I asked an electrician via email but I still need help to clarify. I want a plug socket in the hall for a lamp. There is a door between the lamp and a plug socket, but it's too far away, obviously.
On the other side of the lamp, there is a switch for a "tubular heater" (heater is inside the adjacent cupboard and no longer used/disconnected by an electrician). The switch is up high on the same wall as the lamp, but this is about 1.5 metres from the lamp, and up high. Not at the height of a low plug socket.
The electrician I asked said a new plug socket outlet can't be fitted unless the carpet and floorboards are taken up, or wiring is boxed in on outside of wall.
I also don't know where this is supposed to be done, and how taking up carpet would help. How does someone find the circuit?
I don't want any wiring boxed in on outside of wall, and I don't know how taking the carpet up (huge expense) would help as it's concrete underneath, not floorboards.
I'm desperate to add a photo but obviously can't. I can't move this new lamp I just bought at huge cost for this spot with a custom design on it for this hallway. I unfortunately didn't think this through and right now feel sick about it.
Currently the lamp is plugged into an extension lead which stretches 2 metres past my bedroom door and plugs in. This is a trip hazard and is really unsightly, it's not even enough extension lead to sit on the floor so it truly is a trip hazard. I'm desperate to get a solution, please give me good news because I put months into making the lamp base and looking for a lamp to match - and I bought a table specifically to put this lamp on.
Are you a tradesperson and able to answer this question?
Hello,
Yes the tubular heater circuit can be used. Although an electrician will have to check the rating of the circuit breaker and cable size to approve this.
With the switch being above ideal height for a socket, the circuit can be extended further down the wall to the required height. Doing so might include damage to wall, but in some cases minimal or no damage can be made.
I hope this answers your question.
Please please please just ask an electrician to come round and give you a quote. There may be a few ways round doing this job, but without it being there it will be impossible to give you an exact answer.
If the socket is needed on the ground floor, then accessing the floor under the carpet above would may be the primary option. It wouldn’t be the carpet below.
But as mentioned, have an electrician come around and take a look. And they’ll be able to answer your question specifically to the layout of your home.
It sounds as if it would be an easy enough job for an electrician to do without too much disruption. You would be best advised to advertise your job on the MyBuilder site and get a quote from someone who can advise you, then you can post a picture as well.
Going by what you have said and without actually looking at this it is not easy to say for sure but here goes.
If the electrical wiring to the no longer used tubular heater is fed from a ring or radial and is still good electrically (would need to be tested and verified) Then a cable could be taken from this and chased down to the socket required below.
The switch you refer to is probably a FCU (Fused Connection Unit) This is likely a FCU with a cable outlet for the tubular heater, you would replace that with a FCU without one, you can then take the cable for the socket outlet from that.
We have to keep the FCU because we have to spur from an existing accessory.
This all hinges that the cabling is still good to the tubular heater FCU though. Also If it is a ring that the ring checks out ok electrically. ie it is a ring and this tubular heater is not itself a spur. You are only allowed to feed one socket with a spur.
Due to zones the socket outlet would need to be directly in line vertically with the FCU.
The only other consideration here is how the cables get to the FCU, if coming from below then that would interfere with what I suggested above and chasing down could just damage the existing cables. In that instance it might be worth considering chasing those cables out carefully and then connecting them to the socket directly at the lower height. This would be messy as a larger chase would be required to prevent cable damage.
Hope this helps
