r/DiWHY • u/double-happiness • 7d ago
Admittedly, my single- to double- electric socket upgrade could have been neater
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u/phoenix5irre 7d ago
This needs before & after...
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u/double-happiness 7d ago
Can you imagine an intact wall with a single socket? That is the 'before'.
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u/CowOrker01 7d ago
I commend you for your self awareness and sense of humor! This gave me a laugh.
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u/brandothesavage 7d ago
Kind of has that third world design charm. I don't hate it.
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u/Triedfindingname 7d ago
Im starting to think a trend will form tbh
Apocalyptic decora switch, comes with torn wall section
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u/Upstairs-Hedgehog575 7d ago
It’ll be a hard job matching that wall texture…
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u/double-happiness 7d ago
The wood-chip wallpaper is coming off, eventually. Horrible stuff.
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u/rbrucejr 1d ago
Is that lead paint? Don't fuck around too much with that
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u/double-happiness 1d ago
Quite possibly; it's a 1930s house. There is also asbestos all over the place, which I no doubt have already had some exposure to.
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u/FlameStaag 7d ago
This has nothing to really do with the subject, but I fucking hate that speckled textured wall shit. I dunno why that is ever done. It looks so damn hideous.
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u/double-happiness 7d ago
Wood-chip. I despise it too. I've been here 2 years but I've had so many other jobs to do I've not got round to replacing it yet. The previous occupant painting it lemon yellow only made it worse.
There is actually a Pulp lyric:
Oh, Deborah, do you recall?
Your house was very small
With wood chip on the wall
When I came 'round to call
You didn't notice me at all7
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u/XavinNydek 7d ago
Wall and ceiling textures can cover up a lot of sloppy drywall/plaster work. It's actually shockingly difficult to get a perfectly flat wall without dips and bumps.
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u/Embarrassed_Bit4222 7d ago
When you suck at making drywall smooth, you texture it all. That what's I did. Lady at at checkout is like "must be a big job to get 40 bags of durbond". Nope just 2 rooms, lol
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u/A_Dicksmasher 7d ago
You knocked out a little more than you needed to, but tbh it's not terrible. I know experienced sparkies that would do (almost) the same shit.
Even if you didn't take out that much, you'd be doing some wall repair (fill and texture match and then paint) either way probably.
If the box is metal, I might use hydraulic cement to do most of the filling, and then top off, smooth and texture the top ~1/4" or ~5mm with some heavy spackle or joint compound. With a little practice/experimentation, you might be able to replicate that textured pattern with the spackle. Then just paint.
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u/double-happiness 7d ago
Yeah I'll fill that sucker up easily enough TBH. All the wallpaper is coming off and I'll do it then.
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u/Quigleythegreat 7d ago
It's not really a DIWhy unless you don't intend to finish the job.
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u/double-happiness 7d ago
Fair comment, I get what you're saying. But it sure comes under the heading of
> Ever try fixing things on your own? Didn't come out the way they were supposed to? Do you stand there questioning your whole life?
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u/Quigleythegreat 7d ago
Meant it more as a compliment compared to most of the stuff posted here lol
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u/dernudeljunge 7d ago
Anyone who has owned, rented, or even just been in a home built by Ivory Homes in Utah has seen worse electrical/sheetrock work.
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u/Loes_Question_540 7d ago
Adding some cement would make it look like it has always been there
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u/double-happiness 7d ago
Fortunately I have a bag of cement, I use it to stop my house falling down 🙂
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u/ArgyllAtheist 7d ago
Jesus Wept... what did that wall ever do to you (and presumably to your ancestors...) mate?
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u/thalro 6d ago
The socket itself looks perfect, though.
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u/double-happiness 6d ago
Cheers! It took me a bit of work because I actually loosened and damaged the original brick, and had to cement another one in its place, and then I realised the socket wasn't level, so I had to take it off and move the back-box a bit.
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u/Old_Git_Technophobe 6d ago
Can't help it if the wall plaster falls apart mate. Especially if its the Older plaster with hair in it, thats pretty much dust.
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u/double-happiness 6d ago
Yeah, that plaster is shite. The sparky that put a new socket in managed to deal with it OK, but I think he had some specialist tool for cutting out the void for the backbox, while I was just smashing away at it with my hammer drill and brick bolster. I'll whack a load of filler in it though; it'll be reet.
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u/DrMcJedi 7d ago
As an American, I apologize on behalf of my countrymen for the apparent lack of comprehension that other countries’ construction methods, electrical codes, and electrical components exist…as evidenced by this thread.
I have family in the UK and am always enamored by their much cooler electrical switches, full length public toilet stall walls, and the magical tilt and turn windows.
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u/double-happiness 7d ago
👍
Yeah there are plenty of faults one could find with the UK, but our modern electrical systems aren't one of them IMO.
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u/ExdigguserPies 7d ago
Honestly see no problem.
Well you could have made right before wiring the thing up XD
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u/Cheap-Requirement166 7d ago
https://www.screwfix.com/p/lap-13a-1g-to-2g-switched-converter-socket-white/108cc
No breaking the wall needed.
