Electrical socket replacement
 

We have a 13A double switched socket in a tiled location. I don't know how
old it is but it's an old-fashioned type with four fixing screws, two at the
top and two at the bottom, as opposed to the modern ones of one at each
side. The socket was physically damaged when something hit it recently so
needs to be replaced. Is there any sort of adapter plate or something that
will get us round the problem of the fixing screws without having to replace
the backbox as well, or do I have to gingerly extracate the backbox from
said tiles?

TIA

Electrical socket replacement
 

John wrote:
We have a 13A double switched socket in a tiled location. I don't
know how old it is but it's an old-fashioned type with four fixing
screws, two at the top and two at the bottom, as opposed to the
modern ones of one at each side. The socket was physically damaged
when something hit it recently so needs to be replaced. Is there any
sort of adapter plate or something that will get us round the problem
of the fixing screws without having to replace the backbox as well,
or do I have to gingerly extracate the backbox from said tiles?

TIA

I doubt you're going to find a socket face with 4 screw holes.
Why not just get a surface socket and backbox and affix it over the hole,
providing the existing cables have enough slack of course

--
Phil L
RSRL Tipster Of The Year 2008

Electrical socket replacement
 

Phil L wrote:
John wrote:
We have a 13A double switched socket in a tiled location. I don't
know how old it is but it's an old-fashioned type with four fixing
screws, two at the top and two at the bottom, as opposed to the
modern ones of one at each side. The socket was physically damaged
when something hit it recently so needs to be replaced. Is there any
sort of adapter plate or something that will get us round the problem
of the fixing screws without having to replace the backbox as well,
or do I have to gingerly extracate the backbox from said tiles?

TIA

I doubt you're going to find a socket face with 4 screw holes.
Why not just get a surface socket and backbox and affix it over the
hole, providing the existing cables have enough slack of course

Good idea Phil, may just do that if nothing better comes my way. Thanks.

Electrical socket replacement
 

On Jul 23, 2:39*pm, "John" wrote:
Phil L wrote:
John wrote:
We have a 13A double switched socket in a tiled location. I don't
know how old it is but it's an old-fashioned type with four fixing
screws, two at the top and two at the bottom, as opposed to the
modern ones of one at each side. The socket was physically damaged
when something hit it recently so needs to be replaced. Is there any
sort of adapter plate or something that will get us round the problem
of the fixing screws without having to replace the backbox as well,
or do I have to gingerly extracate the backbox from said tiles?

TIA

I doubt you're going to find a socket face with 4 screw holes.
Why not just get a surface socket and backbox and affix it over the
hole, providing the existing cables have enough slack of course

Good idea Phil, may just do that if nothing better comes my way. Thanks.


Another perhaps is to epoxy pieces of hardwood in each side of the
backbox and screw thin coarse thread scrwes into it. Generous pilot
hole essential on such small pieces.


NT

Electrical socket replacement
 

On 23/07/2010 12:42, John wrote:
We have a 13A double switched socket in a tiled location. I don't know how
old it is but it's an old-fashioned type with four fixing screws, two at the
top and two at the bottom, as opposed to the modern ones of one at each
side. The socket was physically damaged when something hit it recently so
needs to be replaced. Is there any sort of adapter plate or something that
will get us round the problem of the fixing screws without having to replace
the backbox as well, or do I have to gingerly extracate the backbox from
said tiles?

TIA


Had 2 of these in a room I recently did from top to bottom. Probably
date back to the 1960s.
I just mangled the back boxes so they would come out and put new ones
in. However I wasn't dealing with tiles.
If you contemplate replacement make sure the new backbox will fit in the
space between and behind the tiles or you are wasting your time.

Electrical socket replacement
 

"John" wrote in message
...
We have a 13A double switched socket in a tiled location. I don't know how
old it is but it's an old-fashioned type with four fixing screws, two at
the top and two at the bottom, as opposed to the modern ones of one at
each side. The socket was physically damaged when something hit it
recently so needs to be replaced. Is there any sort of adapter plate or
something that will get us round the problem of the fixing screws without
having to replace the backbox as well, or do I have to gingerly extracate
the backbox from said tiles?

TIA

Have you actually looked behind the broken socket yet?

