How to Wire a UK Plug

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

Steps

  1. Image titled Wire a UK Plug Step 1
    1
    Strip the end of the thick cable coming from the appliance into the plug, using wire strippers. Take off roughly 3 centimeter (1.2 in) of white covering, leaving you with three thinner cables.[1]
  2. Image titled Wire a UK Plug Step 2
    2
    Undo the Philips screw in the center of the plug, on the side with the three pins poking out.
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  3. Image titled Wire a UK Plug Step 3
    3
    Take the back off of the plug (the part you loosened by undoing the screw).
  4. Image titled Wire a UK Plug Step 4
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    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. Image titled Wire a UK Plug Step 5
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    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.
  6. Image titled Wire a UK Plug Step 6
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    See the diagram below, in the External Links section for a clearer view.
  7. Image titled Wire a UK Plug Step 7
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    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]
  8. Image titled Wire a UK Plug Step 8
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    Undo the screws on top of the holes to allow the wires to go into the holes and get a good contact with the metal.
  9. Image titled Wire a UK Plug Step 9
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    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. Image titled Wire a UK Plug Step 10
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    The Brown (Live) wire (br = bottom right) goes into the hole on the right, connected to the fuse (which should be clipped in).[4]
  11. Image titled Wire a UK Plug Step 11
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    The green and yellow wire is the earth wire, and goes through the middle up to the hole in the top.
  12. Image titled Wire a UK Plug Step 12
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    Put the back of the plug back on once all the wires are in and tight, and all the screws are securely done up.
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Community Q&A

  • Question
    How would I wire a brown and blue cable?
    Community Answer
    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.
  • Question
    If the wires are black and red, which is Live and which is Neutral?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    Red will be Live and Black will be Neutral.
  • 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
    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.
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Warnings

  • This can go quite wrong if wired incorrectly, and death/serious injury can occur.
    ⧼thumbs_response⧽
  • 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.
    ⧼thumbs_response⧽
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Things You'll Need

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

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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

wikiHow is a “wiki,” similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. To create this article, 30 people, some anonymous, worked to edit and improve it over time. This article has been viewed 282,180 times.
99 votes - 80%
Co-authors: 30
Updated: March 17, 2023
Views: 282,180
Categories: Electrical Wiring and Safety Switches
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