Replacing Plug And Light Sockets

[Ric.ror]

Is it just as simple as unscrewing the old and screwing on the new or am I going to need an electrician?


TIA - as always

[douglas9401]

Switch the power off first then change them over, fairly straightforward.

[malagabob]

Do you mean a 3 pin plug and socket on a wall Ric?

[-Talbot-]

Do you mean just replacing the fronts?

Very simple but you will have to 'unscrew' the wires from the old switches and screw them on the new ones.

[Ric.ror]

Yes it's just the fronts - purely cosmetic
I have two double light switches three single ones and a double plug front to replace in my hallway

[donny48]

Have your phone with you and take a picture of the wire layout and you can't go wrong or even pen and paper. Make sure the power is off. If you don't have a tester plug something in, make sure it works then turn power off and test appliance again. Do'nt rely on just switching a light on and off, it can still be live power off on lighting circuit.

[murraymints]

as Donny said take snap shot..turn off power and replace..I did with gold fitments for old white ones

[Togo]

Take care with the positioning of the wiring layout of the new face plates compared to the old ones Ric. The brass contact points may be differently laid out and cause a little confusion. Also take extreme care as you free up the old ones. The last thing you need is wires to pull out of the terminals and not to know where they came from. This is crucial with a two way light switch set up.

[SnookerPlayer]

Plug cover plates can be confusing, sometimes the Live is on the left and others on the right. Can be awkward if wires are not long enough.

[malagabob]

If it's a old wiring layout, you could still have Red live. Black neutral. A common problem you could come across is, the wires are very short, and hence a bit of a job connecting the last wire to the back of the light/power socket. A long nose pliers sometimes help, if you got fat stubby fingers.
Or use terminal blocks to extend the wires

[The Builder]

As the others have said, swapping over the faceplates is straightforward. Go ahead ............. but ..........

If you have plastic ones now, and you want to replace with metal plates, then it's essential to earth them. If not, and a fault causes the sockets to become live, then the automatic disconnection may not operate; making them dangerous to touch.

[Ric.ror]

I do have horrid white plastic ones that I wish to replace with metal ones so I think, on this occasion I will get an electrician in
Thanks for all your advice