Lowering existing electrical socket

diynot · Oct 24, 2022

Hi. Just wanting to lower the height of this double socket. Just curious to know why one of the earth's has been cut. Is it Ok when lowering the socket and using a new plastic double socket to copy this exactly? Thanks.

James · Oct 24, 2022

That circuit needs investigation
the earth should be a continuous ring with no breaks in it.
this needs to be tested to ensure there are no other faults in it.

UNG · Oct 24, 2022

Can't clearly see it in those pictures but it looks like a short piece of sleeving has been used to sleeve the earth to the other cable then both earths sleeved upto the socket but that would need confirming

littlespark · Oct 24, 2022

Looks to me like UNG suggests.
The left hand cpc goes over to the right with a short piece of sleeving. Both are then twisted together, and use the same sleeving up to socket.
You can see two cores twisted together at the terminal.

When you re terminate lower, you should have the docs in separate sleeving, and not twisted at all.

pc1966 · Oct 24, 2022

littlespark said:
When you re terminate lower, you should have the docs in separate sleeving, and not twisted at all.

I think that was auto-correct from "When you re terminate lower, you should have the CPC in separate sleeving, and not twisted at all"

Twisting and sleeving both are commonly seen but now considered bad practice. It becomes a problem for future work as you can't easily separate them if trying to locate a fault in a segment of cable, and repeated twisting / untwisting risks fatiguing the copper and it breaking.

littlespark · Oct 24, 2022

English lessons from a dundonian??
Cheers PC… it was autocorrect.

When we lived there, my wife once commented on a takeaway that had lost letters off its sign… so it read “TAK AWA”

One of her friends convinced her it was spelled that way, because of how it’s pronounced in Dundee.

It had just lost its letters.

snowhead · Oct 24, 2022

As UNG said,

[ElectriciansForums.net] Lowering existing electrical socket

diynot · Oct 24, 2022

Of course. It hasn't been cut at all. Thanks heaps for all your replies. At the moment it is about 1 foot away from the kitchen taps! I simply want to lower it underneath a new worktop and plug in a dishwasher.

Electro-tech · Oct 24, 2022

Electrical sockets or switches should be fitted at a safe distance (it is recommended at least 30cm horizontally) from a sink to avoid the chance of water coming into contact with electricity. Sockets should also be easily accessible. If appliances such as fridges, dishwashers, and washing machines are fitted under worktops, getting to sockets may be difficult. Ideally, these appliances should be controlled by a switched fuse connection unit mounted above the worktop where you can reach it easily. FCU above with Socket below the countertop.

diynot · Oct 24, 2022

Electro-tech said:
Electrical sockets or switches should be fitted at a safe distance (it is recommended at least 30cm horizontally) from a sink to avoid the chance of water coming into contact with electricity. Sockets should also be easily accessible. If appliances such as fridges, dishwashers, and washing machines are fitted under worktops, getting to sockets may be difficult. Ideally, these appliances should be controlled by a switched fuse connection unit mounted above the worktop where you can reach it easily. FCU above with Socket below the countertop.

Ok. Thank you. Very much appreciated.

diynot · Oct 24, 2022

littlespark said:
Looks to me like UNG suggests.
The left hand cpc goes over to the right with a short piece of sleeving. Both are then twisted together, and use the same sleeving up to socket.
You can see two cores twisted together at the terminal.

When you re terminate lower, you should have the docs in separate sleeving, and not twisted at all.

Ok thanks. Seperate sleeving is easy, don't know why this wasn't done years ago when originally fixed. Thanks.

brianmoooore · Oct 25, 2022

diynot said:
Ok thanks. Seperate sleeving is easy, don't know why this wasn't done years ago when originally fixed. Thanks.

Because the integrity of the earth wire is the most important of all, and when the installation was done, twisting the wires together was seen as a better way of ensuring this than relying on a terminal clamp in the fitting.
There was no requirement back then for a lot of the testing that is required now.

diynot · Oct 25, 2022

brianmoooore said:
Because the integrity of the earth wire is the most important of all, and when the installation was done, twisting the wires together was seen as a better way of ensuring this than relying on a terminal clamp in the fitting.
There was no requirement back then for a lot of the testing that is required now.

Right, thanks for the explanation.