Why is it so difficult to buy these....?

HappyHippyDad · May 20, 2018

Lazing in the garden and decided to ask this after wondering why..

Why is it that you cannot buy 30mm socket screws or 1mm H05RN cable easily?

Most wholesalers sell 35mm, 40mm and 50mm socket screws. They also sell H07RN or 0.75mm H05RN.

Most sockets come with 30mm screws in a packet with them and I save them up when I need to use a larger screw, but why are they not readily availlable?

As for the cable, most manufacturers instructions for outside cable suggest H05RN 1mm (for lights) which is really difficult to source, yet is used on almost all outdoor lights that have the flex attached?

telectrix · May 20, 2018

reason for the socket screws is that you get then with the sockets anyway. worse thing is the short screws that come with light switches and if the box is recessed at all, they're too short and then you want 30mm. just buy 40mm and snip to required length.

Flanders · May 20, 2018

Because you keep all the spare 30mm screws as do I and probably a lot if others sparks, so we have hundreds of them in the bottom of our tool boxes, so there is no demand for them and so wholesaler's don't sell them , I always buy the 70mm ones as they can easily be cut the length . Agree will Tel I end up using the pins that come with the sockets for the light switches.

Octopus · May 20, 2018

Re the cable - its because most "outlets" won't stock it - but the better ones can get it.......

Dillb · May 20, 2018

happyhippydad said:
Lazing in the garden and decided to ask this after wondering why..

Why is it that you cannot buy 30mm socket screws or 1mm H05RN cable easily?

Most wholesalers sell 35mm, 40mm and 50mm socket screws. They also sell H07RN or 0.75mm H05RN.

Most sockets come with 30mm screws in a packet with them and I save them up when I need to use a larger screw, but why are they not readily availlable?

As for the cable, most manufacturers instructions for outside cable suggest H05RN 1mm (for lights) which is really difficult to source, yet is used on almost all outdoor lights that have the flex attached?

HHD it’s a hot Sunday afternoon and your pondering work :shakeshead:

Hang on it’s sunday afternoon and red hot and I’m posting on a electricians forum. :goes and gives head a shake:

Adam W · May 20, 2018

I don't recall ever needing 1.0mm H05, or for that matter specifically 30mm plate screws, and as others have said if you're going to carry spare plate screws you might as well carry longer ones and whittle them down accordingly.

What I find annoying is that you can't seem to buy the little 3mm plate screws that fix the plate to the grid yoke; you get 2 with each plate and that's your lot - if that guy who always loses the screws comes along or someone is a bit keen with the tidying up then you're looking at replacing the plate. Wasteful.