Moving a socket

pha · 21 Aug 2006

Hi everyone,

I need to move a socket in my kitchen. It is currently at about 5 feet high on the outside of a recess, and i want to move it to the inside of the recess at a much lower height (my fridge freezer sits in the recess).

Is there a sensible way to extend the cable, or will I have to rip out half the wall and put new cable in from the preceeding socket in the circuit?

Thanks in advance

Paul

JohnD · 21 Aug 2006

You could run a spur from the old socket (and leave it in place) to the new one.

If you are in England or Wales there are some regulations applying to electrical work in kitchens and bathrooms.

pha · 21 Aug 2006

I want to get rid of the socket ideally, as it is the most ridiculously placed socket in the history of housebuilding!! The socket is nowhere near water or gas, so what implications would the regs hold for me?

JohnD · 21 Aug 2006

If you want to remove the socket entirely and decorate over it, you ought to remove the cable as well, or someone will drill into it one day.

If the cables come up through a wooden floor it is possible to put a permanent crimped joint on them and rerun to the new position.

Do you know where the two outlets on either side of the unwanted socket are, and how the wiring is run between them?

The regulations mean you either have to submit plans to the Building Control office of your council, pay a fee, and provide some documentation; or else have the work done by a qualified electrician who is a member of an approved self-certification scheme and will do the testing and documentation for you.

pha · 21 Aug 2006

I dont want to remove the socket, I just want to move it about 4 feet lower on the wall, so the cables just need to be a bit longer! I dont know where the next sockets are on the circuit, but i'm guessing they would be in the kitchen too.

JohnD · 21 Aug 2006

pha said:
I want to get rid of the socket

pha said:
I dont want to remove the socket.

pha said:
i want to move it to the inside of the recess

pha said:
I just want to move it about 4 feet lower

Can you clarify what you want to achieve, please.

pha · 21 Aug 2006

ok, i have been a bit vague....

I want to move it from its current height of 5 feet to a more sensible 1 foot. The wall of the recess is a stud wall, so i would just move the socket from one side of the socket to the other. So I just need to know if i can feasibly extend the cables, or if I have got to trace them to the next and previous sockets in the ring and replace the cable.

Thanks

Paul

JohnD · 21 Aug 2006

Do the cables come up from the floor (wooden or concrete?) or down from the ceiling, or along from the neighbouring socket?

If you don't know, turn off the power, take the socket faceplate off, and have a look. Also look and see if they appear to be run in conduit (probably white oval plastic).

BTW it is quite usual in kitchen to have sockets mounted above worktop height, so about a metre above the floor. The minimum height for sockets in new houses is 450mm above the floor.

Would you object to either of those heights?

pha · 21 Aug 2006

The wire comes in from above the socket, but I am unsure where it goes to, possibly the fusebox as the fusebox is in the garage on the back of the kitchen wall.

pha · 21 Aug 2006

The height of the socket isn't desperate as it will be behind the fridge freezer, but i would still need to extend the cable to do this

JohnD · 21 Aug 2006

if you have a concrete floor, it is quite usual to have the ring circuit run above the ceiling, dropping down the wall to outlets. If you don't know you will have to find out.

pha · 21 Aug 2006

That would be the case i think John, as the wires head straight up. Also i the garage we had the ceiling removed as it was asbestos, and all the wires here run around the rafters.

alucard · 22 Aug 2006

Couldn't you just put a junction box where the current plug is and sink it then run a cable from the junction box to the site of the new plug??

RF Lighting · 22 Aug 2006

alucard said:
Couldn't you just put a junction box where the current plug is and sink it then run a cable from the junction box to the site of the new plug??

Do you mean flush a joint box into a wall and plaster over it?

If so, NO

alucard · 23 Aug 2006

I take it its just better to have junction box's in the ceiling or under the floor boards then!

This due to drilling hole for hanging stuff etc?

diynot

If you need to find a tradesperson to get your job done, please try our local search below, or if you are doing it yourself you can find suppliers local to you.

Select the supplier or trade you require, enter your location to begin your search.

Are you a trade or supplier? You can create your listing free at DIYnot Local

Moving a socket

Similar threads