Surface-mounted sockets

[JohnW2]

Who sells these gaskets?

Are you asking who sold them in 1944?

If so, I presume that, in those days, they were sold by the same people who sold the sockets they were designed to be used with.

Kind Regards, John

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Are you asking who sold them in 1944?

If so, I presume that, in those days, they were sold by the same people who sold the sockets they were designed to be used with.

I never ever came across a single gasket - did anyone else?

I don't really understand their purpose.

 

[JohnW2]

I never ever came across a single gasket - did anyone else? .... I don't really understand their purpose.

Even I was not (quite!) around in 1944

However, my understanding was that they were to prevent condensation/water running down walls getting it the 'works' of surface-mounted accessories.

Kind Regards, John

 

[plugwash]

Because they are not really 'experts' when it comes to electrics (or quite a few other things)- the amount of misinformation they spout is significant.

That is part of it i'm sure but another part is when you are looking at a house before purchase, especially in an auction type scenario you have to look for clues, not definitives.

It's unfortunately difficult to tell visually the difference between an older but generally sound installation that needs a new CU and a bit of main bonding to meet modern safety standards but is otherwise fine and an installation that needs a rewire because of old rubber and/or horrible bodges. Are those sockets in the skirting boards because the installer was a bit old-fashioned (sounds like the OP's case) or are they in the skirting boards because they were fitted as replacements for old sockets and connected to existing rubber wiring?

 

[Vicario]

Very perceptive plugwash. The guy who did my rewire was in his 60s and had worked for himself for many years. A couple of the sockets replaced ones that were actually in the skirting but most were brand new. He was very apologetic about the holes left where he had to dig out the inbuilt ones but a local joiner managed to put in new sections of skirting.