Replacing a Socket the 4 Homes way

[Phil]

No mention of any safe isolation, no mention of a volt meter never mind an approved voltage indicator if you want its full title anywhere in the tool list,
Socket back box and faceplate
Cold chisel
Plaster filler
Hammer
Hammer drill and masonry bit (12-18mm)
Electrical screwdriver
Pliers
Wire strippers or craft knife
Gloves
Goggles
Pencil
Spirit level

oh and on the tip list it says to get it signed off by an electrician when you have finished;
finished what? having a cardiac on the floor because you did not check it was safe to work on

 

[Phil]

How To Wire A Plug Socket - Channel4 - 4Homes

 

[Silly Sausage]

No mention of any safe isolation, no mention of a volt meter never mind an approved voltage indicator if you want its full title anywhere in the tool list,
Socket back box and faceplate
Cold chisel
Plaster filler
Hammer
Hammer drill and masonry bit (12-18mm)
Neon Screwdriver Electrical screwdriver
Pliers
Wire strippers or craft knife
Rubber Gloves Gloves
Goggles
Pencil
Spirit level

oh and on the tip list it says to get it signed off by an electrician when you have finished;
finished what? having a cardiac on the floor because you did not check it was safe to work on

........

 

[Phil]

I can`t believe you didn`t mention the "Cold chisel"
To achieve this you would need the fridge set to 4.5 and place it in for 30 minutes previous to commencing the works

 

[Paul.M]

"Step 5

If you are working on a ring circuit, twist together the wires for each terminal (live, neutral and earth), push them into the terminals and screw tightly in place with an electrical screwdriver."


No don't twist them together! Also it says "if its a ring circuit". What if its a radial circuit and its not the end socket? How will a DIYer know?

As Phil says, no mention of testing for dead, locking off or removing the mcb so the wife doesn't turn it on Si she can watch tv whilst diyer has the cables in his hands! Accident waiting to happen.

 

[Silly Sausage]

"Step 5

If you are working on a ring circuit, twist together the wires for each terminal (live, neutral and earths along their entire lengths and shove it down one piece of green sleeving), push them into the terminals and screw tightly in place with an electrical screwdriver."


No don't twist them together! Also it says "if its a ring circuit". What if its a radial circuit and its not the end socket? How will a DIYer know?

As Phil says, no mention of testing for dead, locking off or removing the mcb so the wife doesn't turn it on Si she can watch tv whilst diyer has the cables in his hands! Accident waiting to happen.

It's a joke, and perfectly legal under Part P!

 

[Paul.M]

It's a joke, and perfectly legal under Part P!

And also tighten up with an electrical screwdriver! I wonder how many people will take a cordless to the terminals and shatter them?

"Get an electrician in if it doesn't work."

It should say "get an electrician in as it would only cost about £70 and it would be done right."


And next week children we will do a step be step c/u change so no need for those expensive tradesmen that have spent years learning how to do it correctly.

 

[DurhamSparky]

your just been a spoil sport paul..!!

 

[SparkyDips]

picked up on some install tips, mainly this one. lol

Wrap some masking tape around your drill bit so that you know exactly how deep to drill the hole for the new socket back box.

 

[Guitarist]

"Turn off the power to the socket".... If there is an RCD in the CU they will manage to trip it anyway once the neutral and cpc have a little hug.

 

[Andy78]

Who's going to call them and complain first then ?

 

[SKY]

It says cut back 20mm of outer insulation - WTF. that would be showing lots of bare copper!
I normally only go back 12mm by eye!

 

[SPARTYKUS]

I dont know whether to laugh or cry

 

[rich.250]

I think I may give up, obviously not worth doing my apprenticeship with expertise like this on tap

 

[derek preece]

I sent them an e-mail to complain about their unsafe advice with regards to lack of safe isolation and absence of any testing.

 

[mogga]

I tried to read it but it doesnt open fully wonder if complaints have been flowing ) I have also Emailed and told them to check with EICNIC NAPIT ect ect ect and NOT Joe down the pub who it sounds like they have asked

 

[jeremy]

Luckily one of the other "how to" subjects was dealing with damp; I think I may have wet myself laughing!

 

[jeremy]

Check out the dimmer switch advice!! Showing a picture of a board with mcb's it then advises to remove the fuse? But thats ok because you've put up a sign asking people not to switch it on because you're working on it!

 

[GLENNSPARK]

It says cut back 20mm of outer insulation - WTF. that would be showing lots of bare copper!
I normally only go back 12mm by eye!

whats `outer insulation`?...if you mean the grey....thats not classed as insulation....its there to protect the insulation underneath......and i also generally make off about 30mm of insulation.....then double over the conductor to give 15mm.....unless its a spur off an existing socket of course....then i just make it off 15mm.....

 

[durhamspark]

Pretty clever programme planning if you ask me.

Step 1 :Encourage people to fart about in their houses carrying out tasks they haven't got a clue about using duff info.

Step 2 : Locate said people and film new series of homes from hell/diy sos/do my house up for nowt please/can you fix my shoddy work which I should never have attempted in the 1st place.

Genius

 

[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.

 

[DNS1]

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.

True, I've got a fair few of these (admittedly donkeys years old and I don't tend to use them) but they're all fused to 13A. How come people complain about these, but not trailing 4-way blocks on a flex? They're both basically a fused spur, albeit, one without a run of cable...

 

[rfears]

The 3-gang adapters were purchased from B&Q a few years back. My mate bought 4, installed one himself at the time and then gave up. The installed one has a defective switch (doesn't connect the neutral consistently when switched on). One of the uninstalled one also has a defective switch. The units are Clipsal Converta.

Most of the installed sockets on the ring handle the usual kitchen appliances, My mate assures me the extra sockets are needed for things like phone chargers, not heavy load items.

Am I correct in assuming that the fuse only protects the extra socket?

Anyway, apologies to the original poster for hijacking his thread.

 

[Knobhead]

Looks like you’ve done some goody Grimy. It’s vanished off the site.
Well done, and any others that have given them earache.

 

[Guitarist]

Indeed, the fuse only protects those 3 sockets. The MK units are very good btw, tho the ones I have used need the surface box to space them.

 

[Andy78]

The units are Clipsal Converta.

Yeah these are the ones I had too. I would bin them and just add extra sockets in the conventional way.

 

[DNS1]

Are the complaints about the 3-way cube adaptors partly to do with the fact that they are rated for a 13A draw (as per fuse), but in reality, the load could exceed that for quite a while before the fuse goes?

 

[D80]

I think its more for the more common unfused cube adaptor. Otherwise 4/6 way extension leads would really be up against it!

 

[AP Electrical]

Phil, if you need help swapping fronts over you only need to ask on here rather than going on channel 4 website.