How to Wire A Standard UK Plug

Wiring diagram

It is very important that the wires, or cores, in the flex are connected to the correct
terminals in the plug.


The live (brown) wire connects to the right-most live (L) terminal nearest to the fuse.
The neutral (blue) wire connects to the left-most neutral (N) terminal.
The earth (green and yellow) wire connects to the central, top-most earth (E)
terminal.


If the appliance is double insulated, and carries the symbol (left), it should not have
an earth wire or earth connection.

Procedure

Undo the large screw on the pin side of the plug and remove the cover.
Loosen the screws on the terminals and cord clamp, and if necessary remove any
existing wires.
Position the new flex against the plug such that its tip is level with the top edge of the
plug, and mark the position of the cord clamp on the flex.
Now use the cable strippers to remove enough of the outer insulation to allow the
core wires to reach their terminals AND the cord clamp of the plug to cover the outer
insulation of the flex. Take care not to strip or perforate the insulation covering the
internal core wires.
Position the flex in the plug and tighten the cord clamp. This ensures that the
electrical connections remain intact if the flex is pulled.
Use the cable strippers to trim the core wires to length and remove 10mm (in) of
the insulation from the end. Ensure that the wires will safely and firmly connect to their
terminals, and the core insulation travels right up to the terminals.
For each core wire, twist the copper strands together, feed them into their respective
terminals and tighten the screws. Do not overtighten.
Ensure that a fuse of the correct rating is fitted. Use a 3amp fuse for appliances up to
700W, use a 5amp fuse for appliances up to 1200W and use a 13amp fuse for appliances
up to 3000W.
Replace the cover and tighten up the screw.