Electrical Sockets

juno-eclipse

Hey, my mams wanting all the single sockets in the house replaced with double ones so im going to buy them for her, but im unsure weather to buy single pole or double pole as im not sure of the difference, do they still only use the one cable coming out of the wall so it doesnt matter which one i buy? Googled a bit but couldnt find the answer, though alot of people said the double pole is safer.

thanks,
J

AdrianW2

A double pole switch switches (in this instance) both live and neutral, whereas a single pole switch only switches live. There's no difference in the wiring.

Whether there's a safety advantage is debatable. Instinctively double pole seems safer, but with double pole a faulty switch (live failed on, neutral still working) could cause an appliance to appear to be isolated when it is still live.

On the subject of replacing single outlets with doubles. IIRC the old rules for spurs allowed more so long as they were only used with single sockets so depending on the age and history of the installation you may take it out of spec.

macman

juno-eclipse wrote: »

Hey, my mams wanting all the single sockets in the house replaced with double ones so im going to buy them for her, but im unsure weather to buy single pole or double pole as im not sure of the difference, do they still only use the one cable coming out of the wall so it doesnt matter which one i buy? Googled a bit but couldnt find the answer, though alot of people said the double pole is safer.

thanks,
J

No, assuming it's a ring main you'll find 2 cables entering each existing socket.

totalsolutions

You might all find the "tails" being too short or not long enough to reach the new terminal positions, bear in mind, are these surface or flush fitting.

System

What about converta sockets , you can change a single to a double socket without and additional work on the back box.

ic

I can wholeheartedly recommend these: http://www.screwfix.com/prods/12849/Electrical-Supplies/Switches-Sockets/Socket-Converters/Clipsal-Converta-Skt-1G-to-2G-Polycarbonate

I used the double to triple converters all over the place in my house. Very easy to fit, just screws to work with, no messing changing boxes in the wall.

System

ic wrote: »

I can wholeheartedly recommend these: http://www.screwfix.com/prods/12849/Electrical-Supplies/Switches-Sockets/Socket-Converters/Clipsal-Converta-Skt-1G-to-2G-Polycarbonate

I used the double to triple converters all over the place in my house. Very easy to fit, just screws to work with, no messing changing boxes in the wall.

thats what we used , deffinately an easier option.

Errata

ic wrote: »

I can wholeheartedly recommend these: http://www.screwfix.com/prods/12849/Electrical-Supplies/Switches-Sockets/Socket-Converters/Clipsal-Converta-Skt-1G-to-2G-Polycarbonate

I used the double to triple converters all over the place in my house. Very easy to fit, just screws to work with, no messing changing boxes in the wall.

Thanks for this, just what I could do with. Looked at the site and can't figure out how they work. Any chance of a quick tutorial ?

ManAtHome

The front bit is a 2-gang and the back is a single-gang - whether they'll fit depends on how close the existing socket is to corners, door-frames etc (you'll probably need an inch or so clearance each side of the single socket).

ic

If you look closely at the image, you'll see the small square screw caps beneath the earth pins. These are the screws that you will see on either side of the single sockets you have now. Behind the scenes, the earth pins of a plug will just fit inside the back box, with the shorter neutral and live pins pushing to the wall. (Don't worry, everything on the back is encased in plastic, no bare metal or anything!) The socket itself is deeper than a standard double, but not by much - certainly not enough to notice once fitted. Its a clever solution that works well! The triple has a fuse in the side, just like a four-way - the double may do as well, though I've never bought one.