How to install a double internal socket with grounding

In many ways, the comfort of living in an apartment and a house depends on the type and quantity of household appliances and electrical appliances installed in it. Lack of outlets is becoming commonplace, causing the use of many extension cords and tees. These actions help solve the problem, but have side effects - wires get tangled underfoot, additional pads spoil the interior of the room. In some cases, a double socket will help to solve the issue of lack of connection points. Modern products are compact, powerful and presentable. There is no need to invite specialists to carry out the re-equipment of the electrical equipment. The work can be done with your own hands after familiarizing yourself with the safety measures, the rules for choosing and installing electrical appliances.

When it becomes necessary to install a double socket

In some cases, a 2-socket outlet is a necessary measure, especially for apartments built in the middle to the end of the last century. Their feature was an extremely inconvenient layout of electrical appliances. In most cases, one of them ended up behind cabinet or upholstered furniture, while the owners had only one point at their disposal in the corner of the room. Installing long outer pads in such places is impractical and not aesthetically pleasing. This will lead to the fact that over time, a loop of wires that do not fit into the interior will stretch to them. The best solution in such situations is to install double recessed sockets.

The advantages of this solution are as follows:

• Products have one body. There is no need to make inserts and straps using twists. The cable retains its integrity after installation and connection of the device.
• Common cover for both slots. It is not only aesthetically pleasing but also practical. To fit the covers when installing dual outlets, you will need to widen the holes in the wall to increase the distance between the mounting blocks. In any case, a gap will remain between the outer linings, which will not decorate the wall in any way.
• There is no need to drill a hole for a double socket. Double structures fit perfectly into standard glasses in the walls. Their mounting blocks correspond to the dimensions of single pieces.
• Easy to install. Plugging in a two-way outlet is as easy as plugging in a single-ended device. The caliper and spring-loaded feet ensure precise positioning and firm fixation of the mechanism.

If the cable has a grounding wire, it is recommended to purchase internal double electrical sockets, which have a corresponding contact. It is recommended to ground electrical appliances not only for safety reasons. Connecting this wire will eliminate hum and crackling noise from home appliance speakers.

How to Pick a Good Dual Socket

When choosing a product, you should pay attention to the following criteria:

• Matching the size of the back box to standard wall holes. It is advisable to put a double socket in one socket without additional drilling to expand or deepen it.
• Degree of protection. For a family without children, ordinary models with an IP22 rating are enough.Products with degrees of protection IP33 and IP43 are equipped with shutters to protect the contacts from splashing and the penetration of solid objects. For a bathroom and a kitchen, it is better to take IP44 sockets, which are not afraid of splashes and streams of water flowing along the wall.
• Contact standard. You should stop at F or C. Products of this type are adapted for all types of plugs, equipped with a contact for connecting the ground.

  

• Power. There are 10A (2.5 kW) and 16A (4 kW) sockets on sale. It is advisable to purchase a more powerful model to be able to connect consumers such as a welding machine or a washing vacuum cleaner.
• Internal organization. Preference should be given to models that are equipped with a protective cover for the contact group. The terminal tightening screws must be on the outside. This will help to carry out maintenance of the device without dismantling it. Choose products with terminals equipped with spring clips.
• Mounting feet. They should be made of thick steel that will not bend when the mechanism is installed in the socket.
• Restricting access to terminals. It is necessary that each wire has its own hole, which will eliminate installation errors.

The color of the product matters. It is not necessary to take standard white sockets. To play up the interior in an original way, you can buy goods in blue, red, yellow or any other color.

Overview of features and prices

On the domestic market of electrical goods, there is a wide selection of models of outlets with two inputs. Products vary in design, specifications and prices.

Most popular products:

• Legrand Valena - grounding, screw terminals, 16 A, IP20, 375 rubles;
• Legrand Valena Allure - grounding, spring terminals, protective shutters, 16 A, IP21, 650 rubles;
• Legrand Etika - grounding, screw terminals, 16 A, IP20, 185 rubles;
• Legrand Quteo - grounding, spring terminals, protective shutters, 16 A, IP21, 220 rubles;
• Legrand Quteo - grounding, screw terminals, water protection, 16 A, IP44, 525 rubles;

  

• Schneider Electric Duet WDE000120 - without grounding, screw terminals, 16 A, IP20, 110 rubles;
• Schneider Electric Duet WDE000226 - grounding, spring terminals, protective shutters, 16 A, IP20, 130 rubles;
• Schneider Electric W59 - without grounding, screw terminals, 16 A, IP21, 100 rubles;
• Schneider Electric Rondo RA16 - grounding, screw terminals, water protection, 16 A, IP44, 250 rubles;
• Viko Yasemin - grounding, screw terminals, 16 A, IP20, 85 rubles.

The product range consists of mechanisms with white and colored covers.

Installation of a double socket

To figure out how to install a double socket into the wall with your own hands, you need to study the device of this design.

