Removing a plug socket

[Tobiasisno1]

Hi. I have a plug socket which is too low and I would like to remove and plaster over, but I can't remove the wires supplying it. What can I use to make the wires safe so that I can then plaster over them? I have seen mention of a marette connector but can't find out what this is. Does anyone know what it is or have any other ideas as to what I can do?

thanks
Keith

 

[rebuke]

You probably can't just plaster over the cables, as regardless of what you connect them with that will then leave you with cables outside of a safe zone.

If they would still be in a safe zone (if there's any other socket that is directly across from or above the one you want to remove), then you could just crimp the wires together to complete the ring, and then plaster over, but it's not ideal.

If they come up from the floor, can you not pull them back / cut them back under the floor, then crimp them there?

(Note you must use a ratcheting crimp tool, not one of the cheapo ones, and you can't use anything that has screw terminals where it won't be accessible, e.g. under the floor).

 

[Tobiasisno1]

Thanks for replying, Rebuke. The socket is a spur in a passageway and is supplied from a socket in the kitchen which is the other side of the wall, so the wires don't go under the floor. Unfortunately the socket in the kitchen is now covered by a cupboard so I can't get at it. If I can find out where the socket in the kitchen is supplied from and can isolate that one, which would mean the socket in the passageway also becomes dead, can I just leave the dead wiring in place and plaster over it?

 

[Chri5]

The only safe way is to remove the front end spur wiring at the kitchen end.

Most cupboards are 3mm laminated board backed and can be removed via a bit of effort (empty cupboard of all shelves and contents, make a 4mm hole and bow the board towards you via inserting angled metal- a r/a allen key works).

An alternative is to break the cupboard back plate in the area that you know the socket is located. Access the socket to remove the spur wire and glue over a new board between the shelves.

If all that is too much of a PITA, then leave the spur socket live on choc connectors and put a blanking plate over it, if its a double you could reduce that to a single via single back box and single blank plate.

Under no circumstances should you leave it live and simply bury it.

 

[SUNRAY]

Under no circumstances should you leave it live and simply bury it.

Absolutely.

Been there, seen it, found it, everytime its wrong.

As Chris says if you cant isolate it, make it safe with choccy and put a blank plate over it.

 

[Tobiasisno1]

Under no circumstances should you leave it live and simply bury it.[/quote]

OK - message received and understood!

However.... the plug in the kitchen is covered by the side of the cupboard not the back and I don't really want to start damaging the cupboard to the extent I would have to or remove the cupboard altogether. Also I can't just fit a blanking plate over the box because the reason I want rid of the socket is because it comes part way into the skirting board and a blanking plate would be just as bad as the socket itself.

The only thing I can think to do is check whether the socket covered by cupboard is itself a spur (both this and the offending one were there when we bought the property) and then see if I can find the socket that one is supplied from. If I can disconnect the supply to the first socket that will also isolate the one in the passageway with no danger of anyone drilling into live wires in the future. Will that be OK?

If the socket behind the cupboard is part of the ring then it looks like I'm stuffed!!!

Keith

 

[rebuke]

If the one behind the cupboard is a spur, then something is definitely wrong (you shouldn't spur off a spur), assuming there isn't a 13A FCU before the one in the kitchen...

 

[Tobiasisno1]

If the one behind the cupboard is a spur, then something is definitely wrong (you shouldn't spur off a spur), assuming there isn't a 13A FCU before the one in the kitchen...

....I don't know that it is, but it's the only possibility I can think of that will allow me to get rid of the socket in the passageway without creating rather more work than I would like at the moment-but the skirting board will look a bit of a pig's ear of a job!!

Keith

 

[rebuke]

Is there enough slack on the cable that you could move it up out of the way of the skirting board, rather than having to remove it completely?

 

[Tobiasisno1]

Is there enough slack on the cable that you could move it up out of the way of the skirting board, rather than having to remove it completely?

Probably not because the 2 sockets are on opposite sides of the same wall and just a few inches apart horizontally, as far as I can remember.

 

[Chri5]

You could crimp on to the existing wire and extend the wire upward to a new position above your new skirting.

Thus you end up with a working socket, maybe in a semi useful area (for hoovering use) and the skirting can go on without fouling the suggested blanking plate (on the current socket location).

 

[sparkyspike]

If you can find the other end of the cable that you want to get rid of, then disconnect it at source and cut the ends off - job done.

If it is a spur, then this will be ideal.

If it is a spur-off-a-spur, then you will be killing two birds with one stone - removing an unwanted socket and correcting an incorrectly wired spur. Either way, to disconnect the cable at both ends is the best option.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

I have seen mention of a marette connector

Here, for example?

http://www.howtomendit.com/answers.php?id=255372

Does anyone know what it is

A wire nut?

 

[Chri5]

If you can find the other end of the cable that you want to get rid of, then disconnect it at source and cut the ends off - job done.
.

The socket is a spur in a passageway and is supplied from a socket in the kitchen which is the other side of the wall, so the wires don't go under the floor. Unfortunately the socket in the kitchen is now covered by a cupboard so I can't get at it.

Mentioned earlier- keep up

 

[sparkyspike]

The only thing I can think to do is check whether the socket covered by cupboard is itself a spur (both this and the offending one were there when we bought the property) and then see if I can find the socket that one is supplied from. If I can disconnect the supply to the first socket that will also isolate the one in the passageway

No - you keep up!