American Attempts To Wire a UK Wall Socket and Plug

[@TheEclecticBeard]

For everyone commenting I didn't have sheathing. Otherwise I'd have put it on there. We don't have sheathing on a lot of our grounds over here nor do we sheathe them if the don't. If I had known that little feature I'd have done it.

[@daveofyorkshire301]

Usually Earth would have a Yellow & Green sleeve on the exposed wire...

[@daveofyorkshire301]

Plug: the outer cover should be under the cable clip, and each wire should be cut to fit, so if it is pulled out the live wire comes out first....

[@daveofyorkshire301]

The reason there's two in the example is because the UK runs a "ring main" so it goes in and back out to the next socket...

[@jessicapayne8622]

Sheathing???

[@Elldeeve]

Do you have a kettle? As in an electric one? I heard lots of people don’t. I doubt there is a single house, shop, factory etc without one in the uk.

[@jasonward3175]

Quick tip dont leave that hanging around on the floor you tread on a uk plug you'll jump higher than a kangaroo and swear and curse like never before those things hurt any uk reading this knows what I'm talking about lol take care Alan

[@dalespellman1719]

Makes lego seem like a joke to stand on 🤣

[@thisisstuart7951]

Been there even from night shift 5am really want to go to bed walking bare foot tread on it

[@R0G3RZ87]

Yep if you live here and have not stood on a plug your a very lucky person indeed

[@Twotrainsrunning-u8y]

Crippling agony. Its more painful than having your leg bitten off by a shark.

[@davidbirchall832]

You can train for years, on lego and still not be prepared for a 3 pin plug...😉🤣

[@Stuartrusty]

Greetings from Norfolk, UK. Son of electrician here. I have also been in electrical/electronic engineering for the best part of 35 years. I have to say that this is not bad for a first attempt. Word of advice on wiring the plug, a majority of mains electrical plugs sold in the UK have a piece of thin card over the pins with wiring instructions and layout printed on them, I don't know whether your plug had it? It tells you how much outer insulation to strip away, how much length to cut the Live, Neutral and Earth, and how much insulation to strip off them. All lengths are usually shown in millimetres. Use of cord grip is essential to prevent wires being pulled out of the terminals of the plug. I can remember as a teen helping my dad rewire houses. I used to watch in awe as he would prepare and strip all the cables with just a pair of electrician's pliers. He never damaged any cables or scored any of the copper conductors, everything went in perfectly! Edit, I can also remember being taught how to wire a mains plug correctly at my first year of high school (1979) in our science class. Great 'have a go' attitude that you have EB, good job.

[@highpath4776]

Yep, taught in science too on that, teacher inspected all our work. Then we went back to bare wires held in the sockets with matchsticks as it was easier, lol. Got an A/O level in Electricty and Electronics.

[@okaro6595]

In Finland at the time you were strictly prohibited from wiring plugs or anything. We were old that te only thing you were allowed to do is to plug the plug in the socket and replacing a fuse was on the border whether it was allowed. Not that it prevented people. If a TV had an ungroudned plug that did not fit a grounded socket, people changed or modified it or made an illegal cord that removed the grounding - who cares about safety. Around mid 80s they did allow wiring plugs and hooking lamps to the ceiling but still anything related to fixed installation is not allowed.

[@kamelionify]

Congratulations on passing the first stage of becoming an electrician in the UK. The second stage consists of learning to suck air through your teeth followed immediately by tutting while shaking your head when asked how much a job will cost.

[@tobytaylor2154]

Skills cost 💰 lol

[@loafersheffield]

Are you speaking from experience? You a "sparky". If so, I hereby challenge you to a dual. Plumber here.

[@markshaw270]

@@tobytaylor2154 exactly. Get what you pay for.

[@enemyofthestatewearein7945]

1x Oh dear = £100 2x oh dear = £200 Etc. etc.

[@tobytaylor2154]

@@enemyofthestatewearein7945 I go with riiiiight ok then deep breath

[@BedsitBob]

I'm pleased to see you're using a VDE compliant screwdriver. 😁

[@IanDarley]

There has to be a fuse because the ring circuit (outlet circuit) is usually protected by a 32Amp breaker. If a set of Christmas lights for instance were to develop a short, the wire would vaporise in a fireball before the breaker tripped so they would have a 3 Amp fuse in the plug. Each device (lamps, heaters, hair straighteners etc.) have an appropriate fuse that is just big enough for the device's requirements and less than the safe limits of the device's flex. The reason for the two sets of wire entering into the socket is the ring circuit. The feed comes from the breaker and is daisy-chained from one outlet to the next and this goes all the way back to the breaker panel, so each outlet is fed from two directions. This reduces the required thickness of wire and prevents the power from dropping as you move further from the panel.

[@highpath4776]

I have real problems trying to work out what was done with the ceiling light wiring, should be live in (From switch ) neutral in, and an earth. But where the lives go out again (I have two lights in one room off one switch , it looks like they have been done out and back to the second light, and basically looks wrong , so goodness knows how it worked ?

[@monteclark1115]

I like the fuse feature on the plug, I think that should be used in North America too.

[@okaro6595]

@@monteclark1115 It is not needed as the socket circuits are max 20 A.

