Adding wall sockets -pattress size

[Ketanbuckthorne]

Hi.

This is my first post so forgive my novice status. I've had a look around a few forums but couldn't find info so thought I'd take the plunge and post.

I'd like to fit sone additional sockets to a dinning room. I had an electrician do the living room but it created such a mess drilling into wall that I thought I'd chase the sockets myself. I figure if I take my time I'm likely to be more careful and less messy.

What I'm not sure about is the depth of patress to use. I bought a 25mm drew around it again wall and started chiselling away. It's a 1890 built home. Managed to chip away enough plaster that the patress fir flush without having to drill into brick. Having read a forums I expected the job would be a lot more difficult then that. So its making me think I'm using the wrong depth of patress. Should I use 35mm? If so, why? ( so I can understand better what I'm doing).

* just to say I'm installing sockets into wall that divides living room and dinning room. After chipping away at about 25mm of plaster there is a single thickness brickwall. Also I plan to do a skim plaster after fitting electrics so that is likely to add an extra 3-5mm.

Any advice would be great. Happy to provide more info if needed.

 

[flameport]

25mm will be fine for normal sockets. If you want to fit flat plate types or those with USB sockets in, then 35mm will be required.

 

[Ketanbuckthorne]

Flameport.

Thanks.

No plans to use flat plates or usb ports.....not sure i like how they look.

Happy with just regular front plates.

Just so I get it. I'd only use 35mm if i'm fitting a flat/ flush front plate or something with usb wiring. I.e. anything that requires the additional depth.

Thanks.

 

[Taylortwocities]

IMO, I always fit 35mm deep boxes. A 25mm deep box is fine if there are only two cables. Often there is a spur which makes fitting the socket to a 25mm box a challenge for the average DIYer.
Go 35mm, then you will have room to breathe.

 

[Ketanbuckthorne]

Thanks Taylor.

I'll go back and have a re think. Was hoping I'd got lucky and avoided chiselling out brick work.

 

[riveralt]

Thanks Taylor.

I'll go back and have a re think. Was hoping I'd got lucky and avoided chiselling out brick work.

You should have no problem fitting three cables into the 25mm back box - just make sure you leave no more than 10mm of grey sheathing into the back box - cut, bend and line up your live, neutral and earth cables to the terminals on the new socket before fitting.
You should leave just enough slack to access the terminals before you push it home.
The key is to avoid damaging the cables when you screw the socket to the back box - so line up correctly and use the right length screws only.
As an alternative, you can also fit socket surround plates (sometimes called biscuits) that will give you an extra few millimetres.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Was hoping I'd got lucky and avoided chiselling out brick work.

If you stitch drill, with a depth stop, it's not too bad to do.

 

[Ketanbuckthorne]

Thanks for the responses. I get the impression there isn't a definite rule with this..Some people prefer 25 others prefer 35. Seems to boil down to skill, time and finished result.

Ban all, I will look into stitch drill. Not heard of this. I'm pretty much a utter novice to this so learning as I go along.

Decided to check wiring to see if i'm adding to a ring or needing to spur off. If its a ring I'll practice wiring a socket to see if I can use a 25mm patress. If i'm struggling to get it fit I'll chisel out to 10mm and use a 35mm patress.

That's the plan. . .for now.

 

[EFLImpudence]

Of course there's no rule.

You use the size you need - like shoes.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Or glasses of beer.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Ban all, I will look into stitch drill. Not heard of this. I'm pretty much a utter novice to this so learning as I go along.

For some reason all of the images here show humongous great holes, but you'll get the idea. One of these http://www.diy.com/departments/bq-plastic-patress-jig-w90mm-l150mm/178007_BQ.prd might be useful - they are slow and fiddly to use, but make the drilling easy. Once you've drilled a scutch chisel should make short work of scooping out the brick. I'd caution against using an SDS chisel on a one-brick thick wall, unless you want two holes for the price of one.

 

[Taylortwocities]

Of course there's no rule.

You use the size you need - like shoes.

And like shoes, if you get a size too small, they will always be a pain…..

 

[securespark]

Just my twopenn'orth...

I have never fitted 35mm back boxes for sockets, even when 3 cables may be present.

With neat dressing, there will be plenty of room.

I remember the days when folk used to do rewires with 16mm boxes using Ashley sockets!

I have even used 35mm boxes for CCU's (where the CCU is designed for a 35mm box of course) and this has been a great success too.

 

[Ketanbuckthorne]

Thanks all. Really helpful. .I suspect I'll come back with some more basic questions. The aim is to get all sockets set up and get an electrician in to connected up to existing sockets.

Actually. Silly question but would this actually save me money? And how much do you set up. For example, if an electrician dies come in and say he doesn't feel confident about connecting up sockets because he didn't set them up himself.

Hope that makes sense.

 

[Ketanbuckthorne]

Thanks all. Really helpful. .I suspect I'll come back with some more basic questions. The aim is to get all sockets set up and get an electrician in to connected up to existing sockets.

Actually. Silly question but would this actually save me money? And how much do you set up. For example, if an electrician dies come in and say he doesn't feel confident about connecting up sockets because he didn't set them up himself.

Hope that makes sense.