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The huge 16A connectors are linked with a very short piece of cable.
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Good afternoon, all so i'm going to wire this socket uh 16 amp socket such that it can connect into this 16 amp plug. Now that's going to be on the wall, but mounted sideways, so this socket will be like that it will go in like so. Yes, that's right that little peg goes into that slot um. That means that my earth will be over that side.

Now, looking at this cable, if i put earth over that side live and neutral um do line up with these. Now, of course, that's not going to work at the other end, but i'll worry about that later and also what have i got? I've got earth there live up there and that is the live one. There's an l marked on there. I don't know whether you can see it and the curl of the cable also heads off in the right direction, so i think that's perfect for there.

So i'm going to start stripping this back here. So i'm starting by just using a knife blade to go around the outside insulation and then i'll just carve that until i get to the depth where i can see the inner conductors, but trying not to cut into the sheaths of the inner conductors. The brown blue and green and yellow so let's carry on carving that this is the slow way of doing it right by sort of working that backwards and forwards. That's now split, the lubricating powder is starting to fall out and there are my three conductors so now i need to work out how long these are going to be to reach these.

It looks like the earth. One will need to be cut a bit shorter um, but with the cable still being able to be clamped into the clamping lid mechanism, so i think i'm going to cut down, live and neutral or line in neutral too. I don't know about there um earth. I think can be cut shorter because it sticks up a bit higher.

So let's cut that about there yeah that looks about right. Now, i'm going to use these strippers, which have the two v-shaped blades to strip these back. So how much do i need stripped back? Really quite a lot uh. Maybe i've cut these a bit short actually, because i really want that to go mostly down into that ferrule.

So i think i'll set that for the maximum, which is 12 millimeters. Let's try this one strip that all the way like, so that looks pretty good. These insulation pieces just get stuck in here. It's a real nuisance.

Let's do the live line and, let's start with those two and see how i get on so here's my question. These ferrules, which i want to use - i mean i probably don't actually need to, but i quite like the idea of using them, should i pre-crimp that i know the camera hasn't focused on that very well. I think we've got the length of that about right. Um, shall i pre-crimp that onto there, so they don't fall off or shall i just have it loose on there.

While i attempt to screw it into there, i'm not entirely sure. If i pre-crimp it, i haven't, got a proper crimping tool. I mean i did think i could just touch a bit of solder on the end of there um so that it didn't flow all the way up, because the bolts quite high up - and i know it's very much - frowned upon to use soldered or tinned copper in A screw terminal, but i can't think of a sensible way to crimp that i mean all i've got. Are these pliers? I suppose i could try crushing it like so maybe i'll give that a go and see what the result is and the result is probably quite predictable.
It's crushed into a sort of horrible triangular formation, but that might be good enough just to keep the feral on the wire. The bolt the bolts in here are quite near the top, so they will crush the top of this copper tube. The bottom part really isn't used, so it's just being used to hold the ferrule onto the wire, so i think that might be okay. These really are all a bit short, but if i can make it work, i think i'll stick with it now, i'm not concerned about putting the cap on the wire as yet, because the other end of the wire is free.

So i don't need to worry about that. So i'll just crush this earth, one decided to go for the orange because it's a tighter fit of the wire within the ferrule um. The green one would be rather large, even though that fits better in the earth pin. But yeah, let's go with the three oranges, and now will this fit into these three receptacles with the extreme short lengths of wire that i've allocated to them actually yeah.

That does fit quite well so now i need to tighten these bolts and crush it all up. Good and tight not sure how well this is going to come over on the camera, but let's get the live and neutral crushed in and yes, it just feels better that i know that the strands in there are not fraying out or being twisted or being torn. I think i do like the feral idea. I'm sorry! If you can't see this very well.

Let's tighten that bottom, one up just to get some grip and then start tightening the top one. Now i can move my hand away, so you can see how that's going right, much more pressure on live and neutral. The tighter you get these the less resistance, you're gon na get and resistance is where you're gon na get heat. That's your enemy! Let's tighten earth! Okay, i think that's good and tight, that's pretty good and with the grippy top on there i think that's going to be fine.

I did cut these a little bit short, but actually that's worked out quite well good, so i'll slide on the cap. From this end, that fits nicely in there that's going to tighten up pretty well and the shark spin. Where does that? Go uh? Yes, that goes there, that's right, because it goes on the side with the um cover. So let's click that into place.

That's done and now it's a case of tightening this up and, as we know, the grippy thing in there isn't going to turn now have i got my curl the right way because it's going to curl that way. Yes, it feels absolutely perfect. So, let's tighten this up knotting, not applying any pressure to that. Just let that roam free and, as we know, the inner part of that isn't going to turn.
That's probably tight enough. Yeah! That's good! That's done so. I fitted the wall mounting plug and socket back to the wall place this in position and i've determined that that is the point that i'm going to cut the wire. So it's a really short cable because the plug and the socket they're sort of right angles to each other and the cable comes around in a loop um.

But that's where it's going to be cut so now. What's the best way to cut this a scissor cut's? What i want, but this is whopping great cable - am i gon na get through it with this? Oh yeah, pretty much, that's it! So that's my cable! That's the length! Let's get the um, oh, which one's this that's the socket yeah, let's get the plug on there and uh this time. It is crucially important that i put the cap on here first, so i don't end up wiring it all and then thinking oh, i didn't put the cap on now where's my plug. Now, once again, earth is raised up relative to live and neutral, so i can cut earth a bit shorter, but what i can't do is cut, live and neutral any shorter, because i've kind of measured those exactly to fit into about there.

