Help Identifying Electrical Socket

[Ledaig]

So, as part of the myriad of electrical sockets in the house, after a quick glance I believed that I had a lighting circuit socket in the living room linked to one the 9 dimmer switches.

Unfortunately after buying a plug to hook up to a lamp, it is clearly evident that something is amiss.

So would anyone care to have a guess as to the purpose of the socket below (plug provided to show scale):



I've just taken a look behind it, and there is a nice chunky mains cable which has just been cut off (i.e. not terminated in any way). I have a suspicion that this may be fed by a fused switch plate on the adjoining wall which a) has had the fuse removed and b)has a live feed. I'll have to check this another time to also find out what circuit it is on.

We did think that the switched plate could maybe feed the front outside lights, so quite lucky that I didn't just bang a fuse in and potentially leave a live cable sitting behind an unearthed metal face plate.

[tenex]

I'm not an electrician, but that's an old 5amp plug. But it's not old. Or is it?
Used to have lots before re-wiring.

[Ledaig]

tenex said:

I'm not an electrician, but that's an old 5amp plug. But it's not old. Or is it?
Used to have lots before re-wiring.

Yep - you are correct, the plug is indeed a 5amp bought yesterday from B&Q.

It should fit a lighting circuit socket, which at first glance is what I thought the socket was - but is clearly not.

The plug was just included to show the size of the socket layout.

It's the socket which is the questionable item - but well done on the correct id of the plug

[mybrainhurts]

I grew up with round pin plugs.

My parents' house had some small plugs that would fit that socket.

I remember three sizes of round pin sockets/plugs, one bigger and one smaller than the plug you have there.

[mrsxllifts]

Are all three holes the same size or is the top one larger than the other two? Its either an old style general plug socket or a new small size lighting socket. I would tend towards the latter if its on a dimmer switch. Check it out using a continuity meter so you don't give yourself a perm!

[Ledaig]

mybrainhurts said:

I grew up with round pin plugs.

My parents' house had some small plugs that would fit that socket.

I remember three sizes of round pin sockets/plugs, one bigger and one smaller than the plug you have there.

Can you recall if they had a particular application - lighting maybe?

[mrsxllifts]

Are all three holes the same size or is the top one larger than the other two? Its either an old style general plug socket or a new small size lighting socket. I would tend towards the latter if its on a dimmer switch. Check it out using a continuity meter so you don't give yourself a perm!

[Ledaig]

mrsxllifts said:

Are all three holes the same size or is the top one larger than the other two? Its either an old style general plug socket or a new small size lighting socket. I would tend towards the latter if its on a dimmer switch. Check it out using a continuity meter so you don't give yourself a perm!

The top hole is larger so clearly the earth.

Interesting you say this is a 'new' smaller size as the plug is current off the shelf and is way to big. Given the past owners of the property and so a rough idea of the time of installation, I would say the socket is 10 years old max.

[Solitude]

its a 2 or 3 amp lighting plug.....the one you are holding is a 5amp from a different range. go to an electrical wholesaler

[mybrainhurts]

Ledaig said:

mybrainhurts said:

I grew up with round pin plugs.

My parents' house had some small plugs that would fit that socket.

I remember three sizes of round pin sockets/plugs, one bigger and one smaller than the plug you have there.

Can you recall if they had a particular application - lighting maybe?

Lighting, I think. Table lamp, for example. I can't recall anything else being run from them, except, maybe, radios.

There were 'step down' adaptors that plugged into the larger sockets and accepted the small plugs.

[Ydnaroo]

Solitude said:

its a 2 or 3 amp lighting plug.....

Yep, looks like 2A plug. See top item here: http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Main_Index/Wiring_Acce...

See pin spacing info.

Edited by Ydnaroo on Sunday 7th November 20:58

[Ledaig]

Thanks all, going from the link with the pin spacing dimensions it is indeed a 2amp lighting socket.

I didn't realise there was more than one variety.

Now I just need to find out why the wire has been cut and the fuse removed from the suspected feed.

[Simpo Two]

So you managed to get a 5A plug into a 2A socket?

As per MBH, the house I grew up in had the 15/5/2A system. That's how it was before Johnny Foreigner turned up and made us all use 13A flat pin jobbies. And the colours of the wires were infinitely more logical too - red for live (red = danger), black for neutral (black = nothing) and brown for earth (cos earth is, like, brown).

[Ledaig]

Simpo Two said:

So you managed to get a 5A plug into a 2A socket?

As much as I appreciate the benefits of percussive maintenance, even my hammers not that big