[Split] Pe On Patresses (From 'additional Code Required')

[Paul P]

That's why I took it off. Decorating. Hadn't been an issue until then although reasonable chance a toddler could crawl round and touch the live screw as could my puddy cat.

I know this is not going to go down well, if the socket was screwed to the wall the metal box would of been earthed.

 

So did removing it cause the live to touch the box?

 

Should you turn off the circuit if removing the socket from the wall? 

 

I know we don't but should you complain that you got a shock off something that should of been dead.

[matthew.brough]

The metal box had no connection to earth. They had stripped back about 20mm too much insulation so the wire touched the backbox. Before the world of premoulded plugs remember when you saw about 60mm of the 3 cores hanging out of the plug because no one trimmed it? Similar idea.

[GalaxyGuy]

I'm surprised at you Matt. With your constant whining about getting professionals in all the time, you're decorating and removing wall sockets on your own???  Shouldn't you be getting suitably qualified tradespeople in rather than DIY'ing it yourself ?

[matthew.brough]

I wasn't decorating. The decorator was decorating. I just slackened the sockets so he could paper behind them.

As per my previous post I have for a spark to come sort them out and I have decorator decorating therefore I practice what i preach

I'd hardly call slackening sockets requiring a sparks attention normally

I do hold electrical installation qualifications actually. I just avoid the stuff like the plague as I don't like it

[goncall]

I do hold electrical installation qualifications actually. I just avoid the stuff like the plague as I don't like it

like what

I know this is not going to go down well, if the socket was screwed to the wall the metal box would of been earthed.

 

So did removing it cause the live to touch the box?

 

Should you turn off the circuit if removing the socket from the wall? 

 

I know we don't but should you complain that you got a shock off something that should of been dead.

qfa we get it drummed into us everyday and still people ignore it,isolate/lock off and prove dead

[Cubit]

I know this is not going to go down well, if the socket was screwed to the wall the metal box would of been earthed.

 

So did removing it cause the live to touch the box?

 

Should you turn off the circuit if removing the socket from the wall? 

 

I know we don't but should you complain that you got a shock off something that should of been dead.

You assuming solid wall?

Backbox secured tight?

Metal rawlplugs unlike the plastic ones everyone uses?

[Paul P]

I wasn't decorating. The decorator was decorating. I just slackened the sockets so he could paper behind them.

 

Oh that could be nasty. 

 

"Customer kills decorator by removing socket from wall."

 

Sorry Judge I just wanted my paper tucked behind it to make it look nice.

In this world of let's sue the ar55e of every one it so dodgy being helpful.

You assuming solid wall? - I ment screwed to the metal back box fixed to the wall thus the back box would of been earthed from the screws holding to the box.

 

Backbox secured tight? No one said it was loose.

 

Metal rawlplugs unlike the plastic ones everyone uses? Does this make a difference most wall are not very conductive?

[Cubit]

You assuming solid wall? - I ment screwed to the metal back box fixed to the wall thus the back box would of been earthed from the screws holding to the box.

 

Backbox secured tight? No one said it was loose.

 

Metal rawlplugs unlike the plastic ones everyone uses? Does this make a difference most wall are not very conductive?

I think you'll find your replies somewhat contradictory and still making assumptions.

Partition/studded wall?

Back box tight or loose?  Irrelevant due to fixings

Rawlplugs? you say it is irrelevant due to wall not being conductive - yet you said earlier, "...if the socket was screwed to the wall the metal box would of been earthed."

[Scotmod]

Sounds like you could use an RCD or two...

 

My interpretation is that back boxes should be earthed. But they aren't an extraneous conductive part so you could the toss. 

 

But to be fair, if you were worried about toddlers touching it, why wouldn't you at least kill the power before going anywhere near it. Like you said, you don't know what's behind that socket. 

[matthew.brough]

Long time since toddlers were in my house

The presumption was that whoever wired my house did it properly an safely. Killing the power would have meant shutting down my servers and that's a pain. I simply saw no danger in loosening a socket for the decorator. How wrong.