After altering our kitchen we are left with a double 13 amp socket part way up what is now and otherwise plain wall in what is now a dining alcove.. SWMBO wants it removed!!
A blanking plate will not be the answer, I need to put some plasterboard over it and skim it.
I know that a proper crimp on the ring cables would be acceptable - but is there a suitable DIY alternative - is Wago considered a non-maintenance way of joining the ring cables?
In article , DerbyBorn writes
If you want an out, you could tell her that it would breach electrical regs[1] to leave cabling in the wall unless it is in a permitted zone or in a direct line with another accessory.
The neatest compliant solution I can think of would be to replace the socket with a flat steel blanking plate and paint it to match the wall decor. You're unlikely to find a plain steel one, just choose one that has a key so that it will take paint. Far less noticeable that a conventional blanking plate.
If you're going to break the rules anyway then you may as well choc block it but crimping or wagoing would perhaps be less dodgy. That said, a respected poster here has the view that wagos should not be considered for reliable long term use at the higher working currents associated with ring mains.
[1] which it isTell her you left it there to plug in the mood lighting for those romantic dinners. The other point is that there never seems enough sockets in the ri ght places at the best of times. The minute you remove this one she will de cide she needed it in the first place. How offensive is a socket in the wal l?
Richard
I've used choccy blocks in the past in this situation - before I knew better(!) - and they're still going strong after 30 years!
If I were doing it now, I'd use crimps - but wago connectors are probably ok. I would also leave it semi accessible. If you leave the box in place, it should only need a piece of hardboard (rather than plasterboard) covered by a thin layer of polyfilla to make it flush with the rest of the wall. This could easily be dug out again in the event of any problems.
Tricky Dicky wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@googlegroups.com:
I like it there! She has offered to accept its removal as a birthday present.
Chocolates are easier...
In message , DerbyBorn writes
Wago connectors can be used in a maintenance free situation, though IIRC you are supposed to derate the connectors.
see:
More docs re them on that site.
Is this cable hidden in the middle of a plasterboard wall? Or will it be a surprise for the next owner :-)
Since it will then no longer be visible, you need to disconnect the cables at the other ends so there aren't live cables hidden behind. If it's a ring circuit, you'll need to rejoin the ring, or downgrade it to a 20A radial circuit if that will still safely handle the expected load.
If you want to leave the cables live, the electrical accessory box must remain visible, e.g. with a flat blanking plate. You can use choc block connector behind that, but make sure the quality of the connection is very good - clean conductors, and I would choose a size connector that can take two 2.5mm2 conductors side-by-side and arrange that both conductors are well clamped by both screws. If you get that right, the gas-tight contact area will be larger than the cable's crossectional area, and the connector will heat up less that the cables do under load, giving a very long connector life.
I would not use Wago connectors for anything more than a half amp load. I thought they were ideal for an electrical kit I made up for my nephew for christmas, to connect the batteries, bulbs, switches, buttons, buzzer, and bell together.
Tell her she NEEDS the socket to iron your shirts :)
...... then run away fast !
Andrew
She used it once for her sewing machine. The iron would create a trip hazard.
Get her a spare phone charger, plug it in and put the phone on the dining table, handily charging.
She'll change her tune.
Interesting, the Wago technical data sheets rate the 222 connector which I tend to use at 400V, 32A. I have not used them at this rating but have been using them for some time for lighting circuits and on a mains spur without any problems.
What do you think is wrong with them (for the labelled purpose, I mean)?
Maximum brownie points would require putting up a charging shelf too.
Bet she doesn't and just moves it to one of the new sockets that got added in the kitchen alterations and still wants that socket removed.
I just don't believe that someone like that wouldn't have added sockets in the kitchen alterations.
She's just being stupid for the sake of it. Creating an issue for no reason. She's obviously been reading all this modern nonsense about sexual equality. Give her a good thrashing so she knows who's boss.
By the way I've started doing a bit of voluntary work. I've been trained by Relate and I am now advising couples when they have marital problems.
Bill
Solder and heat shrink.
Bill
Bet she wouldn't want it in the dining alcove if the kitchen alterations were done well.
"john james" wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@mid.individual.net:
There are plenty of sockets in the kitchen now John James. What was a breakfast bar with a socket on the wall is now an alcove for a dining table
- with the socket now partway up the plain wall. I don't have a problem with it - she does. The builder was not required to do any work on this wall apart from make good the damage made by removing the breakfast bar.
I have one double at "worktop height" by design next to my dining table.
It's a very useful socket when I sit at the table and want to charge things with short leads.
I'd refuse to remove it and give her the hammer and chisel. I find "then you do it" seems to make the requirement become substantially less urgent :)
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