How do I remove an old electric socket and make the wiring safe?

a1a1a1

Hi all,

How do I remove an old electric socket and make the wiring safe?

I've got an old electric socket that I'd like to remove. I just wondered how i make the wiring safe?

I've got a junction box but not sure how I make the wires safe in it.

Any help much appreciated.

keystone

You need to terminate the wires and then put a face plate over the top of the back box. Is this socket on the ring main (ie one cable into it and another out) or is it a spur or at the end of a radial?

When you say junction box do you mean the back box or do you mean a 30A JB like this one:



Cheers

a1a1a1

Thanks for your reply.

I've got one on the ring - what is the best (safest) way to join the 2 wires up?

The other is on a spur? How do I terminate the wires?

The junction box is empty, what is 30A?

keystone

a1a1a1 wrote: »

....what is 30A?

That question requires me to advise you that your next course of action is to get yourself an electrician to do this job for you. It will be so much safer both for you and everyone elese.

Cheers

phill99

For christs sake. If you are asking such a basic question, then you should not be doing this job yourself. I know this is a money saving forum, but for £40 or so a professional will come and do the job for you to a safe and legal standard.

That £40 maybe the best £40 you ever spend. With your limited knowledge of electrics, you are looking to blow yourself up or blow your electrics up.

Jaynne

The A in 30A stands for amps which is a measure of current. The amount of power a device uses is determined by the voltage and current. We have a fixed mains voltage of 230V in Europe but each device draws as much current as it needs.

Your ring main probably has a 30A fuse on it so if all the devices on that circuit draw more than 30A the fuse trips to prevent the wiring from overheating and melting potentially causing a fire.

If you don't know the above then get an electrician who will make sure you don't set yourself up for a fatal accident. You really don't want badly connected wires in your walls waiting to spark or come lose.

yangptangkipperbang

Jaynne wrote: »

We have a fixed mains voltage of 230V in Europe ............

UK voltage is actually 240.............

vaio

yep, but since euro harmonisation it's a nominal 230V +/- 10% so anywhere between 207 and 253V

yangptangkipperbang

vaio wrote: »

yep, but since euro harmonisation it's a nominal 230V +/- 10% so anywhere between 207 and 253V

Nope, it is not anywhere between 207V and 253V, it is supplied at a very closely maintained 240V - as it has been for many years.

The European Commission decided that the whole of Europe would operate on 230V - it was then pointed out to them that it would cost billions to get everyone on the same voltage so they then decided to "fiddle the figures" ! So the UK supply is called 230V +/- 10%, it used to be 230V +10%/-6%, but it had to be changed a couple of years ago to allow another country with a poorly regulated supply to also claim to be at 230V.

It just needs a country that operates on 115V to want to "harmonise" and our voltage would then be 230V +/- 50%

keystone

yangptangkipperbang wrote: »

Nope, it is not anywhere between 207V and 253V, it is supplied at a very closely maintained 240V - as it has been for many years.

and just to get even more seriously picky its a nominal 240V rather than actual and it's an RMS value as well.

It just needs a country that operates on 115V to want to "harmonise" and our voltage would then be 230V +/- 50%

:rotfl:

Cheers

keystone

Jaynne wrote: »

You really don't want badly connected wires in your walls waiting to spark or come lose.

Yep - thats exactly why OP needs a sparky.

Cheers