How to make a socket?

Very often we encounter a problem when the outlet in the apartment or in the office is far from the consumers of the iron, refrigerator or TV, and then the question arises of how to make the outlet more accessible. Today we will tell you how to install the outlet during repairs and complete wiring replacement, and how to replace the old outlet with a new one in the event of a breakdown. The work itself is not difficult, but as in any business, there are secrets and nuances, especially, in this case we are talking about interference with the wiring.

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Mounting Outlets

Sockets are of two types:

• Outdoor.
• Internal

The principle of connecting these types of devices to the electric network is the same, but there is a difference.

Internal models

Internal outlets are installed in special boxes (socket boxes), recessed into the walls. They hardly stick out.

Outdoor models

External sockets are mounted directly on the surface of the wall and are in sight. The principle of installing an external outlet is quite simple and does not require much effort.

Important! Such devices are used in rooms with external wiring or with structures made of flammable materials, for example, in wooden buildings.

Of course, when installing external means of connection, the aesthetic appearance of the room deteriorates, since all the wires are in plain sight. But on the other hand - increased security - you can easily identify the problem place, due to the fact that all elements of the external wiring are visible. For example, you will immediately notice a change in color, the fusion of the body of the outlet with poor contact.

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Rules for installing outdoor sockets:

1. Disassemble the socket housing. To do this, unscrew the fixing bolts and remove the top cover.
2. Screw the base of the socket to the wall surface with screws. If the wall is wooden, then under the base, lay non-combustible material, such as plaster or paronite.
3. Connect the power wires.
4. Screw the cover to the case and fully assemble the socket.

Important! When working with electrical wiring, be sure to turn off the electricity. In addition, additionally check its absence in the network after a shutdown.

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Installing an internal outlet

To install the outlet with your own hands, first of all, you need to know the sequence of work. The quality and speed of work will depend on this.

Important! Before starting any action, turn off all the machines in front of the counter and read the step-by-step instructions.

For mounting internal outlets, a cylindrical box is necessarily used, where the device case is placed.

Important! Previously, metal boxes were used, and today plastic boxes are increasingly used. In it, the socket perfectly holds, both with the help of expansion legs, and with the help of screws. The advantage of plastic sockets is the low price. In addition, if there is a need to install several outlets, then the boxes are easily connected to each other in a block.

Work stages

Installation of an internal outlet consists of the following steps:

1. Cabling.
2. Preparing a hole (niche) for the box.
3. Installation of a socket.
4. Connect and mount the outlet to the box.
5. Mounting decorative trim.

Instruments

To perform the installation of the outlet, you will need the following tools and materials:

• Hammer (percussion drill) or chisel.
• Crown for drilling holes for the box.
• Screwdriver.
• Pliers.
• Scissors for cable.
• Insulating tape.
• Small carnations.
• Hammer.
• Putty knife.
• Indicator screwdriver.
• Alabaster.

Important! Tool handles should be coated with insulating material, or have special nozzles.

Important nuances:

1. Walls are easier to hammer with a perforator, but if they are made of limestone, then use a chisel better. A puncher in such a wall will leave a stub too deep and wide. As a result, it will be difficult to fix the cable, and even more plasters (cement) will be needed.
2. If the walls are of silicate or red brick, then use the seams between the bricks in order to break through the stroba. So the stone will not crack.

Let us consider in more detail the stages of installing the outlet.

Cabling

Before leading the strobe, in order to make an outlet, it is necessary to pay attention to the following important points:

• Connect the cable to the meter correctly. This work is not difficult, since modern meters allow you to simultaneously add up to eight electrical cables. It is best to connect each room separately to protect the insulation from reflow, and in case of overload, the machines will turn off faster than a fire occurs.
• Pay special attention to the cross-section of the wire. With a standard voltage of 220 V, the current in the network constantly jumps - from the standard 16 A to 20 A or more. And at the time of network overload, the current strength can increase sharply. Therefore, it is not recommended to use a wire for a network with a cross section of less than 2.5 square mm. For best safety, use the corrugation to lay the electric cable.
• Determine the location of the future outlet in advance:
  • Firstly, from the point of view of decorative design, all visible sockets should be at the same height.
  • Secondly, do not forget about security. If there are small children in the house, then constantly used sockets are installed at a height of 60-80 cm or mount protective sockets with a special cover that is difficult for a child to open.

After you have decided on the place of the future outlet, go to the strobe. This is a small channel in which the cable will be located:

• The depth and width of the strobes should be equal to 1.5 times the cable diameter.
• Try to lay the channel more evenly, then less cable will be needed.
• An important condition is that the power cable should approach the outlet from below, therefore, the strobe must be made 5-10 cm below the outlet.
• Be sure to secure the laid cable with small studs. Drive them into the wall and support the wire so that it does not fall out.

Important! Immediately after laying the cable, you cannot plaster the wall - you must first check the operation of the outlet and electrical devices.

Preparing a hole for the box

Before preparing a deepening, it is necessary to familiarize yourself with the sockets. Depending on the material of the walls, they are:

• For the stone. Standard box.
• For drywall. The drywall socket looks like a round plastic box with metal ears on the sides. With the help of screws, these legs are tightened and extended to the sides, tightly pressing the structure against the wall.

Important! Such podrozetniki work on the principle of “butterflies” - they compress the drywall and grab onto the sheet.

How to install a box under a wall outlet in a brick wall?

