Electrical: wiring a plug
Hand tools you will need:
A small insulated screwdriver
Any other electrician’s tool
Hour:
About five minutes
Skill level:
Easy for newcomers
Security First:
If in doubt about what you are doing, call the experts.
Wiring a plug
Wiring a plug is not difficult, however you will be surprised how often people get it wrong. The normal cause of electrical failure is a poorly wired plug.
You’ll find half a dozen common guidelines to follow when wiring a plug. In the event that you are unsure of any of them, leave the job to someone who understands exactly what they are doing or contact the professionals.
How to start
Step 1:
Open the actual plug, several require screws and some just click in and out of place.
Remove the outer jacket of the cable (the plastic-type material sheath) to reveal 4 cm of the insulated cables.
Step 2:
Strip insulation (remove cover from each wire) to leave approximately one centimeter of exposed metal on each wire.
Twist the wire strands together.
Step 3:
Connect your wiring to the correct terminals: your dark brown live wire joins the terminal on the fuse holder marked L, the blue neutral wire joins its terminal marked N, and the green and yellow ground wire joins the terminal near the top of the plug marked E. (Many appliances will not have a ground wire because they are double insulated and have no exposed metal parts.)
Step 4:
Depending on the plug style, run the exposed metal core of each wire through or around each terminal and also tighten the terminal screws.
Step 5:
Make sure the insulation reaches each terminal and that there are no loose wires.
Place the flex firmly on the cable grip making sure the grip is attached to the outer insulating sleeve of the flex.
Step 6:
Read the instructions on the appliance to see exactly what fuse rating is required and which is the correct fuse in the plug.
Replace the plug cover and make sure none of the outer insulation is damaged or chipped.
Historical past of electricity
Electric power is something we take for granted in our everyday lifestyles and living without it is practically unthinkable. It’s hard to believe that not much more than a hundred years ago, properties along with businesses didn’t have it at all.
Many people assume that Benjamin Franklin came across electrical energy by doing his well-known kite flying tests in 1752, although electricity was not discovered at one point.
In the next hundred years, quite a few inventors and scientists tried to find a method of using electrical energy to create light. In 1879, American designer Thomas Edison was finally able to produce a long-lasting, reliable electric light bulb in his research laboratory, and in 1881 the world’s first experimental electric plant was opened in Godalming, England.
Although Edison is normally regarded as the founder of electricity, it was the AC system of his former employee Nikola Tesla that ultimately triumphed in the challenge for supremacy.
Were you conscious?
Static electrical energy was first discovered by the Greek philosopher Thales of Miletus around 600 BC. C. and over time the idea developed.