Plugs connect electrical appliances to the mains supply at socket outlets. Plugs used on modern wiring systems have three pins with screw-down terminals inside the plug, to which the cores of the appliance flex are connected. The flex is securely held by a clamp where it leaves the plug casing.
Inside a Plug
Viewed with the plug top unscrewed and the pins facing away from you:
- the brown (live) core is connected to the bottom right terminal
- the blue (neutral) core is connected to the bottom left terminal
- the earth (green-and-yellow) core is connected to the top terminal; some double-insulated appliances, such as irons, indicated with a double insulated stamp kite mark on the flex, do not need earthing, and have no earth core.
The plug contains a small cartridge fuse next to the live pin. Use a fuse rated at 3 amps (colour-coded red) for appliances rated at up to 700 watts, and one rated at 13 amps (colour-coded brown) for more powerful appliances. Use only plugs made to British Standard BS 1363, and fuses made to BS 1362.
All electrical appliances are now sold fitted with a sealed plug. If one gets damaged, cut it off and discard it. Reconnect the flex to a new plug, connecting the cores to the terminals as described above.
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