Our house has several electricity sockets that are just singles, and I want to fit doubles in their place. What are the best tools to use for making the hole in the walls bigger? Some are exterior walls and some internal.
what tools do I need?
- Thread starter mccririck
- Start date
You could save yourself the hassle and use a socket converter like this:
http://www.screwfix.com/app/sfd/cat/pro.jsp?id=72700&ts=65394
http://www.screwfix.com/app/sfd/cat/pro.jsp?id=72700&ts=65394
the one peice ones seem to be thinner and therefore less obtrusive than the ones like you linked but neither is as neat as a proper flush socket.
as for doing it properly the tools you need will depend on exactly how the socket is mounted. if its on a dryline box in then all you need to enlarge the hole is a stanly knife. If its sunk into brick then your best option is to drill a load of holes (hammer drill with masonary bit) and then chisel out the remainder (cold chisel). Other situations may require other tools.
as for doing it properly the tools you need will depend on exactly how the socket is mounted. if its on a dryline box in then all you need to enlarge the hole is a stanly knife. If its sunk into brick then your best option is to drill a load of holes (hammer drill with masonary bit) and then chisel out the remainder (cold chisel). Other situations may require other tools.
lazygit said:
Cobblers
lazygit said:
No they won't. You can run one single or one double socket as an unfused spur, any more and then they need to be fused.
EDIT: Grrr, too slow again
davy_owen_88 said:EDIT: Grrr, too slow again
There's always next time Davy
lazygit said:
Thats REAL old school!
I would use a padsaw to enlarge sockets mounted in plasterboard - not a stanely knife.
Also, it is common in older houses to have 35mm deep boxes rather than 25mm. If removing a single 35mm box from a rendered or plasterboarded wall - re-fit a double 35mm
Old school or not, there are houses in existance with wiring dating back to the war.
If a double socket is only part way round a ring, and has another double socket spurred, then most of the current will take the short route and overload that length of cable. Surely the idea of limiting spurs is to try and keep the ring as balanced as possible.
If a double socket is only part way round a ring, and has another double socket spurred, then most of the current will take the short route and overload that length of cable. Surely the idea of limiting spurs is to try and keep the ring as balanced as possible.
E
EdwardCurrent
Hello,
Plasterboard = Padsaw
Brick= Club hammer and a decent cold chisel.
Thermolite blocks = Gently with the above.
Concrete blocks etc = Club hammer + chisel and plenty of elbow.
If you do decide to drill lots of holes, then beware that if you drill in too far then you could end up having problems when you come to fixing the boxes.
If you are cutting plasterboard with a padsaw, mark out the boxes and score the plaster with a stanley knife , this can make it neater as sometimes the padsaw can chip the plaster away which would involve making good.
On brickwork be careful that you don't go too hard on the 'frogs' , as they can crack ,making fixing difficult.
For thermolite blocks, I have a few clouts with the bolster, then an old 2" wood chisel, a few taps and a scratch and the job's a good'un. The attachments for rotary stop drills only work on materials that are so soft that you may as well do the job manually.
Don't get me started on grinders and chasing machines !
Sorry about waffling on..........
Plasterboard = Padsaw
Brick= Club hammer and a decent cold chisel.
Thermolite blocks = Gently
with the above.Concrete blocks etc = Club hammer + chisel and plenty of elbow.
If you do decide to drill lots of holes, then beware that if you drill in too far then you could end up having problems when you come to fixing the boxes.
If you are cutting plasterboard with a padsaw, mark out the boxes and score the plaster with a stanley knife , this can make it neater as sometimes the padsaw can chip the plaster away which would involve making good.
On brickwork be careful that you don't go too hard on the 'frogs' , as they can crack ,making fixing difficult.
For thermolite blocks, I have a few clouts with the bolster, then an old 2" wood chisel, a few taps and a scratch and the job's a good'un. The attachments for rotary stop drills only work on materials that are so soft that you may as well do the job manually.
Don't get me started on grinders and chasing machines !
Sorry about waffling on..........
lazygit said:
Not against the CURRENT regs though is it?
If you are that worried about rings, maybe you should say to the OP not to spur at all
The theory behind allowing a single or double socket spur off a ring is the fact that if the spur double has two appliances in it at 13A (that's another subject!) then the max load on the spur is 26A and 2.5mm² clipped direct is rated at 27A
The regs say that there must be no more spurs than there are sockets on the ring and these can be single or double.
The regs say that there must be no more spurs than there are sockets on the ring and these can be single or double.
lazygit said:
No, it's so that you don't overload the length of cable feeding the spurred socket (which is usually 2.5mm² twin & earth with a max rating of about 27A).
davy_owen_88 said:
Not only do you manage to post responses faster than me but now you've started reading my thoughts and posting them faster than I can too. 
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