Trailing Socket?

[Garycan]

I wonder if anyone can help.
Under one of our kitchen units we have a plug socket for the washing machine . It is not attached to any walls just lying on the floor with the grey cable coming out of the back trailing across the floor. The landlord was made aware of this who sent out an electrician who looked at it. He said it was okay and was what they call a standard trailing socket. Is this correct? I was under the impression that it was design to be attached to the wall and not doing so could be potentially dangerous especially next to a washing machine that has leaked in the past. I’ve tried looking through various regulations but I find the Scottish web page difficult to navigate. Could anyone shed some light on this and direct me to any regulations that state whether this is allowed etc.
Much thanks in advance.

 

[333rocky333]

Is there a gland securing the cable into the box, if no then its likely not acceptable for that reason alone, also if its TandE cable thats not really suitable if not secured, whereas flex cable glanded into a box could be acceptable, a "Trailing socket" is usually all rubber or tough plastic and designed to attach to a flexible cable

 

[ban-all-sheds]

The landlord was made aware of this who sent out an electrician who looked at it. He said it was okay

Possibly because if he were honest it would cost his employer money?

 

[SimonH2]

I suspect this is more common that many wold like to admit. Post a photo and then people will know what it is - rather than guessing about what it might be.

 

[Garycan]

As far as I know it’s just the standard white plastic box you’d get attached to a wall with your standard grey three core cable. I will post a photo and post it soon.

 

[flameport]

It's not ideal, but not unsafe either. Probably thousands of kitchens just like it.

so could be potentially dangerous especially next to a washing machine that has leaked in the past.

No.

any regulations that state whether this is allowed etc.

There are none, unless you want to go along the road of 'good workmanship' and similar.

 

[JohnW2]

There are none, unless you want to go along the road of 'good workmanship' and similar.

As rocky said at the start, unless the (assumed) T+E is (satisfactorily) glanded into the (assumed) 'surface pattress box', the arrangement would presumably fall foul of the regulatory requirement for cable restraint, wouldn't it?

I agree that the absence of cable restraint under a kitchen unit is little of a problem in common sense terms, - but 'regulations are regulations' and, more to the point, it was regulations that the OP asked about.

Kind Regards, John

 

[sparkwright]

It sounds like (assumed) solid core T+E that is free to be moved around, which hasn't got the flexibility of flex.

It sounds like (assumed) regular pattress box not fixed to the surface, suggesting all the fixing holes are exposed so all sorts of foreign matter can be pushed into them.

As mentioned recently, it sounds like (assumed) no cable restraint.

All of which could possibly be rectified with two woodscrews and a few cable clips.

Where's this photo?

 

[ban-all-sheds]

I agree that the absence of cable restraint under a kitchen unit is little of a problem in common sense terms, - but 'regulations are regulations' and, more to the point, it was regulations that the OP asked about.

134.1.1

 

[JohnW2]

No need to resort to 134.1.1 if there is no cable restraint.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Which regulation explicitly requires a restraint?

 

[333rocky333]

526.6 possibly

 

[JohnW2]

526.6 possibly

I don't think there is much "possibly" about it - that reg explicitly reaquires that there should be "no appreciable strain" on connections, and I don't see how one can be certain that won't occur in the absence of 'restraint'.

Some may (correctly) argue that the location (like 'under a kitchen unit', as in this thread) is such that a stress that could result in 'an appreciable strain' on the connections is 'very unlikely' - but 'very unlikley' is far from the same as impossible. Indeed, it is far from impossible that ham-fisted removal of the OP's washing machine could result in such a strain.

Kind Regards, John

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Prepping cables to insert into a socket and then pushing that socket into a back box puts more strain on the conductors and terminals than a trailing socket as described, and that can happen multiple times over the life of the circuit.

 

[flameport]

The fact that it's a white plastic box doesn't have to mean there is no cable restraint.