New electric socket snapped and ripped off wall. Do I have rights?

Wolff

I had an electrician come round in December to do a bunch of electrical work in house I moved into last year. Mainly installing extra plug sockets and light fittings.
However, I had my hoover plugged into one of these sockets he'd installed the other day, moved to the next room (as you do) and the cable got caught around the door frame, I heard a snapping noise, and somehow just with that, the socket cover has managed to pull out from the wall, the corner of the cover completely snapping off, and the plastic wall plugs used to fix the screws in the socket plate to the wall had also broke. You'd honestly think that I'd glued the plug to the socket so it couldn't pull it, and had just forcibly yanked directly on the cable as if I'd deliberately tried to break it. I can only assume the fixtures were cheap quality. The length of the cable hadn't even been used up, and I hadn't applied any force. Usually the plug will be pulled from the wall if that happens. I just can't believe such a trivial thing manged to cause so much damage to it.

My question is, do I have any rights in terms of the electrician being obliged to rectify it? Or will I just have to cough up and pay to fix it?

EssexExile

The first thing is to do is ask him nicely to come and fix it. Worry about rights if he says no.

chrisw

Plugs are designed to be pulled directly straight out of the socket. It sounds like you were pulling it sideways so something had to give.

You could try asking the electrician nicely and he might do it for free if there is an obvious fault with the socket, otherwise pay for him to replace it, it shouldn't cost much. Or it's a fairly simple job to replace yourself, IF you know what you're doing and turn the power off first.

Risteard

It sounds like undue strain being placed upon the socket-outlet, so in my opinion you are liable for it. 

DCFC79

Agree with previous comments, speak to him first.

grumbler

Wolff said:

the socket cover has managed to pull out from the wall, the corner of the cover completely snapping off, and the plastic wall plugs used to fix the screws in the socket plate to the wall had also broke.

Do you mean that the cord pulled out the socket together with the back box that was screwed to the wall? If nothing was broken except the wall plugs, then it's definitely was the electrician's fault.

MalMonroe

I don't agree about undue strain, etc. An electric socket should be able to withstand that kind of treatment. Contact the electrician and ask him to mend it. Is the work under any kind of guarantee? Should be. But be careful, pandemic!

Wolff

EssexExile said:

The first thing is to do is ask him nicely to come and fix it. Worry about rights if he says no.

chrisw said:

Plugs are designed to be pulled directly straight out of the socket. It sounds like you were pulling it sideways so something had to give.

You could try asking the electrician nicely and he might do it for free if there is an obvious fault with the socket, otherwise pay for him to replace it, it shouldn't cost much. Or it's a fairly simple job to replace yourself, IF you know what you're doing and turn the power off first.

I will ask him nicely beforehand of course and I'm sure it won't be an issue (whether he charges or not), but I would like to know where I stand before I contact him so I can phrase the message appropriately and don't come across as naive if I ask him if he's going to charge - I also don't want to be cheeky or confrontational and flat out ask him to do it for free if I really don't have anything to back me up. The door is directly opposite where this plug socket was, which makes it even more strange that it caused such damage. I'm all about DIY but I think I might draw the line at electrical work.

Risteard said:

It sounds like undue strain being placed upon the socket-outlet, so in my opinion you are liable for it. 

I don't think that would be described as undue strain at all. If I had been deliberately pulling at it, then maybe, but I would not expect a whole chunk of the plastic socket cover to snap off from the cable simply getting caught round the door. I can't say I ever think to extend the cable before I go to another room or even further away from the socket for that matter - it usually just pulls out as I move, and occasionally the plug comes loose from the socket, but doesn't rip it into two pieces. The cable wasn't even anywhere close to being at it's full length, which I'm even more surprised about 

Wolff said:

the socket cover has managed to pull out from the wall, the corner of the cover completely snapping off, and the plastic wall plugs used to fix the screws in the socket plate to the wall had also broke.

grumbler said:
Do you mean that the cord pulled out the socket together with the back box that was screwed to the wall? If nothing was broken except the wall plugs, then it's definitely was the electrician's fault.

So the plastic socket with the switches was screwed into the black box with plastic wall plugs. The socket is still dangling from the wall, but part of the socket snapped off. The box itself can be pulled out, so it is propped in its place - I'd assume it was originally screwed into the wall but I don't want to go poking at it. So basically, it's snapped the socket/cover, broke the two plastic wall plugs which attach it to the box, and the box no longer seems to be fixed to the wall.

MalMonroe said:

I don't agree about undue strain, etc. An electric socket should be able to withstand that kind of treatment. Contact the electrician and ask him to mend it. Is the work under any kind of guarantee? Should be. But be careful, pandemic!

This is exactly what I thought. Different story if I'd yanked it with my hands with force, but simply the hoover going round the corner and the cable not extending and causing that much damage? People do that all the time, and I'm sure there would be a lot more broken sockets if this was normal.

Carrot007

Still have not seen you mention the wall construction.

If it is a crappy plasterboard one then yes, they are weak and you need to treat them as such and you are at fault. Brick and chiseled into not so much. Brick and surface box bodge? Also need to be careful but not as much as plasterboard.

(Yes this is a new(er) houses suck in some things post).

bris

It;s physical damage of course the electricians not to blame. The plug has been yanked sideways and plastic is plastic and not very strong, you caused the damage you can't possibly look to blame anyone else.

chrisw

The old socket may have slackened with use and over time so the plug pulled out easily. The new socket may grip the plug tighter and therefore broke when the plug was snatched.