5 Wires in double socket??

[Rich77]

Hi all wondering if anyone could explain why there might be 5 wires in a double socket?i went to change the the switch for a new one as the original was damaged but there are 5 wires in there...ie 5 lives,5 neutrals and 5 earths....surely this can’t be right? It has been like this for 15 years but to me it doesn’t seem right to have so many in one switch?
Regards,
Richard

 

[James]

is this a switch or a socket?

 

[Rich77]

hi It’s a double socket

 

[James]

it is definatley not right, this needs looking at, there may be other faults with your ring that are being masked.

 

[Rich77]

just as I suspected....thank you for your reply...I will get someone to check it out although it was a qualified electrician who done it when they bought the house
[automerge]1599413146[/automerge]
apparently the electrician used this socket as it was the last on the ring to provide additional sockets in their attic

 

[James]

ah, hang on, are all 5 cables joined together in the terminals?
or are some of them joined separately in the box?

a picture would be useful.
it might not be as bad as initially thought.

 

[Rich77]

Yes they are all together...so 5 lives,5 earths,5neutrals in their correct terminals of the socket

 

[James]

Yes they are all together...so 5 lives,5 earths,5neutrals in their correct terminals of the socket

Oh dear, needs checking out.

P.s. that’s quite an achievement managing to get 5 wires into a terminal, I am amazed that someone has managed to make them fit.

 

[Rich77]

Oh dear, needs checking out.

P.s. that’s quite an achievement managing to get 5 wires into a terminal, I am amazed that someone has managed to make them fit.

Yeah bit of a pain to say least