Disabling or unwiring a built-in mains socket

[SamJR]

Hello,

I have a problem with a built in mains socket for a heater.
I recently bought a new electric heater for my living room as the fat ugly one that was already installed when I moved in had died (thankfully). However, this old heater is wired directly into the mains where as the other uses a plug. I am currently stuck with old heater sitting in the middle of the living room and stubbing my toe on it.
I can only see two options, due to the fireplace covering most of the built in socket.

1. Wire in the new heater to the built-in socket. Only problem here is that the old socket doesn’t seem to have a fuse, (probably why it stopped working).
OR
2. Some how disabling or unwiring the old built-in socket. (There is no problem with continuing to use the new heater in another plug socket).

Any advice would be helpful.
Thank you
[/img]

 

[hairyben]

Are you sure it's not a nightstore heater?

(only live between midnight and 7am on cheap rate electric, heats up bricks that release the heat all day)

 

[SamJR]

Yeah, sure it's not. It’s just a really old convector heater that when pop one evening and then stopped kicking out heat.

 

[SamJR]

But now you mention it, I did only ever use it as if it was a convector heater and it is rather large and heavy (as well as ugly )
Is there an easy way to tell? and you disable the socket still?

 

[hairyben]

okay, when you say "unfused socket" do you mean a socket or a switch with flex outlet?

If the latter, it should be on a separate circuit and not general power ring, have you checked the fuse board/breakers? do you know if it's live?

EDIT: storage heater will be full of bricks and bl**dy heavy.

 

[SamJR]

Yes it is a switch with flex outlet. And I checked the fuse board/breakers though there is only one switch for the living room and I have another working storage heater in the same room too. So I would guess it is live?

 

[hairyben]

It sounds like a 20 amp isolater, you really need to test it to find out what kind of supply it's on, normal or off peak. post a pic of the heater it might help.

 

[SamJR]

View media item 6158
I you think any other images will help, let me know.[/img]

 

[Steve]

Its not a heater! Its an electric fire!

It'll be on a normal supply. Wire the new one into the FCU like this one was?

 

[sparkyspike]

Hang on... This could be a dual convector/storage heater.

 

[sparkyspike]

If the connection unit in the wall has no fuse, then the heater should be on its own circuit at the fuseboard. You're going to have to find out which fuse it is on before you wire a new heater into it. You can blank it off if you like using a 20A flex plate or a blank plate, but you will need to find out how to isolate it first. If necessary you could change it for a normal 13A socket or fcu, but again, it depends how it is fused at the main fuse board.

Incidentally, is there another connection unit or blank plate in the wall nearby?

 

[SamJR]

Yes there is another connection unit that the dual convector/storage heater (whatever it is) used to be plugged into as well.

 

[sparkyspike]

Ok. Are both of these connection units unfused? Can you get a photo?

 

[sparkyspike]

The reason I ask, is that unfused connection units are normally used for the off-peak (storage) heater connection. The convector heater part would normally be on a fused connection unit (fcu).