Electrics — Fitting New Sockets?

DB1904

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

They may not be. 

knightstyle

As said you really need an electrician to sort this out.  BUT I will comment that the existing sockets do not IMO comply with the regulations, there does not seem to be an earth wire to the metal back boxes.

paperclap

knightstyle said:

As said you really need an electrician to sort this out.  BUT I will comment that the existing sockets do not IMO comply with the regulations, there does not seem to be an earth wire to the metal back boxes.

Thanks. For what it’s worth, the new socket and light switch faceplates will be metal. So, the earth only needs to go to the back of these faceplates, and not the back box, doesn’t it?

Ectophile

knightstyle said:

As said you really need an electrician to sort this out.  BUT I will comment that the existing sockets do not IMO comply with the regulations, there does not seem to be an earth wire to the metal back boxes.

Not that old chestnut again.  Provided that at least one of the metal lugs that the faceplate screws go into is solidly attached to the back box (not a loose adjustable lug), then there is no requirement for a wire from the socket to the back box.

Some electricians think there is a requirement.  Some think there should be a requirement.  But there isn't.