Quite often these old back boxes had 6 mounting holes (4 where you can now
see the exiting mounting screws) and two others that match the holes on a
modern socket.

Cheers

Adam

Electrical socket replacement
 

On 23 July, 18:06, "ARWadsworth"
wrote:
"John" wrote in message

...

We have a 13A double switched socket in a tiled location. I don't know how
old it is but it's an old-fashioned type with four fixing screws, two at
the top and two at the bottom, as opposed to the modern ones of one at
each side. The socket was physically damaged when something hit it
recently so needs to be replaced. Is there any sort of adapter plate or
something that will get us round the problem of the fixing screws without
having to replace the backbox as well, or do I have to gingerly extracate
the backbox from said tiles?

TIA

Have you actually looked behind the broken socket yet?

Quite often these old back boxes had 6 mounting holes (4 where you can now
see the exiting mounting screws) and two others that match the holes on a
modern socket.

Cheers

Adam

The above is true. The sockets/boxes were made by MK, I remember
installing lots as an apprentice. The problem is they will be tapped
4BA.
You can get round this with self tapping screws. Or I suppose using
the old screws.
MK made the best of electrical equipment back then. Maybe they still
do.

Electrical socket replacement
 

NT wrote:
On Jul 23, 2:39 pm, "John" wrote:
Phil L wrote:
John wrote:
We have a 13A double switched socket in a tiled location. I don't
know how old it is but it's an old-fashioned type with four fixing
screws, two at the top and two at the bottom, as opposed to the
modern ones of one at each side. The socket was physically damaged
when something hit it recently so needs to be replaced. Is there
any sort of adapter plate or something that will get us round the
problem of the fixing screws without having to replace the backbox
as well, or do I have to gingerly extracate the backbox from said
tiles?

TIA

I doubt you're going to find a socket face with 4 screw holes.
Why not just get a surface socket and backbox and affix it over the
hole, providing the existing cables have enough slack of course

Good idea Phil, may just do that if nothing better comes my way.
Thanks.


Another perhaps is to epoxy pieces of hardwood in each side of the
backbox and screw thin coarse thread scrwes into it. Generous pilot
hole essential on such small pieces.

Ah, now that sounds like a plan. Thanks. :-)

Electrical socket replacement
 

ARWadsworth wrote:
"John" wrote in message
...
We have a 13A double switched socket in a tiled location. I don't
know how old it is but it's an old-fashioned type with four fixing
screws, two at the top and two at the bottom, as opposed to the
modern ones of one at each side. The socket was physically damaged
when something hit it recently so needs to be replaced. Is there any
sort of adapter plate or something that will get us round the
problem of the fixing screws without having to replace the backbox
as well, or do I have to gingerly extracate the backbox from said
tiles? TIA

Have you actually looked behind the broken socket yet?

Quite often these old back boxes had 6 mounting holes (4 where you
can now see the exiting mounting screws) and two others that match
the holes on a modern socket.

No, not looked yet Adam but if it has, that'll be brilliant. Cheers.

Electrical socket replacement
 

"harry" wrote in message
...
On 23 July, 18:06, "ARWadsworth"
wrote:
"John" wrote in message

...

We have a 13A double switched socket in a tiled location. I don't know
how
old it is but it's an old-fashioned type with four fixing screws, two
at
the top and two at the bottom, as opposed to the modern ones of one at
each side. The socket was physically damaged when something hit it
recently so needs to be replaced. Is there any sort of adapter plate or
something that will get us round the problem of the fixing screws
without
having to replace the backbox as well, or do I have to gingerly
extracate
the backbox from said tiles?

TIA

Have you actually looked behind the broken socket yet?

Quite often these old back boxes had 6 mounting holes (4 where you can
now
see the exiting mounting screws) and two others that match the holes on a
modern socket.

Cheers

Adam

The above is true. The sockets/boxes were made by MK, I remember
installing lots as an apprentice. The problem is they will be tapped
4BA.
You can get round this with self tapping screws. Or I suppose using
the old screws.
MK made the best of electrical equipment back then. Maybe they still
do.

You often have to remove the 4 lugs that are been used at the moment to get
a modern sock to fit.

