short wires

[Rob Mon]

Hi, new to the forum and can't seem to see an answer to this one! I am replacing a double socket in the kitchen and the wires are too short behind it to fit the new socket. I have two live, two neutral and two earth. Two questions please; can i extend the wires by joining them in a terminal block? and if so, can i run the two sets of each cables into one block and then a single wire out to the socket to save space? (I hope this is clear!)

Thanks in anticipation! Rob

 

[Newboy]

ermm - electrics forum?

 

[EFLImpudence]

can i extend the wires by joining them in a terminal block? and if so, can i run the two sets of each cables into one block and then a single wire out to the socket to save space?

Yes and yes.

 

[Rob Mon]

sorry, thought this was the right forum, couldn't see an electrics one!

But thanks a bunch EFL

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

It would depend on how short the cables are and whether they actually enter the enclosure within the sheath of the conductors.
If the cables do enter the backbox sheathed or contained if in singles, then you can do as you have asked.
But do use connectors that are suitably rated for the circuit.

 

[kai]

Using 30/32 amp connector blocks will do just fine.

 

[Gerrydelasel]

If you're just replacing an existing socket, how can the wires possibly be too short? What's changed?

 

[Iggifer]

Terminals aren't always in the same place, in fact, more often than not, they're not

 

[Gerrydelasel]

Yeah, but an inch or two? Wow, they really didn't leave you any slack, did they!

 

[EFLImpudence]

Replacing a single with a double.

 

[Iggifer]

Yeah, but an inch or two? Wow, they really didn't leave you any slack, did they!

where does he say an inch or two?

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

If you're just replacing an existing socket, how can the wires possibly be too short? What's changed?

It is quite common for the conductors not to be long enough to reach the terminals of a new socket, as mentioned terminals are not always locate inthe same position on sockets and back in the day, very few sparks gave you any room for scope for alteration.

 

[Gerrydelasel]

Where does he say an inch or two?

A socket is only a few inches across, so I infer the terminals on a new socket are not likely to be more than an inch or two further away from the ones in an old socket.

 

[Iggifer]

No, true. but the cables only need to be 5mm short to make them 'too short'.

And as PrenticeBoy has just mentioned, it used to be the done thing to dress the cables short AF. I changed a socket front recently where the cables were entering the top of the box, and weren't even long enough to reach the bottom of the box. That was a fun one!

 

[Gerrydelasel]

I changed a socket front recently where the cables were entering the top of the box, and weren't even long enough to reach the bottom of the box.

I find the short-sighteness of so many past (and present!) tradesmen baffling.