Dimmer switch

[Robin Spark]

Friendly window fitters son has fitted 1gang white dimmer switch. Problem is that there is a 5mm gap between switch and wall X( .

My customer has grandchildren so not impressed and going back to sort this week. Are there any dimmers available that will fit into a 16mm box as room is newly decorated and customer wants no mess...otherwise it will have go back to a normal switch for the moment.

 

[steptoe]

drill out the the back of the box?

 

[lineman]

there are spacers that fit in between the faceplate and the wall in CEF for about a quid. They accomodate the deepest dimmer and save chopping in a deeper box.

 

[NozSpark]

Don't know if you can get 16mm dimmers, but you can get spacers.

White PVC Switch Spacer Frame - UK Automation Retail Ltd

 

[Robin Spark]

Do you mean with a hole saw to start and then remove some of the brick/ mortar?

 

[kerching]

SEctor [senate] do spacers . Come as standard on the 45A DP switch. I keep a couple in stock for those Oh FFS ! moments............ :coat

 

[SPECIAL LOCATION]

Friendly window fitters son has fitted 1gang white dimmer switch. Problem is that there is a 5mm gap between switch and wall X( .My customer has grandchildren so not impressed and going back to sort this week. Are there any dimmers available that will fit into a 16mm box as room is newly decorated and customer wants no mess...otherwise it will have go back to a normal switch for the moment.

Most light switches do overlap the edge of the back box by quite a few 'mm'...

so if you do want to keep it looking nice and neat...

it is relatively easy to remove an old 16mm box and sink a deeper box without damaging the surrounding wall decor..

fit new box then pop same dimmer over the top job done...

you may need a few nice new sharp drills and a well charged battery....

and possibly a decent cold chisel .....

then just approx..

half hour to extract the old box..

half hour to cut and deepen the aperture...

half hour for refitting connecting up and tiding up..

all good as new!

Guinness

 

[steptoe]

Do you mean with a hole saw to start and then remove some of the brick/ mortar?

just get a decent HSS bit [4mm?], and drill around the inside of the existing backbox, leaving the 4sides and lugs, then remove the back of it, and chisel out some brickwork,

SL's idea is actually better, Ive done that a few times but can be very time consuming, and, you need decent walls to start with,

the problem there arises if its been poorly plastered in to start with then half the wall wants to fall away with your box removal.

 

[kerching]

just get a decent HSS bit [4mm?], and drill around the inside of the existing backbox, leaving the 4sides and lugs, then remove the back of it, and chisel out some brickwork,SL's idea is actually better, Ive done that a few times but can be very time consuming, and, you need decent walls to start with,

the problem there arises if its been poorly plastered in to start with then half the wall wants to fall away with your box removal.

Clas Ohlson is your friend!.............. :coat

 

[electrician786]

That is rough workmanship isn't it steptoe!

 

[lineman]

How would intend on earthing the back-box that way?

 

[steptoe]

??

Once you have drilled it out you put a deeper one in, I fail to see the problem.

Do you need dot to dot instructions. ?

 

[electrician786]

Your instructions were not clear. If you would have explained it better, maybe there would be no confusion. Also your method just seems long winded.

 

[steptoe]

ok, if you have good solid walls then its not a problem to simply drill around the existing box and remove it,

if you walls are rubbish/crumbly/badly patched then its easier (IMO ) to leave the existing shell(ie, the sides of the existing box) in place until you get enough depth,

then using your pliers grab the centre of a side and drag it towards the centre of the box, do this with each side until you have an X type shape,

the old carcass should then slip out of the wall causing virtually no damage whatsoever to the surrounding decor.

this is why apprenticeships should be compulsory,

Robin was given a couple of options that he seemed happy enough with,

maybe you guys have never worked in an old house with horsehair plaster.

 

[electrician786]

I agree apprenticeships should be the way to gain qualified electrician status. It's the way I did it and I'm glad I did. But just because someone has done an apprenticeship it does not mean they can't have bad workmanship.

 

[steptoe]

rough folks will always be rough,

but 5DW dont know enough to even know they are being rough IME.

 

[electrician786]

True, I strongly disagree with these so called wonder courses. It really takes the p*ss. I had to go threw all those years of training and then some bright spark advertises as a qualified electrician after 5 days. We will never win.

 

[Robin Spark]

ok, if you have good solid walls then its not a problem to simply drill around the existing box and remove it,if you walls are rubbish/crumbly/badly patched then its easier (IMO ) to leave the existing shell(ie, the sides of the existing box) in place until you get enough depth,

then using your pliers grab the centre of a side and drag it towards the centre of the box, do this with each side until you have an X type shape,

the old carcass should then slip out of the wall causing virtually no damage whatsoever to the surrounding decor.

this is why apprenticeships should be compulsory,

Robin was given a couple of options that he seemed happy enough with,

maybe you guys have never worked in an old house with horsehair plaster.

You've hit the nail on the head there Steps, yes its a very old property with horsehair in the plaster!

 

[Manator]

The process Steptoe has described is how I have done it when faced with very unstable walls, and it does work. I was actually shown this trick many years ago and was often used to remove 16mm boxes in really rough walls. I think the reference to doing an apprenticeship is a valid one, because you are shown a lot more than you would from a classroom doing easy pass course work that is designed to get you through a test without regard to knowledge.

 

[Robin Spark]

Yes I do agree with you guys, apprenticeships are definately the best way to go, however these are really for school/college leavers although from time to time there are adult apprenticeships available.

However, as we get older and have more responsibilities and I would say that I possibly have more demands and responsibilty placed upon me than most others along with all the normal bills to pay then an apprenticeship is not viable. So I did what probably quite a few on here have done and I did 3 years at college and worked with a spark (more of a helping hand) to try and gain valuable onsite experience. However, what I found with most of the guys who I studied with (but were also in the trade) is that there employers sent them out to do different jobs which they had no idea of undertaking and were generally left to there own devices most of the time. Some of them (not all) were also a bit slow and rough with their work (practical and theory).