So i need to cut the insulation back not go too crazy, not go so far that this won't work just carving into this. Until i see the colored inner sheaths appear, yeah, i think that's. The brown has just appeared, let's now carve into there. Until i see the blue appear, i was thinking that live and neutral.

Well, i was thinking that the earth would have to be pushed between live and neutral, but actually that all works, because that's live there's a little l in there. I don't know whether you can see it so that all is all in the right direction and it was all correct there as well. So if you think about it, yeah you end up. I do remember actually doing this on a piece of cable the other day and on both ends.

I had to push earth between live and neutral so clearly that piece of cable was the wrong way around, but i think that's going to fit in there quite well. Okay, let's get my ferrules right, my three ferrules are on and i've crimped over the ends just using pliers, so they're a bit random. In fact, this one's gone into more of a u-shape, and these two are more triangular, but the important thing is they're held on the ends of the wires and we've got some nice area for these screws to grip on. When i slide this in here.

Okay, i've got all the gubbins on there all correct and proper. Let's get that in there and that's on there and once again it's very tight to the insulation, but i think that's fine. I do think these ferals make sense, because there's no concern that stray strands are sort of folded back or being twisted or damaged in any way. Yes, that's good, so those are done up really nice and tight time to bring this piece up.

That turns and locks in, like that, that won't come undone and now this um cable grip and, as i say this is pretty much a one shot. So i need to put this on perhaps i'll bring that up onto the bench i'll do this off camera, because i want to tighten that up, but not untighten it again, because that will put a twist on there. I mean it's quite well, because the insulation runs so close to the contacts it should take a bit of turning abuse but yeah. Let's just give that a one shot: application.
Okay, there's my cable. It's really short, so this bit goes down the bottom sideways. That bit goes upwards, i'm not quite sure how the rotational positions of the earth pins are yet, but i'll just have a look at that now, and here is my cable, so there's the socket, which will be supplied with mains from the consumer unit comes down. My really nice neat short cable into the plug, and that goes off to the shed, so i'm liking that cheerio.


By Julian

Youtuber, shed dweller, solar charge controller aficionado

8 thoughts on “16 Amp Connectors Wired”
  1. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars JUNTEK says:

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  2. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Ted McFadden says:

    I like to use side cutters to strip thick insulation like that. Score around the depth you wish to cut (as you did), but you don't have to cut all the way to the wire jackets. Then, take a pair of side cutters and start trimming from the bare wire end to the score mark you made. Once you get to the score mark, you might be able to just tear off the excess, or more easily see where it needs trimming.

  3. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Steve Oddlers says:

    The usual suspects sell a ferrule crimper that works reasonably well along with a whole box of ferrules for very little money. I've done some shoddy stuff myself, but for mains I wouldn't want to risk a bad connection like this.
    When you snip a properly crimped ferrule in half you'll see that the copper strands are fused together basically in a solid mass, looks really cool.

  4. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Robert Adams says:

    I have always liked that style of receptacle but here in the US the only place that uses them is Mc Donalds on their kitchen equipment. I wouldn't mind using them on my shop equipment especially since they are dirt cheap compared to the stuff we use here in the US. Shoe lace ferrules are also not used here in the US either. They are only showing up because you can buy them on ebay and amazon from China sellers.

  5. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Andrew van Leeuwen says:

    As a professional carpenter
    A professional concrete cutter
    A professional demolition company owner
    A professional machine operator
    An electronic enthousiast
    An audiophile
    A professional gamer
    And an RC lover

    I can tell you just connect the fckn wires because I've been doing it for years and running high loads without any accidents 😂 just screw em make sure you put in a wire that handles the load of your socket and stop listening to those so called professional electricians

    "now I've created a sh*t storm! INCOMINGGGG"

  6. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Ralf Baechle says:

    Fail: "Looks like the earth one will need to be cut a bit shorter.". The earth one (more correctly called PE) should be sized such that if the cable is yanked out from the plug the PE one will be the last one to still have contact. That does actually work quite well with these big connectors where there's plenty of space or as in your case where the PE wire is raised. For other connector you may need to leave PE one or two cm longer.
    The ferrules must be crimped before tightetning the screws with a proper crimping tool – a pair of pliers is going to do a bad job. And sorry, no soldering.
    Oh and the ferrule is looking pretty large. It should be just large enough to fit easily on the wire, no larger. I think in your previous video you said the conductors were 2.6 mm². Yours look like they're about 4 mm² – but there's no standard known to me which uses red for a ferrule of that size – or anything close to it. So that's a bit weird but no problem, the ferrule colour isn't important, just a useful hint at the wire cross section.
    At 230V and 16A the current is large enough that this needs done properly. Because you don't want to meet the fire brigade. At least not in your own home 😉

  7. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars David Glass says:

    Need to use a proper set of Ferrule Crimpers they compress all the wires together over a longer length typically making a square section. Also, wires should just stick out of the end of the ferrule a tiny bit this is useful for checking visually you have crimped on the wires and also reduces the chance of it pulling out as the ends splay out a little. Insulation colour is coded for the wire size and if all the wires are the same gauge then all the crimps should be the same size and colour. you should use the smallest size that slides over the wire. The screw should not be used to crimp the ferrule it should already be crimped under the area the screw makes contact.

  8. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars muh1h1 says:

    1) Never cut the PE shorter, see the other comment.
    2) Yes, the ferrul should be crimped before going into the plug. This one is way to thick though, Looks to be for 4mm² wire, yours looks more like 2.5mm². There should be pretty much no play with the right size.
    3) Solder is a nogo in screwterminals, actually illegal here, since it gives over time and the pressure of the screw with be gone. That can result in a bad connection -> heat -> melted solder -> short -> fire. Unlikely but still not a good idea.

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