Conventional boxes are used for mounting in a brick wall. In order to install the socket, a hole is drilled in the place of wiring and the future outlet using a crown. In this niche the box is fixed with alabaster. The socket is flush with the surface of the wall.

It is much more convenient to work with brick walls than with plasterboard, as there are no clear requirements for them. Here are just a few recommendations:

1. The hole for the box should be such that the socket will be recessed 1 cm in the wall.
2. Before fixing the “glass”, insert the wires into the socket.The wires should exit the socket at least 10 cm. The remains of the wires can always be hidden in the socket and, if necessary, replace the socket without any problems.
3. The glass should stand clearly at an angle of 90 degrees. The socket in such a box will not tumble up or to the sides.
4. Fix the box with cement mortar in two steps: the first portion should be sour cream consistency to fill the voids, and cover the inner layer with a thicker layer.

How to install a wall socket in a concrete wall?

1. With a special nozzle for a punch - a crown for drilling holes, make a recess in the wall. To do this, insert the nozzle-crown into the chuck of a perforator or hammer drill and drill in the intended place.

Important! To work in a concrete wall, it is necessary to use not only the drilling mode, but also the impact.

2. Vacuum away any dust that has formed.
3. After the bottom of the crown rests against the wall, finish drilling.
4. Remove the core of the hole. For this purpose, you can use a hammer drill with a chisel nozzle or use a hammer and chisel.
5. Align the back of the hole so that the box fits perfectly into the niche.
6. In the socket, squeeze the plug on the side where the wires will pass.
7. Insert the cable into the socket.
8. Apply a small amount of alabaster to the back wall and to the walls of the niche.

Important! The amount of the mixture is determined by eye:

• if there is a lot of alabaster, he will begin to bulge out of the box;
• if it’s not enough, then a solid fixation of the undergrowth will not work.

9. Insert the socket into the hole and press it. The edges of the box should be flush with the wall.
10. Wait half an hour to continue further work.

Important! Alabaster has a lot of advantages: quick drying and strong adhesion. For installation, use a thick mixture, the thicker - the faster it sets.

How to install a box in drywall?

The wall socket for the drywall has a special design. In addition, the box is not fixed with alabaster, but clamped with special clamps.

In order to make a hole in drywall, use a special crown. Drill a 68 mm diameter hole in drywall.

Important! Drywall is a very fragile material, so you need to drill it, and turn off the impact mode.

Here are just a few recommendations and tips when working with drywall, to install the outlet you find it easier:

1. Do the gates only in the load-bearing wall.
2. Before inserting the glass into the drywall, be sure to pull the cable into the socket.
3. The cable should exit the strobe opposite the outlet.
4. After inserting the box into the hole, tighten the screws so that the ears press the drywall from the back and firmly fix the glass.

Important! Try to insert the socket into the drywall the first time, otherwise you will have to make a new hole.

5. The free space between the wall and the drywall must be at least 45 mm, so that the undercutter is completely drowned and flush with the outer surface of the drywall.

Connect the outlet to the mains

So, all the preparatory work is completed, now you can install and connect a new outlet. For this:

1. Unscrew the screws located on the sides of the box. They will fix the core of the outlet itself.
2. Remove the bolts from the front of the outlet.
3. Remove the decorative panel.
4. Take the core of the outlet and loosen the contacts into which the power wires will be inserted.

Important! The distance between the clamping jaw and the stop should be greater than the diameter of the contact wire. The wire should be freely inserted to a depth of 5-10 mm.

5. Using special scissors, tongs, strip the ends of the power wires brought into the socket. Remove the braid from the cable by 1 cm.
6. Insert the wires into the core and fasten them with nuts.
7. Check that the wires are securely connected and bend them slightly in the form of a spring snake.
8. Tighten the wire mounting bolts in the housing socket.It is necessary to tighten very tightly, because when you connect a powerful consumer and poor contact, the connection point will start to heat up. This will lead to the melting of the wires and the failure of the entire structure.
9. Insert the core of the outlet into the box.
10. Secure it with screws and clamps. First pre-fix the core, and after leveling it, fix it securely. Depending on the type of box, internal sockets are attached in two ways:
    1. Using the mounting tabs. When tightening the bolts passing through the tabs, one side of the foot is pressed against the body, and the other is pushed to the side. While you are in turn tightening the bolts on one and the other side of the body, the tabs rest against the socket and jam the body in the required position.
    2. With the help of two screws. Direct the screws into the special holes in the box and tighten them.
11. Fix the decorative panel of the outlet.
12. At the end of the installation, turn on the machines or plugs, check the operation of the outlet with an indicator, and then connect a simple light source.

Important! If there is no ground wire in the wiring of your house, then anyway, which wire do you connect to the terminals: phase or zero. Most importantly, do not connect both wires to the same terminal. In those houses where there is a ground wire, when connecting, you must accurately determine which wire for what. In these cases, the color designation of the wires will help out:

• Phase - a wire of white, brown or red color. Connects to the right.
• Zero is blue, black. This wire connects to the left side of the core.
• Earth - green, yellow or striped yellow-green. Connect this wire to the central pin with the antennae in the working part of the outlet.

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Stock footage

We hope that our information has helped you install a new outlet yourself. If you did everything carefully using our recommendations and tips, then everything will work like a clock, and no hissing, itching and the smell of burnt insulation will ever bother you.