Great video Stuart. May i just add one comment. Being an Electrician, we were always told that there is good guidance on the plug card. But always make sure that your CPC (circuit protective conductor) or Earth wire was the longest of all three. That way should the lead get snagged and happen to be pulled out of the plug, the last wire to let go would be the earth (the one that offers you protection from electrocution whilst using class one equipment) Thanks for sharing.
When I started out as a 16 year old apprentice I wired several plugs neatly and carefully. Then I was made to do them all again because I'd left the earth wire too short.
I was taught the same way as you - CPC (Earth) has to have the longest amount of spare to ensure that in the event of the cable being snagged it'd be the last to be pulled out. If I'd presented a wired plug to my apprentice master as shown in the video, it would have been cut off and thrown back at me. Those were the days ;o)
Yes, as an electrical apprentice we all had to wire plugs making sure that the longest wire with slack was the earth wire, so that it was the last to be detected in the case of the cord being pulled out or working loose. Great safety tip mate.
@@FlatEric971To be specific if the CPC was shortest you could possibly pull it out and the device would still work but without protection. The user could use it years that way until it then might fail giving a shock. If you pull out the live then it stops immediately.
Hello! This enabled my 79 year old mother to fix a household item without calling an electrician. It was very easy to follow and I would like to thank you very much for the video. Best wishes, Jake
Great, informative video. Couple of things. The card on the back of the plug seemed to suggest the length of each wire should be cutting, ie. L=12mm, N=22mm and E=32mm (as a guide). Also, after cutting each wire sleeve, rather than just pull it straight off, I spin the insulation as I pull it off, so that there is no need to twist the wires after the insulation has been removed.
It should be stated that the fuse in the plug is there to protect the cable and nothing else. If the flex becomes damaged, the fuse should rupture due to the fault current before any subsequent damage (like a fire) happens to the cable, so for 1.5mm² cable which can carry 15 amps, a 13A fuse is perfect - it will pop before the cable rating is exceeded. If for some reason a lighter cable is used, then it is important to down-rate the fuse to suit, so for example a 0.75mm² cable is rated for 6 amps, so a fuse less than 6 amps should be fitted to protect it - the next available size below 6A is a 5A fuse.
@frankjohnson7204 Spot on Frank. 1 amp fuses are also available which I also fit to this kind of device. The simple equation Power = Volts x Amps tells us therefore 240v x 1A = 240 Watts. All devices have to show the wattage on them so it is easy to check.
Thanks Stuart, I watched this despite having wired hundreds of these over the years, and as expected it was pretty much just how I would do it and is perfectly adequate to my mind. Although some of the comments here are very much ideal best practice it's good to note them and adjust process where necessary, also, I've never even noticed the measurements on the diagram as it is immediately removed and discarded as I'm sure it is by most people who've done this a few times ! I'm sure you predicted that the Sparkies & Smarties would be all over this ! 😉😁
Thank you 💪🏼💪🏼I didn't think i could do it. but i did. now i can use my hoover i bought from Tiktok. i accidently stepped on the plug lol. but now its fixed.
You can use the image on the piece of paper to measure out the cable; just put the cable (outer sheath removed) on the image, then cut & strip the cable sheath to match the image.
Did I just watch Stuart explain how to fit a plug? yes, did I know how to do this before? yes, did I enjoy it? You bet I did, always great videos. I watch everyone.
This is what I love about UK plugs; the internal connections are the same from one plug to another. In North America, while the size and position of the pins is uniform, the connections inside the plug can vary widely from one plug to another.
Hi, The wiring of the plug demo is great. It's amazing how many young men don't seem to know how to do this safely...a failure of parenting. Only two observations, because there are so many dodgy cheap 13a plugs for sale on the internet I feel it would have been worth a mention to ensure the plug is CE marked & BS1363 compliant...maybe also bought from a reputable source (apologies, so that's three observations 😬) I'm sorry but I agree with an earlier comment about length of wire, the N needed to be shorter and the E just a tad longer for the reasons given. I enjoy your TH-cam channel immensely, thank you very much 👍
That's is excataly how i wire my plugs nice and neat, a great well explained video i am going to love this new series. When i was younger my Dad explained to me about fitting a plug and he used to say not to worry if i can't remember which was the Live, Earth and Neutral, he said that a little trick for plugs only and that is because the word bLue has an L in it that goes to the left terminal, because the word bRown has an R in it that goes to the right terminal, and because there is only one wire left that must be the one that goes down to the middle terminal, and to this day if i have to wire a 3 pin plug even though i know which is which, i always seem to do that trick and it doesn't fail because it's the right way to wire a uk 3 pin plug. Stay Safe. Barry (Wirral)
Just the right video Stuart for anyone starting off in their new home. Simple easy to follow with good explanation of why you it that way. May be won't get many views straight off but I'm sure will help a lot over time and put together with other simple videos for the first timer will become popular.
Some essentials worth mentioning: make sure the terminal screws do not tighten against the insulation but against the copper. Do not over-tighten because that can shear the copper. Always test each individual connection with a firm tug. If the wire stays in place, that's firm enough 👍
Even though I've wired many plugs since my first home in the 1970's I watched this one right through as I always enjoy your videos. Wiring a plug is something my generation takes for granted but with new appliances coming with pre fitted moulded plugs this will be very useful for anyone starting out and who needs to fit cable. PS I'd never noticed the wire lengths on the diagram. That could be quite useful information.
It is important to remenber that the fuse protects the cable that is connected to the plug. It is also important that it is rated to the appliance. It is no use using a 13 anp fuse on a 5Amp cable as the cable will breakdown or catch fire if the unit goes faulty. likewise a 5Amp fuse on a 13Amp aplliance the fuse may work for a time but will fail earlier if not blow straight away.
