Electric socket help

[lizzie145]

So trying to change the face plate but not sure whether the earth wire should go onto the back plate or the face?

[Lisbon]

Leave end screwed as it is. The other end attach to the earth terminal on the face plate

[lizzie145]

Originally Posted by Lisbon

Leave end screwed as it is. The other end attach to the earth terminal on the face plate

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There is only 1 earth sleeve but it does have 2 wires in it

[mickey house]

Originally Posted by lizzie145

There is only 1 earth sleeve but it does have 2 wires in it

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There appears to be 2 earth wires in the earth sleeving, but if there's only one then you have a problem (hard to make out from the picture).

Both of these earth wires MUST be connected into the back of the socket (DON'T leave them screwed into the back box as Lisbon suggested).

A seperate earth wire should then fitted into the back of the socket and then into the back box (earth sleeving must be used to cover the earth conductor).

I am always reluctant to give advice as people don't always turn all the power off and it could be fatal, plus they can't properly test the socket once installed. But I also didn't want you leaving both earth wires connected into the back of the back box and not into the socket.

[lizzie145]

Thank you

So do I need to buy some wire to go from the socket to the back box?

There are 2 wires in that 1 sleeve.

Power was turned off before I started

[mickey house]

Originally Posted by lizzie145

Thank you

So do I need to buy some wire to go from the socket to the back box?

There are 2 wires in that 1 sleeve.

Power was turned off before I started

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Yes you require a small length of earth cable to go from the socket tearth to the back box.

Although not an absolute requirement to earth a back box providing one of the 2 metal lugs is fixed (which is usually the case), it is good practice and particularly so if the double socket is metal.

I don't doubt that you've turned everything off, but some people only turn the mcb off for the circuit they are working on, but the neutrals are still potentially live, so I always recommend that all switches are off, along with the RCD and the main switch (it takes seconds to switch them all back on and could prevent serious injury).

[Lisbon]

Originally Posted by mickey house

There appears to be 2 earth wires in the earth sleeving, but if there's only one then you have a problem (hard to make out from the picture).

Both of these earth wires MUST be connected into the back of the socket (DON'T leave them screwed into the back box as Lisbon suggested).

A seperate earth wire should then fitted into the back of the socket and then into the back box (earth sleeving must be used to cover the earth conductor).

I am always reluctant to give advice as people don't always turn all the power off and it could be fatal, plus they can't properly test the socket once installed. But I also didn't want you leaving both earth wires connected into the back of the back box and not into the socket.

See more...

Sorry replied from my phone so small photo, where you have the red and black cables you should also have a copper cable covered with a yellow and green cover that would go in the socket plate and then the yellow and green one you have from the metal box would go in the same terminal which would then provide your earth correctly, it doesn't look like you have a earth cable going from that socket to your fuseboard
Rob
Rob

[Lisbon]

Just looking at the picture AGAIN , are the cables in the yellow and green coming from the same place as the red and black cables, if they are do as Mickey Mouse has said
Rob

[tspill]

Seriously - if you are not 100% sure of what you are doing - and by the question you asked you aren't. Get an electrician.

[lizzie145]

All sorted and working, thanks