Wiring A Plug

Wiring a plug is relatively easy once you have identified the wires by their color. Household plugs around the world have either two or three wires, the two main wires being live and neutral and the third optional wire being the earth wire.

The common wire colors for each of these are:

  • Earth: Green and yellow striped, green and brown striped or green
  • Live: Red, brown or white
  • Neutral: Blue or black

When opening the plug, there are letters marking each of the two or three terminals. These are E for earth (usually at the center top of the top), L for live and N for neutral.

stripped wire
Properly Stripped Wire

Use a wire stripper to cut off the end of the insulation on the wire to reveal the copper. Twist the copper gently together so that there are no stray strands and then insert the end into the screw terminal. Screw the terminal clamp down onto the exposed copper such that the insulation is not too far exposed. Screw both or all three wires into their respective terminals then screw cable clamp over the main cable insulation. Finally screw or clip the plug back together, depending on the plug type.

south african plug
South African Plug
american plug
American Plug
Note: Check with you local authorities on the regulations regarding doing your own electrical work. In some areas it is illegal to conduct electrical work in your home without certification.
Michael Klements
Michael Klements
Hi, my name is Michael and I started this blog in 2016 to share my DIY journey with you. I love tinkering with electronics, making, fixing, and building - I'm always looking for new projects and exciting DIY ideas. If you do too, grab a cup of coffee and settle in, I'm happy to have you here.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

Latest posts

Add an OLED Stats Display to Raspberry Pi OS Bookworm

Raspberry Pi OS Bookworm has been out for a little over a year now. It comes with a few visual changes like a Wayland...

Gweike G2 Pro 30W Fibre Laser Unboxing & Review

I've been using diode and CO2 lasers in my home workshop for quite some time. Combined with a 3D printer, they've been fantastic for...

Khadas Mind 2 Unboxing & Review

Over the past two years, I've tried two of Khadas' single board computers which were aimed at being compact and low power computers for...

Related posts