Sockets with no earthing to the screw holes

Bongo3000 · Jun 12, 2012

Hi All

I came across some really cheap and nasty sockets in a house today. They don't have the metal straps to earth the screw holes, fortunately the installer had earthed back boxes but it would be easy to overlook this - particularly if a DIYer had put them in.

Question is do they comply with the latest version of BS1363? They are marked as BS1363 and manufactured by a company called HLM. Any info to feed back to the customer would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Jason.

sedgy34 · Jun 12, 2012

BS is the answer

oldtimer · Jun 12, 2012

Well first of all this is ringing alarm bells because I have never seen sockets without metal straps i would recommend changing the socket for all they cost

trev · Jun 12, 2012

Well I just googled HLM BS1363 socket and got nothing back about them. Lots of stuff about heart and lung machines and HLM architects in Sheffield. Bin them mate

cadspark · Jun 12, 2012

I found some sockets sold as a contractors pack from Toolstation had no earth strap to the screw holes.

Engineer54 · Jun 13, 2012

cadspark said:
I found some sockets sold as a contractors pack from Toolstation had no earth strap to the screw holes.

Maybe worth contacting trading standards, as i'm pretty sure they won't meet BS1363 if there is no earth connection between earthing conductor and and back box via the fixing screws

Spazz · Jun 13, 2012

Where did you get these sockets from?
I cant find anything on Google either to say that this company exists

Could be Hong-Kong Limited Manufacturing (garden shed)

Contact TS and get them to check them out

Bongo3000 · Jun 13, 2012

I didn't buy them, I walked into a job and they were already there. Didn't like the look of them so changed them straight away for basic but good quality white sockets. I was interested in whether these complied with BS1363 1995 - it felt like the BS had been relaxed if so. I will try trading standards - incidentally I did some googling and toolstation pops up again as a possible source so it could be a Uk retailer/disti supplying snide knock off products. Cheers to everyone for the info.