[@monteclark1115]

@@okaro6595 but the cords on some appliances are not and I have seen some appliances catch fire. Heating pads and electric blankets are the first thing that comes to mind. I had a new kitchen blender that shorted out and caught fire. Fuses in the plug are definitely a necessity.

[@patrickgallagher3513]

I have HUGE admiration for the chap who invented the strap that stops us ripping the wires out of the plug when the hoover gets to the end of the wire! Great video!!!

[@25dimensionsfrancis42]

Good effort .The trick is to have the earth wire a bit longer then not so much to squeeze into the internal channels of the plug but that comes with practice then there are no wires showing outside of the plug only the white outer sleeve. Wire cutters are very useful . If thats your first time then very well done.

[@stephenfletcher2439]

You should ideally have the Earth wire the longest, then the Neutral wire and the Live wire should be the shortest length so if the cable gets pulled and the wires aren't clamped down correctly the live will come away fires and everything should be safe. But you should also, as you said, make sure that the outer sheath is clamped firmly in the plug.

[@Otacatapetl]

Easiest way is to fit only the earth wire, then cut the others to suit.

[@PHDarren]

Slightly too much white outer cable trimmed, it's best to have the white thicker outer cable gripped by the screw clamp just inside the plug (which I think you missed and just put the wires over it. Measure what you cut and trim by putting the cable onto the open plug and seeing where the grip is, trim back to there.

[@TheMattlockyer]

Usually there is also a paper template that comes with the plug that tells you exactly how long to cut and shred the wires. Obviously thats only available if the plug is new. I leave a little bit more slack in the earth so that if the cable is yanked the earth is the last wire disconnected.

[@joyfulzero853]

Not just better; it is essential for the cable grip to be gripping the outer sheath.

[@sparky4878]

I recall the Tom Scott video about our plugs and all the features, some I hadn’t really thought about. Made me proud to be British!

[@Mephistopheles-in-play]

That was a great TS video. Ensured I'll never forget brown is live (ok, I wasn't gonna forget that anyway!)

[@clayhead12000]

I was taught a great trick to remember where the wires go when wiring a plug, you just need the first two letters of the colour of the wire. Blue - BL - bottom left, brown - BR - bottom right.

[@yrath5034]

How about the resistor colour code? In Cardiff I was taught the most racist and misogynistic mnemonic ever. I've never forgotten it though!

[@stevethomas5849]

@John Foxton I wish it was still Red and Black especially on 3 core and earth with the yellow intermediate

[@alanhynd7886]

"Nothing hurts like love" sang Daniel Bedingfield. It just goes to show that he'd never trodden on an upturned UK 3 pin plug when barefoot.

[@babalonkie]

"Every mans home is his castle" Our castles have Anti-Intruder minefields... we just unplug our appliances and leave the plugs on the floor...

[@barryedwards1336]

Glad to see that you watched how to wire up the wall socket so now you know how to do it properly, also good news for you is the new standard for mains cable is that the earth wire is already covered in green, so you just have pare it back like the other two, now for the plug see if you can find a video on how to do it properly, as your effort would not pass inspection, and is dangerous, here is the reasons, the outer casing of the whole wire must be the only part of the cable that is clamped with the plug clamp, the loose inner wires are of different lenghts for a reason, the live brown or red being the shortest just long enough to reach the terminal block, then the blue or black one, again just long enough to reach its terminal block, lastly the green/yellow one, let this one have a little more slack in the length, but not so much as you have to cram it into the plug to get it in, reasons behind why they are wired this way, the live one is the first one to break free and cut off power if the cable gets pulled very harshly, then blue/black, and finally the green/yellow, lastly always have the correct screw driver for the job, a pen knife cannot get get the screw tight enough, always safety first, electrics can kill.

[@GeordieAmanda]

Tip my grandfather gave me was to always wire the earth wire with the most slack in it's path. The theory being if somebody trips over the cable and pulls the wires partly out of the socket, you want the live wire to be pulled out first and the earth wire to stand the best chance of being retained, still connected to the earth pin :)

[@jgharston]

Well done, that was good as a first attempt. Others have probably said: the flex sheath must be inside the plug, held by the flex clamp. It's easier for a novice to dismantle the clamp and put it back after. A trick for stripping the sheath on cable is to use a *blunt* knife and push it down lengthways between the bare earth and the neutral wire - blunt to avoid nicking the wire but sharp enough to cut the PVC. And even after 50 years, stripping the sheath on flex is *still* a bugger because it so tightly encases the inner wires.

[@ProMooch]

I can't lie, that was painful to watch. They say that a bad workman blames his tools but man, you can certainly blame a large park of that on the lack of tools. Good effort, interesting to watch you learning as you go, as others have said about the length of cable for the plug. Also the socket would generally have the exposed copper part doubled over and then slotted into the terminal to give the screw something to hold on to with it just being a single cable in there.

