Shaver socket won't fit!

[ojobson]

I bought two of these and two 47mm double gang dry wall boxes to mount them, but the depth of the socket is too deep and the screw holes on the back of the shaver socket are too deep and prevent you from actually screwing the unit all the way in to the back box - they end up pushing against the tabs in the drywall box back so they can't grip against the plasterboard - the end result is the box hangs out the wall slightly...

Not really sure how you're supposed to fit these - any ideas!?[/url]

 

[333rocky333]

Does a dewalt drill fit on a dry lining box

 

[EFLImpudence]

I think I understand what you mean.

If I do - then you need to glue pieces of wood (or pieces of plasterboard) on the inside on both sides of the hole to, in effect, make the plasterboard thicker.

Be patient, glue the pieces in place, leave until tomorrow then fit box and socket.
If you try and do it all at once you'll loose the pieces down inside the plasterboard.

 

[sparkwright]

Where's all this LAP junk coming from? Never heard of it until one week ago.

A standard shaver point should fit on a 47 mm deep box.

'Flat' accessories do tend to take up extra space at the back.

Assuming your back box is correctly fitted, and the shaver unit will not fit, I would suggest you you try a better brand of accessory.

 

[RF Lighting]

I fitted one of those very shaver sockets the other day.

They seem pretty good quality wise, and it's the best looking shaver socket I think I've ever installed.

 

[sparkwright]

I fitted one of those very shaver sockets the other day.

They seem pretty good quality wise, and it's the best looking shaver socket I think I've ever installed.

Did you find it fitted to the back box well? Was it a metal box?

 

[RF Lighting]

Yeah mine fitted fine, but it was a 47mm steel box flush with the wall. There were then some fairly thick tiles on the wall so in total I maybe had 60mm total depth, but from what I remember it would have fit straight into a 47mm box no problem.

OP, can you get your dry lining box while its not in the wall, push the tabs out into the position where they would grip the wall and try see if the shaver socket fits without moving the tabs?

This might help you see if it's catching on the tabs.

If the dry liner doesn't work, screw some bits of wood inside the hole in the plasterboard either side and then fit a standard steel back box.

 

[bernardgreen]

From the linked page

Clip-on front plate with cutting edge design for dual voltage shaver socket.
Screwless for a Flawless Finish

If the metal front clips on and has no screw fixing to an earthed metal back box how does one ensure the metal front plate is earthed.

Condensation or other moisture inside the back box could provide a leakage path between live and the metal front plate.

 

[ojobson]

Thanks for your replies - there are no tiles on this part of the wall so I don't get the extra depth which would allow it to just fit. I tried fitting the socket in to the second mounting box (47mm) that I had bought (not in the wall, tabs in the installed position) and the socket's transformer presses against the back of the box - preventing it from sitting flush! In this position the screw holes of the socket also sit against the screw holes in the tabs..

I could probably superglue some strips of plastic on to the tabs so they don't come as far forward, but the only way I could get the transformer to fit would be to cut a hole in the back box. Would this present any kind of fire (or other) hazard?

I only mention this as it is exactly how the old shaver sockets I took out had been installed (in to 35mm back boxes) - they had cut away half the back of the mounting box in order to install the sockets! I would probably only cut a small hole rather than half the box, but I'm not sure if it presents any kind of hazard?

If it is a hazard I suppose I will have to use your second idea of screwing some wood alongside and using steel back boxes - I'd rather not though as it means buying more stuff (already totally blown my budget - again!)

I guess the designers of this anticipated that it would be fitted on a tiled wall. Or they just didn't anticipate anything...

 

[ojobson]

From the linked page

If the metal front clips on and has no screw fixing to an earthed metal back box how does one ensure the metal front plate is earthed.

Condensation or other moisture inside the back box could provide a leakage path between live and the metal front plate.

There's a fair gap between the front plate and the actual socket holes, so I would think it likely that it would short with neutral first.. at least I'll be stood on ceramic if anything was to go wrong.

Still not sure if cutting a whole in the back of the back box is ok or not..?

 

[EFLImpudence]

If the metal front clips on and has no screw fixing to an earthed metal back box how does one ensure the metal front plate is earthed.

The part to which the front plate clips is metal and earthed so it just relies on the tightness of the clip.

However, it cannot become live itself as the live wire cannot 'get to it', so it presumably won't become live unless the cpc fails and then no different to any metal switch..

Perhaps not ideal.