Dee Posted August 7, 2023 Share Posted August 7, 2023 Hi, I'm trying to put back an existing cooker socket but what are these two black wires and where do they connect too? Something to do with the red light. They're just floating around in there! Does it matter if the earth, that goes into the bottom right terminal touches the black? Having a bitch trying yo get 3 earth wires to stay put in the terminal....they are so thick...any advice please?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyT Posted August 7, 2023 Share Posted August 7, 2023 Those 2 black wires are probably the neon on the front? So put them in the load terminals and it will light up when the switch is on. earths go together in that one terminal Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billt Posted August 7, 2023 Share Posted August 7, 2023 Is there a neon indicator? They look the sort of wires that go to a neon, in which case one goes to the N and one goes to the L of the switched output. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ProDave Posted August 7, 2023 Share Posted August 7, 2023 As well as getting different sized earths (why three?) to clamp, have fun getting those tiny black wires to clamp in the output terminals alongside the much larger outgoing wires. Some better makes of switch have the neon wires already terminated and out of sight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyT Posted August 7, 2023 Share Posted August 7, 2023 3 earths- supply, load and earth to back box? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ProDave Posted August 7, 2023 Share Posted August 7, 2023 1 hour ago, TonyT said: 3 earths- supply, load and earth to back box? I don't subscribe to the earth fly lead. Unecessary congenstion in an already tight back box. As long as one of the screws is into a fixed lug, most regard an earth fly lead as not needed. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyT Posted August 7, 2023 Share Posted August 7, 2023 Happy for you to have that opinion and I know other sparks feel the same, just offering the reason for the 3 wires. i earth the back of the box with a flying lead Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dee Posted August 8, 2023 Author Share Posted August 8, 2023 Do having got all the cables back in I've now stripped one screw! It's m3.5. I bought m4 but there's no way on gods green earth I'm taking the socket off to drill the lug bigger. What are my options? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bassanclan Posted August 8, 2023 Share Posted August 8, 2023 Use a screw from an easier switch/socket until you can replace it e.g. single light switch Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyT Posted August 8, 2023 Share Posted August 8, 2023 (edited) Or if it’s the fixed lug, squash the lug a bit with pliers and use a 3.5mm tap to rethread as the hole Edited August 8, 2023 by TonyT 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onoff Posted August 8, 2023 Share Posted August 8, 2023 Google "socket lug fixers". 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dee Posted August 9, 2023 Author Share Posted August 9, 2023 TonyT.....I did squish it....FLAT! Managed to get small mole grips in and flattened it good and proper! Still able to drill smaller hole and used an m4 screw and somehow it worked! Bloody nightmare, need fingers thin as knitting needles Thanks though Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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