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One side of a dual gang socket in my garage has stopped working, after buying a replacement I can see that the old socket has two terminals each for live, earth and neutral, however the new socket only has a single trio. Is it safe to connect both wires into the same terminal, or is this more complex than a DIYer like me should be handling?

Edited to add, this video seems to suggest it's okay, but I don't know exactly how much I don't know.

Here is the new socket

enter image description here

Just to clarify, this is not about whether the wires will fit into the new socket, I'm pretty sure they will, it's whether I'm going to set something on fire if they're in the same terminal.

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  • It depends on the type of connections. Traditional screw terminals can only take one wire each, and then the solution is to pigtail (two (or more) regular wires connected to a short wire which then connects to the screw). But there are "screw to clamp" connections designed to take 2 wires each. Pictures and/or model #s would help.
    – manassehkatz-Moving 2 Codidact
    Commented Jul 31, 2023 at 19:45
  • Any chance the old socket was fed from two circuits?
    – KMJ
    Commented Jul 31, 2023 at 19:56
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    Check the installation instructions, a lot of that UK stuff is certified for 2 wires under a terminal.
    – Harper - Reinstate Monica
    Commented Jul 31, 2023 at 20:01
  • Since this is in the (integrated) garage, I think this could be a possibility? If the assumed use was tumble driers and power tools and other garagey things.
    – Robot
    Commented Jul 31, 2023 at 20:02
  • I would check that before you plan to put both wires under one screw. If it turns out there are two circuits feeding the area, you've just created a significant overload hazard.
    – KMJ
    Commented Jul 31, 2023 at 20:14

2 Answers 2

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BS1363 requires sockets to accommodate at least 3x2.5mm² or 2x4mm². Better brands will advertise they take more. While BS1363 doesn't specify exactly how these wires should be accommodated but the majority of sockets have a single large terminal per pole.

A few older sockets did have two smaller screw terminals per pole, but I haven't seen this on new accessories in recent years.

The style of terminal is similar to what Americans would call a "lug", but I've never heard a UK electrician use that term in this context. We would just call it a screw terminal. The kind of Screw terminals American receptacles use where the wire is held under the head of the screw are not used on normal electrical accessories in the UK.

Any chance the old socket was fed from two circuits?

Regular UK double sockets cannot be "split" like American ones can. Even those with two terminals per pole had the terminals solidly joined together.

There do exist modular ranges which would allow two independently fed sockets on the same plate but the chances of finding one in a typical UK garage are miniscule.

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  • "Even those with two terminals per pole had the terminals solidly joined together." That's the bit I was missing, so having one wire per terminal, or both wired in one terminal in the new socket, are equivalent in terms of the circuit it sounds like.
    – Robot
    Commented Aug 1, 2023 at 12:35
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The screw terminals on UK sockets are designed to handle up to three 2.5mm² wires into one terminal. Or two 4mm² ones. So there is no problem stuffing two or three wires in.

But after doing up the screw, double check that the screw is biting into the copper wire and not the insulation. And give an experimental tug on each wire to make sure it has actually been gripped by the screw.

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