An electrician moved a wall socket along a few inches for me. Is it safe to fill in the hole (using deep gap polyfilla) even though the old box/wires are still there? See pic. View media item 88598
Wall socket moved, is it ok to plaster?
- Thread starter Laz1
- Start date
Technically, no.
You see, where the old wires go up the wall into the old box, these are no longer in safe cable zones.
So no one would expect a cable to be there, as it is not vertically or horizontally in line with the (new) socket.
You did ask...
You see, where the old wires go up the wall into the old box, these are no longer in safe cable zones.
So no one would expect a cable to be there, as it is not vertically or horizontally in line with the (new) socket.
You did ask...
No it is not OK to plaster, it would create a couple of hazards.
And that was not done by an electrician. If he called himself an electrician then he was mistaken.
No competent electrician would have created a bodge like that.
And that was not done by an electrician. If he called himself an electrician then he was mistaken.
No competent electrician would have created a bodge like that.
Thanks for the replies, how can I make this safe?
Have you got floorboards?
Yes I have got floorboards.
Do the wires need to be relocated then, if not could I put some sort of blanking plate over the old box instead of plaster?
Do the wires need to be relocated then, if not could I put some sort of blanking plate over the old box instead of plaster?
I should have asked first, is that old socket box anywhere near a internal corner?
Hard to tell from photo.
Hard to tell from photo.
is the back box earthed? Is there an earth? Is that gaffer tape? Are they any grommets anywhere?
Even a kitchen fitter could do a better job than that.
Even a kitchen fitter could do a better job than that.
A double blanking plate will solve all the problems.
Well the main ones anyway.
Well the main ones anyway.
It was behind a brick fireplace with one half of the double socket sticking out. This didn't seem right to me so I paid an electrician to move it, he pulled out brick, chopped into the wall and moved along. The fire place isn't near a corner.
As there's no corner, the old cables aren't in a safe zone unless a blank plate is used.
If it was me, I would pull the two old cables under the floor.
I would then see if they were long enough to get to the new socket box.
I would make a new hole dead in line with new socket box behind the skirting board, with a short chase going up to the new box.
If the cables are too short;
I would then extend each of these with two 30 amp maintenance free junction boxes, and two bits of (2.5 mm2 twin I would imagine) cable.
The new cable would go vertically in line with the bottom of new socket box.
I would then see if they were long enough to get to the new socket box.
I would make a new hole dead in line with new socket box behind the skirting board, with a short chase going up to the new box.
If the cables are too short;
I would then extend each of these with two 30 amp maintenance free junction boxes, and two bits of (2.5 mm2 twin I would imagine) cable.
The new cable would go vertically in line with the bottom of new socket box.
I'm not sure if it is earthed etc, it just looked like a bodge job to me. I don't have any electrical knowledge.
Thanks sparkwright I think I will get someone else in and ask them to do the work how you have suggested.
Would the double blanking plate make it safe by showing someone where the wires are?
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