Plug sockets

LaurenHeath123

Hi all,

We are finally at the stage in our renovation project where we are chasing out where the plug sockets and light switches will go.

Can I have a plug socket on one side of the wall, and have another on the other side? I.e back to back. The plug socket would be a double in the hallway and double in the bedroom. We hadn't realised we had marked it in the same spot on both sides of the wall.

Ebe_Scrooge

Yes - as long as there's enough "wall" left to screw both socket back boxes securely in. In fact, this is the easiest way of doing it - minimal chasing out, and minimal cable runs.

ohreally

LaurenHeath123 wrote: »

Can I have a plug socket on one side of the wall, and have another on the other side?

Yes.......

LaurenHeath123

Thank you both! Would it matter if the two back boxes are touching? The only reason we realised they were in the exact same place was because the walls are made of brick and the brick fell out.

ohreally

LaurenHeath123 wrote: »

Thank you both! Would it matter if the two back boxes are touching?

Often older installations have boxes connected back to back anyway.

LaurenHeath123

We only have 4 or 5 plug sockets in the entire house and the ones we do have are old single sockets cut into the skirting board.

I was just worried about building regs, want to make sure everything is as it should be. Not sure why back to back boxes would be an issue but I have little knowledge on electrics!

Thank you, ohreally.

casper_g

One thing you want to avoid is cutting chases for cables back to back into the brickwork on opposite sides of a wall, as removing material all the way across a room is going to weaken the wall much more than a local used cutout for a back-box.

Ebe_Scrooge

LaurenHeath123 wrote: »

We only have 4 or 5 plug sockets in the entire house

Really ? That begs a different question- is the wiring up to it ? From what you describe, I think it would be well worthwhile getting a proper electrician to have a look and give you his opinion. There's no reason you have to get him to do the work - at the end of the day, you can do the donkey work of cutting walls, lifting floorboards, installing sockets yourself. Then get an electrician to make the final connections. But if you're going to need a new consumer unit, or the whole place completely rewired, it might be a good idea to get a professional opinion. Even if that's just to advise what you can do yourself, and what needs a pro.

Don't get me wrong - re-wiring an entire house ain't difficult, done it myself more than a few times over the years, before the rules 'n' regs came into place to make it harder. Time was, you'd do a re-wire, 'leccy board would send a man round, test the circuits and wire up the meter tails if everything was OK. Not so simple now

Kernel_Sanders

If the two boxes are touching back to back, what are the screws driven into?

keith969

Kernel_Sanders wrote: »

If the two boxes are touching back to back, what are the screws driven into?

That's what I was wondering...

LaurenHeath123

Thank you for the advice and questions.

I hadn't even thought of what they will screw into. I may need to put the loose brick back in and see if the two boxes fit.

The only thing we are doing is chasing out the holes for he light switches and plug sockets. It is a complete new rewire so we are getting a professional in. We could save a days work at least by getting the holes ready so it seems worth it. I'll ask him today what he thinks though.