Recent content by kinkyboots

Just posting an update in case it is useful to anybody having similar issues. I've had the carpets taken up, floorboards up and wiring checked out. The cabling to the kitchen was insufficient as was only 1.5 or 2.5 mm or whatever so the electrician has had to install new cabling - 6mm and...

Thanks for your reply EFL... So I've currently got a workman round who is taking some tiles off the wall, he has unscrewed and taken out the old oven and turns out it's just on a normal plug! Now waiting for an electrician to turn up to check out the wiring and advise if it will be...

Hi there, please help me... I want to take out an old Whirlpool single oven and gas hob and replace with a new Siemens oven and induction hob. oven: HB75AB550B/HB75GB550B hob: EH651TA16E The oven is 3650W and hob is 4600W so I calculate that as requiring 15-16A and 19-20A...

You're scaring me now!! It's okay though - as I said, I've removed that switch now. I am using it in another room but the lights are different - LV halogen lights with individual transformers rather than the light with the great big toroidal transformer. I think perhaps it was the transformer...

Hi thanks for your reply With regards to the load - that was the only light I was attempting to turn on so it can't be overloading. I have removed the dimmer switch from this room now. Went out after I made that post yesterday; when I got home I noticed the dimmer switch plate was hot to...

Hi I've just replaced an old white plastic touch dimmer switch with a chrome one (yes yes it's earthed!) BUT - When I press the switch I'm hearing a click coming from the CU (as it happens to be in the same room). It's not flicking the fuse off or anything but it's an audible click and...

The CU has been built into a bedroom cupboard. Don't know how much use this photo is gonna be to you: (have no idea what the first 3 switches are for as they are always off??!!) As for surrounding area, well there is nothing but the cupboard/wall surrounding it: Yes...

LOL I never imagined swapping plastic switches for chrome ones was going to be so involved! I live on the top floor. Consumer unit is in my flat but the meters for all the flats are down in a cupboard by the basement flat, so I guess that is where the earthing terminal is then, right...

Hi Chri5 Thanks for your reply, that seems to make some sort of sense to me - except I don't actually know where the earth point for the flat is :? :oops:

Cheers for the reply. Again, not what I wanted to hear! I thought fitting the switches was gonna be quick and easy. :( Any idea of roughly how much I should expect to pay an electrician in central London to carry out these checks? If we're talking hundreds just so I can fit some chrome...

Hi again, sorry to 'bump' this topic but I want to install these switches so can someone please advise if I can just go ahead and do this or not, or do I need to pay for an electrician to check all the earths? Thanks.

No, no loft. It's a top floor conversion flat i.e. what was originally loft space. Added in the 1980s so it's not ancient wiring. I don't want to add any more lights or anything, I'd just like to change the dirty old plastic switches for chrome ones but need to be sure that I can install these...

If I can get through the holes in the ceiling and put connector blocks on all the earths, is this sufficient? It's a top floor flat so no, no floorboards above! Low-resistance continuity tester - is this something I can pick up from Maplin and do the checks myself or is this still a job...

Thanks but :( not what I wanted to hear. What I mean is, where the downlighters have been installed only the live and neutrals go into the lamp fittings; the earth wire has not been used because these types of lights don't require earthing, so the earth wires have either been twisted...

Thanks for the reply. Yeah sorry wrong terminology I guess :oops: I thought this stuff was called 3 core. I'm talking about the blue, brown and yellow-green sleeved copper twisted wiring that's all encased in pvc sheathing. Just wondered if the core that is already yellow-green sleeved could...