Replacing Blanking Plate with Socket

[Mechanic96]

Good afternoon all!

We've recently moved to a new house and we're wanting to get the washing machine up and running. In the brochure for the property the previous owners had their washing machine in a specific spot in the kitchen, which we were planning on using as well.

However, there are no plug sockets for the washing machine present. Instead, there is a blanking plate. I have unscrewed this and there are the following wires:

x1 brown
x1 blue
x2 yellow/green

Would it be safe to wire in a single plug socket to replace this blanking plate using the existing wiring? Not sure why there are two yellow/green wires, but I'm not an electrician by trade.

Further down the kitchen there is a dishwasher which seems to be hardwired in. I looked behind this appliance and the cable for it seems to go into a blanking plate. I shouldn't have to cut off the plug and hardwire the washing machine in like this, right?

Just want to make sure I can replace the blanking plate with a plug. Wiring is straight forward from what I see but it's better to be safe than sorry. Just confused where there are two yellow/green wires rather than one for the earth (I assume?).

Thanks in advance!

 

[ericmark]

I will guess you have a fused connection unit (FCU)

if so yes no problem swapping for a socket.

 

[opps]

Does one earth go from the faceplate to the metal backbox? If yes, that is normal.

If you don't want to cut the plug off then replace it with a socket. Will you still have enough clearance to push the dishwasher back if you use a plug?

 

[Mechanic96]

Does one earth go from the faceplate to the metal backbox? If yes, that is normal.

If you don't want to cut the plug off then replace it with a socket. Will you still have enough clearance to push the dishwasher back if you use a plug?

I don't believe it does. Both of the earth wires seem to be joined into one and go into the block connector at the back of the blanking plate rather than being wired into the metal blanking plate.

I should have enough clearance with a regular plug socket and plug.

 

[Mechanic96]

I will guess you have a fused connection unit (FCU)

if so yes no problem swapping for a socket.

Thanks for your response. The blanking plate seems to be standard with two screw holes and nothing else; no fuse section in sight.

 

[terryplumb]

Show us a pic of wiring. How are the conductors terminated ?
You need to test the wiring for voltages present.

 

[SUNRAY]

Show us a pic of wiring. How are the conductors terminated ?
You need to test the wiring for voltages present.

And size of cable and where it's fed from.


I'm wondering if it's an outlet plate like the cooker.

It's what were in my daughters new build, I simply changed to unswitched sockets.

However we are making assumptions.

 

[Mechanic96]

Thanks for the responses so far. I'll get some photos later once I've finished work and then post them below

 

[ericmark]

I wonder if a cooker connection unit

blanking plate normally has no connections, hard to find a picture of the back of a blanking plate.

 

[Mechanic96]

 

[Mechanic96]

Apologies for the spam, was struggling to work out how to upload photos onto this message board from a mobile phone!

I've attached (hopefully) photos of both the standard, single plug socket I wish to use, as well as a few photographs of the original blanking plate and wiring which is mounted to the wall.

Thank you.

 

[Mechanic96]

It also appears that one of the earth wires is attached to the metal backing plate, so apologies for saying it wasn't earlier. I didn't see this the first time I checked.

 

[terryplumb]

Flex outlet plate. Is there an isolation switch ,above worktop ,that feeds this ?
Swapping for an unswitched socket should be fine ,do you have any testing equipment ?

 

[SUNRAY]

Flex outlet plate. Is there an isolation switch ,above worktop ,that feeds this ?
Swapping for an unswitched socket should be fine ,do you have any testing equipment ?

I agree an unswitched socket will be better in this situation, it's very infuriating finding the flex or a hose flicked the switch off when the machine is pushed into place.

 

[Mechanic96]

Thanks guys. Unfortunately I don't have any testing equipment. I understand your reasoning behind going for an unswitched socket - would this be OK? Just to confirm, would it be a standard socket as shown above, but instead of having the standard switch beside the plug, it would have a switch operating the power of this through an isolation switch instead?

Although I cannot test, there are two switches above this countertop, one I know for certain provides power to the dishwasher (far right). I can only assume the one on the far left would be used for the other outlet which currently has a blanking plate fitted.

I'll attach relevant photo

Thanks