Wiring a Three Pin Plug

Wiring a three pin Plug

Three Pin Plugs (or 3-pin plugs) are designed to protect the electrical appliance and its user from electrical hazards. They vary in size; there are those whose pins are moderately sized, also known as UK plugs, and those with large pins known as non-UK plugs. Someday or today you might need to change the 3-pin plug of your electrical appliance for some varying reasons. Though some electrical appliances are manufactured with the 3-pin plug molded on the AC in put cable, you might still need to change it. Perhaps you bought your electrical appliance when the plug pins are larger than the socket outlets. You will need to cut off that plug and replace it with the suitable one. In this post we will look at how to wire a three pin plug.

To wire a 3-pin plug, one has to be familiar with the colour codes of the wires:

• the live wire is brown
• the neutral wire is blue
• the earth wire is green and yellow striped

If you can get a new Universal 3-pin plug like the one in the picture below, unscrew the top cover of the plug, the 3 terminals and the cable grip.

Universal 3-pin Plug

Cut away about 1 cm of the insulation from each wire using a cable insulation stripper or a razor blade if the former is not in your possession. Make sure not to sever the wire strands.

Put the flex under the cord grip and screw it tightly in order to hold it in place.
Note: Do not leave the flex outside the plug to prevent the wire strands from breaking off their respective terminals as a result of strain.

Do not leave flex outside plug

Twist the wire strands so that there are no strands straying.

Connect the wires to their respective terminals. 3-pin plugs have their pins marked E for earth, N for neutral and L for live. Screw tightly all the terminals.

The connections should be like this.

Put back the cover and screw it tightly.
Disclaimer