Replace or reuse?

GrumpyMe

http://tinypic.com/r/es5fdh/9

This socket hadn't been used for years. Bedside light wouldn't work when plugged in. Red indicator light on extension lead lit but very feint.
Unscrewed socket to see if anything obvious. Besides black earth - all appeared good to go. While unscrewed plugged in lamp again and hey presto it worked. Hmmm. Moved socket slightly, lamp flickered, visible sparking at connection marked on photo.
I intend to cut power to socket and check for loose connection.
As far as I know there are no "components" in the socket that wear but it is +/- 35 years old.
Is it advisable to replace socket anyway?

aido79

GrumpyMe wrote: »

http://tinypic.com/r/es5fdh/9

This socket hadn't been used for years. Bedside light wouldn't work when plugged in. Red indicator light on extension lead lit but very feint.
Unscrewed socket to see if anything obvious. Besides black earth - all appeared good to go. While unscrewed plugged in lamp again and hey presto it worked. Hmmm. Moved socket slightly, lamp flickered, visible sparking at connection marked on photo.
I intend to cut power to socket and check for loose connection.
As far as I know there are no "components" in the socket that wear but it is +/- 35 years old.
Is it advisable to replace socket anyway?

I would be thinking a rewire of the house might be advisable.
As an electrician there is no way I'd sign off on anything with a black earth.
For now though replacing the socket would be a good idea but it would definitely be worth getting an electrician to check the whole house wiring as the black earth is a sure sign of shoddy work.

GrumpyMe

Thanks aido79

It is a bare earth but some black sheathing slipped on - lazy(not me) as opposed to dangerous but I take the point.

Had the power off and couldn't pull the sparking wire (single strand) out of the connection so it doesn't appear to be a loose connection.

A change of socket is in order and probably always was anyway. :-)

Bruthal

aido79 wrote: »

as the black earth is a sure sign of shoddy work.

Or, a sign it was wired in the 70s, where sleeving the earth with black stripped from the neutral core was not unusual. It is a while since black and red were the colours.

Bruthal

GrumpyMe wrote: »

Thanks aido79

A change of socket is in order and probably always was anyway. :-)

Is the terminal screw tight in the socket?

Loosen, take wire out, check it looks clean and undamaged, and refit and tighten.

If terminal was tight, then you may as well fit a new socket.

If it is simply a loose terminal, fitting a new socket will fix the problem, as the terminal was loose but wont be when new socket fitted, but old socket might have been fine.

aido79

Bruthal wrote: »

Or, a sign it was wired in the 70s, where sleeving the earth with black stripped from the neutral core was not unusual. It is a while since black and red were the colours.

That's true. I didn't realise it was only sleeved rather than a black cable ran as an earth. Probably still worth getting the wiring checked by an electrician though.