Proper home care includes a number of concepts. It’s not enough just to create comfort and cleanliness and order. The concept of caring for a home is to be able to keep all household appliances in the room in working condition. This item is very important.
Judge for yourself that you can’t talk about comfortable living if there is a tap in the room or a problem with electricity. This is not only uncomfortable, but also a danger to family members.
Such a procedure as installing a double outlet, it is quite possible to perform it yourself, if you carefully study the information proposed in the article.
Why do we need a double outlet?
If you know what a screwdriver is, you know how to use it, and you need to install a double outlet, then you can do it yourself. In addition, without the help of electricians, whose work will have to pay. So you not only save your money, but also bring benefits.
The use of a double outlet is practiced where there is a need to connect several types of household appliances for their simultaneous use.
Such a device is a real lifesaver. It consists of two connectors, which include two pieces of equipment at once.
Connecting and installing the outlet can be done with your own hands, subject to the particularities of installation.
Double sockets and their varieties
An electrical outlet is a type of device that is necessary to plug electrical appliances into the network. The product includes a housing (cover), which helps to isolate the working part, saving it from external factors. The main part has a base and contacts. Installing a double outlet in one socket can be done without the help of others.
There are not only single, but also double varieties of products. If necessary, the installation of multi-outlet sockets is also practiced, the number of which depends on how many connectors are in the plug.
Those who think that a double outlet can be made by doubling a single model are mistaken. This is not so, because only monolithic devices capable of dividing the power of electric current in half can be called two-slot ones. And this feature is necessarily taken into account when it is necessary to connect two electrical appliances at the same time.
Varieties of Outlets
Depending on what kind of product modification, there are several options for such a design as a double socket:
- Closed type, in which sections of the holes are closed using special curtains. This outlet option is widely used in apartments in which the kids live.
- Open type. The appearance of such products is similar to familiar outlets that do not have shutters.
There are sockets in which grounding is provided, and without it. What is their feature? In the case of the presence of grounding contacts, the product will be able to protect the connected devices from failures and voltage surges.
Varieties of certain types of sockets are designed to mount them outside the premises or where there is high humidity - in the bathroom, bath, pool. Such outlets are called waterproof. The function of the first varieties is to protect against factors such as dirt and dust, and the second is to prevent the ingress of moisture.
Varieties of Double Outlets
Installing a double outlet is a good way to provide comfort in the home. When purchasing such products, it is important to know their varieties:
- Laid on (external) type.
- Hidden (internal).
- Standard type.
- Polar.
- Programmed.
This is not a complete list of existing varieties of double sockets, but only the most common names.
How to mount a socket that has two sockets?
Before attaching the device, it is important to determine the location of the phase and zero. To do this, you can consider data on the labeling of wires. The color of the phase can be brown, black, white or red, the color of zero can be blue, white-blue. The color of the ground wire is yellow-green.
If you do not trust the marking data, it is better to independently check where the phase and zero are located. To do this, you will need to perform the following steps:
- Wear rubber gloves.
- Test each wire with a special tester screwdriver;
- Assess the signal of the screwdriver when the light comes on at the location of the phase.
Before installing a double-type outlet, be sure to disconnect the wiring. To do this, turn the handle of the switch on two machines or on the one you need now, putting it in the off position.
After that, do not forget to check the voltage again using a special screwdriver.
Features of installing a double outlet
The installation procedure for a double outlet has a number of features that are important to consider when performing installation. There are differences compared to single varieties.
The double socket will consist of two socket boxes, or glasses, which include two separate terminals and a set of one installation department, where the wiring is located.
Socket Installation Process
The center or top terminal is connected using an earth cable. Phase indicators will be located on the right side, and zero (neutral) indicators will be located on the left.
It is important to take into account when choosing a cable that what is required is exactly the same in material, the same section as the main wiring.
If it is necessary to install two socket boxes, drill a recess in the wall with a drill, observing the required distance for each hole. Before starting installation work, mark the surface of the walls. This is necessary if there is no old outlet.
Preparation of tools and materials
Installing a double outlet with grounding will require the necessary tools:
- Phillips and flat head screwdrivers;
- pliers;
- devices for stripping braids, for example, a clerical knife;
- level.
Are you planning to install the device not where it was old? Drywall, concrete or wood can be drilled using a hammer drill.
The double outlet open installation requires the use of additional materials:
- insulation tape;
- the rosette;
- self-tapping screws.
The use of a cable, which should include the appropriate material, is necessary when installing a new outlet, and not in case of replacing the old one. When this opportunity arises, it will be better to post in the corrugation. This procedure will be an additional way that will help to protect the room from the possibility of a fire.
Step-by-step instruction
Installing a double outlet in one socket requires a knowledge of the installation sequence. To get started, correctly determine the connection diagram, choose a place, prepare all of the above materials. After completing all the manipulations, you can begin the installation.
If you have such a kind of product that is a solid unit, place it where there was previously a single device. It will take a bit to expand the size of the niche.
How to dismantle an old outlet?
Before you start removing an old outlet, take care of safety measures. It is important to make sure that it is not energized. To do this, turn off the machines on the counter.
The dismantling sequence will be as follows:
- start by unscrewing all the screws that secured the socket;
- remove the outer cover part on the old device;
- unfasten all cables, and then proceed to unscrew the locking tabs.
It is important to prepare a new outlet so that it is disassembled. To do this, unscrew the front panel so that it is not connected to the working part.
The quality of the new socket, which is planned to be used with a double outlet, is of particular importance. Since it is necessary to ensure a clear fixation of the device so that it can safely perform its functions.
The socket and wall surface are connected using a side holder. This item is purchased separately. Sometimes it can be found complete with a power outlet.
For more budget models, fastening is not provided with special paws, but with screws.
How easy is it to mount an outlet?
The "Etude" double outlet of an open installation can be installed by you in a matter of minutes. Follow the further directions and everything will turn out quickly and efficiently.
Tighten the screws in the clockwise direction until the screws diverge in different directions. So you can successfully fix the outlet. During operation, weakening of the glass is always observed, so it is advisable to immediately put it on the alabaster.
Now go to the detailed list of actions:
- Dilute a small portion of dry alabaster powder or cement to a creamy consistency. Take the powder in small portions, as the mixture becomes hard very quickly.
- Place portions of the mixture in the hole where the socket will be located. This niche should be moistened with a small amount of water.
- Wait 20 minutes and you can begin to mount the socket.
- It is worth using a hammer and level to achieve a perfectly even location.
- Close the areas between the outlet and the wall with alabaster.
- To remove the excess layer of the mixture, you can use a knife.
- The glass is secured by screws. They can not be too tight so as not to damage the fragile structure of the plastic. So the double external socket is mounted.
Plug in a new outlet
Open the cable to make sure that the two-pole type wires are connected correctly. Cut off the outer insulation layer from the cable you want to use.
To connect a double ip54 socket of an open installation with grounding, immediately start by connecting the wires, taking into account their functionality. It is important to use color to determine where the ground, phase and ground cable are.
The main thing is not to connect the phase and neutral in one contact. This will cause a short circuit. The double socket of the hidden installation is mounted according to the same principle as described above. With the exact implementation of the tips, such work can be done independently.