Nicely explained Stuart. Not easy to do a comprehensive instruction video on something you know very well and do all the time. I watched to the end and must have fitted hundreds of plugs in my DIY life.
Expertly done, Stuart. One thing that should be thought about, is that the Earth conductor should always be slightly longer than the other two conductors, in case through rough treatment, the cord grip fails, the last wire that gets disconnected, should be the Earth conductor to the appliance. I've always worried about people using knives around mains cables, but your explanation and technique is spot on. Thanks for the video.
I thought 17 minutes on wiring a plug?!! I'll watch it because it's PDIY and I'm glad I did... cracking video as ever mate, top stuff thank you! I've wired a plug or two in my time for DIY purposes but if I hadn't, there are some absolute gems in here and after watching this, I'd be confident to tackle it. The simple things are so easily overlooked, even shunned as "something you should just know" which isn't always the case so well done for this... looking forward to the next installment. Keep up the good work but please answer me this... I have been popping the pins out for years but WHY IN THE NAME OF ALL THAT IS HOLY have I not been doing the live first?!!!! I'm off to re-wire ever plug in the house just because! 😆👍🙏
Exactly Steve, everyone needs teaching at some point. My aim was to make a quick 4 min video - seems it takes a bit longer to get across everything I wanted!
Fantastic video and great teaching style - it was really easy to follow and gave me the confidence to try it myself even though I have never done it before!
One saftey point, ALWAYS make the Earth lead the longest so that if the cable is pulled hard from the plug the last lead to leave its connection is the Earth.
Exactly, the Earth should be the longest - as shown on the diagram. Looking at the plug wired in this video I would wager that the Neutral is either the same length as the Earth, or even a couple of MM longer....
I remember being taught this back in the mid 70's, in a school physics lesson. Largely redundant now with the ubiquity of moulded plugs but just occasionally comes in useful when you have to cut the moulded plug off to pass the cable through a small gap.
Hi Stuart, thanks for your excellent videos. I do have to take you to task on this one. "95% of plugs have 13A fuse". No, not in this day an age. All electronic equipment will have a correctly rated fuse or fail CE certification. Hence many plugs are 3A or 5A, very occasionally they are even 1A. Check out all you lamps. TVs, laptop/ tool chargers, hi fi, etc etc. My guess is that your house has far fewer 13A fuses than you think. Right fuse for the right equipment.
I'd say nearly 100% of loose plugs your average consumer is ever likely to see will be supplied with a 13A fuse...usually just along the shelf from the packets of spare fuses 😉
@@mcdon2401 That's because if plugs were sold with the lower rated fuses, folks would fit them to kettles and hair dryers, then complain the plug didn't work!
On two occasions I have found electrical items from certain German supermarkets came with 13 amp fuses when they should be only 3 amp so it's worth checking purchases.
As always.a very good demo and explained plug wiring. 13 amp fuse for UK 3 pin plug are always brown writing. For easy visual if u can't see the txt on it.
Back when I was younger (which was many years ago) I always recall the wires being black red and green and remembering B "left" lack / R "right" ed. It's a chain of thought that still sticks in my head today whenever I need to wire a plug (also works for blue and brown)
Blue has an 'L' in it = left and Brown has an 'R' in it = right. That's one of the ways that we were taught to remember the orientation at college many years ago. Just a free tip. Looking forward to the next episode in this series👍👍
Brown will also be the colour of your trousers, should you touch it (okay, so only true if it is plugged in and the back is off and the switch is on... but you get the idea 😉😁)
Stuart thank you. I used to hate fitting plugs - now I just dislike it. It helps that it doesn't look like spaghetti junction afterwards and you dread an actual sparks seeing it. That's at least the third tip I used of yours, so it only seemed fair to sub ;)
NIce video. It might be worth mentioning a safety feature of these plugs - the brown is shortest so that if the cable is tugged and the cord grip fails, then the live will be disconnected first. Lots of people have tripped over cables over the years. The earth and neutral are longer (and should have a little slack) so that they remain connected. That is what I was told anyway - might be an urban myth 🤷♂
Very informative will be referring back in a month as have a cable to fit through the side of a wardrobe. Memories of a work experience day at an aerospace company where they had a group of us wiring up a hundred or so plugs as they didn't really know what to do with us. They then took them apart at the end cause we were just 16 after all.
Nice video Stuart but it may be worth pointing out that to comply with latest regulations the line and the neutral pins must be insulated to stop your fingers touching them when removing the plug from the wall socket. There are many appliances sold in secondhand shops which have the old plugs still on - it is illegal to sell them like this but it does still happen. So if you are putting a plug on an appliance don't just find an old one at the bottom of a drawer - make sure it has insulated terminals!
I find that many people assume that because it is called 13A plug that only a 13A fuse should be used. As others have noted the cable on some appliances or the appliance (table lights being simple example) should only have a 3A fuse. Surprisingly one of my extension leads with 2 sockets should only have 10A fuse as limiting factor is the cable. Also I leave the earth as longest so if the cable clamp slips the safety connection is last to be compromised
I worked a Saturday job in the small electricals dept of a dept store, back in the early and mid eighties. Manufacturers would often do trade-in promotions, leading to customers presenting us with their old Hoover, kettle, toaster etc., etc. By far, the vast majority had very badly fitted plugs and so the very first thing we did with all of them was to chop off the plug. Also worth noting, is some customers buying new products, especially the more mature folk, would ask us to fit a plug, but for insurance reasons we had to politely refuse. They were given a plug for free though! :)
I had to do an afternoon course on how to connect a plug, your explanation was far more succinct! Could I point out that the measurements included with the card are to ensure that if the flex is pulled then the earth will be the last wire to lose connection (for safety).
