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I have replaced pretty much every socket in the house with these.....
The only socket left visible is this one which is for the water pump in the bathroom.
Obviously due to the electrical regs, I can't just swap it for a fused spur which are easily available in the black nickel colour so I want to find one of these which is a least in keeping with the rest of the house. This be my problem. I can't for the life of me find anything which comes close. Any thoughts?
You must check the bonding on every socket. The new socket faces are now metal? If so you must bond from the socket to the back box if that is also metal. 1.5mm2 is all that is required from socket to box, 2.5mm2 is the norm
You must check the bonding on every socket. The new socket faces are now metal? If so you must bond from the socket to the back box if that is also metal. 1.5mm2 is all that is required from socket to box, 2.5mm2 is the norm
As for the cooker - none of these switch it off
The cooker is in the extension (built before we moved in) so there could be another consumer unit.
Just had a look behind the cooker and there is a big mother of a wire coming from it which disappears into the wall. Tomorrows mission will be to find the end of it
It might be worth contacting the manufacturers of your metallic sockets (not the suppliers) and seeing if they can help you.
But I suspect that your best bet is going to be to bring the wiring up to modern standards and you may find you don't need the fused spur with the trip any longer.
After looking at the consumer unit, this is even more essential to have a earth wire on the socket face plates.
I know it sounds like we're being **** but that comsumer unit needs to go. The bright side means you can have the RCD or RCBO in the consumer unit so you can then fit a matching spur.
take picture of where the meter is and any other consumer units you have in the extension.
The meter is outside and it's pissing it down
No more consumer units in the extension.
It looks to me that the big mother of a wire leads straight back to the consumer unit so I guess it goes to the fuse which is behind the plastic cover to the right of the unit
After looking at the consumer unit, this is even more essential to have a earth wire on the socket face plates.
I know it sounds like we're being **** but that comsumer unit needs to go. The bright side means you can have the RCD or RCBO in the consumer unit so you can then fit a matching spur.
Yep - all of the sockets / switches have an eat her wire to the face
you need to replace the Consumer Unit asap
If you drill a cable or the lawn mower chews up the extension lead then you have no RCD to trip, you are trusting the overload protection to go to cut the supply, or it keep shocking you,
a RCD will disconnect within 4ms so the length of shock is much shorter( if its tested and working!)
that Consumer Unit you have installed is a like having drum brakes on a 600 bhp track car imo.
you need to replace the Consumer Unit asap
If you drill a cable or the lawn mower chews up the extension lead then you have no RCD to trip, you are trusting the overload protection to go to cut the supply, or it keep shocking you,
a RCD will disconnect within 4ms so the length of shock is much shorter( if its tested and working!)
that Consumer Unit you have installed is a like having drum brakes on a 600 bhp track car imo.
Forgive my lack of knowledge - those breaker things are not rcds?
Please do not take this personally but it is obvious you are not a qualified electrician and are messing with things you do not understand so for your safety and your family please get a qualified electrician.
You need to get a electrician round to do a zs (earth loop impedance) test to make sure your earth is adequate otherwise if a socket develops a fault it will stay live until someone touches it!!
You need to get a electrician round to do a zs (earth loop impedance) test to make sure your earth is adequate otherwise if a socket develops a fault it will stay live until someone touches it!!
Originally Posted by johned
Please do not take this personally but it is obvious you are not a qualified electrician and are messing with things you do not understand so for your safety and your family please get a qualified electrician.
Not really messing - replacing a few sockets is my lot although the earth test sounds like a good shout
Forgive my lack of knowledge - those breaker things are not rcds?
No resettable fuses, and very old at that, thesework from thermal overload, so need there to be a short or high current demand to disconnect the supply,
Rcd's sense an imbalance in the phases and disconnect a lot quicker,
As mentioned get a qualified electrician in to change the one you have,
They will also check your earthing is all up to date to things like the incoming gas and water.
No resettable fuses, and very old at that, thesework from thermal overload, so need there to be a short or high current demand to disconnect the supply,
Rcd's sense an imbalance in the phases and disconnect a lot quicker,
As mentioned get a qualified electrician in to change the one you have,
They will also check your earthing is all up to date to things like the incoming gas and water.
Electrical socket help....
