Questions tagged [uk]
Questions specific to DIY projects in the United Kingdom. Use with any relevant project tags (i.e. [electrical])
152
questions
0
votes
1answer
39 views
Light switch won't turn off after fitting a new light bulb
Thought installing a cheap "smart" light bulb would be a harmless operation. Here's what I did:
With the light switch off, removed the old light bulb
Installed a new light bulb and flick ...
0
votes
0answers
18 views
Cavity wall above solid wall? UK
I have a solid wall full width rear extension and am looking to add a half width second story. The existing extension has a flat roof and solid brick walls. The current extension houses a kitchen ...
0
votes
2answers
91 views
Why are British “shaver sockets” limited to using a single plug at at a time, and given this, how are you supposed to use two appliances?
Is the only option either for everyone who needs another socket to get an adapter and charge things in their own rooms or constantly swap which appliance is plugged in? I live in a shared rental where ...
5
votes
1answer
263 views
Motion Sensing Light Switch Requires Minimum Load of 60W - can I use with LEDs?
I've just bought a Luxomat 2-wire Indoor 180-N-R Motion sensing light switch.
Manual here: https://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Technical/DataSheets/BEG/BE180R2W_User%20Instructions.pdf
I was fitting the ...
0
votes
0answers
21 views
How to merge extractor fan ducting
I have an kitchen extractor hood that vents air through a 5-inch flexible ducting to a louvred cover in the outside wall.
I'd like to add a similar piece of ducting to vent the tumble dryer outside, ...
0
votes
2answers
46 views
How to restore a curtain pole where the rawl plugs have torn themselves out of the wall
My curtain pole has fallen down tearing the rawl plugs out with it and leaving two messy holes.
How can I get the curtain pole back up securely? Ideally in the same holes so that it covers the damage ...
1
vote
2answers
53 views
How can a circuit be designed with a switched live connected to multiple PIR motion sensors? [UK]
If you want a light or generic circuit to be switched by multiple PIR sensors, how is this best achieved? For instance you might have 4 sensors on the corners of your house and if any of them detect ...
3
votes
2answers
27 views
Identifying plaster type and how to best remove wallpaper and prepare for painting?
We are renovating our new house at the moment in the UK which is circa 120 years old. One room has wallpaper on it which we want to remove and then prep and paint the wall.
Upon peeling some wallpaper ...
0
votes
1answer
42 views
ACE900 KBD prepaid electricity meter - no power on second circuit
I just bought a flat in Scotland, which has ACE900 KBD electric meter. Naturally, the mains power into the flat goes into the meter, from which there are two live outputs feeding two consumer units - ...
0
votes
2answers
102 views
Why are their no cheap wifi thermostats? [closed]
We have a simple analogue dial-based room thermostat. The sort of thing that costs about £15. I'm considering replacing it with a programmable one - which would cost maybe £30.
When I recently went to ...
1
vote
1answer
38 views
Garden building (UK) 2.5m rule where measured?
Please see the image below. I have dug down 250mm from both fences.
In order to comply with the 2.5m height limit for a flat roof structure within 2m of a boundary.
Question: Is that 2.5m measured ...
2
votes
2answers
97 views
How to avoid drilling wires when boxing in
(UK) We have an ugly fuse box and electricity meter in our hall we want to box in. It's on the wall as you enter, the wall that separates mine and my neighbour's terraced houses. They're 1950 ex ...
2
votes
1answer
172 views
Extend direct burial electrical cable
There is a direct burial electrical cable running from my house to the shed in the back of my garden. This had been put in years ago, was inspected by a certificate electrician and confirmed as ...
3
votes
1answer
147 views
Loft board orientation for best loading
I recently purchased a kit to enable me to put in some raised flooring into my loft (as my house has double-thickness insulation). This kit contains some supports which screw onto the wooden joists ...
0
votes
1answer
93 views
Why might we have 3 twin wires in our doorbell chime?
We're currently looking to replace our wired doorbell, but before doing so I wanted to understand the existing wiring - unfortunately I don't!
We have a transformer next to our consumer unit supplying ...
0
votes
0answers
48 views
How to recess a recessed socket even deeper into drywall?
I have a standard UK double socket recessed into 15mm drywall. Currently the frame protrudes by approximately 5mm from the wall, and the switches protrude from the frame by a further 5mm.