It's great that you're doing these basics, we're losing so many skills because of this "nanny state" we're being brought up in. I learnt how to wire a plug before I was 13. I cringe when I see some of the things people are asking for help with on local Facebook groups.
@@ProperDIY I use a scalpel when trimming wire back, cuts through the plastic sheathing on the wires with ease, no chance of cutting the cable itself. As I rotate the end it slowly comes off as the wires get twisted. If I've got my soldering equipment out (got an entire rework station that I have to put away when not in use) I fold the twisted wires back to touch the sheathing and then tin them creating an anchor point for the screws in the plug pins creating a very secure grip.
Newbie question: At 10:44, you explained that we don't want copper exposed below the screw but what about the top of the screw? I noticed that the top of the screw ( and all 3 screws, in fact), the copper is exposed and appears to be touching the white plastic. Is that safe? Thank you.
I used to work somewhere where we had to unpack a product, change a EU plug to a UK one and repack it within one minute. Zero Fs were given and was all top brands, so if you buy something with a plug like this (with a screw, not a sealed one) open it up and check it!
@@ProperDIY vast majority are, but if some companies based in the UK sell internationally and have surplus stock fitted with an EU plug, they'll sometimes consider it cheaper to pay a reworking company to chop the factory fitted sealed EU plug off and manually fit a UK one rather than producing more stock. Then it's a case of does the reworking company care about speed (money) or quality more.. quality control checking 1% and only correcting the checked ones where I worked 🙄
My dad taught my mum to change a plug in the 1970's, whenever she did she'd put her wellies on (to earth her !?) before plugging in ... Also used to know someone who would just use the pins of an unwired plug to push the bare wires of a flex into the socket 😱
The idea of the wellies was to supposedly insulate you from earth in case you touched the live wire. Thus, in theory, no path to earth saving you from an electric shock/electrocution. Not much use if you accidentally happened to touch live and neutral, though.
9 points of a possible 9 my CSE grade 1 Human Biology (practical) still not sure why biology but heck I'm glad I had a father that taught me some of this stuff because the teachers hadn't! I wondered why it was going to take 17 minutes to explain but not rushing it is a great idea. But 13amp fuse on a 1.5mm cable?
I keep old double-edged razor blades for stripping; with light pressure (pressing without drawing/cutting), they'll cut/score the insulation without damaging the conductor.
That and the ring main system. Improved by the introduction of partly insulated live and neutral pins. Back in the 80's I remember being in a posh hotel in Beijing and finding they used 13 amp sockets.
I remember a story about my Dad putting a piece of Liquorice on a plug and giving it to me to chew on when I was like 2 or something, and then watching the horrific look on my mums face when she saw me eating the Liquorice. Pretty sure that's what turned me into a electronics technician :) . Great video , well explained and no Liquorice cord
That is a bit risky as it depends which way up you have the plug or which way around it is. I was already taught brown is live because that is the colour of your pants if you touch it.
@Purple Burglar Alarm In Australia and NZ it is in reverse and earth is at the bottom. The diagram that was provided with the plug was on the wrong way around, which reversed the live and neutral pins. If the fuse wasn’t on the plug, it may not be as clear for many novices. We get a colour coded diagram with our plugs to avoid confusion and we don’t have fuses in them. Also our earth pin is at the bottom of the plug where it looks like the UK plug the earth is at the top. That reverses the sides
Hi Stuart, what’s your thoughts on stripping back 10mm (as opposed to 5) and folding the cable back on itself before securing into the terminals? Does it make for a ‘better’ or safer connection in your view? Cheers Great video!
Thanks Matt. Stripping more and folding back is fine if you twist the strands tightly so when you fold it you have a nice, tight end you can actually get into the hole in the pin. I'm not convinced it gives a better connection - tightening the screw on the pin properly is more important I think.
I was taught not to cut across the outer sheathing like that because of the risk of going through the cable strands and into the copper wire. It is very easy to do for someone who is not used to installing a plug
@@rafflesnh cutting a couple of nicks at the end of the outer sheathing and then pulling it apart to split it with fingers or plyers downwards and then trimming it off at the right length
@@home-space Sounds like that will need a bit of practice to pull it back to the correct length without overshoot, but will give it a go next time as I'm forever nicking the inner wire sheathings too!
0:18 That face 😂 Comedy gold! Here in The Netherlands the plugs do look different, never seen one with a fuse built in, actually. Maybe they exist, I don't know really...🤔
I think I would dispute that most devices in the home need a 13A fuse and say that most will need 5A max, often fine with 3A. I think that the only things that will really need 13A are extension leads and things like kettles and heates or fires.
I live in Australia now and do miss the UK plugs system as the current Aussie plug is flimsy and lacks a lot of the safety features and build of the UK plug.
Hi Stuart - sorry to pedantic but there's a serious error! It's NOT Live it's LINE! BS7671. Calling brown live gives the mistaken impression to some that Neutral does not carry voltage. It's AC so neutral most definitely does carry 230V with respect to earth. Also, the earth wire (now called common circuit protection - CPC - as may not actually be an earth BS 7671) is the longest in the plug so it's the last to be disconnected if the lead is yanked - a lovely planned safety measure. Keep up the great films - miss the old beginning with the knome and broken sweeping brush.
No it does not . That is why it is called neutral. It is grounded so it does not have voltage. Sure if it breaks then the other end will have the main voltage.Remember Neutral and earth are connected at the entry to the building so what is on the neutral is on the earth. This is not strictly true as if the consumption is high it produces some small voltage to the neutral as the wire has some resistance. I think you have problem understanding negative voltages. The phase wire varies between +325 V and -325 V referenced to the earth while neutral is at the earth potential. Many seem to think that in AC somehow the voltage comes half the cycle from the live and the other half from the neutral. This is a very common misconception. Alternatively you are mixing current and voltage. Neutral of course has the same current as live.
