What size are 13 amp socket screws

[Basecoat]

Hi All
My other half was cleaning work top this morning. She disturbed kettle socket. It is hanging with the wire. I checked the reason for this to happen. The base plate is sunk in too deep. The two screws are not long enough. Instead some smarty pants put blobs of "it stiks like ****" to stick it. That is not a proper sparky or a competent person would do.

I have measured the screws dia as 3.5mm. Its not M4 as I assumed. What size it is and can I get 40 to 45mm long. We are not going to use our socket until it is fixed.

Basecoat

 

[garyo]

These will do, then if they're too long cut them down with an angry grinder: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/3-5mm-Ele...243177?hash=item33babc6de9:g:flAAAOSwBahVACUG

You can get 100mm too I seem to remember

 

[EFLImpudence]

There are lots of lengths.

http://www.toolstation.com/search?searchstr=59311 29754 89308 59081 40041

 

[securespark]

There are lots of lengths

As there are of other things in life!!

I meant of course, feet, buses, baguettes....

 

[Lectrician]

M3.5, in soooo many sizes. A bag of 100 are not expensive at a wholesaler, or if you take in a couple sticky buns, you'll likely get a few

 

[vinn]

FWIW: dont use an angle grinder to cut the screws, the threads will become distorted - use side cutters to snip the thread or a mini hack saw.

 

[333rocky333]

Some sockets, use non standard head screws or even coloured screws, extension studs are used to extend these

 

[Lectrician]

Knippex do a pair of crimped and a pair of side cutters with holes to cleanly cut screws.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

However you plan to cut them, also plan to get a few M3.5 nuts to put onto the screws before you cut them, so you can clean the ends up.

 

[winston1]

You can buy packs of 2 or 4 M3.5 screws around 50mm long in Wilkos or B & Q electrical section. Probably the length you need. Why all this pointless discussion on cutting longer ones?

 

[ban-all-sheds]

What about using a thermal lance to cut the screws?

 

[garyo]

Why all this pointless discussion on cutting longer ones?

I use approx 2 every year. My wall depths are all over the place. It's much easier for me to have a stock of 100mm and cut them to suit (5 minutes) rather than keeping a stock of every length, or a pointless drive to the shops. That's just the way I roll Never had thread damage problems, but there's a knack to most things in life, and bolt cutting is one of them.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

It's much easier for me to have a stock of 100mm and cut them to suit (5 minutes)

How long to drill through the back of the box and into the wall so that you don't have to cut them?

Never had thread damage problems, but there's a knack to most things in life, and bolt cutting is one of them.

Probably.

It's also probable that someone would rather have put a nut on first and then found they didn't need to than the other way round...

 

[winston1]

How long to drill through the back of the box and into the wall so that you don't have to cut them?

Cowboy bodge!

 

[garyo]

How long to drill through the back of the box and into the wall so that you don't have to cut them?

I like the cut of your jib... I'll try that next time. I've also heard that you can just glue the faceplates on with GripFill, and save all this bother completely!