How to wire a plug

The UK mains electricity supply is about 230V and can kill if not used safely. The more electrical energy use the greater the cost. A correctly wired three-pin mains electricity plug is important for using electricity safely. A mains electricity cable contains two or three inner wires.

More info about this type of plug.

Many of you fine people ask me questions about how to carry out simple DIY tasks around the house.

Please note that you can click on the photos to enlarge them so you can see the process in more detail.

Strip the end of the thick cable coming from the appliance into the plug , using wire strippers. Take off roughly of white covering,. Where do each of those wires go? This can be done for decorative reasons or if there is damage on the casing.

It will also teach you the correct plug wire colours to use. You should know the colour coding for electrical wires and the function of each wire. Most accidents with electricity in the home are caused by faulty or incorrectly wired plugs. Some old appliances may have the old Black, Red and Green cable colours in the flex.

These old cable colours should be connected thus:. The flex that fits into and connects the plug electrically will usually have three insulated wires (conductors). Only two of the wires are used when the appliance works properly.

These are the live (brown) and the neutral (blue) wires. The neutral wire completes the circuit and carries . These basic principles can be applied to wiring plugs from other countries, only the colours are different. Electrical appliances, circuits, leads, plugs etc. The key is to make sure you connect the wires to the proper terminals in the plug.

The wide prong on the plug links the . Many people are surprised to hear. It is common for users in the United Kingdom and Hong Kong to wire plugs themselves. In fact, the methodology is included in the physics syllabuses of the Hong Kong Certificate of Education Examination and GCSE. The interactive transcript could not be loaded. Rating is available when the video has been rented.

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