Very good,... but, the neutral needs to be shorter; when the cable is pulled through the cable grip, the live should be first or coincident with the neutral to disengage, earth should be the last of the 3 (L, N, E) to get pulled out. You have too much of a loop on the N so it looks like the N will remain intact after the earth has disengaged.
The earth wire should have the most slack in it not the neutral so that the earth wire is the last to disconnect if cable gets pulled out. Or that's how I was taught
You may notice that both the neutral and the earth terminals' have their holes positioned at 90 degrees to the direction of any cable tension ( pull out) the live hole is aligned with direction of tension and is most likely to pull out first making the appliance non-functional, but safe being still connected to the earth in the plug, when I say "safe", I mean always approach any electrical failure with due caution. Clever people designed this plug, it's almost fool proof.
I am now 75 and remember when electrical items came with just wires and you had to pay extra for the plug. One reason could be different electrical systems. My parents house was.built in 1953 and had round pin plugs. They had it rewired around 1988. Crazy now to think people had to do their own wiring. Incredibly dangerous. I also remember that teeth are bad wire strippers.
2.5mm cable should be used if you're wiring sockets on a 16A breaker in a ring main (depending upon length) - the cable from the socket to the plug is unlikely to need to be anything over 1mm tbh
That is general sizing for the cable used in the electric installation. i.e the sockets and switches in your home. Some lighting circuits may be 1mm², some specialised circuits for e.g cooker or shower may be up to 10mm². This video refers to 'flex' attached to a removeable plug on a portable appliance.
I miss the days when red was live and brown was earth as that seemed so natural. When there is no diagram with the plug I now also double check by remembering b(R)own is right and b(L)ue is left.
In Germany red was the ground so it would give shucking experiences if you changed the plug on a German device without knowing. There is a point in harmonizing the colors.
Love this idea of a Basics series. Exactly what I need as a new homeowner :) Cheers Stuart!
Excellent - and aimed at exactly you - new homeowners so I hope they will help.
Great video Stuart. May i just add one comment. Being an Electrician, we were always told that there is good guidance on the plug card. But always make sure that your CPC (circuit protective conductor) or Earth wire was the longest of all three. That way should the lead get snagged and happen to be pulled out of the plug, the last wire to let go would be the earth (the one that offers you protection from electrocution whilst using class one equipment) Thanks for sharing.
When I started out as a 16 year old apprentice I wired several plugs neatly and carefully. Then I was made to do them all again because I'd left the earth wire too short.
@@paulm5443 Yes Paul, it needs to be the longest.
I was taught the same way as you - CPC (Earth) has to have the longest amount of spare to ensure that in the event of the cable being snagged it'd be the last to be pulled out. If I'd presented a wired plug to my apprentice master as shown in the video, it would have been cut off and thrown back at me. Those were the days ;o)
Yes, as an electrical apprentice we all had to wire plugs making sure that the longest wire with slack was the earth wire, so that it was the last to be detected in the case of the cord being pulled out or working loose. Great safety tip mate.
@@FlatEric971To be specific if the CPC was shortest you could possibly pull it out and the device would still work but without protection. The user could use it years that way until it then might fail giving a shock. If you pull out the live then it stops immediately.
Hello! This enabled my 79 year old mother to fix a household item without calling an electrician. It was very easy to follow and I would like to thank you very much for the video. Best wishes, Jake
Great, informative video. Couple of things. The card on the back of the plug seemed to suggest the length of each wire should be cutting, ie. L=12mm, N=22mm and E=32mm (as a guide). Also, after cutting each wire sleeve, rather than just pull it straight off, I spin the insulation as I pull it off, so that there is no need to twist the wires after the insulation has been removed.
Just wired my first plug! Thanks so much for the tutorial, it was very clear and very helpful :)
Very clear. Perfect step-by-step instructions for DIY phobic types, like me.
It should be stated that the fuse in the plug is there to protect the cable and nothing else. If the flex becomes damaged, the fuse should rupture due to the fault current before any subsequent damage (like a fire) happens to the cable, so for 1.5mm² cable which can carry 15 amps, a 13A fuse is perfect - it will pop before the cable rating is exceeded. If for some reason a lighter cable is used, then it is important to down-rate the fuse to suit, so for example a 0.75mm² cable is rated for 6 amps, so a fuse less than 6 amps should be fitted to protect it - the next available size below 6A is a 5A fuse.
Correct!
@frankjohnson7204 Spot on Frank. 1 amp fuses are also available which I also fit to this kind of device. The simple equation Power = Volts x Amps tells us therefore 240v x 1A = 240 Watts. All devices have to show the wattage on them so it is easy to check.
Im amazed at how many people do not know how to wire a plug. A great introduction. 👍
Thanks! 👍
Thanks Stuart, I watched this despite having wired hundreds of these over the years, and as expected it was pretty much just how I would do it and is perfectly adequate to my mind. Although some of the comments here are very much ideal best practice it's good to note them and adjust process where necessary, also, I've never even noticed the measurements on the diagram as it is immediately removed and discarded as I'm sure it is by most people who've done this a few times !
I'm sure you predicted that the Sparkies & Smarties would be all over this ! 😉😁
Andy, we think alike! Anything I put out that is electrical in nature gets a the S&S's going!
One tool I added to my toolbox is a wire stripper. Just a few quid but saved loads of time.
I look forward to more of this idea. A plug is something I learnt to do as a young man in a one parent family,
Thank you 💪🏼💪🏼I didn't think i could do it. but i did. now i can use my hoover i bought from Tiktok. i accidently stepped on the plug lol. but now its fixed.
