Wiring help

[AJ_Rowley]

This is one for all those leccy competent folk.

I'm building my stc temp controller and I have wired my male plug to instructions do is right.

Now I wired one of the female sockets. It took me a while to figure out the wiring but eventually got as I finally saw the little letters inside. So that should be fine.

Something was not logically working in my head though when I attached the plugs. I brought the plugs over to a mates to show him he initially thought it was a dodgy plug but he checked one of his plugs and it was the same in his.

In my head I thought all wires would coincide, neutral to neutral live to live and earth to earth. On the plugs though earth pin goes to earth hole. But the live and neutral pins are going to their opposite hole. Hopefully you get what I mean.

Is this correct or is it a faulty plug?

[Sorcerers Apprentice]

First we need to sort out the names ie plugs (male) and sockets (female) are you saying that the socket wiring is the reverse of the plugtop, if so this is normal as you are viewing them from their reverse side. The plugtop will have the brown core (live) on the right and neutral on the left. On the trailing socket the live is on the left and the neutral on the right, - mirror image

[Sorcerers Apprentice]

On some trailing sockets they are wired from the front and will coincide with the plugtop polarity. Just make sure that the pin on the plugtop which is connected to the brown wire is locating in the receiver in the socket with the brown wire and vice versa with the neutral

[mr hoppy]

I think I had the same problem. The female plugs I got had a diagram showing how to wire them, It's a picture of how it would look if you could see inside rather than showing which wire should be wired to which pin. I did what SA says in his second post and it worked fine.

[AJ_Rowley]

I'll take some photos tomorrow when I get a chance, hopefully shed some light on my conundrum.

[LordEoin]

having the wires the wrong way around will probably work but the problem is that you will have the fuse pretty uselessly placed on the neutral wire instead of the live wire.

[pob]

What doesn't help is the legend printed beside the pins on the inside of the socket & back of cover. (Sorry for poor image quality, low light level in shed.)





The N is on the left side where the live pin of a plug connects!!

Why are they marked like this?

I've now changed my L/N around, thanks for help. Logically thinking it makes sense, when you're not paying attention it's easy to follow what's printed without questioning it.
I have been using 2 of these for the last 18 months wired incorrectly, i.e.fuse on N instead of L.

[Sorcerers Apprentice]

Ignore the lower photo, the upper photo polarity is correct, the lower photo would be correct if you could see through the plastic cover :-) i reckon it's a typo
The fuse in your household fuse board protects the distribution cables within the house and the fuse in the plug top protects the appliance, the fuse will protect the appliance regardless of whether it's connected to the live or nuetral, however if the fuse blew, someone might open the appliance to test it and be electrocuted as the blue wire would now be live. By right if the fuse blows then the appliance should be dead.

[pob]

The upper photo has the Live on the left pin of the plug which is Neutral.

The wire position you see is what I had it, I've just switched it to have L on left, N on right in the socket, is that correct?

[Sorcerers Apprentice]

In the top photo the nuetral goes to the left and the live to the right, this is correct for this particular socket, the front face of the socket has been removed to give access to the terminals in other sockets the rear face is detached to allow access and in this case the wiring would be as per the lower photo. The easiest way is to trace where the live pin from the plug will be connected when plugged into the socket and connect the brown cable to this terminal.

[pob]

In the top photo the nuetral goes to the left and the live to the right, this is correct for this particular socket, the front face of the socket has been removed to give access to the terminals in other sockets the rear face is detached to allow access and in this case the wiring would be as per the lower photo. The easiest way is to trace where the live pin from the plug will be connected when plugged into the socket and connect the brown cable to this terminal.

It's the same socket. Top picture is showing base with front removed, bottom picture is what printed on the back of the base.

Following the pins from plug means L on plug receives Neutral. Confusing product. This is the same setup that AJ had last night with a different brand socket.

Anyway as suggested, I've it now wired it so pins follows pins through. Thanks for advice.

[Sorcerers Apprentice]

Just for clarity the top photo shows the correct polarity with the left terminal marked with an "N" and the right terminal marked with an upside down "L" the lower photo contains an error in that the polarity is wrong for this type of socket.

[pob]

Top photo would still appear to be wrong though,  this is the side that the plug contacts with.
Holding the plug in your hand (as if plugging into wall), left hand pin is Live which would be connecting with the Neutral on the socket - doesn't make sense.

[Sorcerers Apprentice]

Looking at the back of the plug-top, as you plug it in, the left hand pin is blue neutral, the left hand terminal of the socket (because it has the front removed ) is also blue/neutral

[pob]

No it ain't, from the back the left is Live.
Neutral is left when you're wiring it, becomes right when plugging it in?
I stand corrected though.