Cooker Switch, back box earthing
 

Hi!,

I had a hideous cooker switch in my kitchen, huge thing, anyway I decided to
change it so I pulled the fuse and ripped it and the back box out. I now
have a 47mm double sized metal back box which I want to fit. I noticed the
old back box was nailed to the wall with approx. 2.5 inch nail. Is this
necessary because I think I'm going to have a hell over a job trying to
drive another one in!

Is this used just to secure the box ?, could I drill a hole and secure with
a wall plug and screw?

I'm just about to plaster the wall but want to get this new back box in
first, I use gas at the moment but plan to get an electric oven in a month
or so at which point I will get an electrician in..... for the time being
I'm going to leave the bare wires sticking out with the fuse pulled..... I
know my limits!

Any advance would be great!
Ian.

On Sat, 28 Aug 2004 19:03:22 +0100, Ian wrote:

the old back box was nailed to the wall with approx. 2.5 inch nail.

Normal builders parctice, fix the boxes with what ever is handy.

Is this used just to secure the box ?

Yes, it has nothing to do with "earthing", that comes via the cabling.

could I drill a hole and secure with a wall plug and screw?

Yes.

I'm going to leave the bare wires sticking out with the fuse
pulled..... I know my limits!

I don't like that idea but respect your admission. I take it the "bare
wires" are the wires as removed from the old switch. If you really
don't want to wire up a new switch wander of to a shed and get a 30A
connector strip ("chocolate block") and a blank double plate. Put each
wire into a seperate terminal, (so you'll need 6) put that into the
back box and cover with blank plate. Nothing can touch anything it
shouldn't and neither can prying fingers.

--
Cheers
Dave. pam is missing e-mail

"Dave Liquorice" wrote in message
ll.com...
On Sat, 28 Aug 2004 19:03:22 +0100, Ian wrote:

the old back box was nailed to the wall with approx. 2.5 inch nail.

Normal builders parctice, fix the boxes with what ever is handy.

Is this used just to secure the box ?

Yes, it has nothing to do with "earthing", that comes via the cabling.

could I drill a hole and secure with a wall plug and screw?

Yes.

I'm going to leave the bare wires sticking out with the fuse
pulled..... I know my limits!

I don't like that idea but respect your admission. I take it the "bare
wires" are the wires as removed from the old switch. If you really
don't want to wire up a new switch wander of to a shed and get a 30A
connector strip ("chocolate block") and a blank double plate. Put each
wire into a seperate terminal, (so you'll need 6) put that into the
back box and cover with blank plate. Nothing can touch anything it
shouldn't and neither can prying fingers.

--
Cheers
Dave. pam is missing e-mail




I suspect the OP has a large MK cooker control unit, this is a little bigger
than a double plate!! But it would still be a good idea to properly insulate
the wires!!

On Sat, 28 Aug 2004 23:17:31 +0100, "James Salisbury"
strung together this:

I suspect the OP has a large MK cooker control unit, this is a little bigger
than a double plate!!

He probably did, but he said he ripped it out to put a normal double
plate CCU there instead.
--

SJW
A.C.S. Ltd

O
or so at which point I will get an electrician in..... for the time being
I'm going to leave the bare wires sticking out with the fuse pulled..... I
know my limits!

Any advance would be great!
Ian.

Insulate the wires !!!, you know your limits, but you don't know what
other people will do.

Dave
--

Some people use windows, others have a life.

Thanks for the advice, your right, I will insolate the wires, I have a choc
box and 30 amp block so better safe than sorry. I don't actually live at
the flat at the moment and I'm the only one with access so it wasn't quite
as irresponsible as it probably sounded. Bearing in mind the fuse was
pulled. I have a lot of respect when it comes to anything electrical!

And you're also correct that I had a large MK back box, it was about the
width of a double box but the same height too. The worst thing about it was
that the nail used to secure the box was actually touching another nail
coming through from my neighbours kitchen, probably there cooker switch! so
if there was a wiring fault in thier kitchen I could have found myself with
live screw heads!

Cheers,
Ian.

"Lurch" wrote in message
...
On Sat, 28 Aug 2004 23:17:31 +0100, "James Salisbury"
strung together this:

I suspect the OP has a large MK cooker control unit, this is a little
bigger
than a double plate!!

He probably did, but he said he ripped it out to put a normal double
plate CCU there instead.
--

SJW
A.C.S. Ltd

On Sun, 29 Aug 2004 17:59:35 +0100, Ian wrote:

Bearing in mind the fuse was pulled.

Which still leaves the neutral connected and "live". OK the N
shouldn't be to far away from earth in can be enough to produce a
"tingle".

The worst thing about it was that the nail used to secure the box
was actually touching another nail coming through from my neighbours
kitchen, probably there cooker switch! so if there was a wiring
fault in thier kitchen I could have found myself with live screw
heads!

Hopefully not as the back box should be earthed, though possibly via
the face plate screws with such an old installation. With a bit of
luck they would have been good enough to enable enough fault current
to flow and blow their fuse.

--
Cheers
Dave. pam is missing e-mail