Hi, I have just bought a house which has a GPO phone socket thing, which has a wire out which feed into a BT master socket. I'm unsure why the GPO socket is there and why it wasn't replaced when the master socket was installed? The GPO socket looks old but I guess it's integral to the phone line because of the wires? Anyone able to assist please as to why it's been left in place or should I ask B.T to remove it and just have the master socket? Thanks very much for any help or advice.
Take the cover off and se if there are any other cables connected to the one going to the master socket.
I suspect it is just an old extension socket wired from the master. If that's the case, you can simply disconnect the cable at the master socket and remove it along with the GPO socket.
Its most likely left over when wired phones used to be there. The holes that the phone cords used to occupy, have simply been replaced by bungs. That would have been a long time ago when dial phones like the 706 were commonplace. GPO and early Post Office Telephones.
I’d avoid disconnecting anything.
Chances are your existing line is Direct In Ground and comes up behind that old socket, which I’d imagine is then jointed to that internal cable.
Hence my post in message2
Thank you all for your replies, i think i will just leave it as it is and get the cable put under the new laminate and forget all about it! Hopefully the broadband and phone will be trouble free when i move in! The wire leads into this master socket which i presume was installed AFTER the GPO thingy so guess it was left like that for a reason! Thanks so much again everyone. Kind regards Deb
I wouldn't put any wires under laminate if I were you. If there are no other wires in the master socket, you could simply move it and replace the old GPO box. Connect the incoming wires behind the GPO socket to the same terminals that the cable shown connects to.
To clarify, if there are 2 cables in the GPO box and only one in the master socket, the cable shown will be providing your service to the master socket. If there are 2 cables in the master socket and only one in the GPO box, the cable and box can be removed.
Thank you! I shall find a man "that can" and ask him to investigate! Thank you for all your help. Kind regards, Deb