None of the flat switches and sockets are flush against wall

[rosieshillam1]

Hello,

My electrician (who has not entirely done everything else perfectly either) is blaming the sockets and switches we bought from TLC to be the reason that there is a bow in almost every socket and with the exception of one light switch (exact same type as the rest) all light switches have a gap on one side where they are not flat against the wall.

I have had the entire flat taken back to brick, plaster boarded and skimmed, I am not saying the walls are perfectly flat (that may be humanly impossible) but they are in pretty now in good condition compared to most other peoples walls who also have flat light switches and sockets and don't even have new walls?

In my parents house, the walls are in terrible condition, haven't been touched since property was build and their fittings are flat?

I just don't understand how he hasn't been able to get any of the fittings flush? a few of them broke as he was screwing them in because they had too much of a bow in them? He is blaming the fittings, but they were purchased from TLC, I'm sure if they made them this badly they would be out of business?

I am thinking perhaps the back boxes he used were not deep enough? But they were the standard depth as what they sold me in the shop? I really don't understand what has gone wrong here? any advice would be appreciated

 

[Iggifer]

if you isolate the power to one of the circuits, say your lighting, and loosen off one of the switches, is the backbox proud of the plaster / level with the plaster / shy of the plaster?

Also, what brand of switches / socket outlets did you buy?

 

[ericmark]

With dry lining boxes

unless one does a lot of work taking a bit of plaster off the box is always a little proud.
With the

standard switch box the room is quite tight but the edge of the box does not have to be flush with the plaster so setting it a mm or 2 back will give the little extra room required.

It is normal that the electrician buys the fittings so that there is no argument should anything go wrong. The problem with customer providing fittings should something stop working because of a fault with fitting electrician can charge for the work in correcting it. The mark-up between trade and retail price is what pays the electrician for any work involved with faulty equipment.

 

[Taylortwocities]

It sounds like the back boxes are not deep enough, or he hasn't dreesed the cables behind the sockets nicely.

However, unless you told the electrician that you wanted flat plate sockets at the start of the job he may have put in regular 25mm deep back boxes. These are fine for standard sockets etc.

Many flat plate sockets need a deeper (35mm) back box.

 

[Chri5]

Some flat plate fitting really don't suit standard dry line back boxes, the standard dry line boxes lip prevents the fitting sitting correctly.

Interestingly TLC have recently add dry line boxes for flat plates to the range

http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/MTFDLB1.html

Dry line box

Standard dry line box

Notice the lip is now all but gone


A retro fit / swap back boxes is the cure, although I'd suggest you just buy one single box and one socket double and try first.

 

[sparkwright]

We need to know exactly what range of sockets and switches have been used.

If it's a fancy design where the fronts of the accessories are ultra-thin (flat plate) then the deeper boxes are usually required, though can sometimes be fitted with some careful wiring.

Some light switches require the unused fixing lugs of the back boxes to be bent back.

It's also possible the back boxes have not be cleaned out sufficiently of excess plaster.

I remember once being supplied some very cheap white plastic sockets to be fitted by a builder, and almost every one would bow in the middle as they were 'flimsy'.

Some pictures would be really useful here.

 

[rosieshillam1]

Hi

this is the range that I bought

http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Main_Index/Wiring_Accessories_Menu_Index/VL_Brushed_Steel/index.html

We used standard back boxes that I bought with the sockets and switches and this is a picture of one of the fittings, the reason its a standard white socket is because we have some sockets that a hidden so I didn't buy chrome one for everywhere but this is what they all look like:
http://postimage.org/image/e5ukmsi9z/

 

[Scoby_Beasley]

Looks to me like poorly situated or excessive cable in the back box. Always best to leave plenty, but plenty can sometimes be too plentiful.

 

[Lectrician]

25mm back boxes with flush fittings accessories is never a good combo. I tend to prefer 35mm back boxes these days. The 25mm ones are OK, but do need to be a smidge below the finish plaster.

Can you loosen a socket and take a pic?

When you say you bought "standard back boxes" with the sockets, do I take it they are the metal ones?

 

[ban-all-sheds]

However, unless you told the electrician that you wanted flat plate sockets at the start of the job he may have put in regular 25mm deep back boxes. These are fine for standard sockets etc.

Rosie - as soon as I read your post, I immediately thought "Did you tell your electrician that you were using flat-plate accessories"?

If you didn't, then you're going to have to pay him to come back and make the holes deeper and fit deeper boxes, and that's all there is to it.

 

[sparkwright]

More pictures please...

 

[EFLImpudence]

The screwless ones are impossible to fit flush unless your walls are perfectly flat.

 

[Taylortwocities]

We used standard back boxes that I bought with the sockets and switches and this is a picture of one of the fittings,

So, what do you call "standard"?? There are 25, 35, 47mm deep boxes.

If you supplied him with 25mm back boxes and flat plate sockets then you've only got yourself to blame.

 

[sparkiemike]

[If you supplied him with 25mm back boxes and flat plate sockets then you've only got yourself to blame.

ditto

 

[sparkwright]

We used standard back boxes that I bought with the sockets and switches and this is a picture of one of the fittings,

So, what do you call "standard"?? There are 25, 35, 47mm deep boxes.

If you supplied him with 25mm back boxes and flat plate sockets then you've only got yourself to blame.

The basic white plastic socket shown in the photograph should fit on a 25 mm deep box though - unless there is an excessive amount of wiring behind it; or the box hasn't been recessed far enough in. This could be bad workmanship.

More pictures please.