wall socket replacements

[ban-all-sheds]

http://www.allcap.co.uk/Conversi.htm

 

[JohnW2]

Wrong. 4BA Are 3.6 mm diameter which is bigger than 3.5mm. My post stands, you need to get 4BA screws.

The minor diameter of a 4BA thread is only 2.8mm, which is why, in practice, re-tapping as M3.5 (major 3.5mm, minor 3.0mm) works reasonably well.

Kind Regards, John

 

[JohnW2]

... but I've done it the other way round though, re threaded. 3.5mm to 4BA.

That would probably be more iffy, since the minor diameter of an M3.5 thread (3.0mm) is greater than that of a 4BA one (2.8mm).

Kind Regards, John

 

[notaplumber1]

Thanks everybody for your replies and help. I ended up rewiring the whole appartment which involved drilling the walls for cables and drilling socket holes too and changing fuse box. Moving all points to comply with new height regulations. New light switches. Even moved light switches to accomodate new doors opening the other way. New lights to be put up soon. tnx everybody for your replies and help.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Thanks everybody for your replies and help. I ended up rewiring the whole appartment which involved drilling the walls for cables and drilling socket holes too and changing fuse box.

What did you do about certification, testing, and Building Regulations compliance?

Moving all points to comply with new height regulations.

And what heights and regulations would those be?

Did you want to change the existing heights?

 

[notaplumber1]

I was tempted to just rewire with existing sockets in same place but because i wanted some doors to open the other way i decided to go the whole hog. Also electrician would not give me a cert in this case. Opted for 45cm from floor for sockets and 120cm for switches. At least if i want to sell i will have a compliant cert and dont need to pretend that i bought in as it appears.

 

[notaplumber1]

Walls are cement walls so very dusty drilling took place. Copper wiring was removed though looking at them they seemed in good condition. They were not threaded through 'pipes' but now wiring is. Hopefully no probs for the next 10 yrs.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

I was tempted to just rewire with existing sockets in same place but because i wanted some doors to open the other way i decided to go the whole hog. Also electrician would not give me a cert in this case. Opted for 45cm from floor for sockets and 120cm for switches.

Well - I hope you actually wanted those heights anyway, as you were saddled with an ignorant electrician. You did not have to have them at that height, there are no laws or regulations which say you had to, and nothing whatsoever to stop him certifying the work. What a clown he is.

At least if i want to sell i will have a compliant cert and dont need to pretend that i bought in as it appears.

I ended up rewiring the whole appartment which involved drilling the walls for cables and drilling socket holes too and changing fuse box. Moving all points to comply with new height regulations. New light switches. Even moved light switches to accomodate new doors opening the other way. New lights to be put up soon.

Which says that you did the rewiring, you changed the CU, you moved the accessories etc.

 

[notaplumber1]

Actually turned out really good. Doors were opening 'wrong' way. Sockets were cracked and painted over. Electrician suggested i have two flush down lights in entrance and five in bathroom instead of two lights originally planned. He did not increase charge from original quote. He also prepared enough cable for the kitchen which is nxt project and offered to do points and sockets now at no extra charge . I do not know the plan yet so refused his kind offer. So overall was a good guy.

 

[PBC_1966]

Well - I hope you actually wanted those heights anyway, as you were saddled with an ignorant electrician. You did not have to have them at that height, there are no laws or regulations which say you had to, and nothing whatsoever to stop him certifying the work. What a clown he is.

Indeed, there seems to have been a lot of confusion on this issue. First, the heights which some electricians and some council inspectors try to insist are mandatory are, in fact, merely guidelines in the approved document, not absolutes.

Second, and in this case more importantly, the section of the building regulations concerned about the heights of switches and sockets applies to new houses, but does not apply to rewires or other alterations to an existing house anyway. The regulations state so quite clearly, yet many people seem to be under the impression that they come into effect for a rewire or some sort of extensive refurbishment project (however one wishes to define the latter).

 

[ban-all-sheds]

There are none so dim as those who will not read.

 

[JohnW2]

There are none so dim as those who will not read.

Some of those who cannot read might well be pretty "dim", too.

Kind Regards, John

 

[ban-all-sheds]

They might, through no fault of theirs.

But people who choose not to read the truth are, by a huge margin, complete @~{"!*$^%#s

 

[PBC_1966]

And on this particular issue, there are those who seem to read what isn't there.

"Must be no worse than existing," is a phrase quoted a lot, but nowhere in the regulations does it say any such thing.

 

[GaryGarden]

And on this particular issue, there are those who seem to read what isn't there.

"Must be no worse than existing," is a phrase quoted a lot, but nowhere in the regulations does it say any such thing.

And it's often quoted by very experienced sparks who are trying to justify not doing the job up to scratch saying "well the state i left it in is certainly no worse than the existing before the job started". Another often miss-understood thing relates to departures from 7671, 133.5 is very clear in it's meaning but the number of so called sparks that i see on another particular forum saying to someone something along the lines of "it's ok if it don't meet all the regs because that's what the departures box is for" is worrying.