Which?

[SUNRAY]

When I raised this thread early this morning, I thought that when I accessed the site this evening, I would get a couple of replies similar to Mottie’s which after editing reads:

A perfect reply! However, following Mottie’s reply the thread went off at a tangent mainly about the pros and cons of earthing a socket in the kitchen. And while the posts that followed were very interesting, few, if any, addressed the initial question which asked which would you choose, stainless steel, brushed steel or chrome plated sockets etc. I have enjoyed the cut and thrust of the different points of view regarding earthing but nevertheless would appreciate views on the choice of socket finishes. Thank you

My apologies, My reply would have been stick with white as the metal fashion will pass, other than that avoid highly polished as they show fingerprints.
Assuming your mind is set on metal and Mottie had already made the shiny point I left it.

Sadly after that someone made a very wrong comment and our duty as competant persons is to do our utmost to ensure only correct and safe information comes out of this forum. After our reports to the moderators, most of the erroneous posters comments have fortunately been removed (I thank the mod for sensibly removing a couple of mine too)

The resulting confusing comments hopefully demonstrate our insistance that safe advice is given, in this case the most important thing is the switch or socket has a sound earth connexion, and not incorrectly relying on the fixing screws.

 

[JohnW2]

... none, apart from Mottie’s, addressed the initial question which asked which would you choose, stainless steel, brushed steel or chrome plated sockets etc. I have enjoyed the cut and thrust of the different points of view regarding earthing but nevertheless would appreciate views on the choice of socket finishes. Thank you

I'm a bit confused, as I was when I read your initial post. The choice between such finishes as stainless steel, brushed steel or chrome-plated is surely very much a matter of personal choice/preference, presumably based on one's personal views about the aesthetics.

For what it's worth my personal choice would, like Sunray's be to stick with 'white plastic' and not even consider any type of metal ones - but that's just me. However, you presumably prefer the look of metal ones, and it's surely the case that only you can decide which metal finish you prefer the look of? They obviously all do the same job - so I'm not sure in what sense you were asking for advice as to which you would personally prefer?

Kind Regards, John

 

[CACKATALLTRADES]

My apologies, My reply would have been stick with white as the metal fashion will pass, other than that avoid highly polished as they show fingerprints.
Assuming your mind is set on metal and Mottie had already made the shiny point I left it.

Sadly after that someone made a very wrong comment and our duty as competant persons is to do our utmost to ensure only correct and safe information comes out of this forum. After our reports to the moderators, most of the erroneous posters comments have fortunately been removed (I thank the mod for sensibly removing a couple of mine too)

The resulting confusing comments hopefully demonstrate our insistance that safe advice is given, in this case the most important thing is the switch or socket has a sound earth connexion, and not incorrectly relying on the fixing screws.

Please stop repeating your false allegation that I ever advocated that anyone earth an accessory via the screws. I only ever said that an accessory conventionally earthed via the earth wire will confer that earth connection onto the back box via the mounting screws.

I am willing to concede that this may well have begun as an innocent misinterpretation but I have already made it abundantly clear to you that what I said was not what you alleged, and when I challenged you to substantiate your erroneous claim, not only did you fail to do so, but I now learn that rather than having the strength of character simply to admit you had misread my initial post, you actually went and had the discussion largely deleted, making it difficult for anyone unfamiliar with the discussion to establish whose account is accurate.

Frankly this is not indicative of a straightforward and trustworthy mindset.

Rest assured that nobody who did follow the discussion will be fooled by your repeating what is by this stage a flagrant lie so I query what you hope to gain from it and can only suggest you are mistaken if you think it will have the desired effect.

(Edited for clarity and style)

 

[sparkwright]

If the face plates are metal they will automatically be earthed via the earth wire screwed into the back.

I believe this was the offending comment.

All it means is that the metal face plate is earthed from the earth wire to the earth terminal, by a metal strip.

It could have been worded better, but Cack wasn't suggesting the face plate or the socket was earthed by connecting the earth wires to the back box, and relying on the face plate screws to obtain the earth connection.

 

[JohnW2]

If the face plates are metal they will automatically be earthed via the earth wire screwed into the back.

I believe this was the offending comment.

I believe it was, but it was unclear and potentially ambiguous, but no longer exists as such, because he/she edited it "for clarity and style". It was not clear whether "screwed into the back" referred to the 'back box' or the 'back of the faceplate'.

All it means is that the metal face plate is earthed from the earth wire to the earth terminal, by a metal strip.

You are presumably talking about sockets. The greater issue is with (metal) switches, since there is then no 'metal strip' and the only 'earth terminal is the one on the faceplate.

Kind Regards, John

 

[bolo 2]

I'm a bit confused, as I was when I read your initial post. The choice between such finishes as stainless steel, brushed steel or chrome-plated is surely very much a matter of personal choice/preference, presumably based on one's personal views about the aesthetics.

Thank you for your input JohnW2. Perhaps I should have explained that when I decided to change from white sockets etc in the kitchen a few years back, my personal choice at that time was for a brass finish. I didn’t turn to the forum and ask for advice at the time but in retrospect, wish I had. They haven’t stood the test of time and are mostly grubby, scratched and peeling. They were not cheap and consequently the answer to your question really is, once bitten twice shy. This time I decided to ask for advice and where better than here, the DIYnot forum?

 

[SUNRAY]

Thank you for your input JohnW2. Perhaps I should have explained that when I decided to change from white sockets etc in the kitchen a few years back, my personal choice at that time was for a brass finish. I didn’t turn to the forum and ask for advice at the time but in retrospect, wish I had. They haven’t stood the test of time and are mostly grubby, scratched and peeling. They were not cheap and consequently the answer to your question really is, once bitten twice shy. This time I decided to ask for advice and where better than here, the DIYnot forum?

I think you may have answered your own question about buying metal faced accessories.

 

[bolo 2]

I think you may have answered your own question about buying metal faced accessories.

Are you saying that all metal sockets will go grubby and scratched etc? If that really is the case I most definitely will return to white plastic.

 

[JohnW2]

Are you saying that all metal sockets will go grubby and scratched etc? If that really is the case I most definitely will return to white plastic.

As a generalisation, I think that's largely true - and is the primary reason I generally stick with 'white plastic' these days. Anything with a shiny metallic finish (polished brass, chrome etc) will inevitably eventually get scratched and will constantly need 'wiping' because it shows finger marks so easily - so, if you want metal, I'd suggest satin/matt, rather than 'polished'/shiny. As for brass, as you have discovered, they are fine so long as the lacquer on them survives, but will start getting rather skanky one the lacquer starts rubbing/peeling off. ... so, again, if you want metal, I'd be inclined to suggest something that is not reliant on a 'protective lacquer' to prevent them tarnishing.

Having said that, I've still got a good few ('Georgian') brass accessories in service that I installed soon after I moved into my present house, about 35 years ago, and although they were 'cheapies' (almost certainly Wickes, since that was just about my only fairly local source of anything at the time!), the majority of them are still fine.

Kind Regards, John

 

[bolo 2]

Finally made a choice but is there a better one available with a similar finish?

finish?

 

[sparkwright]

If I was going for affordable metal accessories, I would go for 'Click'.