Triple socket: advantages over single socket, peculiarities of connecting the "internal" option

What a variety of electrical appliances in stores! Everything seems necessary. However, when he comes home, he finds out that there is nowhere to connect. And again to the store for a tee or extension cord. And then discontent: either the wires under your feet, then the same tee does not look. Then there is a desire - so that there are enough connection points, and they look. Once there is demand, there is supply. The industry has long been producing double and triple sockets.

Socket selection

The range of these devices is huge: color, shape and size. It seems that what is easier - choose which one you liked, and that's it. However, there are manufacturers who make low-quality material, and in order to buy it, they make it beautiful. How to choose a beautiful and high quality outlet? There are two types:

1. with spade contacts;
2. with spring contacts.

The former are easier to manufacture and therefore, as a rule, cheaper. They can be used to connect low-power electrical appliances or where the plug is rarely pulled out, such as a TV. Under heavy loads, the contacts heat up and lose their elasticity. With frequent use of the socket, deformation of the contacts occurs. In either case, a gap appears between the plug and the contacts of the outlet, which leads to arcing and heating. This, in turn, can cause either a short circuit or a fire.

The second design is more complex and expensive. It has a movable contact, which is pressed against the stop by means of a spring. The distance between movable and fixed contacts can be easily changed, which allows frequent use of such a device. Pressing tightly against the plug, the contact allows you to use a large current, and therefore power.

The second thing you should pay attention to when buying is the material of the mounting platform - what the contacts and terminals for connecting wires are attached to. They also come in two flavors:

1. from ceramics;
2. made of plastic.

Ceramics is not only a good insulator, but also absolutely non-flammable. Does not deform when the temperature changes. The second material is also non-conductive. But some manufacturers use combustible material in order to save money. This can lead to both fire and poisoning with poisonous gases.

But that's not all. Discernment is needed. What will the socket be used for? And in the future? Today it will be needed to recharge the phone, and after some time, perhaps, a powerful vacuum cleaner will be connected to it. Will it function normally then? To do this, you need to know what current will pass through it. Manufacturers usually indicate on the back of the case the voltage and current for which the device is designed.

If you put three single sockets in a row, they will not look, you need a complete composition.

Ready-made three-socket blocks are on sale, and there is also a separate front panel that covers three adjacent sockets. The choice will depend on both the cost and the model you like. When buying a panel, you will need to select sockets for it so that they fit exactly together.

Determining the installation location

Where to put the socket strip? Convenience, aesthetics and safety are taken into account. But it is necessary to take into account the rules of safety and technical operation. If you look at European standards, then the distance between the floor and such a block should be 20-40 cm, according to Soviet - 100-120 cm. The location may also depend on the installation method.. And she happens:

• outdoor;
• internal.

Outdoor is used in old buildings, in industrial, non-residential premises. Produced directly on the wall. The cable or wires are laid in a non-combustible material tray.

In new houses and in premises after renovation, as a rule, internal or hidden wiring is installed, as are sockets with switches. In any case, the wires from the junction box to the outlet must be laid strictly vertically or horizontally. This must be taken into account when choosing a place so that later you do not have to bend around obstacles.

Preparatory work

We are talking about installing a triple socket inside. Again, there are two installation methods:

1. with one socket;
2. with three socket-outlets.

Whichever choice is, it is necessary to mark the installation site. Some people recommend using a level, however, if the floor is not level, the structure will look uneven. Therefore, it is better to make the socket for the outlet a little larger so that it can be adjusted. If you decide to install a triple outlet in one socket, then you need to measure the dimensions of the socket, make a tolerance and gouge a hole in the wall.

When installing three single sockets, you need to put a socket under each of them. Special precision is needed here. It is necessary not only to set the level, but also to calculate the distances so that each of them fits into its slot on the front panel.

It is necessary to fasten the socket firmly, even a little laxity can destroy the plaster, and it will be unpleasant for ourselves. You can fix it with dowels, if you have the knack, since you can destroy the socket. However, it will be more practical to use screws, who knows, they may have to be changed or removed.

