How to Wire a UK Plug

PDF download Download Article
PDF download Download Article

This wikiHow will teach you how to put together or fix a UK three-pin plug.

Steps

PDF download Download Article
  1. Take off roughly 3 centimeter (1.2 in) of white covering, leaving you with three thinner cables. [1]
  2. Advertisement
  4. Leaving the plug on a desk/table/floor, take the stripped end of the thick white wire and separate the three wires inside it from each other, so each one is relatively maneuverable.
  5. Strip roughly 0.5 to 1 centimeter (0.2 to 0.4 in) off of the end of the blue, brown and striped wires, so that the copper insides are clearly visible.
  7. Put all three wires through the cable grip, along with the thick white cable, until the cable grip can be securely tightened onto the thick white cable. The cable grip may have to be loosened with a Philips screwdriver in order to fit the cable underneath it. [2]
  9. The Blue (Neutral) wire (bl = bottom left) goes into the hole in the bottom left (when the three pins of the front of the plug are facing away from you). [3]
  10. The Brown (Live) wire (br = bottom right) goes into the hole on the right, connected to the fuse (which should be clipped in). [4]
    13. Advertisement

Community Q&A

Search
Add New Question
  • Question
    How would I wire a brown and blue cable?
    Community Answer
    Blue to the left and brown to the right, as shownabove. It's a standard cable for a device which doesn't need an earth wire.
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
    Thank you for your feedback.
    If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
    Yes No
    Not Helpful 22 Helpful 35
  • Question
    If the wires are black and red, which is Live and which is Neutral?
    Community Answer
    Red will be Live and Black will be Neutral.
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
    Thank you for your feedback.
    If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
    Yes No
    Not Helpful 16 Helpful 26
  • Question
    The cable for my hob has four wires: green/yellow, blue, black and brown, whilst the plug only takes three. Can I use either the brown or black?
    Community Answer
    No! Usually a brown wire is live and black or blue wires are neutral, so they are NOT interchangeable. I haven't seen such a connection in my hobs, so I would recommend that you contact the supplier, manufacturer, or a professional electrician.
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
    Thank you for your feedback.
    If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
    Yes No
    Not Helpful 12 Helpful 24
See more answers
Ask a Question
200 characters left
Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.
Submit
      Advertisement

      Tips

      • You will have to take out the fuse to put the wires in place inside the plug. Make sure you put it back in afterwards or the plug won't work as there will not be a complete circuit without the fuse.
        Thanks
        Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
      Submit a Tip
      All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published
      Name
      Please provide your name and last initial
      Submit
      Thanks for submitting a tip for review!
      Advertisement

      Warnings

      • This can go quite wrong if wired incorrectly, and death/serious injury can occur.
        Thanks
        Helpful 16 Not Helpful 0
      • If unsure, it may be a good idea to have an electrician check things over/do the whole job himself, as getting this wrong can be very dangerous .
        Thanks
        Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
      Advertisement

      Things You'll Need

      • Wire strippers
      • A thin Flathead screwdriver
      • A small Philips screwdriver
      • Good hands

      You Might Also Like

      How to
      Wire a Simple 120v Electrical Circuit
      Identifying Positive & Negative Wires: Colors & Power Types
      How to
      Test a Fuse With a Multimeter
      How to
      Solder Wires Together
      How to
      Strip Wire with or without a Wire Stripper
      How Do 15A and 20A Outlets Differ? What You Should Know
      How to
      Test an Outlet with a Multimeter
      How to
      Run Electrical Wires through Finished Walls
      How to
      Install a Circuit Breaker
      How to
      Find the Fuse Box or Circuit Breaker Box
      How to
      Determine Amperage of Circuit Breaker
      How to
      Gauge Wire
      How to
      Straighten a Wire
      How to
      Change a Circuit Breaker
      Advertisement

      Expert Interview

      Thanks for reading our article! If you’d like to learn more about electrical wiring, check out our in-depth interview with Ricardo Mitchell .

      References

      1. ↑ https://www.pat-testing-training.net/articles/wiring-plugs.php
      2. ↑ https://www.pat-testing-training.net/articles/wiring-plugs.php
      3. ↑ https://www.bbc.com/bitesize/guides/zw8n2nb/revision/2
      4. ↑ https://www.bbc.com/bitesize/guides/zw8n2nb/revision/2

      About This Article

      In other languages
      Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 351,959 times.

      Reader Success Stories

      • Malcolm

        Aug 15, 2022

        "Used a 3a fuse instead of a 13a had to rewire new plug, this was very helpful."
      More reader stories Hide reader stories
      Share your story

      Did this article help you?

      Advertisement