Practical recommendations on how to connect 3 sockets with your own hands

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Installing a triple socket

Connecting a triple socket can cause some confusion for non-professionals. But there is nothing complicated about it, and following our simple tips, you can connect everything in just a few minutes.

The main thing here is to be attentive and not to neglect safety rules.

Determining the possibility of connecting an outlet
Installing a triple socket Assembling a triple socket
Connection from distribution box
Connecting one outlet to another

Conclusion

What is a 3-slot device?

The socket, regardless of the number of seats in it, has a standard design:

a ceramic core that contains terminals for the neutral and phase wires, sometimes for grounding,
decorative plastic box,
metal plates that crimp the pins of a plug to complete the circuit.

Double and triple ones may have one or more socket boxes - this depends on the brand of the device and its design features. The plates are often brass or copper because they have higher conductivity and strength than other metals. In this case, the method of fastening the wires and the strength of their fixation in the terminals are important. Most often these are holes in metal plates, equipped with a screw for fixation.

It is necessary to tighten the fasteners firmly so that the bad contacts do not heat up and spark. This condition is important for safety, since such sockets with loose wires in the terminals often cause a fire. There are slight differences in the principle of installing a triple socket with double analogues. It is necessary to connect phase and neutral conductors in a certain order to terminals located in pairs. If the order of location of the phase and neutral wires on the left or right terminals does not play any role, then the order of connection of each subsequent socket has already been determined and must be done so that a short circuit does not occur. Tip: Among several configurations of triple devices, popular are strip ones, in which the sockets are located on the same line, or in the shape of a triangle, where the seats are located more compactly at the vertices of the triangle. There is no fundamental difference in their work; it all depends on the preferences and needs of the owners.

How to replace the socket box without ruining the wallpaper?

Accordingly, in this case, there is no need to tear off the wallpaper, unroll it, then re-glue it, grease it - spoil the newly created interior. All this is nonsense and there are no unsolvable cases.

When you pull out the old socket, select a socket box that is as close in diameter as possible to the old hole - so that it fits as tightly as possible. And if there is any play left (very small), use foam double-sided tape. But remove the protective strip from the tape only on one side. Glue, wrapping around the entire circumference. So you will add this missing millimeter of diameter. And that’s it, it will fit tightly into the hole and most importantly it will not slip.

Because you won’t be able to guess which one will suit you in the end.

And an experienced master himself may not be able to guess by eye: even if one seems to initially fit, then during the final installation it may not fit properly. That’s why an electrician walks around with these several “spare” socket boxes.

It’s better to trust such things to people who specialize in this and do it on an ongoing basis, so as not to store a bunch of unnecessary construction rubbish later. As they later write on the Internet, “I’ll give away the remaining building materials.”

What can replace a pleasant and professional installation? - nothing! Therefore, do not save a penny on socket boxes and use good socket boxes.

Andrey Bely. REMONT-EKSPERT.RU

When using materials from AXIOMPLUS.COM.UA

Advantages and disadvantages

Several sockets are used to install household appliances in the kitchen or room. However, every year new products are released that connect to the household network and significantly simplify life. A striking example:

air conditioners,
fans,
local heaters,
devices for hair, nails, appearance care,
humidifiers and air ionizers, many other products.

In the kitchen there can be a huge number of large and small household appliances that only work from the network. To avoid having to install several surge protectors, creating an increased load on the electrical network, or constantly reconnect different devices in free sockets, triple sockets are installed.

Then it is possible to provide a permanent connection for three devices instead of one. This makes life much easier and allows you to organize your space more conveniently without unnecessary wires. Advantages:

low price,
ease of use,
easy installation,
in case of malfunction it is easy to repair,
can be installed in socket boxes of single predecessors, so changing a single socket to a triple socket will not be difficult,
does not require additional wiring,
have a secure fastening,
reliable.

Many people like the installation instead of a triple one with several single ones, but closely installed. This is often due to shortcomings of the device:

Multi-section block ones are characterized by large dimensions, which often leads to their mechanical breakdowns, since the load from several appliance plugs increases.
It is necessary to calculate the maximum permissible load. If you connect 3 powerful electrical appliances at once, the socket, contacts and all wiring to the distribution box may burn out, which requires labor-intensive repairs.
Since the weight of three forks of different devices will constantly affect the entire structure, over time the decorative coating and the plastic body will deteriorate. This may cause a short circuit.

Important: To prevent these shortcomings, before installation it is necessary to correctly calculate the power of the devices connected to it and take a small reserve. All fastenings of elements should be done with high quality.

Requirements for socket boxes

There is no single set of rules describing the installation of boxes for hidden installation of electrical outlets. Rules for electrical installations require compliance with general fire and electrical safety requirements. In this sense, installing a box under an outlet is no different from installing a distribution box. There are building codes and regulations (SNiP) that determine the geometry of placement of sockets in a room. Well, common sense has not been canceled.

