broken phone socket

naf123

Hi!

My phone socket in the bedroom is practically falling apart (but still working). There currently is a very long extention wire trailing accross the room to the computer for broadband.

I called up BT to ask to repair/move the socket to the other side of the room. They want far too much money for this kind of job.

Does anyone have any ideas what is the cheapest way to repair/relocate a socket?

many thanks

Farway

Is the socket you refer to yours or the Openreach / BT master?

If it is yours then any competent local electrician could do it

IF BT master socket then it is BT property and tamper at your peril

As the socket is in the bedroom my gut feeling is that it is your socket and not BT

utilitybroker

Also worth looking in your local paper to see if their is a Telephone Engineer offering his services.

mymatebob

It is a fairly easy job to do yourself if you fancy having a go.

Do a search for "adding a telephone extension" and load of pages come up - some with pictures.

Heinz

If it's an extension socket, there'll be a maximum of 3 wires connected - terminals 2, 5 and 3. Make a note of which colour wire goes to which and then get a slave socket with screw terminals from a DIY store.

naf123

Thanks to all who replied.

Now I didnt know about master sockets, extension sockets etc....i looked at my socket and I still dont know. I took photos but I cannot put them up here. How do I put photos up here?

thanks

Buzby

Photos wouldn't matter - the designs change - but the Master socket (or if installed in the last 10 years, a 'linebox' with a removable lower panel is usually where all house wiring will run from. If you take the front off your bedroom extention you should see NO capacitor ot lightning arrestor (on the PCB it will have nothing ober the "C1" location. If this is the base, just buy a Secondary UK phone socket, and hook up the same three wires (having made a note of the colours) to the same 2, 5 and 3 terminal.

naf123

oh i see a ring capacitor.

does that mean its a master socket and I have no choice but to cough up some money to BT?

is there any way where I can get it done for cheaper or is via BT the only way for master sockets?

meanwhile thanks to all for your information

rockin_plumber

You can get master sockets at various outlets.........

And the engineer that changed mine suggested to me that if it happened again I could get one elsewhere and change it myself......

Then two months later I get my phone bill with an extra £220 on top for the pleasure of having my master socket changed :eek:

They decided there was damp behind it.......

BUT :cool:

I didnt book the appointment I was waiting for the missus so I could arrange a time, so I wasnt told of these charges...
Then the engineer turned up the day after I called but I didnt book the engineer and luckilly (or not) my missus was at home so he changed the master socket.


After lots of threats I have had this charge removed

Heinz

naf123 wrote: »

oh i see a ring capacitor.

does that mean its a master socket and I have no choice but to cough up some money to BT?

is there any way where I can get it done for cheaper or is via BT the only way for master sockets?

meanwhile thanks to all for your information

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=884124

diagnosticdave

:mad: what kind of threats did you give as i have exactly the same complaint

rockin_plumber wrote: »

You can get master sockets at various outlets.........

And the engineer that changed mine suggested to me that if it happened again I could get one elsewhere and change it myself......

Then two months later I get my phone bill with an extra £220 on top for the pleasure of having my master socket changed :eek:

They decided there was damp behind it.......

BUT :cool:

I didnt book the appointment I was waiting for the missus so I could arrange a time, so I wasnt told of these charges...
Then the engineer turned up the day after I called but I didnt book the engineer and luckilly (or not) my missus was at home so he changed the master socket.


After lots of threats I have had this charge removed