Hi I'm Mat from eSpares, in this video I will be showing you how to change
a double surface mounted electrical socket.
Safety first: All electric circuit work should be carried out by competent persons
in accordance with any relevant regulations for the work.
If you are in any doubt about doing this fix do contact a qualified electrician.
The next thing I need to do is to make sure that the socket is wired correctly in the first place
I'm going to do that by using this handy plug-in socket tester which when plugged in
and switched on all three lights should illuminate meaning that the socket is wired correctly.
Once you have checked that the socket is wired correctly the next thing
you need to do is to turn the power off to the circuit itself.
So find the relevant fuse on your fuse board and trip that fuse.
Do make sure that while you are working on the socket that no-one resets the fuse.
With the power disconnected to the sockets I can now remove the socket tester and unscrew the front fascia.
With both screws removed I am now going to just pull the front fascia out allowing
the wires to come out a little bit as well.
To show you how they're connected inside but also to access the terminals to disconnect the wires.
So there are two wires for live neutral and earth and you can see that the Earth has been split
so that one wire is in the right hand terminal and one wire is the left hand terminal.
Just to ensure that there's no power coming to the socket I'm going to use a multimeter
to check across the various terminals.
The multimeter should be set to the highest voltage rating and when you're measuring
across the terminals there should be no change in the reading.
When you are happy there is no power coming to the socket and your multimeter has proved that
you can then disconnect the wires from the terminals.
Before I reconnect the wires to the terminals it is worth pointing out
that on this new socket the neutral is where the live was and the live is where the neutral was.
So just make sure you noticed that before re rewiring the socket.
It is also worth noting that all sockets will have indicators letting you know
exactly which wires should go where.
Once all the wires are connected to the terminals
give them a good tug to make sure that all firmly in position then gently feed the wire back into the socket.
You can also manipulate these wires to help get the front on as flush as possible.
Once you're happy with it you can then re screw in the socket.
With the socket screwed firmly in place you can then reset the fuse and test the power,
again with your handy plug-in socket tester.
So there we have it, one brand new socket fitted and correctly wired.
For a wide range of electrical fittings and for all the spares and accessories
for the appliances around your home please visit the eSpares website.
Thanks for watching.