We will try to combine all the conditions under which the installation of socket boxes will not cause problems during the operation of electrical equipment.

The material of the boxes must be strong enough to withstand the force with which the plug is removed from the socket. In addition, the housing itself should not be pulled out of the wall along with the socket. For this purpose, socket boxes intended for installation on building mixtures (usually gypsum or alabaster) have ribs, grooves and hooks cast on the outer surface. Technological holes for wiring also work as fixing elements.
A paste-like solution gets into these cracks; after drying, you can pull out the housing only by destroying part of the wall or breaking the plastic.
The vast majority of socket boxes are made from various types of plastics. On the one hand, it is cheap, on the other hand, plastic is a dielectric and does not collapse under the influence of moisture.
On the inside of the boxes, ribs should be molded for attaching sockets. Many people remember Soviet-built apartments in which sockets fell out of the wall with the slightest effort. Previously, socket boxes were made of metal. Not only is this unsafe, but the spacer guides on the socket could not catch on the smooth surface.
In addition, the socket boxes are equipped with mounting holes for screw fastening.
The plastic from which the socket boxes are made should not support combustion. From the point of view of the wall (concrete or brick), this requirement is meaningless. But a faulty socket can ignite wallpaper on the wall or nearby furniture.

An optional but useful requirement is the ability to connect several sockets together using standard clamps. This allows you to assemble a structure of any length.

Why is installation needed?

The ability to connect a triple socket is needed to provide power for three electrical appliances at once. Most often, such sockets are required for the kitchen and rooms with an installed computer, office equipment, TV and additional speaker systems. Then, with a small total power, you can use all connected products simultaneously. It is necessary to understand that in order to lay a new socket, you will need to connect a conductor to the distribution box , make a trench on the wall surface for laying the wiring, and drill a hole for the socket box. If the apartment is renovated or similar events require complex sealing of coatings, then it is better to replace the single product with a triple one. This will improve the functionality of the electrical grid, labor and resources.

Main varieties

In general terms, triple sockets are a plastic box with a decorative overlay, which contains 3 sockets located inside a triangle or in a line. Inside, the socket can consist of one or three ceramic cores, which contain terminals with springs where the phase and neutral wires are fixed. The product can be produced with or without grounding, then another terminal is added to connect the grounding wire.

Triple sockets are of the following types:

C5 – standard, for Soviet-style plugs and without a ground wire. They are less common on sale, but can often be found in apartments where renovations were last done at least two decades ago.
C6 are more modern, contain different types of grounding, and are equipped with wider holes for the plug pins. Available in a very wide range with the ability to choose a suitable design.

Depending on the modification of the outlet, the following categories are distinguished:

with a circuit breaker that trips in response to overloads,
without grounding or with it,
overhead or built-in,
external (external) with a protective cover,
internal, designed specifically for connection when organizing hidden wiring.

You can also find not solid triple sockets, but block sockets, which are assembled from three separate devices, but are fixed with one frame. When choosing, you need to pay attention to the sizes and compliance of the blocks with the dimensions of the frame. Advice: Triple sockets with a common socket are more compact, easier to install, but less safe and convenient to use.

Assembly components

You can purchase triple sockets, but more often they are assembled by hand from separate parts into one device. Possible problems in selecting components:

The price of the product is significantly higher than three separate sockets.
The requirements for it do not correspond to the purpose of the installation.

In this case, the solution is self-assembly of three single triple sockets. To do this you need the following details:

standard single sockets of equal size with a current rating of 16 A,
an overhead frame that combines three cores of single sockets,
fastening elements, for example, screws for fixing decorative fittings.

Decorative covers for single sockets will not be needed, but it is better not to throw them away, but to leave them as components for single sockets that are still in the house, to replace damaged or worn ones.

Triple socket internal

Not everything and not always goes according to plan. Sometimes you make your own mistakes, and sometimes you have to improve on the mistakes of others. What we mean is that if there are not enough sockets in the house, then it is useless to look for the culprits. There are only two options left - pull extension cords or insert new sockets in those places where their location is most convenient. If repairs are not planned, then the second option will hardly please the owners, but if you install a triple socket instead of a single socket, this can somewhat improve the situation.

How to install it yourself?

Installation requires strict adherence to several steps:

markings,
drilling a recess for the socket box,
installation of the device,
assembly.

You need to make sure that there is no voltage in the network, for which the electricity supply in the electrical panel is turned off, and the neighbors of the apartment building are warned.

Wall marking

The most important stage, since the installation and ease of fixing the devices depend on the quality of execution and evenness of application. Attention It is necessary to use a building level (up to 1 m long) to align the device strictly vertically and horizontally. This guarantees easy connection. For successful installation of a triple socket, it is necessary to maintain the average distance between the centers of the elements. The optimal size is 7.2 cm. Triple decorative panels are usually produced in this size, so failure to comply with the dimensions will lead to the impossibility of installing a frame. It is necessary to start cutting walls and drilling recesses for socket boxes only after marking has been completed. It is impossible to correct the recesses or move them a few centimeters without losing the strength of fixation of the product in the wall.

