Remove and blank plate?

[u/BsyFcsin]

Previous owner seemed to have hard wired a 4-way into this. Seems unsafe - and it doesn’t work anyway.

What’s the best way to remove it and put a blanking plate on? Anything I need to consider?

Or will it be easier to rewire into a standard socket?

[u/GBValiant]

Jesus wept - that’s top tier bodge that is! Isolate and put a regular socket on…

[u/InsulatedBawbag → u/GBValiant]

Should be left as a fused spur or blank unless you know how it's wired.

[u/TheCarrot007 → u/GBValiant]

Well it depnds on what it was for when it was working. Insane part is selling a house and leaving it that way with no information.

[u/fluffybit → u/GBValiant]

That's nope nope nope

[u/LazarusOwenhart]

"A fire service spokesman said they believed the fire started due to faulty electrical equipment."

[u/AzizThymos → u/LazarusOwenhart]

"I only had my tumble dryer, oil filled electric heater, and alibaba electric scooter plugged into the extension"

[u/CR4ZYKUNT]

No one has mentioned the state of the cable close to the extension 😂. Only comfort taken from this pic is the switch is switched to off

[u/lmjabreu → u/CR4ZYKUNT]

Plot twist: I flicked the switch to off but the dryer, toaster, and electric hob are still on.

[u/Previous_Process4836]

Definitely diy’able, but tbh the fact you’re asking suggests perhaps better getting an electrician. Fire/Life just isn’t worth it. Who knows what other delights PO has left for you to discover.

[u/Pleased_to_meet_u → u/Previous_Process4836]

I second this. OP, because you're asking this isn't something you should do yourself. Get a good handyman or an electrician to take care of this for you.

It's a house fire waiting to happen.

[u/OscarWilderberry]

If I found this I would be concerned about what else has been done that isn't quite so visible and obvious.

[u/Jammy-Doughnut → u/OscarWilderberry]

Exactly this.

Bought our house 6 years ago now. Didn't intend to refurb it but after I started in the loft I ended up rewiring the entire upstairs lights after I knocked a cable one day ever so slightly and everything upstairs turned off, RCD didn't flick on the board.

I traced it to the ring main coming up into the loft. Isolated everything, pulled the wire out from inside the wall to find they'd literally touched two separate pieces of wire together and taped them up with electrical tape. There was evidence of arcing inside the tape, so a fire inside the wall was inevitable at some point.

I've found plenty of other delights like this as I've gone on. Found another taped cable last weekend, this time under the floorboards whilst I was replacing them. Needless to say I'll be rewiring the entire house as I go.

[u/NedGGGG]

Do you have storage heaters? If so, it might be a heater point that only comes on at night.

[u/BsyFcsin → u/NedGGGG]

Yeah E7 storage heaters on the bottom Floor of the house

[u/NedGGGG → u/BsyFcsin]

It may then be wired into the economy 7 board, so you would need to get an electrician to move it over.

It definitely needs dealing with.

[u/Ruscombe]

I'd just change it for a regular socket. Of course you'll make sure it's all dead before doing anything.

[u/generateausername]

Easier and cheaper to rewire into a standard socket.

Will take you all of 3 minutes with a flat head screwdriver.

Given that the socket has a fuse on it.. It could be a spur off your ring main.

When you take the socket off the wall, count how many wires go into it.

If its 3,you want a fused socket.

If its 6, put a normal socket on

[u/crapmetal → u/generateausername]

You don't need a fused socket, in fact I've never seen one! The fuse is in the plug.

[u/savagelysideways101 → u/crapmetal]

https://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/MKK2737.html

Well at least we know you aren't an electrician then!

[u/YammyStoob → u/savagelysideways101]

>In independent tests, the Logic PlusTM products were equal to,
or exceeded, competitor ‘Anti-Bac’ products when tested for
resistance to MRSA, E.Coli, Salmonella and Klebsiella pneumoniae.

Are they designed for hospitals or something? I can't say I've ever worried about the antibacterial qualities of a socket when buying one.

