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Is It Safe to Rewire a Plug Myself?

We all want to save money where we can at home or in business, but some things, like electrics, can be a bit scary. The potential to cause damage, either to a device or with something more major like an electrical fire, or even personal injury through electric shock, can be quite off-putting. But in reality, most people can safely rewire a plug or electrical socket without too much trouble or risk.

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So How Do I Rewire a Plug?

It may seem rather obvious, but make sure the device is unplugged and any batteries or power-storing components are removed. Additionally, you can discharge any residual power in many devices, such as that held in capacitors, by holding down the power button for a few seconds after all power sources have been removed.

After that, unscrew the back cover of the plug, using a Phillips or cross-head screwdriver. If the plug is fused, which most plugs in the UK are, carefully remove the fuse either with your finger or by working it out gently with a screwdriver.

If any of the wires are especially frayed or do not have any bare wire showing, you will need to strip them back. Clip off the exposed frayed wire with a pair of wire cutters, then gently cut the shielding on the wire with wire cutters or a Stanley knife, being careful not to cut the wire itself, and then pull the shielding off.

Once you have some bare wiring exposed on each wire, it’s time to connect them to the clamps. Unscrew the clamp until you can insert the cable, and then tighten the clamp over the cable. The green or green and yellow wire connects to earth, blue or black to neutral and red or brown to live.

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Are There Any Times When I Shouldn’t Do This Myself?

If you are looking at rewiring the plug on an expensive or business critical system, such as an Eaton UPS, get a replacement from a distributor such as http://www.cppsales.com/Eaton_UPS_Systems___Accessories-catid17 instead of doing it yourself.

If you are all all uncertain or uncomfortable, replace the part or call an electrician. There are risks associated with any electrical work, and so if you are not entirely comfortable with what you are doing, call a professional.