New wall socket

[Thrill]

You don't learn without doing do ya? So I want to do this myself with a little help I have 2 sockets in my room, I want a new one. Just a bog standard normal 2 gang socket. I have a socket where the computer is and theres a wire underneath it going into it, the cable is visible and must run under the carpet or poke up under the floorboard. However, on the other side of the room there's another and there isn't a wire visibly going into it (must be in the wall)

I want a new socket, what should I do?

 

[securespark]

Pictures!

 

[Thrill]

Here you go, these are the only two wall sockets in the bedroom.

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

Top picture socket seems to have trunking above, with cable/flex popping out, could we go wide screen?
Also do you know the difference between ring final circuits and radial circuit?
if so do you know what type of circuit the one pictured is, as it may help as what is your best option?

 

[Thrill]

The top picture the trunking is completely irrelevant, just got CAT5 into it just to tidy it up

The wire that goes in from the bottom is the wire into the socket. I haven't touched any of the sockets, they're exactly the same as when we moved in 10 year ago

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

Also where do you want your new socket?
Are you prepared to chase out or surface mount cable and socket?
Does your installation have RCD protection on this circuit?

 

[JohnD]

The wire that goes in from the bottom is the wire into the socket.

Just the one wire?

Is it round, and painted?

 

[wingcoax]

Round AND painted by the looks of it. Extension from another socket

 

[Thrill]

The wire that goes in from the bottom is the wire into the socket.

Just the one wire?

Is it round, and painted?

Just the one wire. Yes it's round and painted, is this bad? Theres like a 'socket' in the boiler room beside me, but it doesnt have a plug input. Just a switch for the boiler, it's hard wired. But theres a wire below it than runs to the plug with the wire from it, looks as if they're connected up.

 

[JohnD]

I am going to guess that the socket with the round painted wire is an unfused spur taken from (somewhere unknown) which means that you cannot run an extra fuse from it, and since it appears to have been run in undersized flex, it ought to be disconnected.

The old flex might run under the carpet, or under the floor. Carpet is far far worse.

If you turn off the power, test for dead, and photograph the cables and connections behind each socket, we might get a better idea. But you do not sound as if you are competent to do that safely (sorry).

p.s.
be careful to use the word "plug" for a plug and "socket" for a socket.

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

Sounds like a spur connection for the boilers' switched fused connection unit has been taken as a feed from this socket, using flex.
But with the existing sockets shown in picture being surface mounted, could be a hash up, so pictures as requested of your set up would be good.
Isolate system covers off and pictures of external of sockets and the fuse box highlighting the fuse/breaker that protect the circuit would be very helpful!

Still would like to have some of my questions answered:
RFC or Radial?
Cable and fuse sizes of circuit?
Any circuit labels at fuse box?
RCD protection present?
Chasing out or surface mounting accessories and cable?
Where do you want the extra socket?
Cannot really offer informed helpful advice, without the answers to some of these questions!

 

[rjm2k]

Can you follow the cable that runs under the carpet and identify where it goes? Are there any mystery plugs that you don't know what they do nearby?

As mentioned above, if you turn off the power - check each of the 2 double sockets is dead, carefully unscrew each and post photos of what's inside it will help but don't touch anything in there.

If you can turn off the power by isolating 1 or 2 breakers on your fuseboard rather than the whole property then post a photo of the breaker/s too.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Round AND painted by the looks of it.

Round doesn't matter.

Painted doesn't matter.

Being too small matters very much.