I wish for ...
2
votes
1answer
54 views
Should feather-edge lap siding be installed directly on sheathing or on furring strips?
I'm building a shed this summer. The plan is to use a stud frame construction. Cover it in 12mm OSB3 and a breather membrane to keep the interior dry and use feather edge as the cladding. The thing I ...
3
votes
2answers
154 views
Transformer won't work for US plug
I live in the UK but have a few US appliances in my possession which I would like to use here in the UK. To avoid having to rewire all the plugs, I bought a transformer to step down the voltage from ...
1
vote
1answer
62 views
How do I disconnect and reconnect this?
How do I safely undo and re-attach this connector? it connects an armoured cable to the power outlet in the shed. I'll turn off the mains obviously. And then do I just undo it with a spanner and pull ...
1
vote
1answer
122 views
Is the electrical setup of my (rental) house safe?
I’ve recently moved into a partially refurbished rental house in Nottinghamshire, England. I’m mostly just wanting to check that it’s generally safe.
The meter is a new (smart) meter, installed in ...
2
votes
1answer
72 views
Can harmonised and non-harmonised (H and HY) cable be used interchangeably for lighting circuits?
If I have been using 6242Y twin and earth cable for regular lighting, can I use 6243YH three core and earth for two-way lighting? I know the H is for harmonised, but I don't know if there are any ...
3
votes
3answers
485 views
Replacing a ceiling rose with a led light without using wire connectors
I have two ceiling rose lights in my corridor, I have managed to replace one without the need of any wiring connector. I achieved this because it had one Live, one neutral and one earth connector.
So ...
4
votes
1answer
116 views
In the UK, how do I run wiring from indoors onto a balcony for a light?
I am trying to install a light onto a balcony and would like to do so according to the UK electrical code. I have a power socket on the other side of the wall, so I would like take power from that, ...
2
votes
3answers
136 views
Is this the transformer for my door chime?
I'm looking to install Ring Pro doorbell. I have looked around the junction box for a transformer and couldn't seem to find one this is the inside of the chime.
If this isn't it where could it be ?
3
votes
1answer
105 views
Diagnosing faulty kitchen appliances
I have a waffle iron that trips the RCD breaker (the rightmost breaker inside the red box below) after I've made a couple of waffles.
I'm fairly sure that I don't have a problem with the kitchen ...
21
votes
10answers
25k views
My inflatable hot tub says “don't use with an extension cord”… but can I?
Sadly they don't explain WHY not to use it with an extension cord. I wonder if it's to do with the risk of having such connections outside in the elements?
The cord it comes with is 7m long, and ...
24
votes
16answers
9k views
How to dig a trench for a cable for a garden office
I'm trying to dig a trench for the electrical cable for a shed/office I'm building in my back garden. This is about 7 m long and should be 0.5 m deep. My soil seems to be about 5 cm of ...
1
vote
1answer
106 views
How do I connect this hot plate
This is in Germany, brand new flat.
The wall socket is:
The device has the following sticker:
But the blue and grey wires are linked:
Should I:
separate the blue and grey and connect them with ...
1
vote
1answer
76 views
Can somebody help me understand this door chime wiring?
I have this inside an old door chime which seems redundant. (UK)
I plan to decommission this door chime, but would like to understand the wiring first. Particularly if it is connected to the mains ...
0
votes
2answers
599 views
Changing light fixture with red/black UK wiring using only black wires
I am planning to change a ceiling light fixture in my 1980s-built home in the UK.
I had a look at the box and was surprised to see 3 red wires nutted (?) together and 3 black wires feeding the light. ...
1
vote
5answers
279 views
How could I attach a face plate to a broken Appleby dry lining box?
An electrician has installed a dry lining box for a cat6 network terminal. These boxes are supposed to have a metal insert inside each of the yellow parts, which accepts the type of screw that is ...
0
votes
2answers
75 views
Is my dimmable LED tape compatible with any 12V/2A driver?
I bought a fairly cheap LED tape kit that comes with a driver and dimmer. The dimmer is a small inline module that sits between the driver and the LED tape.
The driver has 12V/2A output and is ...
2
votes
1answer
66 views
Specific tiling for washing machine closet?
I am planing to install a washing machine in a closet. There is currently a fitted carpet in this ca. 2 m² closet.