You can use the image on the piece of paper to measure out the cable; just put the cable (outer sheath removed) on the image, then cut & strip the cable sheath to match the image.
@@andymerrett ... and Stuart showed how to work it out for yourself, so you don't need the piece of paper.
Exactly - most of the plugs I have every fitted have been 2nd hand with no paper
Excellent video. Assuming nothing and everything explained clearly. Many TH-camrs could learn a lot from this! Thank you 😊
Thanks you - much appreciated
Did I just watch Stuart explain how to fit a plug? yes, did I know how to do this before? yes, did I enjoy it? You bet I did, always great videos. I watch everyone.
Thank you - much appreciated
This is what I love about UK plugs; the internal connections are the same from one plug to another. In North America, while the size and position of the pins is uniform, the connections inside the plug can vary widely from one plug to another.
Hi, The wiring of the plug demo is great. It's amazing how many young men don't seem to know how to do this safely...a failure of parenting.
Only two observations, because there are so many dodgy cheap 13a plugs for sale on the internet I feel it would have been worth a mention to ensure the plug is CE marked & BS1363 compliant...maybe also bought from a reputable source (apologies, so that's three observations 😬)
I'm sorry but I agree with an earlier comment about length of wire, the N needed to be shorter and the E just a tad longer for the reasons given.
I enjoy your TH-cam channel immensely, thank you very much 👍
Thank you
That's is excataly how i wire my plugs nice and neat, a great well explained video i am going to love this new series.
When i was younger my Dad explained to me about fitting a plug and he used to say not to worry if i can't remember which was the Live, Earth and Neutral, he said that a little trick for plugs only and that is because the word bLue has an L in it that goes to the left terminal, because the word bRown has an R in it that goes to the right terminal, and because there is only one wire left that must be the one that goes down to the middle terminal, and to this day if i have to wire a 3 pin plug even though i know which is which, i always seem to do that trick and it doesn't fail because it's the right way to wire a uk 3 pin plug.
Stay Safe.
Barry (Wirral)
Nice one - thanks Barry
Just the right video Stuart for anyone starting off in their new home. Simple easy to follow with good explanation of why you it that way. May be won't get many views straight off but I'm sure will help a lot over time and put together with other simple videos for the first timer will become popular.
Good Video. I always fold back the wires when possible for a better connection
Some essentials worth mentioning: make sure the terminal screws do not tighten against the insulation but against the copper. Do not over-tighten because that can shear the copper. Always test each individual connection with a firm tug. If the wire stays in place, that's firm enough 👍
This is more my level, looking forward to more DIY Basic vids
Lots more to come David!
Even though I've wired many plugs since my first home in the 1970's I watched this one right through as I always enjoy your videos. Wiring a plug is something my generation takes for granted but with new appliances coming with pre fitted moulded plugs this will be very useful for anyone starting out and who needs to fit cable. PS I'd never noticed the wire lengths on the diagram. That could be quite useful information.
Thanks for watching!
It is important to remenber that the fuse protects the cable that is connected to the plug. It is also important that it is rated to the appliance. It is no use using a 13 anp fuse on a 5Amp cable as the cable will breakdown or catch fire if the unit goes faulty. likewise a 5Amp fuse on a 13Amp aplliance the fuse may work for a time but will fail earlier if not blow straight away.
Nicely explained Stuart. Not easy to do a comprehensive instruction video on something you know very well and do all the time. I watched to the end and must have fitted hundreds of plugs in my DIY life.
Glad you enjoyed it Mike
Expertly done, Stuart.
One thing that should be thought about, is that the Earth conductor should always be slightly longer than the other two conductors, in case through rough treatment, the cord grip fails, the last wire that gets disconnected, should be the Earth conductor to the appliance.
I've always worried about people using knives around mains cables, but your explanation and technique is spot on.
Thanks for the video.
I thought 17 minutes on wiring a plug?!!
I'll watch it because it's PDIY and I'm glad I did... cracking video as ever mate, top stuff thank you!
I've wired a plug or two in my time for DIY purposes but if I hadn't, there are some absolute gems in here and after watching this, I'd be confident to tackle it.
The simple things are so easily overlooked, even shunned as "something you should just know" which isn't always the case so well done for this... looking forward to the next installment.
Keep up the good work but please answer me this... I have been popping the pins out for years but WHY IN THE NAME OF ALL THAT IS HOLY have I not been doing the live first?!!!!
I'm off to re-wire ever plug in the house just because! 😆👍🙏
Exactly Steve, everyone needs teaching at some point. My aim was to make a quick 4 min video - seems it takes a bit longer to get across everything I wanted!
@Proper DIY you're not alone in that... DIY all over although my quick 5 minute jobs tend to turn into month long marathons! 😆
Fantastic video and great teaching style - it was really easy to follow and gave me the confidence to try it myself even though I have never done it before!
Glad it was helpful!
Very simple job but nice to be shown the proper way of doing it.
Thanks Robin 👍
One saftey point, ALWAYS make the Earth lead the longest so that if the cable is pulled hard from the plug the last lead to leave its connection is the Earth.
Exactly, the Earth should be the longest - as shown on the diagram. Looking at the plug wired in this video I would wager that the Neutral is either the same length as the Earth, or even a couple of MM longer....
@@MalcolmCrabbe I did notice the blue could have been shorter.
I wondered how you could make wiring a plug last 17 minutes. Well done on an engaging and informative video.
Thank you. I actually intended for this to be a 5 min video but I felt I had to do it thoroughly so it ended up some what longer than planned!
I remember being taught this back in the mid 70's, in a school physics lesson.