[@dzzope]

Best way I suggest doing this is: Feed the flex (flexible wire vs the stiffer in wall wire) under the clamp (the 2 bottom screws) Remove the earth pin, Attach earth wire (you only need to strip about 1/4" of bare wire) From here you can split the outer sheath and trim the Blue and brown to suitable lengths to reach their respective spots and strip the 1/4" off the end. Side cutters / snips are useful. But a knife is fine.. If you slice the sheath gently then pull it will come off cleanly. Then if you pull the wires apart, the outer sheath will split and you can trim as much as you need from there As for the design, They are made, as you observed, with integrated fuse and earth. They also have insulator covering the bottom half of the live and neutral pins so you cannot touch the metal when it is making connection. The earth is the longer pin and this means that earth is always first to connect but also the socket has integrated covers for the live and neutral which the live pin actuates and allows access. Otherwise kids could put stuff in them :)

[@fraserjackson]

I agree - removing the pins (which the instructions don't mention as a possibility for some reason) is always the easiest way to get the lengths right.

[@mljwaffle007]

I think it’s a right of passage, to learn to wire a plug. I believe I learnt to wire one when I was very young something like 5 maybe. I found it fascinating and enjoyed doing it! You appeared to do a reasonable job of it for your first go, though I was wary of your fingers or the cable with that knife lol wire strippers all the way for me or pliers at a pinch. Most people have explained the errors and miss understandings. Keep well and enjoy yourself

[@ltsecomedy2985]

Hi E.B., I`ve never wired a wall socket always left that to the professionals. However, I did learn as a teen, how to wire a plug & a 4-way extension socket. The only thing I would have done differently with the plug, asides from the yellow-green earth wire as mentioned by 25dimensions Francis. At the bottom of the plug were the wire goes in through the hole, inside the plug is a little bar with two small screws. This is used to go across the top of the wires & tightens them to hold them in. When I did plugs, I would have it, so the end of the white outer covering was held in the plug by that bar. Not just the thin blue/brown/yellow-green ones. So, if someone pulls the plug cable with their foot or something, it`s not just the thin wires.

[@MovieCaveDave]

For someone who don’t know our plugs I was impressed, what I normally do is take the pins out of the plug, wire em up and then slide them back in, just easier to screw, but everyone’s got some kinda opinion lol, easy 8/10 from me…oh and it’s ok to fold over the excess wire and twist it so it’s a little tighter especially if you’ve cut it to long saves cutting it with cutters or a knife lol

[@BedsitBob]

It's not just having a fuse in the plug, that's a good idea. Having half sheathed live and neutral pins, to prevent the pins being touched while energised, is also a good idea.

[@okaro6595]

The fuse is there for a reason. In the UK they use ring mains where the breaker can be 32 A. In other countries one cannot have normal sockets in so high current circuits. It is not some additional safety but an integral part of the system the reconstruction committee designed. The system is ugly in that the fuse in the plug protects also the socket. The socket should not be protected by the thing that is plugged on it.

[@circus1701]

You did alright. I taught my wife to change a plug just after we got married (1967) and devised a memory aid for the three cables - red on the right - green for earth (grass) - and black on left. Then the buggers changed the colour codes and I had to change the memory aid bRown on the Right (Brown got an R in it ). Earth had an added yellow stripe (I made up a story about yellow patches on the lawn from our female dog - but we won't go there) and then black and blue both start with B. We are both as yet un-electricuted so it must have worked.

[@GaryHayward]

In the video you watched there are two cables being connected to the socket. Possible reasons to connect more than one cable to a socket are: (1:) to effectively increase cross-sectional conductor area (CSA), therefore current rating, and/or (2:) because it's going to be connected to another socket, either as part of a radial circuit (not a very common type of wall socket circuit in the UK) run, or spur on a ring (final) circuit (a very common type of wall socket circuit in the UK); or to the fuse box/consumer unit to complete the ring (final) circuit that it's a part of.

[@darrenjones5885]

Have a look at how the plug and socket interact. The live and neutral sockets have a shutter that is opened by the earth pin, and the conductive part of the live and neutral pins are inside the socket before they make connection. They’re designed to be as electrically safe as possible.

[@loafersheffield]

Electroboom channel did an upload on UK sockets. It's hilarious.

[@kinasc1575]

@@loafersheffield The posh hotel room wall socket, BANG!!🤣🤣🤣

[@replevideo6096]

When wiring the plug, cut the outer sheath so that the earth wire will just reach into the earth terminal, and the outer sheath will fit under the cable clamp. If you fit the earth wire first, you can then easily asses how long the live and neutral wires need to be. Many plugs are designed so that all 3 wires can be the same length, but that's not universal. It is essential to fit the cable clamp otherwise the wires will pull out sooner or later. It must grip the outer sheath not the 3 inner wires. The insulation on the inner wires should terminate very close to the terminals so that there is a minimum of bared wire. Your effort looked reasonably safe except for the omission of the cable clamp, so good try for a beginner. The slide on sheath for the earth to the socket was a regulation brought in around 1970, so many older houses do not have it unless they have been rewired.

[@andrewlaw]

Grey wiring without sheathing on copper wire is typically used in high current draw applications like an electric cooker. It would be hard wired into a cooker specific socket behind the cooker and on a separate relay on the fuse board. Standard white wiring, cut 3" outside sheath off and push under the loose cord grip making sure the yellow green can reach the top earth connection. Tighten the cord grip now so it can't pull out. Trim the blue neutral wire and attach on left terminal, trim brown live wire and attach to terminal on right equipped with a fuse. Pull cord and check the wires are all secure before putting the back onto the plug. We used to be taught this at school before it became law that all electrical appliances came with a pre-fitted safety plug.

