plated.

Yes. I only ever fit deep boxes here. Including switches. If you don't you'll near always regret it some time afterwards.

I had a similar problem. How about painting the white sockets silver? Is your wife short-sighted?

Bill

You got the completely flat flush face style I guess then :-)

If so, yup they are bastards to fit. The spacers that go between the faceplate and wall are sometimes very handy.

It can be tight even in the 35mm ones.

Halfrauds sell 'chrome' aerosol paint. Actually quite good.

Interesting. Only ever used the TLC Knightsbridge range, and that seems to fit a deep box OK.

Good info about the 5mm behind - that would have helped.

Wonder if it only applies to one gang types - where the box has both vertical and horizontal fixing lugs?

Been there got the tee shirt

Yes, I noticed that, but surely should not all boxes at least be deep enough to fit standard sockets to them as obviously sockets do need to be replaced. I never liked the metallic ones myself, too much metal to earth ones self to. Brian

It applies to both 1g and 2g depending on the socket manufacturer. Some do require the removal of the top and bottom lugs on 1g.

Trust me I have worked in enough new builds that have used 25mm 2g back boxes and the new owner has bought new sockets that will not fit.

Oh, indeed. Was more interested in ones which won't fit a deep box.

I find the box and cable concept quite poor and liable for misuse and damage.

I would have thought we should have something like a box with terminations fixed for the cables (Wago) and all new sockets to have an integral fly lead to connect to the fixed (Wago) terminals.

Now explain how you could plaster that into a wall. Unless it was a lot larger and with dedicated terminal areas. But even that would simply move the problem elsewhere.

It is hardly rocket science to make a neat job of installing a socket. If you can't, best not to DIY.

ISTR it was Crabtree flatplate.

If the 35mm box was not >5mm behind the plaster the lugs fouled the socket.

B/w licences are still available at reduced cost.