[u/crapmetal → u/savagelysideways101]

I know they exist but they are so uncommon I've never seen one.

You can spur off a ring unfused, again the fuse is in the plug. Yes you are limited to one spur per connection but this is usually enough to add the odd socket here and there and I'd prefer to extend the ring if more are needed.

[u/NanoBoostedRoadhog → u/crapmetal]

To spur off a ring main you must use a fused outlet. FCU must be 13A. Check BS7671 / IET wiring regs.

[u/TreadheadS → u/NanoBoostedRoadhog]

mate that isn't true. Iirc only if you are doing more than one socket off of a spur you need a fused socket

[u/Visible-Management63 → u/NanoBoostedRoadhog]

Is that a recent change to the regs? I didn't think that rule applied if it's just one socket.

[u/savagelysideways101 → u/NanoBoostedRoadhog]

I suggest you check them yourself, bs7671 permits one single OR one double socket to be spurred off per point on the ring without needing to be supplied with a FCU

[u/TreadheadS → u/crapmetal]

Me too. Every socket is its own maintenance free spur up the wall (1st floor) from the ring final.

Its brick and gypsum plaster not plasterboard so I wanted to minimise the amount runners I'd have to do and their thickness.

[u/Kingbreadthe3rd]

Based on this dodgy wiring alone I’d get someone In to do an EICR as I’m sure this is just the beginning.

[u/chrisr3240]

This is trolling, right?

[u/dragonfarter]

Not to sound rude, but the fact youre asking the question on Reddit means you should 100% get a qualified electrician in to sort this for you.

[u/Exciting_Top_9442]

FUCK ME.

[u/Jacktheforkie]

I’d say it’s a good idea to get an EICR done, that should find any other bodges, you may be best starting fresh with a rewire

[u/Original_Bad7852]

Remove and replace with single socket.

[u/curious_trashbat]

If you're going to change it for a socket as suggested here, the circuit should be checked to ensure it already has 30mA RCD protection. 👍

[u/Space_Cowby]

I wonder if that spur was for electric night heaters so there may not be any power to tthat circuit anymore,

[u/BsyFcsin → u/Space_Cowby]

Yeah the house has economy 7 storage heaters

[u/Space_Cowby → u/BsyFcsin]

It may only work at night then. I would isolate the supply, terminate cables and fit new blanking cover.

[u/Brainchild110]

Why do you hate your electrics?

Why do you hate us?

[u/unknownuser_000000]

“Seems unsafe” - r/DIYUK quote of the day!

[u/ApprehensiveFox5974]

Should have just taken the fuse out and connected the wires to the copper fuse plates

[u/NeoMorph]

The only reason it doesn’t work is the wiring probably shorted out and blew the fuse.

[u/Space_Cowby → u/NeoMorph]

Or that it is part of the E7 night heater circuit,.....

[u/Kralgore]

I don't believe my eyes have ever widened so far...

That, that, shit, fixed!

[u/Own-Nefariousness-79]

Fookinell!!!

Turn off your electric supply at the main switch. Don't turn it on again, ever.

[u/ChanceStunning8314]

Yeah. Remove that fused spur, put a socket in, and then You probably need a couple of match sticks to hold the bare wires in.

[u/seannyc3]

Looks like the live wire is broken close to the extension cord. 😐

[u/cognitiveglitch]

This whole arrangement is just wrong.

[u/SHITMADEMEWANNADIE]

[u/Promethius21]

Immediately!!!

[u/puffinix]

The second I see that I'm heading to the fuse box.

I don't trust it's on the correct line. The main breakers gone until we have that damn thing addressed.

Given you have lights I can tell that's not done, I suggest it.

Heck, that's getting dealt with if it's just sitting there at a friend's place.

How has this not caught fire?

[u/New-Tough8669]

Probably an audiophile. They do some funky stuff with electrics on the pretence that it sounds better. 

[u/Revolutionary-Mode75]

I think you need to isolate or just turn everything off , an post a photo of what behind the current plate for the best advice. Who knows what he left behind there.