[@Howling-Mad-Murdock]

This has probably been mentioned but anyway, the back box in the vid at the end had 2 wires going in because our rooms usually have all the sockets on a ring main, means they’re all daisy chained together. Each room has its own ring main with a capacity of 30amps, 240 volts x 30 amps = 7200 watts before you trip the consumer unit (fuse box). The fuse in the plug is to protect the cable going into the plug. The live and neutral prongs on the plug are shorter so they come out the socket before the earth prong does. As someone else said, standing in bare feet on an upturned plug is at least 15x more painful than childbirth. Don’t know about anyone else but I’d be interested in seeing how it all works over there. Always like your vids mate, keep it up.👍

[@The.Conqueeftador]

The way I was told on my very first day of college was to remember which way round the cables went, we were told to take the second letter as a indicator, so bLue cable went on the left and bRown went on the right when doing a plug. That's literally the only thing I remember from all those years ago😂😂

[@baylessnow]

I remembered it like this. Most 13 amp fuses are brown so, brown (or red for older wiring) to the fuse and blue (black) to the other. Earth to the top. The earth is big so connect it to the big pin.

[@StorminBriski]

@@baylessnow all 13a fuses are brown, 3a red and others (5a 10a) are black.

[@ethelmini]

The socket would be fitted to a pattress box. Plastic if it's on the wall, metal if it's in it. They also have earths, usually the mounting screws will make the connection. Most UK sockets will be wired in a ring main, so you'd have 2 conductors in each terminal. That's why the plug has a fuse - the ring will be rated at 32amps (240vac)

[@phil5959]

That does depend on which way round you hold the plug

[@crumbleduffer2127]

Similar to how we were taught, we did BLue Bottom Left, BRown Bottom Right

[@taffyalan6387]

You did a great job with the plug the easiest way to remember is Take the first two letters of the wires Brown(L) BR goes to Bottom Right Blue(N) BL goes to Bottom Left and green goes to 3rd Pin

[@alimuduk]

I was just going to say this, I always remember BLue Bottom Left, BRown bottom right.

[@richieb7692]

For a genuine first attempt, you're pretty good. I've seen far worse wiring all over the place. A good tip, is that if you dont have a small screwdriver, a table knife works absolutely fine.

[@davidholden2658]

The reason there are two cables going to the socket is that in the UK virtually all homes have the power sockets on a ring main. So the cable goes from the consumer unit (fuse box) to the sockets in a big loop and then back to the consumer unit. It's one of the reasons we have a fuse in each plug. I believe in most countries sockets are on radial circuits. Ring circuits were chosen after WWII as they use less cable and strategic metals like copper were in short supply at the time. If you were wiring a spur off a ring circuit it would look like what you did with just one cable.

[@johnpublicprofile6261]

Merge lanes in the UK are often used as "traffic calming" measures i.e. to slow the traffic down. For example on a road that passes by a lot of houses it may be deliberately narrowed at two points with these "merge lane" stop sections. Priority is given to people leaving the built up area so that cars entering either end of the built up area typically have to stop or at least slowdown as they are at a stop point. We don't tend to have USA like stop signs as if you are at a junction or you are about to the junction double line road markings it is bleeding obvious that you should be cautious. Also we don't have police for profit where you can be stopped for any technical infringement (real or imagined) no matter how safe the circumstances,

[@kevanparker908]

Guernsey as a good sign, "Filter in turn" never seen one in England.

[@elliotwilliams7421]

Uk electrician here...............I'll be marking you out of 10

[@elliotwilliams7421]

Grey twin and earth......snip one of the sides off with a pair of side cutters then grab the earth and rip it open

[@DMCDObidon]

When did twin and earth change from Red and black to Brown and blue? I trained as an electrician in 1987/88 but didn't persue as there was too much maths 😁

[@lilyliz3071]

Don't know if it's still done but we learned how to do this in high school,comes in very handy so one of the better lessons

[@brooza664]

Not any more

[@Gattancha]

I remember doing this in school as well, but yeah my son hasn't been taught...

[@johnnythefixer]

Some UK plugs come with a piece of cardboard at the back, showing the lengths you need to cut the wires to, in order to fit them correctly. You'd be surprised how many people in the UK don't know how to wire a plug.

[@peterdurnien9084]

There should have been a bit of card pushed over the plug pins which shows you how long to cut each of the wires from the outer white sheath. for the plug. This means that when all wired correctly the clamp is clamping on the white sheaf and not on the individual wires. Otherwise a good first effort.

[@watfordjc]

The powder within the twin & earth cable is to prevent the cores sticking to the outer PVC sheath. Some electricians might note a lack of powder as a sign they are working with a cheap inferior cable that is going to be a PITA to work with. Not an electrician, but the thing I hate most when it needs replacing & wiring in the UK are ceiling pendant lights.

