What's the most badly designed accessory you've had to install?

[Pretty Mouth]

Any decorative light fitting from Next.

The ones from John Lewis are even worse ?

 

[robd]

Any light including the metal roses that fit over a braided flex type pendant and more recently a Wickes outside up and down light with PIR. Did 20 mins trying to fit to bumpy brick wall then put back in box and said I'm not wasting any more time let's fit the ones I always fit that take 5 mins.

 

[123]

Not necessarily badly designed and they've been around forever but I think bakelite backboxes are stupid!

Soft plastic backboxes for the win!

I use bakelite a lot for shower pullcords and kitchen isolators in tall housings - prefer them to PVC in these instances as they stand firm and don't bow or bend at all, whereas PVC tends to be a bugger

 

[IAmSparkytus!]

I use bakelite a lot for shower pullcords and kitchen isolators in tall housings - prefer them to PVC in these instances as they stand firm and don't bow or bend at all, whereas PVC tends to be a bugger

Just hate that you're always a screw turn or two away from cracking them and having to start again ?

Never quite sure how to tackle the little square top entry knockouts on them either. Do you knock them out or do you grip and bend them out with pliers? Can't even remember now it's been that long since I used one

 

[Dave OCD]

How about those awful plaster quarter sphere wall lights. You have to drill the fixing holes at a downhill angle to have any chance of getting a screwdriver on the screws, and you can't tighten the fixings too much or CRACK ! Also they have a teeny weeny recess behind which necessitates hollowing out the wall for your connections , a proper pain in the @rse.

 

[123]

Just hate that you're always a screw turn or two away from cracking them and having to start again ?

Never quite sure how to tackle the little square top entry knockouts on them either. Do you knock them out or do you grip and bend them out with pliers? Can't even remember now it's been that long since I used one

I drill the back of them, agree on the knockouts, it's a fine line there, touch wood can't remember breaking one though

 

[Pretty Mouth]

Just hate that you're always a screw turn or two away from cracking them and having to start again

Tip: Using steel washers means you're much less likely to crack these things

 

[SparkySy]

Fiddly light fittings are all the work of the devil! I hate fiddly little non captive screws in stuff especially when you are outside, up a ladder or in a shrubbery, you know they will be gone forever if you drop one! I had some up down lights that the cable entry came in dead centre on the back plate right opposite the fixing and wires to the light. I deliberately only took one wire to each light as I know they are a tw@stard, but I must have re-terminated them about 5 times before I got an all clear on my insulation resistance test!?

 

[MoserV8]

How about those awful plaster quarter sphere wall lights. You have to drill the fixing holes at a downhill angle to have any chance of getting a screwdriver on the screws, and you can't tighten the fixings too much or CRACK ! Also they have a teeny weeny recess behind which necessitates hollowing out the wall for your connections , a proper pain in the @rse.

Ive actually refused to install those wretched things before! Everything you say is spot on! Then when they are installed they just look Pants in my opinion!

 

[Mikegh]

Mostly light fittings from the diy places

Nightmare in general