Replacing socket & switch plates???

[bigbadmum]

Anyone done it themselves or would you pay for someone to come and do it for you?? Want to replace existing white ones for some chrome/brushed stainless steel ones as they are looking mighty grubby now.

Thanks for the quick reply sooz. It's just me here but I do know how to wire a plug so will look up some diy sites to see whether I will feel confident enough to do it. Will get some handyman quotes first as well, at least I don't have to worry about expensive sparky charges.

Have a look on videojug (a website with videos on how to do absolutely everything)

thanks very much mumblechum, had a quick look at the video on replacing sockets and it looked simple enough. Could do with getting hold of one of those gadgets to check whether the electricity if still live or not methinks if I do it myself, just to be on the safe side.

If you're worried, just switch the whole thing off at the mains.

I have an electrical test screwdriver that lights up if the circuit is live. It's a cheap and easy way to check if you've switched the power off correctly. Here.

you can't go wrong with this to be honest. If you do get a test screwdriver, make sure you know how it works and test it on a live terminal before you knock the power off. If you don't have one you can just knock all the power off to be safe and (obviously) do it in the daytime while you can see!

Get half a metre of earth sleeving from a builders'/electrical merchant before you start and it is worth having a pair of side cutters to hand. Make sure that when you make the connections that no bare copper is showing and that the earth sleeving covers all the exposed earth wire.

It almost goes without saying but only do one socket at a time (you may find that if you have old imperial backboxes that the patresses will not fit and you will need to change the backboxes too)

You might also find multiple cables going into a switch or socket where someone has taken a feed .... don't worry about this, just put it back as it was.

If you are replacing plastic sockets/switches with metal ones, you must make sure that there is an earth wire (not necessarily the case in older properties). Otherwise, if the live cable were to somehow come into contact with the metal casing it would give the next person to touch it a shock.

How sound is your wiring?
Tried doing this myself in last (Victorian) house. Switched off power to do it. Found lots of wires behind and was very careful to put them back in same place on new switch. Switched power back on. Massive bang. Frightened life out of me.
Turns out the wiring was the original radial stuff from 50s with no earth though this has been disguised with faked earths. (We put on chrome.)
Had to rewire house after a small (wiring) fire in the kitchen.
Would have no doubts about doing it with a modern house though or in our rewired house.
Want to do it here, but will have a careful look first before I decide.

Thanks everyone for your advice, will get some qoutes in first to see how much that would cost me first as am a bit worried about the house going kaboooom on me !!