Replacing a Socket the 4 Homes way

[Guitarist]

I think joe public calls the sheath "outer insulation"

 

[Adam W]

Never mind the minor details of 'how to do it', I'm slightly concerned about WHY someone would use this information - changing a single socket for a double where the (presumably qualified) original designer of the installation has elected to install a single socket rather than a double.

This may have been to restrict the number of flexes coming from the socket, eg for only occasional use of a vacuum cleaner in a hallway rather than running flexes across or around doorways,
or to restrict the amount of current that can be drawn from one point, such as with a switched fused socket for a specific appliance, or even a 2A round pin lighting socket.

 

[GLENNSPARK]

Never mind the minor details of 'how to do it', I'm slightly concerned about WHY someone would use this information - changing a single socket for a double where the (presumably qualified) original designer of the installation has elected to install a single socket rather than a double.

This may have been to restrict the number of flexes coming from the socket, eg for only occasional use of a vacuum cleaner in a hallway rather than running flexes across or around doorways,
or to restrict the amount of current that can be drawn from one point, such as with a switched fused socket for a specific appliance, or even a 2A round pin lighting socket.

eccept it wouldnt restrict the number of flexes Adam.....all it will do is encourage the use of those unfused boxes with 3 outlets on em.......and i think they should be banned from sale myself......

 

[D80]

Never mind the minor details of 'how to do it', I'm slightly concerned about WHY someone would use this information - changing a single socket for a double where the (presumably qualified) original designer of the installation has elected to install a single socket rather than a double.

This may have been to restrict the number of flexes coming from the socket, eg for only occasional use of a vacuum cleaner in a hallway rather than running flexes across or around doorways,
or to restrict the amount of current that can be drawn from one point, such as with a switched fused socket for a specific appliance, or even a 2A round pin lighting socket.

The single sockets are pretty common in houses wired in the 80's a before it. Another common single socket is Economy 7 storage heaters removed when central heating put in and the old electrical point changed for a single socket.

 

[Guest111]

eccept it wouldnt restrict the number of flexes Adam.....all it will do is encourage the use of those unfused boxes with 3 outlets on em.......and i think they should be banned from sale myself......

A few years ago I did a year as a volunteer with my local fire service,and was shocked to learn that most house fires are caused by 2 things,candles and double adapters I remember being told at the time that something like75% of domestic electrical fires were caused by using adapters,in the modern age they should be outlawed,I make a point of telling people about the fire risk associated with them and the fact that it,s not only the amount of plugs but also the strain placed on the contact tubes in the host socket,which weakens them and leads to arcing.

 

[mogga]

Iv mentioned before about the display case that use to be at glasgow transport musem it was part of a fire brigade display had one lump of what looked like 8 or 9 adaptors in a row aall nicely melted it also had my fav thing for unplugging a ROOLED up extension lead well Im assuming thats what it was as it was just a circular lump of mushed stuff joe public will be Joe public and people working in shops offices ect ect WILL no matter how many times thery are told not to Overload sockets ,daisy chain 4gang extensions ect ect ( I saw a 13a 4 way plug other night while in BnQ Even my wife said" WHY would you use that coz theres only 1 fuse if it went everything would go"

 

[derek preece]

They seem to have removed the guide, at least I can't seem to access it. I did get an email response from channel4 saying they'd look into it.

 

[Phil]

They seem to have removed the guide, at least I can't seem to access it. I did get an email response from channel4 saying they'd look into it.

fair play to them for taking it off until they get advice at least it shows they are bothered.

 

[DurhamSparky]

lol.... lets pick faults with the rest of the web now..!!

 

[Adam W]

eccept it wouldnt restrict the number of flexes Adam.....all it will do is encourage the use of those unfused boxes with 3 outlets on em.......and i think they should be banned from sale myself......

If someone's got an adaptor why would they plug it into the hallway and run cables through doorways when they could use the adaptor closer to where they need it?

I was under the impression they had been banned, or at least no longer conform to British Standards, but that won't remove them all from circulation.
When I was a kid the danger of overloading sockets was fairly widely publicised with pictures of multi-way adaptors plugged into a single socket, but here we have channel 4 telling people to change single sockets for doubles with no mention of considering the cable supplying them. Remember changing 2 single sockets for a double allows the same additional current to be drawn as an unfused 3 way adaptor, the difference is the 3 way adaptors have been widely discouraged.

