Socket fault

[Mars0]

Hi all,
One of my kitchen sockets stopped working. I checked it with a socket tester and it showed a “live/earth reverse” fault.

I pulled the socket face off and noticed that one of the earths had popped out – the side that had 2 earth cables.

This is what I have:
4 live brown wires into one live terminal
4 neutral blue wires into one neutral terminal
5 earth green/yellow wires in total (3 on one side, 2 on the other)
Metal back box with earth screw

1. Is this safe? It feels like cramming 4 lives and 4 neutrals into the socket terminals is overloading them.
2. Should I be using Wagos or junction connectors with short pigtails instead of forcing all the wires into the socket terminals?
3. Could the earth popping out have caused the fault my socket tester picked up?

Thanks for any advice. I want to make sure it’s done safely before I put it back together.

 

[EFLImpudence]

4 live brown wires into one live terminal
4 neutral blue wires into one neutral terminal

Yes.

5 earth green/yellow wires in total (3 on one side, 2 on the other)

Yes. You will note that the two sides are linked by a metal bar.

1. Is this safe?

Yes - assuming it is done correctly.

1. It feels like cramming 4 lives and 4 neutrals into the socket terminals is overloading them.

No.
Electricity is drawn by what you plug in; not pushed by the wires.

1. Should I be using Wagos or junction connectors with short pigtails instead of forcing all the wires into the socket terminals?

No. Why do you think that would be better?

1. Could the earth popping out have caused the fault my socket tester picked up?

Not sure.
Does it show correct now?

Thanks for any advice. I want to make sure it’s done safely before I put it back together.

Yes, all perfectly normal.

 

[Mars0]

better?

Just because there was a fault with the socket. Just wasn’t sure if it was ok.

 

[chivers67]

I'm not sure why one of the earths is held by a screw against the back box on the right, maybe whoever did this did it due to it not reaching the socket.

It's not normal to have four cables connected in a socket but two might just be spurs to other sockets & the other two part of a ring or radial.

Maybe double over the earth wire on the right so it's held in better or use one of the earths on the left to terminate with it?

 

[Jurassicspark]

did only that socket stop working and is there any fcu’s nearby?

What circuit breaker rating is it protected by?

 

[EFLImpudence]

I'm not sure why one of the earths is held by a screw against the back box on the right,

OP did say there were 5 earth wires in the socket.

There are only 5 in the picture - one connected to back box bottom left.

 

[Murdochcat]

4 cables into a socket isn’t ideal

 

[EFLImpudence]

Why not?

 

[EFLImpudence]

To be more precise, as ideal might be an odd word to use, what is wrong with four wires in the socket terminals?

A recent thread more or less said it was not possible so if it is why did the manufacturer make the terminals so big?

 

[pete01]

why did the manufacturer make the terminals so big?

To make it easy to get three in?

 

[Mars0]

now?

Yes works now thanks

 

[Mars0]

I'm not sure why one of the earths is held by a screw against the back box on the right, maybe whoever did this did it due to it not reaching the socket.

It's not normal to have four cables connected in a socket but two might just be spurs to other sockets & the other two part of a ring or radial.

Maybe double over the earth wire on the right so it's held in better or use one of the earths on the left to terminate with it?

Thanks doubled it like you said. Held

 

[Mars0]

did only that socket stop working and is there any fcu’s nearby?

What circuit breaker rating is it protected by?

No fcu nearby. And yes only that socket stopped.

 

[Mars0]

4 cables into a socket isn’t ideal

So if it’s not ideal. What can you do to make it better?

 

[Mars0]

Thank you all for input. Put it back how it was with the earth in. Working fine