Sockets on skirting boards

what are the regulations regarding Sockets on skirting boards.

Just bought a new house and all the sockets are cut into the skirting boards and that low you can not plug anything with a moulded plug into it.

Had an electrician around to have a look he told me all the cabling is fine and the fuse board is RCD split load what ever that means but he said the sockets are unsafe because there mounted on the skirting and it is against regulations.

What should I do and Is this true

It is bad practice because they will get knocked by hoovers, furniture and clumsy people with big boots. This is why replacing broken sockets used to be a common job in old houses, but is hardly ever needed now.

Current regulations is to have them at a min height of 450mm above the floor in new build (this is actually so that people in wheelchairs can reach them, but it is much easier for the able as well) and people will come to view this as the "normal" height. In an old house you are not obliged to change to current regs, but there is a general rule that things must be suitable, which yours are not

If you can't fit a moulded plug into then it is very inconvenient.

If you have just moved in, I expect you will soon be redecorating to your own taste so this is a good time to move the sockets.

You could do it yourself or have a good local electrician (preferably one recommended by friends or neighbours). Changing sockets is not notifiable work except in kitchens so it is not necessary to use an electrician who is a member of a self-certification scheme; but if you do this is some evidence that he is not just a handyman.

You might have additional sockets fitted at the same time - there are recommendations; but I would say, a double socket every two metres along the walls; each side of a bed; plenty along kitchen worktops or in home offices, and wherever you will want your TV/Video/DVD/HIFI equipment.

Cutting new socket boxes into the wall will be fairly dirty and the plaster will need to be patched and redecorated. The cables will have to be extended with a permanent joint; a ratchet crimper is the usual tool. Cheap DIY methods are unsuitable.

Don't do it - I stayed in a hotel once that had them. Woke up in the morning walked to bathroom and smacked by foot on one. Spent all morning in A&E having smashed my little toe into 3 pieces - VERY painful.

Mike

Depends how high the SB is, after all. Some in older houses are such that you can mount a socket in one 3/4 of the way up and the bottom of the socket will still be 6" off floor (Ooops, I mean 150mm....)

Some fairly new houses I go in have them a little above the SB, but because it is a thin SB, the socket bottoms are <4" off floor (Oooops, I mean 100mm....)

Dave38 said:

and that low you can not plug anything with a moulded plug into it.

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In the short term you could plug a 4 way extension in and use that for your moulded plugs. And I have seen the face plates mounted up-side down to get over the same problem (I don't recommend that as the cable can pull the plug out bearing the live & neutral pins)

When you say a new house I assume you mean another house?

As far as I know before new domestic installs became part of the building regs there were no height regulations with 7671. However, since the late 60’s sockets have creped up from the skirting to around 300mm but not due to any regulations.

Pensdown said:

... since the late 60’s sockets have creped up from the skirting...

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those things creeping up from your skirting board aren't sockets...

Ever tried plugging an iron into a cockroach??

as a quick and easy improvement assuming they are standard size replacing them with metal and turning them upside down should reduce the risk of damage and remove the moulded plug problem.

actually moving them is a much bigger job firstly because the cables almost certainly won't reach the new locations and doing a safe wall join that can be burried in the wall isn't easy and secondly because you'll have to do something about the holes in the skirting.

I'm currently redecorating a room where a single socket sticks out from the skirting board and i've an idea to replace it with a double socket - but i only have the cover: can i enlarge the hole where the single socket is now and screw the double into the wood, or should i get a complete box to put into the wall above?
Better to do it before i clean up the skirting and paint, methinks.

Does the cable run under the floor, and could you take up a floorboard to access it?

Is this your own house?

Photos would be informative.

JohnD said:

Does the cable run under the floor, and could you take up a floorboard to access it?

Is this your own house?

Photos would be informative.

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I haven't got to that stage yet - it's still in R&D - but my guess is the cables run under the floorboards, so i'll take my cam today for a better view when i reach that point where a decision has to be made.

When you look under the floor, you might find the "ring" runs along next to the wall and rises up for each socket.

It might be possible go rise up to two new sockets in the wall (at a convenient distance apart) using the existing cable, and a new piece of cable bridging between them.

This is handy in old houses with insufficient sockets, and avoids contriving "maintenance free" joints.

Odds said:

I'm currently redecorating a room where a single socket sticks out from the skirting board and i've an idea to replace it with a double socket - but i only have the cover: can i enlarge the hole where the single socket is now and screw the double into the wood, or should i get a complete box to put into the wall above?
Better to do it before i clean up the skirting and paint, methinks.

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I don't want to take up the carpet sq. just yet but there's another socket behind this one in another room - can i assume they're linked?



It'd be so much easier to use the existing wiring to connect a double socket and screw the face onto the skirting without using a back box.

As an interim measure could you turn the sockets through 90 degrees? Some older single boxes had four fixing lugs so just release the faceplate and turn, if they don't have four lugs you will have to unscrew the back box and turn that. Ok it doesn't stop you kicking them etc but it means they become usable

Sureitsoff? said:

As an interim measure could you turn the sockets through 90 degrees? Some older single boxes had four fixing lugs so just release the faceplate and turn, if they don't have four lugs you will have to unscrew the back box and turn that. Ok it doesn't stop you kicking them etc but it means they become usable

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As has been suggested, wouldn't 180 degrees be more appropriate ('as an interim measure')? - and that would work even with 2-lug back-boxes.

Kind Regards, John