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French electrical sockets


Tarrot

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I need to get hold of a box sinker set (I have to replace a lot of Danish sockets with correct French ones).  What is the French for a box sinker and where can I get one?

Fortunately, Danish sockets are smaller than French ones (much smaller).  Any advice on whether this job is something that could be tackled by somebody with reasonable DIY skills? The wiring in a recently-purchased house is fine - it's just that the previous owner was Danish and the sockets do not meet French norms. 

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What's a box sinker? Do you mean a drill attachment for 65mm or 68mm electrical boxes?

"Scie cloche" or "trepan".

If the wiring has been done correctly the proper boxes should already be in place and you just need to change sockets; I've no idea what a Danish one looks like. If you need to change the boxes then it depends whether they are in solid walls (brick or stone, normally 65mm) or in plasterboard (placo, cloison seche, normally 68mm).

Bricodepot used to do a "trepan" for 65mm holes but I can't see it on their site now. Leroy Merlin have a selection. I'dt be best to talk to them in the store and explain what you're doing.

If you're going to try to enlarge an existing hole it's not easy! The attachment relies on a pilot drill to keep it centered and you won't be able to do that because of the existing hole. (I haven't explained that very well, but I can't improve on it!).

Here's one for stone http://www.leroymerlin.fr/mpng2-front/pre?zone=zonecatalogue&idLSPub=1239270044&renderall=on#16

Plasterboard are ones like this http://www.leroymerlin.fr/mpng2-front/pre?zone=zonecatalogue&idLSPub=1239270044&renderall=on#5

 

 

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Many thanks for the replies (this site is fantastically helpful).  I found the name "box cutter" describing this task on an English website.  Since French sockets are circular, not square, I was hoping there would be a neat tool for cutting a circular hole to take the new boxes.  I can see the point about nowhere to put the locating drill.   But Danish sockets are really small and they may not be very deep either, so I might be lucky on that score. I don't have access to the house at the moment, but it will certainly be a case of enlarging the existing holes.  At least I can start looking for tools.   

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[quote user="Tarrot"]I am going to look at the house again tomorrow and will be able to assess whether it's a case of plasterboard or brick / stone.  Again, many thanks for the helpful replies.

[/quote]

Care to take a picture with something against it for scale while you're there? I, for one, am now quite keen to see these Toksvig-sized sockets !

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