Adam

Electrical socket replacement
 

We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the
drugs began to take hold. I remember "John" saying
something like:

We have a 13A double switched socket in a tiled location. I don't know how
old it is but it's an old-fashioned type with four fixing screws, two at the
top and two at the bottom, as opposed to the modern ones of one at each
side. The socket was physically damaged when something hit it recently so
needs to be replaced. Is there any sort of adapter plate or something that
will get us round the problem of the fixing screws without having to replace
the backbox as well, or do I have to gingerly extracate the backbox from
said tiles?

You might be lucky and find the backbox has the end lugs anyway. Some of
the four-hole ones were actually six-hole.

Electrical socket replacement
 

On Jul 23, 7:42*pm, "John" wrote:
NT wrote:
On Jul 23, 2:39 pm, "John" wrote:
Phil L wrote:
John wrote:
We have a 13A double switched socket in a tiled location. I don't
know how old it is but it's an old-fashioned type with four fixing
screws, two at the top and two at the bottom, as opposed to the
modern ones of one at each side. The socket was physically damaged
when something hit it recently so needs to be replaced. Is there
any sort of adapter plate or something that will get us round the
problem of the fixing screws without having to replace the backbox
as well, or do I have to gingerly extracate the backbox from said
tiles?

TIA

I doubt you're going to find a socket face with 4 screw holes.
Why not just get a surface socket and backbox and affix it over the
hole, providing the existing cables have enough slack of course

Good idea Phil, may just do that if nothing better comes my way.
Thanks.

Another perhaps is to epoxy pieces of hardwood in each side of the
backbox and screw thin coarse thread scrwes into it. Generous pilot
hole essential on such small pieces.

Ah, now that sounds like a plan. Thanks. *:-)

acutally mite make more sense to use epoxy to make up the bulk, using
some sort of form to hold it as it sets. The challenge is to get
sufficient strength.


NT

Electrical socket replacement
 

On 23 July, 19:50, "ARWadsworth"
wrote:
"harry" wrote in message

...





On 23 July, 18:06, "ARWadsworth"
wrote:
"John" wrote in message

...

We have a 13A double switched socket in a tiled location. I don't know
how
old it is but it's an old-fashioned type with four fixing screws, two
at
the top and two at the bottom, as opposed to the modern ones of one at
each side. The socket was physically damaged when something hit it
recently so needs to be replaced. Is there any sort of adapter plate or
something that will get us round the problem of the fixing screws
without
having to replace the backbox as well, or do I have to gingerly
extracate
the backbox from said tiles?

TIA

Have you actually looked behind the broken socket yet?

Quite often these old back boxes had 6 mounting holes (4 where you can
now
see the exiting mounting screws) and two others that match the holes on a
modern socket.

Cheers

Adam

The above is true. *The sockets/boxes were made by MK, I remember
installing lots as an apprentice. * The problem is they will be tapped
4BA.
You can get round this with self tapping screws. Or I suppose using
the old screws.
MK made the best of electrical equipment back then. *Maybe they still
do.

You often have to remove the 4 lugs that are been used at the moment to get
a modern sock to fit.

Adam- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Yes, now you mention it, I think you're right.

Electrical socket replacement
 

On 23 July, 22:25, Owain wrote:
On 23 July, 12:42, "John" *wrote:

We have a 13A double switched socket in a tiled location. I don't know how
old it is but it's an old-fashioned type with four fixing screws, two at the
top and two at the bottom, as opposed to the modern ones of one at each
side.

Would it be possible to drill corresponding mounting holes in a new
socket?

Or buy a 'new' old one on fleabay?

Owain

I think they gave up making that sort about forty years ago. I
haven't seen one in donkeys years.

Electrical socket replacement
 

NT wrote:

acutally mite make more sense to use epoxy to make up the bulk, using
some sort of form to hold it as it sets.

If I were doing that I'd mix in lots of microfibres to make a stiff
enough paste that it didn't slump. I've used this to fill holes and
cutouts in both horizontal and vertical surface. Support is needed under
the horizontal ones, but the paste stands up on its own to fill holes in
vertical panels.

Pete

Electrical socket replacement
 

Post a picture, it may be possible to fold in the old box and fit a
new standard box. Depends on how the cables are arranged, what
condition they are in, whether the old tiles are cement or PVA bonded
and so on.

Good restoration project :-)