It can be conditionally divided into 3 parts:

• Cable. Depending on the design of the building, it can consist of 2 or 3 veins. Old buildings have white-insulated wiring. Finding zero and phase has to be done empirically with the help of measuring instruments. In new houses, a three-color cable has been laid, where the insulation at the ground is green-yellow, the phases are brown, and the zero is blue.
• A junction box, in a conversation - a socket. It is a plastic cup with holes for wires. The depth of the cylinders is 40 and 60 mm. The second option is more convenient, as it makes it possible to make a hidden installation of additional equipment (dimmers, sensors, relays). The junction box is held in the wall by the binding properties of the plaster.
• Body with lid. The body is made of heat-resistant plastic. A support is fixed on it, a bus made of two brass plates forming contacts, nuts, screws and terminals. On the sides are spring-loaded feet with position adjustment screws.

To properly assemble the socket, you must have an indicator, a straight and Phillips screwdriver.

In one socket

This process is not particularly difficult even for a novice master.If the product is manufactured according to world standards for the width and depth of the case, there should be no problems during installation. You need to determine where the phase is, and clean the glass from debris. To prevent the penetration of domestic insects from neighboring apartments, it is recommended to seal the channel in which the cable is laid with silicone. If space permits, the bottom of the glass can be closed with felt for better sound insulation.

After preparatory work, the mechanism is connected to the network, inserted into the back box, positioned and secured.

In two socket boxes

If there are two holes in the wall, each of which has wires, the following solutions are available for this case:

1. Insert two devices with one socket each. You need to choose them so that the covers do not overlap one on one or it is possible to grind them off along the edges.
2. Purchase an internal socket with a long cover. Connect the two holes into one. After that, you can drown out the extra line and insert the mechanism in the middle of the created opening.

The choice depends on the needs of the residents for electricity outputs. One option would be to install a 4-5 socket external horizontal shoe over the holes.

Grounding

To get a grounding point, you need to purchase an appropriate product that provides a contact for the third wire. In three-core cables, it is located in the middle. Connect the ground by tightening the bolt firmly. This line is designed for extreme conditions, poor contact is unacceptable here.

If a two-wire cable runs through the wall, it is not necessary to replace it. As an alternative to this costly process, you can run a single copper wire directly from the enclosure. Spaces under skirting boards or colored plastic boxes can be used for laying.

Installation of a double socket instead of a single socket

When deciding to replace the outlet, it must be borne in mind that the double product has a total power that is distributed to both inputs. If the marking is 16A, the total power of consumers connected to the sockets or to an extension cord from one of them should not exceed 4 watts.

It should also be borne in mind that due to the spacing of the inlets on the sides, the thickness of the double structure will be greater. Because of this, the risk of damage by any hard and heavy object increases.

Installation sequence for double socket

To work with electricity, it is necessary to use tools with insulation that protects against a voltage of 1000 V. It is advisable to put a rubber mat with the same level of protection under your feet. Before turning off the electricity, you should check its presence on the wires passing through the walls. This is to avoid doing unnecessary work on a faulty line.

The following is a step-by-step algorithm for installing a double socket.

Dismantling the old device

Removal of a used outlet is carried out in the following sequence:

1. The cover is removed.
2. Slices of plaster and wallpaper edges are carefully removed.
3. The legs are loosened, the body is removed from the glass.
4. It remains to loosen the contact bolts and remove the cores from them.

The old product is thrown away or used for spare parts.

New socket

If the socket is corroded or deformed, it should be replaced.

1. The wall of the glass must be bent inward, grasped with pliers and pulled out of the hole.
2. Insulate the ends of the wire and clear debris from the opening.
3. Carry out measurements, if necessary, bring the size of the hole to the required parameters.
4. Push the wire through the holes of the mounting box, then insert it into the opening, into which the putty has been applied in advance.
5. Sink the glass to the required depth, align it horizontally.

You can continue working when the solution is completely solidified.

Preparing to connect

Before connecting the body to the line, it is necessary to level the wall and grind off the protruding fragments of the back box.Then you need to cut off the worn-out sections of the conductors, remove the insulation from the ends of the wires. If they are copper, they must be soldered. Aluminum conductors are treated with contact paste, which removes the oxide film from aluminum and further protects against reoxidation

How to connect wires

Before connecting the wires, their ends must be shaped so that they freely enter the contact holes.

The connection diagram is as follows:

• phase - left;
• earth is in the middle;
• zero is on the right.

Fastening should start from the center, firmly tightening the bolts on each terminal. After that, the cable must be shaped into a spiral so that it folds compactly when the case is installed.

Installing the product

The body of the product is neatly inserted into the junction box and grabbed onto it with self-tapping screws. After that, the mechanism is leveled, the screws are tightened. Tightening of the bolts for adjusting the position of the legs. The final step is to install the cover. After that, you can apply power and use the new outlet.