Moving some sockets

Bluenose1940 · Sep 19, 2016

I am about to redecorate the sitting room and thought it would be a good idea to move some sockets to a more accessible location and so need a little help please.

The television is in the corner on a very heavy oak corner cabinet and, at the moment the sockets are situated down behind this unit and the whole setup is quite difficult to move whenever the occasion warrants it, hence the thought to move the sockets whilst the room is in a mess!

At the moment there are three double sockets situated side by side and are all linked in to the ringmain, i.e. no spurs. My question is, shall I simply move this setup further up the wall so that they are then above the top of the oak unit but still behind the T.V. or, is there a better way of achieving what I want.

I have hopefully been able to attach an image of the setup as it is at the moment.

Many thanks for any help/guidance that may be offered.

[ElectriciansForums.net] Moving some sockets

Pete999 · Sep 19, 2016

If the RFC cables are fed from upstairs, i,e, they are coming down from the ceiling, then your idea is a viable one, however it will be very messy, and a fair amount of re plastering will be required.
On the other hand if you sockets are fed from the floor, i,e, cables are coming up, and providing the floor has floor boards and is not covered in expensive flooring it will be possible, again a messy job.
As this is a DIY question I.m assuming you have no electrical experience, looking at the picture, I have doubts about your statement that they are all on the RFC and no spurs, in any case this is not a job for an amateur, for safety's sake and piece of mind call an Electrician to give you a professional appraisal and a cost, remember you will need to pay a plasterer to make good the damaged wall.

Wilko · Sep 19, 2016

Hi B, I def agree with Pete. While the idea is simple, the move may be hard in practical terms for you. Safe isolation - do you have a 2 pole tester and know the process? Please don't flick a switch and hope it's the right one and hope there are no existing wiring errors etc. Testing - after the installation an electrician would test to confirm a proper ring for all conductors and also an insulation resistance test. I'm sure folks here would be happy to help you.

Spoon · Sep 19, 2016

Am I correct in that you need to move the unit "whenever the occasion warrants it" so that you can get to the sockets to switch them off?
Why not just get an extension lead and put it in the unit? You can then access the plugs whenever you want. No mess as well.

Bluenose1940 · Sep 19, 2016

Hello folks, thank you for coming in on this query. The sockets are all definitely on the ringmain, There is one wire from the consumer unit going into shall we say socket 1, this is then linked to socket 2 and then 3 and so on and then the cable from the last socket goes back to the consumer unit. The electrics were all checked by an electrician when we first moved in.

Pete999, the cables all come down the wall as we have concrete floors everywhere.

Bluenose1940 · Sep 19, 2016

Hi Spoon, I thought about an extension lead but was concerned about the 'load'. Is there some special extension lead that would cater for half a dozen plugs without danger of fire/overload?

Deleted member 26818 · Sep 19, 2016

I'm assuming that the two legs of the ring run through socket 1?
If that is the case, I would leave socket 1 where it is, run a chase vertically up the wall to the new position for socket 1, and replicate what you have in the picture.
With the power cables, take one from the terminals of the old socket 1 to the new socket 1 and join a new cable to the return leg of the ring to take to new socket 3. Link between new sockets 1, 2 and 3.
Whether you also want to run a chase and move the AV cables is up to you.

Spoon · Sep 19, 2016

Bluenose1940 said:
Hi Spoon, I thought about an extension lead but was concerned about the 'load'. Is there some special extension lead that would cater for half a dozen plugs without danger of fire/overload?

If its just stuff like a tv, dvd player, cable/sky box, you will be ok.
What do you have plugged in, so we can confirm?

Pete999 · Sep 19, 2016

Bluenose1940 said:
Hello folks, thank you for coming in on this query. The sockets are all definitely on the ringmain, There is one wire from the consumer unit going into shall we say socket 1, this is then linked to socket 2 and then 3 and so on and then the cable from the last socket goes back to the consumer unit. The electrics were all checked by an electrician when we first moved in.

Pete999, the cables all come down the wall as we have concrete floors everywhere.

How many cables at socket number 3 sorry you say there are 2 cables at Socket3

Bluenose1940 · Sep 19, 2016

Spoon, what I have plugged in is the 50" TV, a Blue Ray player, the Sky+ box, a Technics AV control receiver DA-SA20, A Gale subwoofer and a Sky Wi-Fi Connector

Bluenose1940 · Sep 19, 2016

Pete999, Hopefully I have attached a little drawing of the socket setup.

Pete999 · Sep 19, 2016

Bluenose1940 said:
Pete999, Hopefully I have attached a little drawing of the socket setup.

View attachment 33558

No drawing yet

Pete999 · Sep 19, 2016

Pete999 said:
No drawing yet

Got it now thanks, certainly looks like they are on the ring. Testing will confirm it though

Deleted member 26818 · Sep 19, 2016

So the cable to the Consumer Unit does not pass back through the sockets?

Bluenose1940 · Sep 19, 2016

spinlondon, in actual fact the cable from the last socket does in fact go back through the backboxes to the first socket and then on to the consumer unit, or the next socket wherever that may be.

Moving some sockets

Bluenose1940

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Pete999

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Wilko

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Spoon

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Bluenose1940

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Bluenose1940

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Deleted member 26818

Spoon

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Pete999

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Bluenose1940

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Bluenose1940

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Pete999

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Pete999

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Deleted member 26818

Bluenose1940

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