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Years ago, when doing any redecoration in my house, I took the opportunity to replace any old light switches and 13A sockets in the room, using whatever make/model was readily available at the time. However, that has led to something of a mish-mash of styles across the whole property, so...

Just out of curiosity really.... In our hallway there is an old Friedland 551 mechanical 'ding dong' chime. As we are redecorating my wife wants to replace it with "something neater", so probably a Friedland / Honeywell D117 or similar. No problem there. The bell power comes from an old grey...

I'm having some redecoration done in my hall. One small wall has always suffered from cold/damp for various reasons, so the contractor has proposed to dry-line the wall - I've no problem with that. In that wall, down near the skirting board, is a 2-gang socket which feeds the telephone...

There are two lighting circuits in my house, one upstairs and one downstairs. The upstairs circuit loops through a ceiling rose which supports a pendant light on the landing. There is a 1.0mm T&E cable from the rose to a 1-gang 2-way switch on the landing and then a 3&E cable from that switch to...

There is an electric towel rail in my bathroom which I intend to replace by a new one when I refurbish the bathroom in due course. The towel rail is located in Zone 1 above the non-tap end of the bath (for the simple reason that is no room anywhere else in the small bathroom for it) so I shall...

I'm adding a couple of downlights to an existing downstairs lighting circuit as apart of wider house refurbishment programme. The location of existing wiring etc and the sequence of refurbishment work mean that I have to lift the floorboards in one room upstairs to connect the cable for the new...

Background:- the electrical supply to my house is TT with an earth rod at the premises. The consumer unit itself has rewireable fuses. At one location on the 5A circuit of 1.0mm cable for the downstairs lights there was an old round bakelite-type JB to split the cable into two spurs - one to go...

I am replacing the light fitting in my porch. The 1.0mm T&E cable goes out of the back of the fitting, through the wall into the hall, down inside about 9" of plastic trunking, and into the 16mm pattress box holding the switch. The new fitting (LED with PIR etc) was clearly designed by someone...

There is a light on the outside of my house controlled by a switch in the hall. The light fitting is old and needs replacing, which brings up a couple of questions. 1. There is a 1.0mm T&E cable from the switch which goes out through a hole in the outside (cavity) wall directly into the back of...

The lights on my stairs are controlled by pair of switches - one at top, one at bottom - connected by 3core&earth for 2-way switching. As part of some refurbishment work I have relocated the upstairs switch and now need to reroute the 3&E cable (actually, I'm going to disconnect the old cable...

There are a number of 230V LED downlights in my kitchen, part of which is below my bathroom (but on the side opposite from the bath). I want to add two more to the circuit, but this time they will be directly below the bath. Given that the downlights will be below the bathroom floor, as far as...

I've bought a couple (to see which size is better for my needs) of IP55 enclosures (British General brand) in order to be able mount the transformer for my 12V garden light outside, albeit with the 230V feed coming from a socket indoors. What puzzle me is that instructions specify drilling out...

I need to feed a couple of small diameter cables (one 230V, the other 12V) into an IP55 enclosure. The cables ODs are too small for M20 glands, but M12 glands would do. Problem is that I can't find any IP55 enclosures of the right size that have anything smaller than M20 knock-outs and I don't...

I have taken up a part of my kitchen floor this week in readiness for moving a radiator and in doing so I came across part of the cable to the cooker control switch. Now it would appear that, at some date in the past, the cooker was moved form one side of the kitchen to the other, where it was...

Currently my back garden lights run on 12V from a transformer located inside my lounge, the 12V cable going out through a convenient air-vent hole. Upcoming alterations in the lounge mean that I need to move the transformer, but really there is no suitable alternative space indoors. My thought...

In part of some alterations in my hall, I've had to relocate a power socket that is in the ring main. In its new location one 'leg' of the ring main would still reach the socket, but not the other, so I've had to inset a new length of 2.5mm T&E and a new JB to connect to the old ring. As I'm...

As part of alterations inside my airing cupboard I need to relocate the light fitting. The existing cable (1.0mm T&E) is laid on the surface of the wall and held by clips. I intend to remove the clips, move the cable, and put it in 16x16mm trunking for neatness. However, the new route for the...

I'm making up a short (3-metre) 13A extension lead for indoor use - my longer 10m one tends to get in the way a lot! As well as the necessary plug and heavy-duty trailing socket, I've got a redundant length of 1.25mm A05VV-F that would be just right for the job and save me having to buy a new...

My garden has some 12V AC lighting powered by a 'plug top' type transformer plugged into a socket in a corner of the lounge, with the 12V cabling going out through a sealed hole in the wall. Now, the transformer is labelled for interior use only, and the instructions which came with it also say...

On my digital meter there is a red light, which normally is flashing at varying intervals. As I have always understood it, the situation is:- 1. No light = no incoming power (and yes, I've watched it for long enough to know that it is definitely off and not just flashing very slowly) 2. Steady...