Hi Folks,
I think I know the answer but...
In the garage there is a double RCD (push button) metal socket. It has stopped working. It is right up against the bottom of the consumer unit and so no wires going to it are visible (presume it's straight through the bottom of the consumer unit, through the top of the RCD socket. I am ok to replace a 'normal' socket face plate but I suspect one with a built in RCD is a job for someone who knows what they are doing.
Would I be right in adopting the 'move away from that socket' principle and get a qualified electrician?
Cheers,
Ray.
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RCD Socket faulty
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- Lemon Half
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Re: RCD Socket faulty
Call me reckless, but it looks like a simple straight swap to me, with all the fancy RCD stuff being self-contained within the socket. The tricky part might be that the cable connection from there to the consumer unit is a little short - but heck, I'd be pretty sure that they fitted the socket after the consumer unit, so the cable ends must be long enough to make it possible?
You won't know for absolute sure until you've taken the old socket off the wall and had a proper look. But FWIW, it wouldn't be the first time that I'd seen a cable end that had simply worked loose and got a bit burned. As long as there's no heat damage, such as cracking to the plastic, it might not need a new socket at all.
BJ
You won't know for absolute sure until you've taken the old socket off the wall and had a proper look. But FWIW, it wouldn't be the first time that I'd seen a cable end that had simply worked loose and got a bit burned. As long as there's no heat damage, such as cracking to the plastic, it might not need a new socket at all.
BJ
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- Lemon Half
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Re: RCD Socket faulty
raybarrow wrote:
I am ok to replace a 'normal' socket face plate but I suspect one with a built in RCD is a job for someone who knows what they are doing.
Other than a slightly bulkier rear connection area, to accommodate the additional internal RCD safety-circuits, it's highly unlikely that any replacement swap-out job would be any different to a normal double-socket faceplate swap-out.
Two examples showing this to be the case on these non-metallic RCD sockets, which both have a picture showing the rear connection points -
https://www.floorbox.co.uk/products/st0287fm-rcd-full-mounted-twin-switched-rcd-protected-sockets
https://www.rapidonline.com/europa-components-rcd13ass-13a-double-switch-socket-rcd-plastic-28-4569
Of course the usual caveats apply of ensuring that relevant electrical circuits are isolated prior to carrying out the job, and I'd probably do a little more testing with a voltage meter before buying a replacement, just to make sure, as BJ has suggested, that this isn't simply a mains-supply or wiring-fault issue rather than a socket issue...
Cheers,
Itsallaguess
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- Lemon Quarter
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Re: RCD Socket faulty
If in doubt Ray turn the MAIN SWITCH of the consumer unit off before investigating/replacing the faulty RCD socket outlet. After that, if necessary, it is a simple like-for-like replacement.raybarrow wrote:Hi Folks,
I think I know the answer but...
In the garage there is a double RCD (push button) metal socket. It has stopped working. It is right up against the bottom of the consumer unit and so no wires going to it are visible (presume it's straight through the bottom of the consumer unit, through the top of the RCD socket. I am ok to replace a 'normal' socket face plate but I suspect one with a built in RCD is a job for someone who knows what they are doing.
Would I be right in adopting the 'move away from that socket' principle and get a qualified electrician?
Classic DIY job. No need for an electrician unless you feel very unsure. If in doubt with anything just ask here.
Chris
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