Moving a 13amp socket

Joined
7 Sep 2009
Messages
95
Reaction score
0
Location
Hampshire
Country
United Kingdom
I have a 13 amp double socket that I would like to move about 2m along the wall. Is this something I am allowed to do myself or do the regulations require a qualified electrician?
 
Sponsored Links
And if might add as a DIYer, bear in mind that the existing cable to the socket in its current position must stilll be in the allowed zone after you moved the socket. Depending on from where the cable comes, it might be best to leave the exisiting socket where it is, but add a second socket in the position you want it to be.
 
Sponsored Links
Now that I've actually come to do this it has all got a bit more complicated. The existing socket has three sets of cables connected to it, so presumably is part of a ring main and has already been spurred off from and therefore I cant just spur off to create an additional outlet. I don't actually need the existing socket, but as has been pointed out, if I remove it I will have cables running to it that will not be in an allowed zone. What are my options, if any?
 
Firstly it would be wise to confirm if it is ring final or a radial circuit. Radial circuits are less complicated to spur from.

With some alteration to cables and swapping the existing socket for blank plate, things can be done.
There are other regultions to follow as you are really adding a new socket and likely chasing/routing cable in walls. The regs would require 30mA RCD protection, is this present?
 
It is a fairly old system that still uses fuse wire and holders. However the whole thing is protected by a 30mA RCD. All the power sockets in the house (there are only 8 ) are covered by one 30 amp fuse. 3 separate sets of twin and earth run from this. The cable that I could fully trace feeds one double socket. The other two disappear into the walls in opposite directions. I temporarily disconnected one of them and still had power at all sockets, so it appears they are all part of a ring.

As the socket in question has already been spurred off, and my understanding is that you can only spur once from each socket, I'm not sure what I can now do. I didn't expect moving a socket 1 metre along a wall was going to be quite so complicated.
 
Last edited:
As the socket in question has already been spurred off, and my understanding is that you can only spur once from each socket,
There are all sorts of understandings (old wives' tales) which have no basis in fact.

In view of all the other consequences involved in altering other things, just go ahead and add a second spur from the socket on the ring.
 
Are you saying that I can safely spur twice from the same socket? There seems to be a lot of conflicting opinions about this. The frustrating thing is that once I put in the additional socket, the original one will be surplus to requirements, so there is no real increase to the load on the system.
 
Are you saying that I can safely spur twice from the same socket?
Yes.

There seems to be a lot of conflicting opinions about this.
There is but electrically it makes no difference.

The frustrating thing is that once I put in the additional socket, the original one will be surplus to requirements, so there is no real increase to the load on the system.
That may be true, but even if it weren't, it would have no different an effect than connecting to a second socket next to the first.
 
Are you saying that I can safely spur twice from the same socket? There seems to be a lot of conflicting opinions about this. The frustrating thing is that once I put in the additional socket, the original one will be surplus to requirements, so there is no real increase to the load on the system.

I think a more realistic concern is a DIYer (like myself!) safely getting 4x 2.5mm T&E cables into a presumably 25mm backbox, which may even be single (unless I've missed them specifying it's a double).
 
I think a more realistic concern is a DIYer (like myself!) safely getting 4x 2.5mm T&E cables into a presumably 25mm backbox, which may even be single (unless I've missed them specifying it's a double).

It is a double, but I share your concern. What I'd really like to do is remove the double switched socket, connect everything up with some 30 amp connector block and fit a blanking plate over the backbox. However I'm not sure that regulations permit this, particularly in terms of indicating that there are live cables in the allowed zones.
 
However I'm not sure that regulations permit this, particularly in terms of indicating that there are live cables in the allowed zones.

There's been a lot of discussion on this recently - Using a blanking plate to indicate safe zone . Personally, I think that blanking plates look terrible, and unless covered by furniture I'd much prefer a socket from an aesthetics point of view. But then of course we're back to the 4x 2.5mm cables into a socket "issue".

That said, with care and attention, including careful stripping/routing, it shouldn't be an issue, especially in a double backbox. This would probably be the route I'd go, and I'd definitely want to test ring integrity (probably at a less cramped socket once I'd screwed this one up) and correct termination of both spurs at the very least.

Note - I am in no way an electrician, and just a DIYer myself, so someone else may come along with better advice.
 

DIYnot Local

Staff member

If you need to find a tradesperson to get your job done, please try our local search below, or if you are doing it yourself you can find suppliers local to you.

Select the supplier or trade you require, enter your location to begin your search.


Are you a trade or supplier? You can create your listing free at DIYnot Local

 
Sponsored Links
Back
Top