[@givenfirstnamefamilyfirstn3935]

The first road sign is about high vehicles passing under the centre of low arched bridges. There is a funny site about a low bridge in the U.S. which catches out the unwary despite installed automatic warning lights.

[@ethelmini]

In the instructional video he's wiring the socket in to a ring main. That's where the sockets all connect in a daisy chain starting & finishing at the fuse box/consumer unit/distribution board... Hence 2 of each wire. It's also why the plug must have a fuse as the ring main fuse/breaker will be 32amps. The whole system uses less copper because we had a bit of a shortage after making billions of shells & bullets for world wars. My house was originally wired with steel. The pins are square because we also have unfused sockets with round pins. Very rare now, but they do still exist. ...cut in a ring around the flex's sheath. It'll split when bend it, allowing you to pull the end off, thanks to that talc.

[@milanondrak5564]

Easy tip with wiring a UK plug, BRown bottom right terminal, BLue Bottom left terminal, Green in top terminal. I've deliberately used capitals in the words blue and brown so you can see the concept.

[@steevenfrost]

Although the plug is called 13 amp, the fuse inside can vary according to the rating of the electrical device. The more powerful the device the higher rating the fuse will have to be. for example a table lamp or radio, would have a 3 amp fuse or a T.V which I have that has a 5 amp fuse, whereas a vacuum cleaner would need a 13 amp fuse

[@Brian-1948]

Remember however that the fuse protects the cable not the device connected to it.

[@markshaw270]

@@Brian-1948 so why is It when I've had a fuse blow and changed fuse and then the item worked just fine.

[@Brian-1948]

@@markshaw270 Because the fuse has done it's job of protecting the cable when the device created a fault and blew the fuse. With the different sized fuse for each appliance there is a corresponding change in cable size. 13amp fused cable would be around 2.5sq.mm whereas a 5amp fused cable could be around 0.5sq.mm.

[@henrybest4057]

Originally there were 2A, 3A, 5A, 7A, 10A and 13A fuses. This confused many people, so the list was reduced to 3A, 5A and 13A only.

[@timberwolf5211]

Well done on your first attempt at wiring a UK socket and plug! I don't know if this has been mentioned, or if you know it already, but if you hadn't noticed, the top pin, the earth, is longer than the other two. This is another safety feature. I'm not an electrician, but as far as I know, the top pin being longer than the others, connects first, allowing the flow of electricity through the plug. Basically if the earth pin isn't engaged, then a kid sticking something into the bottom holes, technically they shouldn't get electrocuted. With our mains power being about double of yours, we take safety seriously. I think you'll enjoy our road signs! Lol Just remember when your here, we don't turn on a red. And on a roundabout, which are everywhere, remember to give way to the right.

[@ChrisLow224]

Alan… I’m 48 in 5 days. It still confuses the hell out of me!! I’ve always remembered it by “bLue (emphasis on the ‘L’ to signify left) & bRown… (again, the ‘R’ for the right) - stripy wire was always the earth!!😂

[@jgharston]

I don't know if anybody's touched on it, but another part of the engineered design of the BS1363 plug is that the cord entry is a) at the side and b) the bottom side. It's sideways on so the cord is flush with the surface the plug is plugged into, rather than poking straight outwards (have you ever tried plugging a non-UK plug into a socket behind furniture?), and the entry is at the bottom to prevent stuff, muck, dust, etc falling into it.

[@briwire138]

Electrician here. Not bad for a first attempt and limited tools. If terminating a single wire in a socket outlet, it is best to strip twice as much copper conductor and double it over with pliers to give more meat to clamp down on.

[@stevehartley7504]

Live wire shortest Blue wire next and green yellow longest If flex pulled out of plug earth should be last to detach Flex should be held in place by bridge connection Never just holding internal wires Tip use pen knife folded over wire sheath and rotate to cut through Inside plug make sure no bare wires showing out of pin holes to reduce risk of spark inside plug Make sure fuse is correct for appliance TV 3 or 5 amp iron 13 amp

[@ManxAndy]

Hey EB…..well this is different, great video……👍😜🇮🇲

[@El_Smeghead]

We were taught to do this at school in the 1980s as appliances didn't used to come with plugs already attached back then.

[@crumbleduffer2127]

When we were taught to do this in school it wasn't good enough until our teacher could basically swing from the plug, that's the whole point of the cable grip (two screws at the base of the plug) because if he could, even if it took all of his strength, pull that cable out of that plug then it would likely come apart just as easy if someone tripped on the cable

[@Brummiemartin]

You got the gist of it...even if you had everything upside down - switches are at the top, and cables from plugs are at the bottom. Your double socket was fine if it was at the end of a circuit. If you are in a continuous circuit, then you will need one cable as the input and one as the output to keep the circuit going.

[@patriciaburke6639]

The one to the left of the Give Way Sign, on the front cover is: ‘Beware of Low Flying Motorcycles’. Lol😷

[@England-Bob]

While you have the U.K. plug and socket you can check out the safety features. First try and push a screwdriver or small blade into either the bottom two holes (switches are up the top end). Until the earth (longer pin on plug) is pushed in there is a shutter over the live and neutral. Also on the plug there are shielding over the bottom half of the live and neutral pins. That is there to stop fingers touching any metal on those pins until the plug is pushed in. Meaning when there is current going to the live the exposed part of the pin is shielded. Also within the plug the earth wire is longer then the neutral which is slightly longer then the live wire when the cord is pulled hard enough to come out the live disconnects first followed by the neutral leaving the exposed wires safe.

