Hello LPG,

I decided to have a bit of a change round recently which constituted swapping the placement of my TV and a chair in my living room.  I knew that I would have to put my back into moving the furniture, but I forgot how many wires would be involved. I had to unplug the TV and the DVD player.  The Ariel wire was all mixed up with them so that had to come out, and the phone wires were also affected.  I think that working out how to replace the plugs for everything was harder work than getting the furniture items moved.  I worked harder than my mother used to when she was sorting knitting yarn.

It got me thinking about all the wiring that we have in our homes these days.  Most of the people I know have three or four plugs dedicated to charging tablets and mobile phones, while the kitchen worktop will have a wires hidden behind the Kettle, microwave, toaster, bread maker, halogen oven or slow cooker to mention but a few.  I have a lap top computer but that needs the router which has two wires of its own (One for power and another attached to the phone socket).  Then there is the phone, radio and the standard lamp in my bedroom, not to mention the sockets needed for the  hoover,  the Christmas tree lights, the lawn mower, the strimmer and my electric drill and screwdriver that make an occasional appearance.  Even the average bathroom requires a socket for the electric shaver and toothbrush charger.  I think that the loo is the only wire free zone in my house.   I know that I am one of many who accept all these home comforts as standard these days. 

The wires are all there, lurking behind our household appliances.  Every now and then we add just one new thing which requires a new wire, and I try to do this really neatly, but it is only when you want to move or change a wired appliance that you realise what a state they get into.

Wire ties and cable tidy spiral wrap help a bit, and I have recently invested in cable tags so that I can label each end of the same cable (this makes finding both ends of the same wire a bit easier), but isn’t it worrying just how much we depend on electricity and the wires that result these days?

CP, New Cross.

LPG, did a little research as usual … (►►►)