Changing Plug Socket Help

[tambini87]

We need to change a plug socket due to a broken pin in the earth socket.

See the 2 pics attached. There are 2 earth and neutral and 3 live cables in our current plug. Can we tie these cables to connect to the new socket?

 

[plugwash]

Two or three wires in each terminal is fine and normal, no need to do anything fancy.

There should normally be the same number of each color though, I see three live and neutral but only two earth, it could well be that there are two earth wires in the same sleeve, but if not then i'd want to figure out what was going on.

Edit, just noticed there are three of some wires.

 

[bernardgreen]

To me it looks like there are 3 Neutrals ( which there should be as there are three Live ) There should also be three Earths, one for each of the cable

 

[winston1]

Puzzled as to why there are 3 lines and only 2 of neutral and earth.

 

[plugwash]

I see three neutrals coming into the box, the connections to the neutral terminal are a bit obscured by the earth wires but it looks like all three probablly do got to the terminal.

For the earths, I suspect there are two earths in the same sleeve, but i'd want to check.

 

[Mottie]

Looks like there are two earths in that right sleeve.

 

[tambini87]

Yes, sorry, there are 3 of each! I think there are 2 Earth's in one sleeve.

So should I just wind the wires together before putting them in their respective terminals?

 

[plugwash]

Normally with solid cores into socket terminals you shouldn't need to twist them, just push all the wires into the terminal and tighten down the screw.

Twisting is generally discouraged nowadays because it can cause wires to snap if the wiring needs to be worked on later.