I want to remove a 3 pin round lamp socket - how??

[Sleebagz]

Hi, I'm wanting to replace all the existing white electrical sockets in our living room for brushed steel ones, thing is 3 of the sockets are the 3 pin round lamp sockets (same as in image) and I don't want to replace them with the equivalent steel one, I just want to cover them with a steel blanking plate.

Am I ok to just stick all the wires into a terminal strip, tape them up and then stick a blanking plate over the top?

I had some 30A strip left over from something else so presume this will be fine to use?

Does an earth still need to be connected to the socket or can I just show everything into the strip?

Any advice greatly appreciated.

What is the point of the 3 pin plugs anyways? Why not just make another normal socket??

 

[Screech20]

That sounds fine, but connect the earth to the back box to keep the faceplate earthed.

 

[DetlefSchmitz]

You might find that those sockets are on a lighting circuit and operated by a light switch. I might be worth checking that first. Some people (me included) think that a switchable set of lighting sockets is a good idea.

 

[securespark]

And me!!

 

[john4703]

switchable set of lighting sockets is a good idea.

I agree these are really useful

 

[Echo the husky]

And they save you walking around the room to turn on and off all the lamps!

 

[sparkwright]

You'd be wise to fit round pin sockets again. They ARE handy, and actually look like they are doing something - blank plates look like a bodge.

If you insist on fitting blank plates, there may be an earth terminal on the metal blank plate.

 

[bernardgreen]

most of my upstairs lights are plugged into 5 amp sockets which are remotely switched

 

[PBC_1966]

They seemed to fall out of use in Britain for some reason, but switched outlets for lights are still popular over here. In fact in some homes it's not unusual for certain rooms to have no ceiling light fixtures at all but just use plug-in table & stand lamps.

As duplex receptacles here can have each outlet wired separately, a common arrangement is to split wire some of them around the room so that at each point one receptacle is permanently live and the other controlled by the wall switch.

 

[Echo the husky]

I guess that works well with your 15A lighting/socket circuits. Wouldn't work so well here so we are stuck with round pin sockets. I can't think of a neat way of doing it over here, you could use 2 of those horrid ugly euro module sockets in a double frame I guess. I'd rather have the round pin sockets.

 

[AndyPRK]

Yes just leave the white sockets therr

 

[Echo the husky]

Yes just leave the white sockets therr

Well perhaps change them for the matching steel ones!

 

[Sleebagz]

Thanks for the responses everyone.

When you say these sockets might run off a lighting circuit, would that be switched on/off from the main light switch on the wall?

The room has two main lights, operated from one dimmer switch that has two dimmer switches in it, the other switch appears to do nothing. Maybe this other switch runs the light sockets?

I still don't see the point in them though, there's 12 normal plug sockets in the room, plus these three lighting sockets - just looks like a mess to me! They were put in by the previous owner.

 

[Echo the husky]

They will almost certainly be controlled by the 'other switch'.

 

[Sleebagz]

Just had a look and they do run off the other switch, picture attached.

Can anyone explain how this is wired up to me? It seems there is a switched live (red brown sleeve) and also a yellow wire with a brown sleeve coming in on it too? I presume the two brown wires take the live to the other switch to run the lighting sockets.

Sorry for the terminology I'm still a novice in the DIY game!