[@mattentwistle70]

The 3-pin plug is designed so that, when the plug is inserted into the socket, the longer of the 3 pins (ground) actually opens the 2 flaps that cover the 2 lower holes in the socket. This is so that when there is no plug in the socket, the 2 lower holes (live and neutral) are covered. This stops small children (or idiots) from putting their fingers etc into those 2 holes which could result in a nasty electrical shock. A very good and safe design that is really robust.

[@alansmithee8831]

Hello Alan. You have to use a qualified electrician for anything major, or at least get them to test and certify the circuits these days in UK. You can still do simple bits yourself, like wiring a plug. The number of times I have been somewhere with no tools and had to help someone. This was a lot better than an old table knife and pair of scissors. As a graduate scientist I had to study electronics. Still when I had to hire professional electricians both for previous jobs and for my house renovation, you can see why they earn their pay as they do this in seconds. I was relegated to hammer and chisel for the plaster and brickwork to bury the wires. I helped a British one out when in Spain, where the walls have hollow bricks that make this easier. European standard electrical fittings are different to UK. Ethan from Midwest Americans did a video on UK plugs. It was a good while back, so you might react to the same one?

[@GaryHayward]

After stripping the insulation off a conductor, I always bend the exposed copper back on itself so it's more securely held in the terminal.

[@joangordon3376]

A wee tip from a school lesson when I was about 14? . To wire a plug - there are three different coloured wires within the outer casing - bLue goes to the Left, bRown goes to the Right and the other one is the earth wire

[@JACB006]

Boy this is like watching a toddler learn to walk. Get some appropriate tools, wire stripper, smaller screw driver & some earth wire sleeving.

[@clemstevenson]

That plug is essentially the same as the 'rubber bathroom plug' in the Two Ronnies Fork Handles sketch of 1976. The trouble with having a 13 amp plug in a bathroom is not the plug itself, but rather the appliance on the other end of the wire. The appliance on the other end of the wire is unlikely to be waterproof, and 240 volts RMS AC (680 volts peak-to-peak sinewave) is potentially lethal.

[@MrTrilbe]

Next wiring challenge, someone send him a mock set up with a random mix of all wire colour combinations, pre-70's, '70-76, 76-2004 and current , some wired wrong, see if he can deal with what some UK sparkies have to deal with in older houses that have had their electrical wiring added onto randomly and not completely replaced 🤣

[@TheEclecticBeard]

Erm. That would definitely be interesting.

[@tobytaylor2154]

As a 52 yr old sparky, it always amuses me when I get a fresh out of college know it all youngster. First fault in a older property and they are lost, "why's this cable red or black?" etc.

[@MrTrilbe]

@@tobytaylor2154 why is this neutral cable live? Do you check to see if the live is in fact neutral and it wasn't installed wrong by a fresh out of college know it all? Or a cowboy?

[@tobytaylor2154]

@@MrTrilbe I got some shocking (excuse the punn) stories, things I've seen over the yrs.

[@MrTrilbe]

@@tobytaylor2154 oh I figured and do please tell

[@markcairns9574]

My Grandad taught me an easy way to remember which way around the wires go in a British three pin plug....... It's the second letter of the colour indicates its position. Blue (L) goes toa the left., Brown (R) goes to the right and the one left over goes to the top. Completing this task in the 'cubs' (cubs are a younger version of the scouts) scored me my handymans badge many many years ago.

[@mickmackem1479]

Lefty loosely righter tighter

[@laughingachilles]

This was a fun divergence from your usual stuff. Love from the UK :)

[@kieronmarshall2658]

You did well sir. Tom was wiring a ring main. Both cables go back the consumer unit(breaker), with sockets daisy chained around the room. It's a system that dates back to after the war when the cable was of poor quality due to shortages I believe. Only thing you didn't do was clamp the flex in the plug .

[@JoannaHammond]

The insulation outer should go under the retaining bracket in the plug. You should not see any of the three cables externaly.

[@paulmaxey6377]

Good attempt and you got it mostly correct. With the plug, you only unscrew the big screw in the middle to start with. The other two screws hold the piece of rubber strip that is used to clamp the cable down, so you only undo one of those so you can put the cable under once you have wired the plug. You should have none of the wires showing once you have finished and it should look clean. We use an higher voltage than the US, that is why we don't have electrical sockets in bathrooms in the UK. UK runs on 230V while US runs on 120V.

[@stewedfishproductions7959]

@Paul Maxey - I found myself saying out loud to the video "don't forget to clamp the wire..." - "you're missing the plug clamp" - "Eclectic, put the f_Cking wire under the clamp" - LOL ! 😂😂😂

[@ade-1772]

That's why we have what we call a ring mains and one for plugs and sockets and one for lights on each leval of a building and all earths are connected to ground

[@johnnorth4667]

Good for 1st time effort, more impressed that you didn't slice your hand or fingers off with that knife!

