Electrics — Fitting New Sockets?

paperclap

Hi all,

So a good six months ago, we had our walls chased out with new sockets throughout the house. Additionally, we had old single lights swapped out for multiple LED downlights.

Electrician has been super busy, and hasn’t been back to finish the job (fitting new sockets). Nagged him a few times, but leaned over to the camp of wanting to do it myself now 

Save myself a few hundred quid, learning a new skill, and the satisfaction of doing the job myself would be nice.

Some live sockets have two sets of wiring going to them. See photo with my thumb.

However, on some of the other live sockets, I’m a bit weirded out by the fact that there are three sets of wires. Two sets going into the back of the socket face (making it live), and another just sitting there. See photo.

On the dead sockets (well, just back boxes at the moment), there are only two sets of wires. See photo.

Whats up with this?

Forgive me if I’m being a complete idiot!

Thank you in advance.

Bendy_House

The middle picture with the third - unused - cable, is there another socket or FSU positioned close to this one? Or even on the other side of that wall?

Reptech

Two wires are a ring main. From the consumer into the first socket, then on to the next socket and the next and then finally back to the consumer unit.

Three wires suggest a ring main and a spur to another socket. If you are at all unsure then you need a proper electrician to identify what goes where.

grumbler

..............

Section62

Bendy_House said:

The middle picture with the third - unused - cable, is there another socket or FSU positioned close to this one? Or even on the other side of that wall?

The other thing could be that he is splitting the ring, and the currently unconnected cable (together with one elsewhere, unseen) will be replacing one or the other that is currently connected.  The problem here is needing to guess what is going on.

@laurencewhymark - I'm all for DIY moneysaving, but if the things in the pictures are the work of the electrician and he's only part way through the job then you might be better off waiting until he can come back to finish it.

There are 'standard' things people can guess at (like three wires = spur or FCU) - but a partially completed job could include similar things which the electrician (and only the electrician) actually knows why they are there.  If you have the necessary electrical skills it is usually possible to work out what's what, but it can be dangerous to attempt that as a novice electrician.  You'll also (presumably) need sign-off of the work, which you won't be able to get if you do DIY work on someone else's part completed installation.

Partially completed electrics (like partially completed scaffolds) have hidden dangers, and are both things I keep well clear of.

Section62

Reptech said:

Two wires are a ring main. From the consumer into the first socket, then on to the next socket and the next and then finally back to the consumer unit.

Three wires suggest a ring main and a spur to another socket.

...sometimes.

Reptech said:

If you are at all unsure then you need a proper electrician to identify what goes where.

Always.

paperclap

Hi all, thanks for your replies.

In the photo with the third unused cable, there is indeed a socket spurred off this socket.

99% sure there are no FCUs hanging around, as these are all just standard sockets throughout the house (not the kitchen, with the heavy duty appliances).

GDB2222

laurencewhymark said:

Hi all, thanks for your replies.

In the photo with the third unused cable, there is indeed a socket spurred off this socket.

99% sure there are no FCUs hanging around, as these are all just standard sockets throughout the house (not the kitchen, with the heavy duty appliances).

And, the spurred socket is not live?

paperclap

GDB2222 said:

laurencewhymark said:

Hi all, thanks for your replies.

In the photo with the third unused cable, there is indeed a socket spurred off this socket.

99% sure there are no FCUs hanging around, as these are all just standard sockets throughout the house (not the kitchen, with the heavy duty appliances).

And, the spurred socket is not live?

The spurred socket is live!

Section62

laurencewhymark said:

GDB2222 said:

laurencewhymark said:

Hi all, thanks for your replies.

In the photo with the third unused cable, there is indeed a socket spurred off this socket.

99% sure there are no FCUs hanging around, as these are all just standard sockets throughout the house (not the kitchen, with the heavy duty appliances).

And, the spurred socket is not live?

The spurred socket is live!

.....this is why guessing with electrics is a dangerous thing to do.

Call the electrician.

paperclap

I’ve made what is hopefully a clear diagram of the socket setup in our house.

Blue box = Back box with two sets of wiring

Red box = Live socket
Red box with purple dot = Live socket, with rogue third set of wiring

Dark purple squiggly line = This was an existing spur when we moved into the house

Yellow squiggly line = I remember this horizontal section being chased out in this room and into the living room, so believe this is a spur too

Some of the live sockets currently have one set of wiring going into the back of them, with an unused set of wiring sitting in the back box still.

A, B and C references the images I posted in my initial post.