Assembly instructions for a good extension cord

So, to begin with, we figure out what you can make a good electric extension cord at home:

1. Collapsible electric plug. You can cut it from a failed electrical appliance, or you can buy a new one. Requirement for the plug - it must be earthed.
2. Three-core cable of required length. Here you need to pay attention to the purpose of the future homemade. If powerful electrical appliances (for example, a welding machine) are connected, the diameter of the cores must be suitable. It is better to implement calculation of cable cross section for current and powerso that in the future you will not encounter problems such as melting of the socket and short circuit. Most often, when assembling an extension cord at home, use a wire PVA 3 * 1.5 and PVA 3 * 2.5.
3. A block of outlets (or one single). There are also several main requirements: the back wall of the outlet must be closed, the product must have grounding contacts, the design must be dustproof and waterproof. If all these requirements are met, the question of the safety of using such an electric carry will not worry you in the future.

As for tools, you may need the following:

• multimeter (allows you to check the extension cord after assembly);
• curly and straight screwdriver;
• pliers or special wire stripping tool;
• sharp knife;
• insulating tape.

For an example, consider how to make an electrical extension cord from a three-core cable with sockets for 4 sockets. So, the assembly instructions are as follows:

1. We unwind the plug and the block of sockets to prepare places for fixing the cores.
2. Remove the cable sheath on both sides by 4-6 cm.
3. We clean each wire by 10 mm, as shown in the photo below.
4. We insert the cores into the corresponding terminals and carefully tighten the screws with a screwdriver.
5. We twist the socket block and plug in the reverse order. If the cable dangles in the bore, rewind a bit of insulation to make the seat denser.
6. Using a multimeter, we call a homemade electric extension cord. If everything is correct, turn on the plug directly to the mains and use it.

I would like to additionally note that it is possible to make a more reliable version of the electric extension cord with a switch in the form of a button.In this case, you can turn off or on the power at the jacks. If you decide to collect a long carrier (for example, 50 meters), then it is better to wind it on a special coil so that the wires do not get tangled up constantly. In addition, the coil is more convenient to store than a wire coil.

We also recommend watching a visual video lesson:

We recommend that you read the article: why does the socket spark when turning on the plug!