Also as I mentioned this could include someone changing the single 2A lighting sockets for double 13A sockets, or changing that 2 way light switch which they rarely used and 'converted' to a socket into a double socket.

Whichever way you look at it a single 13A socket is limited to 13A, whereas a double one is, well, doubled, to 26A.

I'm not saying there is anything wrong with double sockets, but the circuit has to have been designed for them, which the channel 4 website doesn't mention.

 

[GLENNSPARK]

If someone's got an adaptor why would they plug it into the hallway and run cables through doorways when they could use the adaptor closer to where they need it?

I was under the impression they had been banned, or at least no longer conform to British Standards, but that won't remove them all from circulation.
When I was a kid the danger of overloading sockets was fairly widely publicised with pictures of multi-way adaptors plugged into a single socket, but here we have channel 4 telling people to change single sockets for doubles with no mention of considering the cable supplying them. Remember changing 2 single sockets for a double allows the same additional current to be drawn as an unfused 3 way adaptor, the difference is the 3 way adaptors have been widely discouraged.

Also as I mentioned this could include someone changing the single 2A lighting sockets for double 13A sockets, or changing that 2 way light switch which they rarely used and 'converted' to a socket into a double socket.

Whichever way you look at it a single 13A socket is limited to 13A, whereas a double one is, well, doubled, to 26A.

I'm not saying there is anything wrong with double sockets, but the circuit has to have been designed for them, which the channel 4 website doesn't mention.

a situation i have come across at my mothers house....1.5mm T&E feeding a 2 gang outlet...no worries..its been done away with has that one..lol...

 

[DPG]

a situation i have come across at my mothers house....1.5mm T&E feeding a 2 gang outlet...no worries..its been done away with has that one..lol...

Unless it was fed from a 13A FCU though? Daz

 

[GLENNSPARK]

Unless it was fed from a 13A FCU though? Daz

nope....5A BS3036......and they were running a kettle off it....lol....

 

[grimysparks80]

Dear Christopher, Thank you for your email regarding Channel4.com.
I have escalated this issue to the site producer and await a response.
If you require further information, feel free to email me back or visit FAQ - Channel 4 - 4viewers


Ed Black

Channel 4 Customer Support


I got this response from them. Be interesting to see what else they say.

 

[rfears]

I've just been asked by a friend to replace 3 double sockets with the newfangled 3 socket thingies that fit in a 2 socket box. All in a kitchen ring wired back to a fusebox (I use the term advisedly). Is this safe?

 

[SPARTYKUS]

Does it have an innline, on board 13A fuse?

 

[Andy78]

I've just been asked by a friend to replace 3 double sockets with the newfangled 3 socket thingies that fit in a 2 socket box. All in a kitchen ring wired back to a fusebox (I use the term advisedly). Is this safe?

Usually these sockets have a very "fisher price" build quality. I fitted some in a kitchen once, to convert singles to doubles without disturbing tiles. Within a few months 2 of the doubles were down to only one outlet working on each, and insertin/removing plugs had become very stiff and difficult.
Load of crap basically IMHO.

 

[rfears]

Usually these sockets have a very "fisher price" build quality. I fitted some in a kitchen once, to convert singles to doubles without disturbing tiles. Within a few months 2 of the doubles were down to only one outlet working on each, and insertin/removing plugs had become very stiff and difficult.
Load of crap basically IMHO.

Funny that, my friend replaced one of his 2-sockets with one of the 3-sockets a while ago, and one of the switches is already not working...

 

[rfears]

Does it have an innline, on board 13A fuse?

I'm guessing the unit is one of these or similar:

http://www.******************/Produ...+gang+socket&gclid=CL-jus7phq8CFQ1lfAodgBwa-A

and looking at the picture there may indeed be a fuse port on the left hand side. I'm going round today to have a proper look (at the wires as well as the sockets, and the fusebox).

 

[Guitarist]

The 2-3 adaptors always have a fuse on-board. There are some good quality ones out there, just as there is rubbish (like everything else). Just make sure you don't need 2 or 3 heavy load items at that outlet point.