As a rule, the standard number of sockets that were originally installed in Soviet-style apartments does not meet the needs of modern people. Today, a family of three needs many times more outlets than a few decades ago. For example, you need to charge smartphones and tablets. In the summer, one outlet may be occupied by mosquito repellent. To this you also need to add household appliances. Therefore, it may be necessary to increase the number of sockets. You can do this work yourself. However, if you have no electrical skills at all, then it is better to entrust the cable from the distribution box, or from the electrical panel to the place where you plan to place the sockets, to specialists. You can do the rest of the work yourself, as there is nothing complicated about it. Plus, you can save a lot.
DIY socket installation
First, measure the height where the outlet will be located. Plan right away how it will stand furnitureso that it is convenient to approach the sockets and also convenient to connect to them.Use a pencil to draw a line along which you will drill holes for the socket boxes. If you plan to install several sockets in a row, then all holes should be drilled horizontally in a circle. To drill holes you will need a drill or hammer drill.
If the wall is brick or concrete, then it is better to use a hammer drill. You will also need a crown for the holes in the socket boxes. They are also different, depending on which wall you need to drill a hole in (plasterboard, brick, concrete).
Next, turn off the power supply to the meter or panel. Check again that there is no power using the indicator. Now you can confidently pick up the cable. Strip all wire strands of insulation along the edges by approximately 10 mm.
The next stage is the installation of socket boxes. They also need to be installed level. You can fix the socket box with putty or by screwing a self-tapping screw into the center of the socket box. The second option is more reliable, since over time the putty may crumble, and if you tighten the self-tapping screw or quick installation, then even after a while the socket box will not pop out. Even if you abruptly remove the plug from the socket without holding it.
There are holes on the sides and top of the socket boxes that can be cleared by cutting them out with a knife. This is necessary in order to lead the main cable into one of the socket boxes, and then connect the remaining adjacent socket boxes with wire. Each socket box should have two cables of different colors coming out of it.
If you plan to make further repairs in this room, then you need to insulate the wire and install plugs so as not to damage it during work. Some install sockets after finishing the walls.
Next, you can begin installing sockets.To do this, first install the inner housing of the socket where the contacts will be connected. In different types of sockets, the holes where the wires are inserted are located differently. In this case they are on top. Therefore, you can use pliers to bend the wire so that it can be conveniently inserted into the clamps.
Loosen the clamps by unscrewing the screws a little, then insert the two wires into the left and right grooves. It doesn’t matter which wire is on the left or right, as long as they are not next to each other. Then tighten the clamps well by tightening the screws.
After this, check again how well you secured the wire in the grooves by tugging it. If you clamp the wires loosely, over time they will begin to melt, and this can lead to a short circuit. Next, the inner housing of the socket can be installed in the socket box by tightening two self-tapping screws. The same is done with adjacent sockets if you install several in a row.
Next, you can connect the power to the panel and make sure that you have connected everything correctly. You can check whether there is power in the sockets with an indicator. If everything is in order, then you can install the plastic socket housing, which is attached to a screw located in the middle.
Usually sockets are sold single, but if you need a bunch of two, three, four sockets, then you need to buy them separately.
That's the whole technology for installing an internal outlet.
