Adding an electrical socket

johndaman66 · 10-12-2017 02:10PM #1

Hi All,

Your constructive input would be much appreciated here please.

I wish to add a plug socket in my living room and have a socket directly on the other side of the wall (in the kitchen) so logical solution is to take the power in from there.

My first and foremost question is will the wall take the chase for the socket directly on the other side of kitchen socket without breaking through the wall entirely? I measure the thickness of the wall to be approx. 130mm as at the jamb of the door so presumably it is a 100mm - approx. 4 inch block and the plaster accounts for the additional 30mm. If not do-able then I could stager the sockets surely I'd imagine?

My next question is what would the tidiest way of making the chase? Chased out the wall before at my parents house to add a few additional sockets, done it with a hammer and chisel but although done the job probably fair to say wasn't the tidiest work ever, although not bad for a beginner (granted the chisel wasn't the sharpest tool in the box either

) and it did take some time. Conscious that I have very little to play with here so don't want to be going down deeper than I have to.

Note to any highhorse brigade reading I have put in the sockets many moons ago without issue to this day. Want to avoid being at the mercy of getting a guy in and giving him €150 odd for the privilege if possible.

DublinDilbert · 10-12-2017 05:45PM

Back to back is usually ok on a block wall. Or you could go slightly to the side with the new socket.

Normally drill out the corners and lots of holes, then knock out the rest. Sds chisel is good for this, but for one socket anything would take it out.

iwillhtfu · 10-12-2017 06:00PM

johndaman66 wrote: »

Note to any highhorse brigade reading I have put in the sockets many moons ago without issue to this day.

Yet you can't manage to chase a hole in the wall without asking for advice :eek:

johndaman66 · 10-12-2017 08:19PM

DublinDilbert wrote: »

Back to back is usually ok on a block wall. Or you could go slightly to the side with the new socket.

Thanks for your helpful DublinDilbert. That's the main thing I wanted to know in the first instance. The idea of offsetting the trench had crossed my mind too - could be my way out.

DublinDilbert wrote: »

Normally drill out the corners and lots of holes, then knock out the rest. Sds chisel is good for this, but for one socket anything would take it out.

Thanks again. I think the last time round the chisel was far from the best which made it difficult to control the depth of the trench. A good new chisel should make a difference there I reckon

johndaman66 · 10-12-2017 08:19PM

sugarman wrote: »

Why not just drill a hole through block and plaster and have the socket as a surface mounted box?

Thanks for your constructive input sugarman. That has crossed my mind as a last resort too but would rather a flush fitting one as it is a living room and will be seen. Really appreciate the input though.

johndaman66 · 10-12-2017 08:19PM

iwillhtfu wrote: »

Yet you can't manage to chase a hole in the wall without asking for advice :eek:

Thanks. I have chased a hole in a wall before and while it wasn't perfect it wasn't far of the mark and the overall finish was perfectly acceptable by anyone that looked at the finished product after.

Anyway I really meant from the point of view of carrying out electrical work when I made the comment which you quoted.

Anyway sure it is a DIY forum. I would have thought the general idea is that someone raises a question about something they believe they can do but just need some help on some particular aspect - DIY forum.

iwillhtfu · 10-12-2017 08:27PM

johndaman66 wrote: »

Thanks. I have chased a hole in a wall before and while it wasn't perfect it wasn't far of the mark and the overall finish was perfectly acceptable by anyone that looked at the finished product after.

Anyway I really meant from the point of view of carrying out electrical work when I made the comment which you quoted.

Anyway sure it is a DIY forum. I would have thought the general idea is that someone raises a question about something they believe they can do but just need some help on some particular aspect - DIY forum.

There is no neat and clean way to chase a hole for a box. You can buy jigs that cut a "perfect" hole but the neatest way at least cut wise is with a mini angle grinder and blade. It's easier to fill the cuts than lumps if you get me. Either way you'll be using filler.

Personally I wouldn't go back to back as there's a good chance you'll burst through the wall.

johndaman66 · 10-12-2017 09:08PM

iwillhtfu wrote: »

There is no neat and clean way to chase a hole for a box. You can buy jigs that cut a "perfect" hole but the neatest way at least cut wise is with a mini angle grinder and blade. It's easier to fill the cuts than lumps if you get me. Either way you'll be using filler.

Personally I wouldn't go back to back as there's a good chance you'll burst through the wall.

Thanks iwillhtfu, I appreciate that. As I had mentioned my primary concern was breaking through the wall entirely and hence was looking for the input of people who specifically chanced this particular job before and their result. Buying a jig would most likely cost a lot more than getting a workman in to do the job. I understand that filler will be need no matter what way I approach it. Thanks again

red sean · 10-12-2017 09:24PM

Have you calculated if it safe to add another socket to that circuit?

johndaman66 · 11-12-2017 01:26PM

red sean wrote: »

Have you calculated if it safe to add another socket to that circuit?

All is in order from that point of view thanks red sean. I will be spurring of a double socket which is a 30 amp fused ring main circuit and there are just 4 double sockets already on the ring main circuit, none of which are already spurs.
Two of the double sockets are in the living room and the other 2 are in the seating area of a large kitchen, far far away from the cooking area.