The stores sell sets: screws and sleeves. We put a socket in the hollowed out socket and mark the place for the fasteners. We drill a hole along the diameter of the sleeve (a little less, but not more) and insert the sleeve, it should hold firmly. When tightening the screw, the sleeve will press even more tightly against the wall. If the wall is brick, you can use a regular drill, although if there is one with soldering, the required diameter is better. For concrete, it is definitely worth taking a soldered drill, since they are now freely sold.

Preparing the wire

Now is the time to think about laying cables or wires. To do this, you need to decide what you will use. According to the rules, each outlet must have its own wire. If the sockets have grounding, then one more conductor is additionally needed. The ground wire is used without insulation.

It would be nice to have one or two cores in stock. Plugging in a triple outlet can damage one of the cores. Aluminum wire, especially when cut, breaks easily. You can make a mistake and cut it off shorter than necessary. During operation, due to the heavy load, the wires may burn. Then the reserve core will come in handy more than ever.

A little more about the material of the conductor. Earlier it was said about the need to think under what load the outlet will work. This is also true for the wire. There are many reference books, tables for calculating the cross-section of a conductor, depending on the current passing through it. A stranded conductor carries much more current than a single-core conductor of the same cross-section. Based on this, you can decide what will be used - wire or cable.

After you have bought everything you need, draw a line on the wall from the main power grid or box to the socket you made.

Remember, the line must go strictly vertically or horizontally. Hollow out the track so that the cable or wires go completely under the plaster. If there is a suspicion that there will be wiring nearby, it is necessary to de-energize the apartment.

This is possible in the case when the gasket is made to the box, which is located next to, but slightly to the side.

Connecting the socket

Before installing the socket, a hole for the wire (cable) is drilled in the body. If there are three of them, then in each of them. After that, we attach it to the wall. After securing one edge, check the level. If one outlet is crooked, it is hardly noticeable, but if there is a triple one, it immediately catches the eye. Screw on the sockets and go to the wire.

Before fixing the cable, ring all its conductors and mark them. In some cables, the insulation of each core is colored differently. If wires are used, marking is not needed, but it is necessary to ring. Then place them in the groove and secure. Measure the end that will be connected to the network so that it would be enough to lead into the box and connect. Do not forget about the rule - always leave a margin, even if it is better than not enough. Do not connect to the network yet.

Insert the other end into the socket and connect to the socket terminals. Check the integrity of the wires and correct connection. This can be done as follows. A jumper is made from a bare wire and inserted into an outlet, then this circuit is ringed. The same is done with the second and third. Grounding is connected separately, if it is not there you will have to do it yourself.

It remains to plaster the wires and the socket. If the holes for the wires are very large, they must be repaired so that the plaster does not get inside. After the plaster has dried, seal up the wall and close the triple outlet. It remains to figure out how to connect a triple outlet to the network. The connection can be of two types:

1. to an existing box, for example, we change a single outlet to a triple one;
2. directly to the center line.

Box connection

First of all, completely de-energize the apartment. Never try to work under voltage! Open the box and inspect the connections. If they are wrapped with electrical tape - unwind, caps are put on - remove. This is done in order to provide access to conductive elements. At the same time, try on whether the wires will fit in the box?

Check the bare wires in the box to make sure they are not touching and apply power. Next, it will be necessary to determine where the phase is located - the conductor through which the current comes. You can use an indicator or a device that measures voltage. Everything is clear with the indicator: touch the conductive element, if a light signal appears, this is a phase.

Another thing is with the device. Since alternating current is measured, it is impossible to understand where the phase is and where is zero. Therefore, the person himself is used as zero. The probe of the device is taken in one hand, and the other touches all the connections in turn. There is no need to be afraid: the current passing through the circuit will be so small that the most sensitive person will not feel it. But for this, the connected scale of the measured voltage on the device must be at least 250 volts.

If there are more than two connection points in the box, make sure that the found phase connection belongs to the center line.

Connect the phase to the three stripped conductors that go to the contacts of the three outlets. The other three, connected to the other pins of the socket, connect to zero - this is the other center line wire.

Connecting to the line

Purchase a junction box in advance to connect to the center line. De-energize the apartment, cut the center line wire, install the box, strip the center line wires and from the outlet, put all this in the box. Connect the cores from the first contacts of the socket to one conductor of the line, connect the cores of the other contacts of the socket to another conductor. Connect the earth to an earthing switch.