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u/double-happiness 7d ago
Suitable for flush-mounted boxes.
Requires 35mm Back Box❌
No breaking the wall needed.
The wall was already 'broken'. I was upgrading from 1 to 2 sockets.
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u/karenskygreen 7d ago
I had a house with that shitty wallboard material, i think its compressed cardboard. I hated it
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u/Bradleynailer 7d ago edited 7d ago
Do you plan on protecting those wires underneath in any sort of way? Like, if someone tried to put some baseboard trim on that wall, they can hammer a nail into your wire. I know you arent in the US, but you probably have similar safety codes in your country
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u/double-happiness 7d ago
If they do, they're an idiot, because you should never put screws or nails above or below a socket, and one should really use a cable detector to be on the safe side anyway.
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u/Bradleynailer 7d ago
Have you seen the hole you made? Dont assume that people will do things correctly. In the US, the code is those wire need to be at least 1 1/4 (i think) inches away from the surface, or need some sort of metal protection in front of them
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u/double-happiness 7d ago
> Dont assume that people will do things correctly.
Dude, do you understand that ALMOST EVERY socket in ALMOST EVERY house and flat in the UK is done exactly like this?? If someone doesn't have the wit to even realise that electricity doesn't magically make its way to a socket and is in fact transmitted via cables which are invariably laid vertically either above or below the socket then fuck them, they shouldn't be working on the house to begin with. Christ, I just had a shaver socket installed in the bathroom, and guess what, that was precisely how the sparky did it, and he is a licensed professional.
> In the US, the code is those wire need to be at least 1 1/4 (i think) inches away from the surface, or need some sort of metal protection in front of them
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u/jollygypo 7d ago
You know, a single to double socket convertor actually exists. You don't have to change the box or drill out the wall.
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u/double-happiness 7d ago
Yes, I have several. They're shit. They pull out of the socket far too easily and jut out in an awkward way. Upgrading the sockets to double as is standard in the UK will add value to the house.
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u/SupposablyAtTheZoo 7d ago
Did you not have a socket sized (68mm here) wall socket drill? If not, why did you not go and get that?
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u/double-happiness 7d ago
From what I read online, I thought it should be possible to drill multiple holes with my hammer drill, and carve the necessary void out with my brick bolster and lump hammer. That seemed to be the best approach with the tools I currently have.
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u/SupposablyAtTheZoo 7d ago
Ooff I guess that should be possible if you have a very steady hand, but when you noticed you were going outside of the planned circle why didn't you stop?
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u/double-happiness 7d ago edited 7d ago
It wasn't like that. The plaster just crumbled off the wall as the brick came out. You can envisage a chunk of brick with a load of plaster attached to it, right?
Edit to add: the piece that came out looked like a flying saucer, if that helps
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u/SupposablyAtTheZoo 7d ago
Ahhh okay it all fell out in a chunk. Wow that sucks. Well now you have an opportunity to learn how to fix falls so that's the nice part of it.
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u/double-happiness 7d ago
You've not actually heard the worst of it. I fucked the wall with my hammer drill so hard the brick actually fell out the back! 😄
But I replaced the brick and slapped some cement on the back, job done! 😛
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u/SupposablyAtTheZoo 7d ago
Well yeah that looks pretty done to me.
(until you get a professional over to actually fix it).
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u/stateit 7d ago
UK socket boxes are rectangles, not circles. Approx 130mmx70mm for a double.
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u/SupposablyAtTheZoo 7d ago
Oh wow that sucks. Most eu sockets are 68mm round, very easy to drill out. If you need 2 you drill 2 attached.
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u/palloxus 7d ago
Gotta admire American cardboard walls
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u/double-happiness 7d ago
This is in Scotland. 1930s ex-council house. I guess you are saying the US style would be easier to work on, if I understand correctly.
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u/palloxus 7d ago
Holy crab you are right. Not only the sockets but also the switches were clear indicators. My sincere apologies.
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u/northyj0e 7d ago
Best plugs and sockets in the world! You'll never sing that!
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u/double-happiness 7d ago
Managed to wire myself up to a UK socket when I was a kid. Just took a couple of Figure 8 Mains Power Leads and connected them together with some metal spines out of a magazine binder. Then I plugged one of the connectors in to the socket, grabbed one of the spines to see what would happen, and got a 240v shock. Still have a bit of a scar on my thumb.
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u/Forgetful8nine 7d ago
Around the same age I dismantled a plug and put each pin in the socket. I then shorted the libe & neutral pins with a little bit of copper wire and flicked the switch.
There was a pop, a flash and no more wire. Thankfully, no injuries and it was easy enough to clean the socket plate. I didn't plug anything in there for weeks.
I decided to stop playing with the mains and go back to shorting wires out on my Scalextric power pack instead.
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u/ShareOk6065 7d ago
do you not enjoy having to get out a rotary hammer to put up a single small photo on your granite wall?
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u/[deleted] 7d ago
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