Filling in old unused socket holes (with wiring)

chappers

Personally if your not confident enough to check them out yourself I would get your sparks back to check it won't take him very long, then if their safe and isolated from the consumer unit, then just plaster them over as you suggested, cardboard and tape isn't the answer.

drg0nz0

Owain_Moneysaver wrote: »

Were the flats originally built with electric heating - maybe electric underfloor? The unused holes might have been for switches or thermostats for that system. In fact that looks very likely as the rounded outline for whatever was fitted on the upper socket (round box) looks like the shape of a 1960s thermostat. That would also match having the live in and switched out, and a single neutral for the thermostat accelerator heater.

In which case the system was probably disconnected years ago when they realised that all that too-cheap-to-meter nuclear electricity wasn't going to happen.

You can convert flush single sockets into almost-flush double sockets with Converta Sockets or cut out the flush single box and replace it with a flush double box fitted to the old conduit.

That's an interesting thought. Gas central heating was almost certainly retrofitted later. So originally there was either no heating or perhaps electric as you say. Doubt it was underfloor, I've seen no traces of it and the floors are very hard cement with stones in it, would be awful to channel.

Thanks also for the link to the socket plates. Do you know if it would be possible to still run extension sockets out of this thinner plate, using external trunking? The current fat boxes seem made for this, there's a hole in the bottom from which cables emerge that go into the trunking and on to the extension plug.

Owain_Moneysaver

drg0nz0 wrote: »

That's an interesting thought. Gas central heating was almost certainly retrofitted later. So originally there was either no heating or perhaps electric as you say. Doubt it was underfloor, I've seen no traces of it and the floors are very hard cement with stones in it, would be awful to channel.

Typical of the time would be electric heating cables laid on the structural floor, then a concrete screed would be poured over. No channelling involved.

drg0nz0 wrote: »

Thanks also for the link to the socket plates. Do you know if it would be possible to still run extension sockets out of this thinner plate, using external trunking?

Possibly possible, you might need to take a nibble out of the plaster to get the cable under the edge.

Note if the back box is recessed below plaster level you may need longer fixing screws than those supplied with the sockets.

Risteard

The way to cover BESA boxes is with BESA box lids.

However if it is imperial you will need 2BA screws.

Hasbeen

Try something like below in link. Then once established no power plaster over and sand down
http://www.screwfix.com/p/lap-ms8907-voltage-tester-pen/3222g

brightontraveller

Hasbeen wrote: »

Try something like below in link. Then once established no power plaster over and sand down
http://www.screwfix.com/p/lap-ms8907-voltage-tester-pen/3222g

Not good works only in certain instances e.g. permanently live circuit ? So one that only became “live” when switched elsewhere would be 50/ 50 chance as effective as coin toss ?

Risteard wrote: »

The way to cover BESA boxes is with BESA box lids.

However if it is imperial you will need 2BA screws.

I suspect they wish to cover both ? One looks like pattress i.e square ? Besa Ive only ever seen round do you have square in Ireland?[FONT=&quot]Besa [FONT=&quot]not [/FONT] heard that used for decades? Do you use it at wholesalers? “A besa etc ” [/FONT][FONT=&quot]UK[/FONT][FONT=&quot] you’d get blank glazed expressions ? [/FONT]

Owain_Moneysaver

brightontraveller wrote: »

I suspect they wish to cover both ? One looks like pattress i.e square ? Besa Ive only ever seen round do you have square in Ireland?[FONT=&quot]Besa [FONT=&quot]not [/FONT] heard that used for decades? Do you use it at wholesalers? “A besa etc ” [/FONT][FONT=&quot]UK[/FONT][FONT=&quot] you’d get blank glazed expressions ? [/FONT]

even screwfix know what a besa box is (or at least the gasket for it)

brightontraveller

Owain_Moneysaver wrote: »

even screwfix know what a besa box is (or at least the gasket for it)

Only used for gaskets at screwfix note its not a Besa Lid or all other items bit irrelevant as both are not BESA conduit etc whatever you wish to call them anyhow :rotfl:

southcoastrgi

That CU is too close to the incoming gas supply

drg0nz0

southcoastrgi wrote: »

That CU is too close to the incoming gas supply

That's how the council did it. Neither the gas men we've had out for different reasons, nor the electrician said anything about it being an issue...