Stoner · 11-12-2017 02:25PM

You could attempt to chain drill this
This is a method used by many.
You mark out where you want the new socket

Use a blade to cut wallpaper and roll it back if possible so that you can stick it back afterwards.

Use an SDS drill. And something like a 5.5mm sds bit, and mark it with tape at the depth if the box. Continuously drill the line keep the holes as close together as possible.

Have safety gloves , glasses etc. Make sure there are no pipes or cables behind the wall

Drill your rectangular shape into the wall.
Then tap out the block

You should get a nice finish if you take your time.
"Black stone" in the wall can be difficult.

listermint · 11-12-2017 11:11PM

That is waaaaay more difficult than using an angle grinder and diamond bit.

I wouldn't recommend anyone who isn't fairly handy with an sds to bother attempting that

Cleanest and simplest result is angle grinder takes minutes to cut channels and another ten to chip out with sds. Just did three in a bedroom last week. Already skimmed over and painted now.

JimmyMcGill · 11-12-2017 11:18PM

listermint wrote: »

That is waaaaay more difficult than using an angle grinder and diamond bit.

I wouldn't recommend anyone who isn't fairly handy with an sds to bother attempting that

Cleanest and simplest result is angle grinder takes minutes to cut channels and another ten to chip out with sds. Just did three in a bedroom last week. Already skimmed over and painted now.

Have taken out plenty of sockets with a 15mm sds bit. Normally 3 runs on the vertical 5 horizontal. Good clean chisel work and time means no need for any patching afterwards as the lip of the socket covers all the chasing.

budhabob · 12-12-2017 10:11AM

listermint wrote: »

That is waaaaay more difficult than using an angle grinder and diamond bit.

I wouldn't recommend anyone who isn't fairly handy with an sds to bother attempting that

Cleanest and simplest result is angle grinder takes minutes to cut channels and another ten to chip out with sds. Just did three in a bedroom last week. Already skimmed over and painted now.

Agreed, but a lot of people have SDS drills, not many have an angle grinder.

listermint · 12-12-2017 04:40PM

budhabob wrote: »

Agreed, but a lot of people have SDS drills, not many have an angle grinder.

But how do people cut virtually anything

:P

johndaman66 · 26-01-2018 11:55PM

Hi All, Thanks again to all for helpful replies for which I am very appreciative. My primary concern was that I would end up breaking through the wall if I positioned the double socket directly on the other side of the wall from the socket I was spurring off and this formed the basis of me opening the thread. To this end I got plenty of helpful replies and fair to say plenty of and concern for me besides.

Was busy busy busy so only managed to get down to doing the job in the past 2 weeks. In line with the overwhelming advise provided in the thread I did not position the socket directly on the other side of wall from socket in kitchen. Rather I drilled through on the back of the socket in kitchen and staggered the chase for the actual socket in the living room directly to the side of kitchen socket. Then cut chase for the wire along wall and ran it through the side of the new socket.

Bought a double socket with USB ports, decided it would be better beside my bed for charging phone so swapped it out and used the socket for bedroom in living room. Other than that had to buy metal back box, 1 metre of cable and conduit. Also took a chipping of the paint from the chase into B&Q and they made me up a small tub of tester paint in the same colour and finish - only €4. Total cost was under €30 and had all tools myself or borrowed from my father including drill, drill bits, bolster chisel, cold chisel, claw hammer and club hammer.

Very happy with final job and finish, using the new plug socket for my wireless sub woofer from TV soundbar, still alive and kicking etc. Only thing I would have done differently was stagger the socket to the left of socket in the kitchen rather than right as it shows in view but not worst mistake in the world and obviously being a plug socket not the most overly offensive thing to look at. I have added a few photos too.

Mods please feel free to close up thread as I don't think there is necessarily any merit in leaving it open any longer.

johndaman66 · 27-01-2018 12:02AM

Additional photos

listermint · 27-01-2018 05:39AM

Super neat job sir!

stiofan85 · 29-01-2018 11:25AM

Really neat job. How long did it take you?

I've a couple of light switches I'd like to do this to and have similar tools.

johndaman66 · 18-02-2018 12:50PM

stiofan85 wrote: »

Really neat job. How long did it take you?

I've a couple of light switches I'd like to do this to and have similar tools.

Thanks stiofan, and apologies I only seen your reply to thread a few weeks later

The sockets were back to back (well apart from being side to side and back to back if you know what I mean) so it wasn't like I was cutting out a long chase. Not something you can do start to finish in one go, obviously filler needs to dry before you can paint and a few coats of paint after etc. All in 2 hours at a guess maybe and at that I was working away at a leisurely pace.

johndaman66 · 18-02-2018 12:58PM

Additionally a little tip, when making the recess for the metal back box first drill plenty of holes in the waste piece of wall you will be chiselling out. Using the depth of the backbox put some electrical tape around the drill bit as a guide to the depth to drill to. Overall this should make light work out of chiselling out the recess.

Adding an electrical socket

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