Drilling a hole

To drill a niche for a socket box, you need an electric drill with a core drill coated with Pobedit. This will allow you to drill into brick and concrete. To make recesses for the wiring, use an angle grinder and a chisel with a hammer. The deepening is done like this:

You need to hold the drill perpendicular to the wall, drill to the depth of the socket with a margin of approximately 0.5 cm.
Using a chisel and hammer, the middle part of the brickwork or concrete is removed.
When installing in a sheet of drywall, use the appropriate nozzle.
Drilling is performed similarly to concrete or brick surfaces, but the excess remains inside the crown. If there is no such tool, then a hole is cut in the plasterboard using a stationery or shoe knife.

When laying the wiring, a groove is made with a width of 1 to 3 cm, depending on the type of cable and the presence of corrugation. For a triple socket you need a three-core cable with a wire cross-section of at least 2.5 mm2.

Fixing a socket box in a concrete wall

To attach the socket box, different methods are used depending on the wall material. Here's how to do it:

A box is inserted into the brickwork or concrete and fixed to alabaster or mortar.
When mounting in a plasterboard sheet, you need to insert a socket box into the hole, and then tighten the screws that hold the sliding legs. It is necessary to tighten it with such strength that the fabric does not crumble and the device does not wobble.

Important: Before installing the box in a niche, you need to cut a hole in it for the wiring that will be connected to the terminals of the socket core. The wiring is connected when the mixture in the niche dries.

If it is alabaster, then it will take about 2-3 hours for the solution to harden.
If there is a different type of mixture, drying will take longer.

You need to wait until it hardens completely so as not to disturb the position of the box or break the geometry.

Connection diagram

First, determine the exact location and orientation of the triple socket unit , on which the functionality of the device and its durability will depend.

To fix triple sockets in the kitchen, you need to choose a place where several household appliances will be located - usually above the countertop, so as not to use tees or extension cords.
If the installation is carried out in a room, install it closer to the TV or computer - so that the screen masks the structure.
When installing in a kitchen or bathroom, where there will be high humidity and microclimate fluctuations, it must be mounted no closer than 0.6 m from the water source and no lower than 0.5 m from the floor. This will ensure the safety of the devices.

It is best to carry out the socket before finishing, so as not to destroy the integrity of the wall covering.

Connecting electrical points

The structure should be connected taking into account the wire cross-section. When installed externally, the ability of the wiring to withstand 3 consumers is checked. The presence of separate socket boxes provides for the laying of additional cables vertically or horizontally. After these works:

Separate socket boxes are connected to the cable terminals and pressed using clamps.
The ends of the conductors are twisted into the device.
The central part is installed and the overhead cover is fixed.

When installing an outlet to an existing group, the machine is replaced.

How to connect the switch?

Installation is carried out in several cases when no other electrical appliances are provided or they need to be connected close to the switch. Then it is worth mounting them in the form of a distribution box. The installation algorithm is as follows:

The voltage is removed from the distribution box, the neutral and phase wires are connected to the socket terminals.
The socket will be used as a distribution box to connect lighting. Switching is carried out in the usual manner: wires are routed to the luminaire outputs.
The protective and neutral wires are connected from the socket with a three-core cable: the protective and neutral wires are supplied to the socket terminals, and the phase wire is supplied to the switch terminal.
To test the functionality of a triple socket switch, you need to connect the voltage and test with a load, such as a main light (switch test) and a table lamp (socket test).

Attention: When connecting a multi-track lamp, a three- and four-core cable is required. In this case, the three-wire connects the terminals of the socket and the output of the switch, and the four-wire is connected to the outputs of the socket with a protective and phase wire, and the other pair of conductors is connected to the outputs of the switch.

Safety precautions

When performing electrical work with the installation of triple sockets and switches, you must adhere to safety precautions:

use high-quality tools with good insulation,
wear protective clothing, shoes with rubber soles,
perform actions only during the day in good lighting,
turn off the power in the electrical panel to avoid electric shock,
make sure that no one turns on the electricity: hang a warning sign on the panel, personally warn neighbors,
make sure that there is complete absence of wiring in places where it is planned to drill and groove walls for electrical wiring and socket boxes,
It is good to tighten all the screws in the terminals so that there is no sparking or heating in such connections,
carry out work in a dry room.

Following all these recommendations will protect you from accidents and ensure the safety of installation or repair of electrical appliances. To install a triple socket you will need to perform the following work:

Preparation,
wall markings,
drilling a hole for the box,
the installation itself.

It is necessary to adhere to safety rules when repairing and installing electrical appliances so as not to expose yourself to the risk of electric shock. Therefore, you need to check the tools for damage to the insulation of wires and power elements, and follow the instructions.