[@welshpete12]

You did very well for a first try . Sometimes you find the earth wire on a mains cable like that has no covering . As it is the earth and a safety device it doesn't matter . Also the reason the brass part of the plug is bigger then the US is much more power goes though ours plugs as compered with yours . Eg, 240 volts to yours 110 volts.

[@hadesdogs4366]

It’s not a given that it will prevent a fire however it highly reduces the likelihood of a fire and the great thing about them is that if you say spill some water over your tv or toaster as soon as an electrical surge hits the system the plug will automatically break the system and redirect the flow of electricity from you directly into your house or building as the electricity is dispersed into the ground canceling it out, and not only that but they also allow you to leave your device plugged in without having to leave a socket exposed or even live because the socket also has a kill switch and unlike a house breaker with only turns on when a significant power output is enough to trip it by then a fire could have already started or begin to spread

[@redf7209]

Its one thing wiring these which are designed for consumer safety but these cover socket plates the wiring is attached to are fastened to boxes set in the wall that don't have much space for stiff wiring to be twisted into position. You need wires long enough to reach the connectors while the socket is away from the wall but that length has to go somewhere when you push the plate ion to the wall. Its very easy for the effort to push the connected plate onto the box forcing the cable to bend to pull the wires out of connections. It would be better for a design where the sunken socket box is the recipient for the wire connections and for the socket plate to clip onto those when fitted. I think it would be safer than having connections put under stress by the wires moving as the plate is forced on. btw the socket box in the instruction video stands proud of the wall but these are more often sunk into the wall.

[@dinastanford7779]

If you look at socket, you can see "shutters" on bottom 2 holes so you can't put anything into dangerous openings. . The plug has one pin longer, when put into socket it pushes shutters open.

[@jessicapayne8622]

Had to wire a plug for year 9 to pass some science thingy. Comes in handy when the vacuum cleaner wire comes away from the plug as someone (ex boss) didn’t wire it up properly!

[@Hoopyfrood345]

Socket outlets in the UK are wired in a 'Ring circuit' hence the two cables. The design of the UK plug is quite a thing, I'm sure there will be a KZbin vid covering it.

[@MultiArrie]

Uk plug is that great the no country on mainland europe use it.

[@Hoopyfrood345]

@@MultiArrie Correct 👍 Europe doesn't use a UK plug and socket system, like a lot of other places in the rest of the world, or any other British Standards, for that matter. Most, also drive on the wrong side of the road... And what?...... who cares. Look into the development of the UK plug/socket it's interesting. Yea Euro is the best, UK is no good..... yea go euro.... whatever ✌

[@MultiArrie]

@@Hoopyfrood345 yes, I am a electrician.

[@Hoopyfrood345]

@@MultiArrie well done 👍💋

[@gd2329j]

The white outer cable should be under the grip . When you get the lengths correct the live will be the first to pull out of the plug . The lengths are normally on the card we all ignore ! We have different fuses . 13 AMP is the biggest you can fit . Yes that's over 3 kw per plug . You gotta love ring mains & 80 - 100 AMP incomers !

[@eddielowe8189]

In the plug the plastic strap goes over the wire to stop the cable pulling free of the connectors. good job with the rest.

[@phill633vgs]

Just like watch ing Big Clive!

[@joyfulzero853]

You must pass the cable under the cable grip, at the back of the plug, and screw it tight around the cable not the three individual wires; it is a vital part of the plug's safety features.

[@fermitupoupon1754]

Aah yes, the UK power plug. Also known as a caltrop or what every little lego brick wants to be when it grows up.

[@abzzeus]

Ring Mains are a weird UK invention post WWII to save copper. You can have 32 Amps on a circuit but need wire "rated" for about 20 Amps (16A per side). They're not needed as much now as radials can be used, the one exception being kitchens where it possible for Kettle 13A + Toaster 10A + Microwave 6A = 29A being on (Tea + beanz on toast)

[@stuartspence3613]

Pretty good all things considered. All electrical appliances sold in Europe, including UK, are supplied with a suitably rated fused plug already fitted.

[@mjcamp01]

People may have already answered this, the wall has two wires as they run in a loop from the breaker box to each socket in serial then back to the breaker. The reason we have plug fuses for safety is 240V supply is a lot higher than US use, and it prevents the breaker fuse from blowing, that said, now we have RCD's in our breakers, it's usually the RCD that trips instead of the fuse blowing, unless water is involved then the system all goes pop, but the human hopefully does not.

[@okaro6595]

No, the fuse has nothing to do with the voltage, It is about the ring mains.

[@GaryHayward]

Rocker switch positions in the UK are the opposite of in the US; in the UK, 'off' is when the top edge of the top half of the rocker is level with its enclosure.

[@andyduhamel1925]

Good old 6242Y T&E so so quick when wiring sockets/lights.

[@keithfox767]

Two cables in the socket box because he was demonstrating how to wire a ring main socket, wire in, wire out to next socket, in a ring, hence the name, starts at the consumer unit, ends at the consumer unit. If there is a single wire in the box, it is know as a spur, taken from the ring and terminates at the box, you cannot add another spur to a spur.

