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Lubricant for BS1363 sockets?

Ever had a problem trying to plug into a garden socket and had to exert more force than you would have liked to?  I think sometimes the plastic components don't slide as easily as they should when they have been in the weather (inside a proper outdoor enclosure)


Can anyone suggest a safe plastic lubricant for a BS1363 socket?
  • Well, If I thought the outside IP rated socket was worth saving then I might turn off the power to that circuit and take the socket face off then disconnect it from the backing plate and wiring. I would then remove the screws, if they exist, and gently remove the inner plate to the socket front. I suspect that the slider that stops youngsters from poking metal objects into the live hole until the correct plug is fitted has a spring that has rusted.

    Now you can either :

    1. Remove the spring and spray with WD40 and exercise until supple.

    2. strip down an old socket and replace the spring

    3. change the front plate

    4. change the complete socket

    The problem is that an IP rated socket outlet should be servicable for many years unless it hasn't been used and/or there has been water penetration and/or the socket is not IP rated and/or it has not been installed correctly.

    Hope this helps


    Legh
  • I would never lubricate the sliding contacts of a socket. I would renew it with a good quality one. Lubricants will attract and hold dirt and grit which will cause a high resistance contact point and increase wear. WD40 is a good cleaner but not a good lubricant. The M.K. outdoor sockets are good quality. Of course the 13 Amp plug pins may be out of spec. and may be the cause of the problem.


    Z.
  • WD40 is not really the thing, if you  must try it, then use a dedicated switch cleaner like electrolube or servisol that doesn't leave an oily inflammable residue, but I agree a well installed socket should last ages. Actually with 13A plugs  its often the pins of the plugs on lawnmowers and so on that get all crudded up with mud and grass, and then a j. good clean and polish is in order, to avoid getting it in the socket.
  • Thank you Legh and Z and Mike.  Mike, your entry appeared just before I submitted this reply, so sorry about the repetition!  The socket in my garden is an MK so I don't doubt the quality.  However it does go for about four months over the winter without use, being subjected to some large temperature and humidity swings which it will experience to a limited degree, even though its inside an IP66 enclosure.  Then in the spring out come all those garden tools that have been in that damp garage with the plugs all covered in cobwebs and more serious, a microscopic layer of corrosion on the pins.  The plug may have even been dropped on the garden path leaving a some damage on the corner of the earth pin where it contacts the socket shutter.  I suggest that any or all of these conditions could give rise to a less than smooth mating of plug and socket!  I had a look in my garage and found this extreme example which appears to have all of the above, plus some overspray from some white paint for a radiator cover! 

    c5c4cf1341a8ed25181c703ac9ab3c06-huge-img_5660.jpg



    I must admit, I had never given all this such serious thought before but I will now be checking and cleaning if required all my garden equipment plugs.  I must stress these 230v items are in the minority in my garden, most things are of the much safer battery variety.


    I think my original question about lubrication was probably an attempt to treat the symptoms rather than find and sort out the cause!
  • As Mike and Z have stated, its not standard electrical practice to 'lubricate' electrical plugs and sockets as the use of switch cleaner is more appropriate.

    The plug in the picture is more or less standard for its application, although there is a slight growth on the top of the earth pin. There are many more of a similar condition out there in service. I would suggest that the IP rated socket is more at fault than the plug. 

    Have you checked the socket outlet by plugging in another appliance, perhaps one used from inside the house?


    Legh
  • Former Community Member
    0 Former Community Member
    Strongly agree with Legh Richardson