sky engineer tells me phone master socket and slaves are wired wrong

[Deannos]

My daughter had the sky engineer out to install a phone and he has put a new socket in. He said he can't use the originals as they have been wired up wrong. The socket he installed is in the "airing Cupboard" as he didn't want to damage the walls. The flat is only about 6 months old. He said if we plug a phone into any of the original sockets they could blow, is this possible. How easy would it be to sort this out myself.

Thanks

 

[omega015]

Never heard of any telephone sockets causing any phones to blow (not that it couldn't happen in theory). Did he replace the existing BT master socket with a new one? As for knowing if it will be easy to sort..., unfortunately without knowing how these are wired up wrong we cant say. However assuming the cables are not damaged, go to/from the other extension sockets and is just a case of rewiring them, then it should be fairly trivial to resolve the issue.

If you can get us some photos of the sockets and the wiring to them (behind the sockets) that would help.

Some of these pages might help you

http://telephoneextensionsocket.com/telephone-wiring-colour-code/
http://www.wppltd.demon.co.uk/WPP/Wiring/UK_telephone/uk_telephone.html

 

[Deannos]

The existing sockets are still, he just put a new one in the airing cupboard. My daughter said he waved a wand or something and that is where the cable was easiest to get to. Plaster board in there and easy to cut and pull the cable through.

 

[omega015]

Was this actually a sky engineer or a OpenReach/BT one? If you can get some more info on what he actually did and some pictures that would help. I'm pretty sure a sky engineer wouldn't (or shouldn't) be fitting a master socket as this is BT's property and should only be done by them or authorised contractors.

 

[Deannos]

Can't get round there till Friday, but will take pics of all the sockets

 

[aptsys]

Engineer or technician??

 

[OwainDIYer]

The originals were probably put in by the builder and could very well be wired up wrong. Openreach wouldn't do anything with customer's wiring so the quickest way of getting a working line may have been to put in a new socket, possibly run from the building's distribution point in a bin cupboard or somewhere.

 

[aptsys]

Sounds like he fobbed off the customer though - It's hard to imagine the telephone sockets were working fine before but would cause phones to 'blow'.

Pictures will hopefully explain all. I wonder if those magic wands are easily available?

 

[omega015]

I'm guessing this magic wand was probably just a tone generator/detector to find the pairs... but who knows.

 

[Doggit]

If the phones and sockets were working before he arrived, then it's a bit difficult to justify why the wiring was wrong, nor why they would "blow" if now used, but as he's put in a new master socket, then the old sockets are no longer wired in. Do you want them to be, or are you happy using a cordless phone.

But I think the engineers been a bit lazy in the install, as I've never heard of it being put in an airing cupboard. It seem to have been done more for his convenience rather than yours, and I'd ask for it to be double checked by a supervisor.

 

[Deannos]

My daughter is the first to occupy the flat, new build finished just after Xmas. This is the first phone that has been connected. I have attached some photos, the master is the one installed by the Sky engineer/technician, the others were already in the flat. The service cupboard is located in the community passage way.

 

[Deannos]

rest of photos. It would be nice to get at least the socket in the front room working. It's no good having a router and phone in the airing cupboard. I assume the service cupboard is where the outside line comes?. The flat is number 6 if that corresponds to the wiring in there.

Thanks
Dean

 

[aptsys]

Nothing wrong with the wiring

 

[Deannos]

Do i have to connect terminal 3 from the master to terminal 3 on the other sockets. Looking on this site i have to http://www.wppltd.demon.co.uk/WPP/Wiring/UK_telephone/uk_telephone.html. Also the other twisted spare blue and white wires in the airing cupboard master, do i connect them as well to link the other sockets
Is the front room the last socket, as that only has one pair of wires connected

 

[aptsys]

The 3rd terminal is generally not used by modern phones, although you can connect it.

The blue and white wires should connect to the removable lower part of the front faceplate, not the same terminals the installer used.