[@stevew585]

Well done Al, you wired our plug and socket easily!

[@nick7076]

The 2 cables in the Tom Scott video are part of a ring main. From the breaker, all sockets are wired in a continuous ring. Into 1, out tonthe next and so on, from the last socket it's back to the breaker. A ring main will have a 30amp breaker, or fuse if older type. Ring mains will often be, downstairs except kitchen, kitchen, upstairs. There may be more in larger properties. The reason for the fuse in the plug, is to provide local protection. The plug has a maximum rating of 13amps for things like kettles and electric heaters which are 3000 Watts. UK voltage is 220-240v. Volts X amps = power. So for lower power items like a tv or table lamp you would fit a smaller fuse, usually either 3 or 10 amp. Appliance flex is usually, but not always (there is some variation) 0.75mm, 1.5mm or 2.5mm. Looks like you missed the cable strain clamp on the plug, which if you're not used to is to be expected. The plug wires are cut to 3 different lengths so that if the cable is pulled out, the live comes away first, then neutral finally earth, providing more protection. You'll also notice the longer earth pin, so that connects firsts and breaks last. The live pin cannot connect in the socket until the earth has made. All very safe, until you stand on an upside down plug!!!

[@Paul-hl8yg]

Inside the plug, there is usually a tightening/gripping part, so the wires (black/blue/green etc) don't hang out of the plug. The main wire sleeve should go into the plug tightened & the wires inside the wire sleeve not seen. 👍🇬🇧🇺🇸

[@nickbenke3306]

Another difference in U.S. cabling is that mains cables are figure of 8 twin, in the U.K and Europe it has to be double insulated with another outer layer.

[@gloryguyful]

Well done Alan ..........doing that blind , that was a great effort m8,

[@CMDRRustyDog]

Yeah the white cable goes under the clamp on the bottom of the plug and it looks like you went over it. This is to secure the cable so that it doesn't get pulled out if you trip on it or something. So the clamp has to clamp over the actual white cable itself and not the 3 wires inside the cable.

[@MARKSTRINGFELLOW1]

The three pin plug is designed in such a way that if the wire is pulled the first wire to come free is the live one Brown for live blue neutral green and yellow for earth

[@michaelglynn2638]

That was different! Enjoyed it very much. And for a reason I can't put my finger on, I found it amusing! (in a good way) lol. Cheers EB,

[@Westcountrynordic]

Back when I was in Secondary school (high school) in the 80s we were taught how to wired a13 am plug. Nowadays the plugs come already wired to what you are buying.

[@georgedavis-stewart4225]

The walk-through video that you found seems to be illustrating how to install a socket in a ring circuit with other sockets around a room, so that the loading on the circuit needs to take account of everything that is plugged in on the loop. I have probably failed to pay proper attention to the walk-through, but the twin wiring is going to be 'one in, one out' to create the loop power supply. History Section: While the domestic circuits and sockets in the U.K. are based on 13 amps, and have been for many years, stage and event lighting is still based on the otherwise obsolete 15 amp set up, with larger but unfused plugs with round pins. Why this persisted was probably as much down to the poverty of so many theatres, as to it being a way to stop untrained persons readily taking 500 watt, 650 watt, 1000 watt stage lanterns into a non-theatre setting where they were liable to blow domestic circuits and fuses/circuit breakers. The unfused 15 amp plugs also kept access to blown fuses at ground level rather than 20 feet or so up, in a lighting rig. Low consumption LED stage lighting often needs a plug transplant, fitting a 15 instead of a 13, to avoid embarrassing delays while the ladders come out yet again... 😉 The cable entry to a 15 amp plug top is usually a full circle and has to be slid onto the cable before beginning to wire in the plug section. There is a surprising number of 15 amp plugs whose entry point has had a notch cut out to fit it - after the wiring is done.

[@davidfeatch1436]

You wired the socket correctly, as in, coming straight from the fuse box. The second wire Tom has is for the next socket on the ring main.

[@BedsitBob]

You should try wiring up a ceiling rose and lamp pendant. 8 wires and an earth. 😊

[@mikejaygreen]

I don't know how to do this so hope to learn something. Just need a cuppa tea first.

[@welshpete12]

I just remembered something that may be of interest . The earth wire is always thicker than the other wires . And the earth pin on the plug is longer then the others . As it pushes in it lifts a lifting gate that is normally covered. It's so a child can't push something metal in and get a shock.

[@okaro6595]

No, the earth wire is not thicker. In fact on the house wiring it is thinner.

[@grundy8056]

if you notice, the earth pin on the plug is longer than the other two pins. This is so the earth connects before the live. Also if this pin is removed the plug wont enter the socket. The earth acts has a key to open the entry for the other two pins. All in the name or safety. Also the earth wire should be longer, this is so if the cable is pulled out of the plug, the earth is the last to leave its connection. Don't worry about him doubling up. Hes taking a spur off for another socket feed.

[@iands10_destroyer54]

Well done you got them in the right places but that’s about all.

[@suejaneuk1681]

All the wire colours have changed since I was taught it at school in the late 80s. We don't have ads like that here. We have a lot of life insurance and funeral ads.