To avert consequences a plausible leak/overflow, I want to replace the fitted carpet ...
0
votes
1answer
200 views
Consumer unit location
I can understand the supplier fuse and meter being in a communal area of a block of flats but was there anything in the UK wiring regs in the 1970s that would explain why the consumer unit is also ...
0
votes
0answers
44 views
Replacing a light switch with a smart switch
I'm trying to replace my existing light switch (in my new build home in the UK) with a Innens smart WiFi switch (https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07RK5F8HC/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_jNHbEbVEDEEF6 ). My ...
-1
votes
3answers
56 views
Electric Boiler System won't get warm
I moved into a new rented property about 3 weeks ago in the UK. I put on the heat, which is water-filled radiators supplied by an Electric Boiler, a Range Senator 6W, and a medium-sized water cylinder....
9
votes
3answers
2k views
Are “terminal block” style junction boxes allowed in the US?
In the UK it seems pretty common to see junction boxes with built-in screw terminals that are used only for splicing wires from 2 or more cables together.
Typical example:
(source)
Sample wiring ...
1
vote
2answers
83 views
Do future electrical works invalidate a satisfactory EICR?
I recently got a domestic EICR done for rental purposes. Certificate shows Satisfactory Result.
I am about to commission the fitting of a new light which will require wiring into the fuse board. ...
0
votes
1answer
48 views
Part P required? Changing Fixed Oven wiring to 13A FCU (UK)
I can't work out whether or not the following needs an electrician who can provide a Part P certificate under the 2005 Building Regulations (either by installing or approving).
I've got a 32A ...
3
votes
2answers
561 views
Getting mild electric shocks from tap water if washing machine is switched on
My washing machine is placed in my kitchen and whenever it is switched on and working (washing), I get very mild “tingles” from the kitchen's tap water.
I'm in the UK, and I've checked that the wall ...
2
votes
1answer
92 views
Why do I have multiple connections on a single common connection?
I'm in the process of trying to add a smart relays to my light switches across the house.
In most cases I've managed fine and I understand how the circuit works, to me that is critical before I make ...
2
votes
0answers
104 views
Euro modules, is there an actual standard for them? or are they just a de-facto thing?
In the UK over the last decade or so a system of modules and faceplaces known as "Euro modules" seems to have taken off. Modules and faceplates are available from a wide-range of vendors. A regular "...
0
votes
4answers
151 views
RCCB trips and causes sockets to lose power, but lights, etc. don't lose power
Several times in the last month, we have experienced small power surges that cause the circuit breakers to trip. Most of the time this has been the "sockets" circuit breaker, however 15 minutes ago ...
0
votes
2answers
122 views
What heating system do I have, and what can I do about water pressure in my shower?
New homeowner (UK based) and getting to grips with all that comes with that. I previously only lived in a flat with a standard combi boiler, my new home seems to have an older system in place ...
1
vote
0answers
225 views
What does the Bearing Plate in a Worcester boiler do?
Recently our Worcester Greenstar boiler became unable to start.
The solution turned out to be that the plastic flaps on the bearing plate had degraded and fallen apart, so the plumber simply removed ...
1
vote
2answers
142 views
Help me understand this power strip installation
I moved into a flat which has the following electrical setup in the kitchen:
Regular looking 4-socket power strip
Combi boiler plugged into power strip
Washing machine plugged into power strip
Front ...
0
votes
1answer
514 views
Can I safely remove/reattach the back of a fitted wardrobe?
I've recently gotten a new flat, and the second room has fitted wardrobes along one wall (e.g second picture). I would like to put a TV and playstation in one of these as I don't need the storage ...
0
votes
0answers
116 views
Leaking waste pipe connector
I live in a semi-detached house in the UK (built in 1946). Until recently, one of the the upstairs bathroom's walls was the outside wall of the house (the side wall). The toilet is connected to an ...
0
votes
2answers
171 views
Can an electrician with 16th edition rules do work in anybody's home?
I did an elim course taking city and guilds for the 16th edition electrical installation and maintenance. Can I still do work in people's houses without having to give certificates the types of work?
...
0
votes
2answers
111 views
Electrical Appliance Killing Extension Leads
I've got a circular saw that has been responsible for damaging a total of three extension leads. Not in the typical sharp bit cutting the cable you may have expected.
I've had the saw for a year and ...
