In article , says...
Gary Cavie wrote:
In article .com,
says...
What are the regulations regarding moving an electric wall socket about
6 inches horizontally from where it is now? I read somewhere this is
taboo. What is involved...soldered joints etc?

If the drop, or rise, of the cables still falls within the boundaries of
the socket plate, you're fine. If not, then the cables should either be
buried deeper than 50mm into the wall, or given suitabel prtection along
their whole length (like heavy gauge steel conduit, rather than the thin
steel capping). This is to stop a screw or nail being inserted into the
cable at some later date, because nobody had any idea where it was.

This *isn't* required because the buried cable will be running
horizontally from a visible fitting (the moved socket).

You can just chase a channel and bury the cable.

Sorry, my bad wording. I meant the original cables in the wall, dropping
to the existing socket, and assumed that the original socket was to be
done away with. In this case, the original cables could be dropping
outside the permitted zone of the socket, and doing a dog-leg in the
cable to reach the new socket would not be allowed.



If you have to join new lengths of cable on, and the joint will be
inaccessible afterwards, the only options permitted are soldering (can be
difficult to make a suitable joint, or crimping (using decent crimps, and
a ratchet type crimper, rather than the cheapo squeeze together ones sold
in car accessory shops). The crimps should then be suitably insulated,
ideally by using heat shrink sleeving over each crimp individually, then
a second layer covering the whole shebang, making sure that it covers
both cable sheaths. Remember to put the HS sleeving on before crimping
the joints!

It might alternatively be possible to put a junction box where the old
socket was with a cover plate over it so it is accessible. No special
wiring techniques are then required.

Again, I assumed that the original socket box was to be filled in and
plastered over - all my assumptions! I agree that if the original box is
just to be cover-plated, and ring extended, then it's dead simple. Not
too sure off the top of my head, whether you can terminate a ring in a
JB, then spur a single cable out of it? Common sense says that it's no
different, and possibly even a bit better, than spurring out of a socket
outlet, but then...



Strictly, as this is modifying a ring circuit, I suspect it's caught
by the new Part P regulations so you should call your local building
inspectors and tell them. I'm sure they'll be really hppy to hear
from you.



Minor works if it's just spurring from the existing, and leaving the
original in place, unless it's in a kitchen of course!