Largely redundant now with the ubiquity of moulded plugs but just occasionally comes in useful when you have to cut the moulded plug off to pass the cable through a small gap.
Hi Stuart, thanks for your excellent videos. I do have to take you to task on this one. "95% of plugs have 13A fuse". No, not in this day an age.
All electronic equipment will have a correctly rated fuse or fail CE certification. Hence many plugs are 3A or 5A, very occasionally they are even 1A. Check out all you lamps. TVs, laptop/ tool chargers, hi fi, etc etc. My guess is that your house has far fewer 13A fuses than you think. Right fuse for the right equipment.
I'd say nearly 100% of loose plugs your average consumer is ever likely to see will be supplied with a 13A fuse...usually just along the shelf from the packets of spare fuses 😉
@@mcdon2401 That's because if plugs were sold with the lower rated fuses, folks would fit them to kettles and hair dryers, then complain the plug didn't work!
On two occasions I have found electrical items from certain German supermarkets came with 13 amp fuses when they should be only 3 amp so it's worth checking purchases.
How to wire a plug
As always.a very good demo and explained plug wiring. 13 amp fuse for UK 3 pin plug are always brown writing. For easy visual if u can't see the txt on it.
Good tip - not heard that one before.
Back when I was younger (which was many years ago) I always recall the wires being black red and green and remembering B "left" lack / R "right" ed. It's a chain of thought that still sticks in my head today whenever I need to wire a plug (also works for blue and brown)
Blue has an 'L' in it = left and Brown has an 'R' in it = right.
That's one of the ways that we were taught to remember the orientation at college many years ago.
Just a free tip.
Looking forward to the next episode in this series👍👍
Thanks Cliff
Brown will also be the colour of your trousers, should you touch it (okay, so only true if it is plugged in and the back is off and the switch is on... but you get the idea 😉😁)
B L ue = B ottom L eft.
B R own = B ottom R ight.
Stuart thank you. I used to hate fitting plugs - now I just dislike it. It helps that it doesn't look like spaghetti junction afterwards and you dread an actual sparks seeing it. That's at least the third tip I used of yours, so it only seemed fair to sub ;)
NIce video. It might be worth mentioning a safety feature of these plugs - the brown is shortest so that if the cable is tugged and the cord grip fails, then the live will be disconnected first. Lots of people have tripped over cables over the years. The earth and neutral are longer (and should have a little slack) so that they remain connected. That is what I was told anyway - might be an urban myth 🤷♂
I think you are correct, the length of the wires inside are that size for safety reasons.
Always leave a bit of slack for the earth wire if there's space in the plug.
Very handy video
I learnt this years ago, taught my son also as he had to do it in school, he passed.
Iam still watching this episode also 😀
Thanks Kris
Very informative will be referring back in a month as have a cable to fit through the side of a wardrobe.
Memories of a work experience day at an aerospace company where they had a group of us wiring up a hundred or so plugs as they didn't really know what to do with us. They then took them apart at the end cause we were just 16 after all.
Thanks. That sounds like a bit of 'job creation'
i really think the new series is going to work. can you maybe do a video on how to change a single gang socket to a double.
Although I've done plenty of these ...knowledge to others is essential
Nice video Stuart but it may be worth pointing out that to comply with latest regulations the line and the neutral pins must be insulated to stop your fingers touching them when removing the plug from the wall socket. There are many appliances sold in secondhand shops which have the old plugs still on - it is illegal to sell them like this but it does still happen. So if you are putting a plug on an appliance don't just find an old one at the bottom of a drawer - make sure it has insulated terminals!
Really - I've not seen an old plug without insulated pins for many years. I will look for one now!
@@ProperDIY They are still about I have one here but cant put photo on reply!
Top work as always Stuart!
Thank you John.
Great video, full of useful tips....Perhaps these "basics" should be part of the national curriculum?
I find that many people assume that because it is called 13A plug that only a 13A fuse should be used. As others have noted the cable on some appliances or the appliance (table lights being simple example) should only have a 3A fuse. Surprisingly one of my extension leads with 2 sockets should only have 10A fuse as limiting factor is the cable.
Also I leave the earth as longest so if the cable clamp slips the safety connection is last to be compromised
Thanks Ralph
I worked a Saturday job in the small electricals dept of a dept store, back in the early and mid eighties. Manufacturers would often do trade-in promotions, leading to customers presenting us with their old Hoover, kettle, toaster etc., etc. By far, the vast majority had very badly fitted plugs and so the very first thing we did with all of them was to chop off the plug. Also worth noting, is some customers buying new products, especially the more mature folk, would ask us to fit a plug, but for insurance reasons we had to politely refuse. They were given a plug for free though! :)
I had to do an afternoon course on how to connect a plug, your explanation was far more succinct! Could I point out that the measurements included with the card are to ensure that if the flex is pulled then the earth will be the last wire to lose connection (for safety).
Proper job mate, very well explained and my I say. Well done to you mate, excellent video and even watched you on evaluation. 🤩
Glad you enjoyed it. Thanks - yes Evolution tools was fun to do.
It's great that you're doing these basics, we're losing so many skills because of this "nanny state" we're being brought up in. I learnt how to wire a plug before I was 13. I cringe when I see some of the things people are asking for help with on local Facebook groups.
Yes exactly!
@@ProperDIY I use a scalpel when trimming wire back, cuts through the plastic sheathing on the wires with ease, no chance of cutting the cable itself. As I rotate the end it slowly comes off as the wires get twisted. If I've got my soldering equipment out (got an entire rework station that I have to put away when not in use) I fold the twisted wires back to touch the sheathing and then tin them creating an anchor point for the screws in the plug pins creating a very secure grip.
