Sparkies, what would you do different?

[Mr Sparkle]

Youtube Short Outdoor Socket Install

After opinions from Professional Sparks

If you were fitting this outdoor socket, what would you do different (if anything) and why?

If the job doesn't need improving/ perfectly satisfactory, please say too.

 

[johnny2007]

Not an electrician, but that's how I fitted hundreds of them for the electrician who thought me.

 

[pete01]

The only other thing you could do is fit a double pole switch inside incase the socket ever developed a fault, but that's a bit more hassle.

 

[martygturner]

Brick blown out... could have measured the distance and turned off the hammer for the last inch.

Sealing of the box was hmmm...he has a silicon gun there .. its supposed to maintain its ip66 rating. could have blobbed the back of the screws and just running a horseshoe around the cable entry...not sure if the sealed the inside hole but he did fit a grommet to the back box, but the cables did have a downward curve so any leakage would have dripped down into that weep hole

 

[Taylortwocities]

The big thing that is not mentioned, and is a must have. That socket is not suitable unless the existing (house) socket is on a circuit that is protected by a 30mA RCD..if it is not (it should be) then you will need an RCD socket outside, instead of the straight one that is shown in the video.

OH, And safely isolate the circuit before working on it.. that is not mentioned,

So two big things!

 

[blup]

The big thing that is not mentioned, and is a must have. That socket is not suitable unless the existing (house) socket is on a circuit that is protected by a 30mA RCD..if it is not (it should be) then you will need an RCD socket outside, instead of the straight one that is shown in the video.

OH, And safely isolate the circuit before working on it.. that is not mentioned,

So two big things!

That's instagram for you

 

[Sureitsoff?]

drill the drain hole nearer to the side of the box, where he drilled it would allow a couple of mm of water to pool in the bottom

 

[chivers67]

Did he use a masonry drill into the plastic? I'd not have done that in fear of cracking the housing, I'd have used a good old fashioned bradawl.
I'd have got rid of the plastic burring inside the plastic back box.
I'd have drilled a pilot hole with a 5mm masonry drill bit first too to try to avoid a blow out on the brick work - it's hidden though.
I don't use power screw drivers in that manner.
I'd have measured the ZS at the socket and RCD tested it too.

Looks neat enough to the customer.

 

[pete01]

drill the drain hole nearer to the side of the box, where he drilled it would allow a couple of mm of water to pool in the bottom

Were he drilled it is where they tell you to, it was probably marked "drain" I think.

 

[plugwash]

Did he use a masonry drill into the plastic?

For the large hole in the back of the box, it looked like he used a step drill.

The drill bits he was using for the small holes looked like bosch "multiconstruction" bits to me.

 

[Mr Sparkle]

Thanks for input guys.

I need to stop blowing out bricks and can't keep using the excuse that 'it's covered, nobody will see it or care'

RCD protection is a must and protect the cable

 

[Sureitsoff?]

Agreed it was the drain area but the hole position could have been lower to stop pooling water.

 

[Londoner2]

No way i would do that, if any moisture enters the external one it could trip internal power, i would put an isolater in between the 2 so at least separate it.

 

[stevie888]

Would a pro sparkie know how to use a hoover?

 

[pete01]

Would a pro sparkie know how to use a hoover?

A what?