Single socket not working (pictures attached)

[Smudge01]

I have a single socket that does not work, I've tried the connections, they all seem fine. It's the only socket in the flat that doesn't work.

I don't really need the socket so I'm considering putting a blank plate over it.

1/. Is there something easy that I could try that would get it to work (worth a try)?

If not,

2/. What would I need to do with the wires before I put a blank plate over?

Thank you in advance.

 

[Murdochcat]

Hum. The socket may not work but the cable might be live

How have you determined it doesn’t work?

 

[Smudge01]

I plugged something in (which definitely works in the other sockets).

 

[Murdochcat]

Replace the socket?

 

[Smudge01]

The front plate?

Just wire it up exactly the same way?

 

[Murdochcat]

Those cables do appear a bit thin - do you have a light switch in the room that doesn't appear to do anything?

 

[Smudge01]

No.

 

[Jurassicspark]

First things first, check to see if any breakers in the consumer unit have tripped.

Is this socket supplied by a FCU? Look around to see if there is any isolators near that socket.

If not, then chances are the socket has failed, just get another socket from somewhere else and temporarily wire it up to see if it really failed.

 

[ericmark]

Since pairs of wires, it seems likely part of a ring final. A ring final relies on it being a ring to stop overloading, so you must ensure those wires remain connected together as they are now, and the easy way is for them to be in a socket.

The problem is seems likely those wires are live, and before changing the socket they need to be dead, I remember early in my apprenticeship going to remove a socket, did not know where fed from, so switched off the whole house, lucky I was using a neon screwdriver, and found it was still live, fed from next door.

So you need something to show it is dead,

volt pen,

neon screwdriver, or full multi-meter, but you need something to test with. Then you can if there is power renew the socket, if not, then time to get an electrician, not to make the socket work, although likely they will, but to ensure any ring finals are actually still rings.

So may be just as easy to get an electrician to start with. If there are no 32 amp MCB/RCBO/fuses in the consumer unit, but 20 amp, then maybe working with radials, but that is unlikely.

If only one wire, I would not be worried, but with two wires it seems likely it either feeds another socket, or is part of a ring final. Maybe someone else can think of a safe way forward, since I have meters, I don't need to find other ways to test.

 

[Smudge01]

I think I'll get a sparky in.

Thank you for going to so much trouble to try and help me.

 

[Jurassicspark]

Thank you for going to so much trouble to try and help me.

That's what this forum is for.

Hope you get your problem fixed.