Newbie question: At 10:44, you explained that we don't want copper exposed below the screw but what about the top of the screw? I noticed that the top of the screw ( and all 3 screws, in fact), the copper is exposed and appears to be touching the white plastic. Is that safe? Thank you.
My sparky friend recommended cutting the cable long snd doubling up the copper
I used to work somewhere where we had to unpack a product, change a EU plug to a UK one and repack it within one minute. Zero Fs were given and was all top brands, so if you buy something with a plug like this (with a screw, not a sealed one) open it up and check it!
Thats interesting - we all assume they are fitted at the factory
@@ProperDIY vast majority are, but if some companies based in the UK sell internationally and have surplus stock fitted with an EU plug, they'll sometimes consider it cheaper to pay a reworking company to chop the factory fitted sealed EU plug off and manually fit a UK one rather than producing more stock. Then it's a case of does the reworking company care about speed (money) or quality more.. quality control checking 1% and only correcting the checked ones where I worked 🙄
My dad taught my mum to change a plug in the 1970's, whenever she did she'd put her wellies on (to earth her !?) before plugging in ...
Also used to know someone who would just use the pins of an unwired plug to push the bare wires of a flex into the socket 😱
The idea of the wellies was to supposedly insulate you from earth in case you touched the live wire. Thus, in theory, no path to earth saving you from an electric shock/electrocution. Not much use if you accidentally happened to touch live and neutral, though.
Blimey I knew some of that!
That said, this type of content is excellent
Thank you!
I always remember when doing a plug
Blue is to the left L
Brown is to the right R
Second letter of each colour
Nice one!
9 points of a possible 9 my CSE grade 1 Human Biology (practical) still not sure why biology but heck I'm glad I had a father that taught me some of this stuff because the teachers hadn't! I wondered why it was going to take 17 minutes to explain but not rushing it is a great idea. But 13amp fuse on a 1.5mm cable?
Is it okay to make the markings with the sharpie pen if you are actually wiring a plug or was that literally just for demonstration purposes?
I keep old double-edged razor blades for stripping; with light pressure (pressing without drawing/cutting), they'll cut/score the insulation without damaging the conductor.
Exactly - nice one.
Single edge blades are safer though
Hi I have question I want to put 4 minni led bulbs witch is 3w each can you recommend please witch holder and wire and fuse plug will I use? Thanks
amazing, thanks
DIY Basics
Brilliant stuff
Thank you !
Only Stewart can make a "how to fit a plug" video interesting 🙂
One of the best plug designs in the world adopted by several countries
Yep
Not one of the best designs, THE best design,
That and the ring main system. Improved by the introduction of partly insulated live and neutral pins. Back in the 80's I remember being in a posh hotel in Beijing and finding they used 13 amp sockets.
Helpful tip:
b(L)ue = Left hand side; b(R)own = Right hand side as you look down on the plug.
I just made this comment before seeing yours. Guessing you were taught the same in school decades ago.
I remember a story about my Dad putting a piece of Liquorice on a plug and giving it to me to chew on when I was like 2 or something, and then watching the horrific look on my mums face when she saw me eating the Liquorice. Pretty sure that's what turned me into a electronics technician :) . Great video , well explained and no Liquorice cord
Thanks - no liquorice here!
I’ve just had to replace a plug on my hoover, but there’s no neutral wire. Do I need a certain type of plug?
mum taught me how to wire about when i was 10+, blue left brown right and whatevers left goes up top 😄
and i only trust MK.
Same here... Second letter of the colours.... bLue to the Left , bRown to the right.
@@ianjeffery3762 Same. Maybe we are just old haha
@@SiAnon not old enough for red and black though!
@@ianjeffery3762 Shame my house is lol
I was taught to look at the second letter - the bLue goes to the Left and the bRown goes to the Right!
That is a bit risky as it depends which way up you have the plug or which way around it is. I was already taught brown is live because that is the colour of your pants if you touch it.
@@home-space I also remember that the live has to attach to the fuse. It's multi-faceted.
@@iainamurray we don’t have fuses in our plugs so it is not as clear. Fuses are in the distribution box.
@Purple Burglar Alarm In Australia and NZ it is in reverse and earth is at the bottom. The diagram that was provided with the plug was on the wrong way around, which reversed the live and neutral pins. If the fuse wasn’t on the plug, it may not be as clear for many novices. We get a colour coded diagram with our plugs to avoid confusion and we don’t have fuses in them. Also our earth pin is at the bottom of the plug where it looks like the UK plug the earth is at the top. That reverses the sides
@@home-space This is a video about how to change a UK plug....
I always put a loop in the earth cable to leave it as long as possible
A video of how to extend a lead on an appliance would be good mate ❤
This was needed 👌🏾👍🏾
Thank you
Confirmation that I am doing it right! (With non-UK plugs that is :D) very nicely and clearly explained! Can't wait to see more DIY Basics! :)
Thank you
Hi Stuart, what’s your thoughts on stripping back 10mm (as opposed to 5) and folding the cable back on itself before securing into the terminals? Does it make for a ‘better’ or safer connection in your view? Cheers
Great video!
Thanks Matt. Stripping more and folding back is fine if you twist the strands tightly so when you fold it you have a nice, tight end you can actually get into the hole in the pin. I'm not convinced it gives a better connection - tightening the screw on the pin properly is more important I think.
I was always taught to do this but agree that either method should be fine.
I was taught not to cut across the outer sheathing like that because of the risk of going through the cable strands and into the copper wire. It is very easy to do for someone who is not used to installing a plug
So how do you remove it then?
@@rafflesnh cutting a couple of nicks at the end of the outer sheathing and then pulling it apart to split it with fingers or plyers downwards and then trimming it off at the right length
@@home-space Sounds like that will need a bit of practice to pull it back to the correct length without overshoot, but will give it a go next time as I'm forever nicking the inner wire sheathings too!
