I'm trying to replace the old and knackered plastic switch plates and socket
plates in our newly decorated house with brushed/satin chrome.

However, I've just bought a job lot of dimmer switches from B & Q but find
that they all need 25mm back boxes, whereas we only have 16mm back boxes.

I've talked to a couple of electrical shops who have generally sucked their
teeth and told me to fuggeddabaht it. However, Screwfix offer this, but
it's polished rather than satin/brushed.

http://preview.tinyurl.com/5lkqpt

I can't find anything else in a moderately focused googling session, but I
can't believe that the only metal-faced dimmer switch that is compatible
with a 16mm back box is polished.

Anyone able to help?

Thanks

Edward

In article ,
Edward wrote:
I'm trying to replace the old and knackered plastic switch plates and
socket plates in our newly decorated house with brushed/satin chrome.

However, I've just bought a job lot of dimmer switches from B & Q but
find that they all need 25mm back boxes, whereas we only have 16mm back
boxes.

I've talked to a couple of electrical shops who have generally sucked
their teeth and told me to fuggeddabaht it. However, Screwfix offer
this, but it's polished rather than satin/brushed.

http://preview.tinyurl.com/5lkqpt

I can't find anything else in a moderately focused googling session, but
I can't believe that the only metal-faced dimmer switch that is
compatible with a 16mm back box is polished.

Are you sure it does actually fit a 16mm box? The page seems to mention
switches and sockets but not dimmers as regards to this. Although it could
be my browser.

--
*Would a fly without wings be called a walk?

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

On 4 Sep, 18:16, "Dave Plowman (News)" wrote:

Are you sure it does actually fit a 16mm box? The page seems to mention
switches and sockets but not dimmers as regards to this. Although it could
be my browser.

If these are they: http://www.electrika.com/products/m/...t/c-06-031.pdf
then I think you're right - it looks like switches need 16mm boxes -
but sunk an extra 5mm deeper into the wall which begs the point of it
really. Dimmers and sockets need 25mm.

On 4 Sep, 17:39, "Edward" wrote:
I've talked to a couple of electrical shops who have generally sucked their
teeth and told me to fuggeddabaht it. *

16mm boxes are impossibly tight with normal accessories, never mind
flat plate ones, and on top of that dimmers need extra gubbins on the
back of the plate to do the dimming. Road to nowhere I reckon (but
willing to be proven wrong).

Why not replace the boxes with deeper ones - it isn't a big job.

On 5 Sep, 11:02, wrote:

Why not replace the boxes with deeper ones - it isn't a big job.

I can't say I would go along with this in a newly decorated house. If
they're stud walls it won't be bad, but if it's a matter of chiselling
out masonry there is likely to be collateral damage (or maybe I'm just
clumsy).

In article
,
wrote:
I've talked to a couple of electrical shops who have generally sucked their
teeth and told me to fuggeddabaht it.

16mm boxes are impossibly tight with normal accessories, never mind
flat plate ones, and on top of that dimmers need extra gubbins on the
back of the plate to do the dimming. Road to nowhere I reckon (but
willing to be proven wrong).

Most modern dimmers have an RFI choke which takes up a deal of space - let
alone the need to have some space around things for cooling purposes. The
only dimmers I've seen that fitted a plaster depth box stuck out a fair
way too - more than the equivalent light switch.

--
*Microsoft broke Volkswagen's record: They only made 21.4 million bugs.

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

On 5 Sep, 11:13, Martin Pentreath
wrote:
On 5 Sep, 11:02, wrote:

Why not replace the boxes with deeper ones - it isn't a big job.

I can't say I would go along with this in a newly decorated house. If
they're stud walls it won't be bad, but if it's a matter of chiselling
out masonry there is likely to be collateral damage (or maybe I'm just
clumsy).

Maybe you are! Or maybe our ideas of what is and isn't a big job are
different - if some plaster chips off, it's only a quick patch and
touch-up job.

On 5 Sep, 11:02, wrote:
On 4 Sep, 17:39, "Edward" wrote:

I've talked to a couple of electrical shops who have generally sucked their
teeth and told me to fuggeddabaht it. *

16mm boxes are impossibly tight with normal accessories, never mind
flat plate ones, and on top of that dimmers need extra gubbins on the
back of the plate to do the dimming. *Road to nowhere I reckon (but
willing to be proven wrong).

Why not replace the boxes with deeper ones - it isn't a big job.

The room is newly decorated (painted lining paper) so there would be
some localised destruction. The electrician tells me that you can get
spacers to pack out the switch - I could paint these in with the walls
I gues, but it would probably look pretty crap. Alternatively I can
just replace the existing dimmers with rocker switches.

I did a deeper trawl of the google internets and it seems that you can
get plastic-faced dimmers for 16mm back boxes, but not metal. I think
it's probably a heating thing.

Anyway, thanks for the help. Next time I'll look before I leap.

Edward (sent via GG because not at home)

To restore balance to the world Edward wrote in

I'm trying to replace the old and knackered plastic switch plates
and socket plates in our newly decorated house with brushed/satin
chrome.

However, I've just bought a job lot of dimmer switches from B & Q
but find that they all need 25mm back boxes, whereas we only have
16mm back boxes.

I've talked to a couple of electrical shops who have generally
sucked their teeth and told me to fuggeddabaht it. However,
Screwfix offer this, but it's polished rather than satin/brushed.

http://preview.tinyurl.com/5lkqpt

I can't find anything else in a moderately focused googling session,
but I can't believe that the only metal-faced dimmer switch that is
compatible with a 16mm back box is polished.

Anyone able to help?

Thanks

Edward

A square of timber 10mm thick, router all 4 edges (to make a nice looking
job) cut out the centre finish to taste.Place between dimmer an and back
box.Have had to do this a number of time.

Chris

--
Superb hosting & domain name deals http://dn-22.co.uk
The Handyman http://www.looker.me.uk
The FlatPack Man http://www.flat-pack.info

"Joker7" wrote in message
...
To restore balance to the world Edward wrote in

I'm trying to replace the old and knackered plastic switch plates
and socket plates in our newly decorated house with brushed/satin
chrome.

However, I've just bought a job lot of dimmer switches from B & Q
but find that they all need 25mm back boxes, whereas we only have
16mm back boxes.

I've talked to a couple of electrical shops who have generally
sucked their teeth and told me to fuggeddabaht it. However,
Screwfix offer this, but it's polished rather than satin/brushed.

http://preview.tinyurl.com/5lkqpt

I can't find anything else in a moderately focused googling session,
but I can't believe that the only metal-faced dimmer switch that is
compatible with a 16mm back box is polished.

Anyone able to help?

Thanks

Edward

A square of timber 10mm thick, router all 4 edges (to make a nice looking
job) cut out the centre finish to taste.Place between dimmer an and back
box.Have had to do this a number of time.

Chris

--
Superb hosting & domain name deals http://dn-22.co.uk
The Handyman http://www.looker.me.uk
The FlatPack Man http://www.flat-pack.info


Used to be able to buy a 10mm thick spacer - but I guess it wouldn't suit
the OP as they are / were white plastic. Took a quick look but couldn't find
them.

In article ,
John wrote:
Used to be able to buy a 10mm thick spacer - but I guess it wouldn't
suit the OP as they are / were white plastic. Took a quick look but
couldn't find them.

They can be difficult to find - but MK still list them.

--
*My designated driver drove me to drink

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.