Telephone Sockets

[HMTheQueen]

I am having my 3rd bedroom converted into a bathroom, but I think the people who owned the house before me, must have used it as a study, as that's where the BT socket is.

The connection comes through the wall in my bedroom - then there is a box with a lead coming out attached to the wall, then the lead goes to the 3rd bedroom which is where the socket is IYSWIM.

Ideally, I'd like a socket in my room and one downstairs too. Is this a DIY job, or should I get someone in... also, who do I get in? An electrician or are there special engineers that deal with communucation lines??

Argh! Please help - I am so completely clueless when it comes to this sort of thing!!

If you buy a set of cordless phones you only need 1 socket in the whole house, although it's a good idea to also have a corded phone connected because cordless don't work in a power cut.

If you stick a doubler in the socket in the bedroom you can have both corded & main cordless unit plugged in there.

Oh - just read on to the bathroom bit - OK! If that idea won't fly, try your local paper - ours has ads under domestic services for people who'll do this, often former BT people. It does usually come under the electrical heading.

In our area (Bucks) there is a bloke who does this sort of stuff for a fairly reasonable fee. Look in Yellow Pages under Telecommunication Engineers, pick someone who looks like they'd do small staff, rather than rewire an office block, and ring round.

What is the box like, where the cable comes in from outside? Is it a phone socket too, or just an enclosed box?

If its a phone socket, its easy to add another one. But if its a closed box, you might be better to get an electrician, or BT themselves, to come and look at it and tell you what's possible.

don't get BT, they charge a fortune!

amuminscotland - it's an enclosed box that is in my bedroom...

Sounds like I need a professional, so will get onto the Yellow Pages!

Thanks for your help ladies.

It is likely that the main phone socket where the phone line comes into the house is a "line box". These are designed to allow people to wire in extensions without buggering up the phone system. If you undo the screws the lower section will pull away showing another phone socket inside the box. The front (that you've just removed) has a plug on the back and terminals for you to wire your phone extensions into.

If the socket isn't like this you've got a really old installation and you'll need BT to come and fit a line box. You must get this done by BT. It is illegal for anyone else to do it.

If you do have a line box anyone can wire in phone extensions. I did the one in my house but if you don't feel confident just find a local handyman. It is really, really easy and you don't need a telecoms specialist.

Thank you nocake that sounds like what I've got. It's is all relatively new wiring - only a couple of years old. I'll get the screwdriver out tonight to double check. If that's what it is, I bet my FiL will be able to do it - he's pretty handy.