0:18 That face 😂 Comedy gold!
Here in The Netherlands the plugs do look different, never seen one with a fuse built in, actually. Maybe they exist, I don't know really...🤔
Only UK uses fuses inside plugs. In other countries the fuses or breakers on the panel are 10-16 A so no fuses in plugs are needed.
I think I would dispute that most devices in the home need a 13A fuse and say that most will need 5A max, often fine with 3A. I think that the only things that will really need 13A are extension leads and things like kettles and heates or fires.
And you can get fuses in 1,3,5,7,10 and 13A ratings
I live in Australia now and do miss the UK plugs system as the current Aussie plug is flimsy and lacks a lot of the safety features and build of the UK plug.
14:50 The Neutral is too long.
I always remember it as 'Brown is Live because you sh*t yourself when you die"
I wish we had these in US.
They’re the best plug in the world
Until you step on one lying prongs-up with bare feet
They are pretty darn good.
@@TAP7a The advantage to that though, is that you can easily find it in the dark......
Hi Stuart - sorry to pedantic but there's a serious error! It's NOT Live it's LINE! BS7671. Calling brown live gives the mistaken impression to some that Neutral does not carry voltage. It's AC so neutral most definitely does carry 230V with respect to earth.
Also, the earth wire (now called common circuit protection - CPC - as may not actually be an earth BS 7671) is the longest in the plug so it's the last to be disconnected if the lead is yanked - a lovely planned safety measure.
Keep up the great films - miss the old beginning with the knome and broken sweeping brush.
CPC - Circuit Protective Conductor.
Don’t forget that this is a Basics video. Joe Bloggs will know them as live, neutral, and earth rather than line, neutral, and cpc.
Exactly - thanks Ian.
No it does not . That is why it is called neutral. It is grounded so it does not have voltage. Sure if it breaks then the other end will have the main voltage.Remember Neutral and earth are connected at the entry to the building so what is on the neutral is on the earth. This is not strictly true as if the consumption is high it produces some small voltage to the neutral as the wire has some resistance.
I think you have problem understanding negative voltages. The phase wire varies between +325 V and -325 V referenced to the earth while neutral is at the earth potential. Many seem to think that in AC somehow the voltage comes half the cycle from the live and the other half from the neutral. This is a very common misconception.
Alternatively you are mixing current and voltage. Neutral of course has the same current as live.
Very good,... but, the neutral needs to be shorter; when the cable is pulled through the cable grip, the live should be first or coincident with the neutral to disengage, earth should be the last of the 3 (L, N, E) to get pulled out. You have too much of a loop on the N so it looks like the N will remain intact after the earth has disengaged.
Great video !!! thanks
Glad you liked it!
The earth wire should have the most slack in it not the neutral so that the earth wire is the last to disconnect if cable gets pulled out. Or that's how I was taught
Something we learned as a kid has the new generations baffled……..
You may notice that both the neutral and the earth terminals' have their holes positioned at 90 degrees to the direction of any cable tension ( pull out) the live hole is aligned with direction of tension and is most likely to pull out first making the appliance non-functional, but safe being still connected to the earth in the plug, when I say "safe", I mean always approach any electrical failure with due caution. Clever people designed this plug, it's almost fool proof.
I always remember what my Dad told me "Blue left (Both 4 letters) Brown right (Both 5 letters).
Good one!
Does anyone know why most electricals have slotted screwheads as opposed to philips head which seem to be ubiquitous everywhere else?
I thought I was watching This Old Tony on some of the close in shots.
I am now 75 and remember when electrical items came with just wires and you had to pay extra for the plug. One reason could be different electrical systems. My parents house was.built in 1953 and had round pin plugs. They had it rewired around 1988.
Crazy now to think people had to do their own wiring. Incredibly dangerous. I also remember that teeth are bad wire strippers.
Yes we were doing this all the time back in the day. As you say there must have been some very questionable attempts out there.
Easy way to remember where the wires go BL = Blue Left , BR = Brown Right and anything left goes in the middle hahaha
I wouldn't trim anything off the length of the earth lead, because you want the earth to have the most slack.
I was taught how to wire a plug in my Physics class in the 80s. It scares me how people today have no clue how to wire one.
Yes, it appeared frequently as a GCE 'O' level Physics exam question at that time. An easy few marks, compared to some of the maths-heavy questions!
How things change
I’ve no knowledge of sockets or cables but I always thought that the cable had to be 2.5 mm for sockets and 1.5 for lights ?
2.5mm cable should be used if you're wiring sockets on a 16A breaker in a ring main (depending upon length) - the cable from the socket to the plug is unlikely to need to be anything over 1mm tbh
That is general sizing for the cable used in the electric installation. i.e the sockets and switches in your home.
Some lighting circuits may be 1mm², some specialised circuits for e.g cooker or shower may be up to 10mm².
This video refers to 'flex' attached to a removeable plug on a portable appliance.
@@MrABannaa Except that a ring main is usually wired in 2.5mm twin and earth (the grey flat cable) and the breaker would be a 32A
That is for fixed installations. Equipment cables are different as they are not inside walls so they cool better.
Hope People read all the comments.
I miss the days when red was live and brown was earth as that seemed so natural. When there is no diagram with the plug I now also double check by remembering b(R)own is right and b(L)ue is left.
Er no, when red was live (and neutral black) earth was solid green?
In Germany red was the ground so it would give shucking experiences if you changed the plug on a German device without knowing. There is a point in harmonizing the colors.
@@thomasfrancis5747 Was the idea to kill color blind people?
Take your time and get it right, don't rush. Like others have said, give it a tug.
nOOICE!
Thanks