4 way extension in trunking

[RF Lighting]

It's always better to have proper sockets installed, especially for bigger loads, but I don't see any issue at all with what you've done.

I did a periodic on a school a couple of years ago which had the exact same setup. We noted down as an observation that there were insufficient sockets in the classrooms, but in does not break any regs.

 

[crystal ball]

To quote Jim Royle "Fixed installation my a**e", so if a TV on a wall bracket has the flex contained in a bit of stickyback trunking it forms a fixed installation, never in this world

 

[ban-all-sheds]

You may have a stunning ability to see into the future, but you clearly have a substandard ability to understand everyday English words.

Like "fixed".

 

[Spark123]

If he has only used the sticky back then it won't be fixed for long

The only down point to what has been done is it will be a bit more difficult to do the in service inspection and test.

 

[crystal ball]

You may have a stunning ability to see into the future, but you clearly have a substandard ability to understand everyday English words.

Like "fixed".

fixed adjective ( FASTENED )

/fɪkst/

Definition

fastened somewhere and not able to be moved

 

[TonyW2]

Poundland have some adaptors that plug directly into a socket and then offer 4 in a row sockets. £1 each.
These could be unplugged for inspections, so not fixed.
Could keep everybody happy.

 

[Monkeh]

Poundland have some adaptors that plug directly into a socket and then offer 4 in a row sockets. £1 each.
These could be unplugged for inspections, so not fixed.
Could keep everybody happy.

If you're happy to hang that much off a socket, yes.

 

[JohnW2]

Poundland have some adaptors that plug directly into a socket and then offer 4 in a row sockets. £1 each. These could be unplugged for inspections, so not fixed. Could keep everybody happy.

If you're happy to hang that much off a socket, yes.

This is, IMO, one of those crazy situations in which the regs, if taken too literally, can induce people do do things which are undoubtedly less satisfactory/safe, just in the name of staying on the perceived right side of those regs.

The OP is, after all, merely being sensible in terms of common sense safety considerations. To suggest that a 'trip wire' (perfectly OK per Wiring Regs) is 'safer' than what he's done is just bananas!

Kind Regards, John

 

[ban-all-sheds]

fixed adjective ( FASTENED )

/fɪkst/

Definition

fastened somewhere and not able to be moved

So are you accusing Rich of mounting electrical sockets on the wall in such a way that they move about?

mounted the 4 way on the wall

 

[crystal ball]

Ah but twas not I who said it was part a fixed installation, anyway those 4 gang units are keyholed so they can be flipped off by a butterfly wing

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Still fixed. And anyway - the correct procedure is to put the screws in far enough so that the item doesn't wobble at all, and requires a certain amount of pressure to get it to move down onto (or up off of) the screws.

If someone asked you to fix one, or indeed anything which used keyhole slots, to a wall, would you

1) use the slots?

2) open it up so that you could drill and screw through the casing?

3) refuse, saying "can't be done"?

If 1 or 2, and you were being paid, how would you view refusal to pay you if your customer said

1) That's not fixed

2) WTF have you done, there are keyhole slots on the back for fixing it.


Just stop trying to wriggle out of perfectly reasonable everyday common meanings of words.

Rich fixed that 4-way to the wall.

 

[crystal ball]

The meaning was from a dictionary, the last thing I hung using keyholes was a loudspeaker and that was not part of the fixed installation either

 

[ban-all-sheds]

The meaning was from a dictionary,

I know it was, and I know what "fix" means.

If you want to go on about dictionary definitions I'm looking at one now which says "fix" means "to make or become firm, stable or secure".

By any reasonable standard, do you really think you can claim that Rich did not fix that 4-gang socket to the wall?

As I said - stop trying to wriggle out of perfectly reasonable everyday common meanings of words.

the last thing I hung using keyholes was a loudspeaker and that was not part of the fixed installation either

Fixed or not, if you can't tell the difference between loudspeakers and parts of an electrical installation you should stop giving advice here.

 

[JohnW2]

By any reasonable standard, do you really think you can claim that Rich did not fix that 4-gang socket to the wall?

I think discussions like this are good examples of why the regs and laws get such a bad press, unfortunately resulting in some people treating them with contempt - or, if they wish to remain on the right side of the regs/law, adopting practices which are less safe than they would like to.

Any regs/laws (conceived to promote safe practices) which induce some people to leave an extension lead lying on the floor, rather than 'fixing' it to a wall are IMO doing a disservice to both the raison d'etre of such regs/laws and to common sense.

I know that the official answer would probably be that they should 'get more sockets installed' but, in the real world, that is often not an option they will consisder. So long as extension leads are allowed, regs/laws should not have the effect of discouraging people from using them in the safest possible fashion.

Kind Regards, John.

 

[crystal ball]

Let me describe the speaker installation

Mains powered via a flex plugged in to a socket, run in trunking up the wall to the speaker-ring any bells

I will just have to learn to live with the fact that I have higher standards than you

Also please tell me where I have given bad advice