All extension cords and surge protectors (I still don’t understand what their difference is, except for the cherished general shutdown button, which no one uses anyway), has one, very significant, in my opinion, minus: they lie freely. And if ever-never is still an advantage, for example, putting it aside when you vacuum, or pushing the system unit away, then more often it is not. And at the most inopportune moment, when your hands are busy with something, and your vision is limited by something oversized, you hook the extension cord with your foot and pull it out of the network. In the best case, the download of the file, which has already lasted for 1.5 hours, is interrupted by 98%, or you will have to start transferring music to your phone from the beginning. Well, at worst, if the plug of the electrical appliance has not fallen out, but the wire has broken, it is simply unsafe.

So I, having suffered with all kinds of extension cords, wondered: what prevents it from being fixed, not even on the floor, but higher. It's more convenient and safer that way. But here’s the problem: I didn’t find anything similar on sale (although I might not be looking there), and the preliminary outlines of this simple device began to emerge:
Small, compact, but at the same time convenient;
On a clamp, so that you can always rearrange;
So as not to be conspicuous, but always at hand.

So I profess the principle of car tuners: “you can’t buy it - build it yourself”, I set to work. By the way, for reference: it took no more than 15 minutes, even taking into account the fact that I was a "pioneer". Your creation will take much less time.
First of all, I bought two external sockets without grounding, single,

and double (I told you that the requirements for the extension cord began to emerge).

And always with a back wall, otherwise it would have to be done.

But the clamp (plastic, for attaching the flexible shaft of the drill), I simply found in my “bins”. Such a “piano in the bushes”, so I didn’t have to buy it. Although, as practice later showed, finding and buying something like this is not at all difficult, and there is something similar in abundance in construction markets and supermarkets.

In addition, you need a piece of sheet rubber (I deliberately do not indicate the dimensions, since they will all be individual and different),

a power cord with a plug from a discarded old and faulty TV,

a piece of two-wire wire for connection,

and four screws with M4 nuts.

In addition, a screwdriver was needed, which will play the role of a compact and not fast drill,

drill to it

screwdriver,

and wiring pliers, or as they are also called a stripper for shortening wires and stripping insulation.

And then everything is quite simple. In the rear parts of the sockets, we drill holes for fastening to the clamp (at two points),

as well as wires.

We drill the same holes in the clamp itself, in the upper and middle parts.

And in order to securely fasten the incoming power wire, we drill three holes (although two are enough) in a row,

and through them we pass the incoming power wire with a “snake”. So he will never, even if desired, break out of contact by negligence.

Now we clean the ends of the wires, make loops, although this was not necessary, but I love solidity in everything,

and assemble the sockets themselves.

We fasten the protective outer covers.

Now we return the clamping part of the clamp to its place, when installing sockets and wires to them, it simply interfered, Contents:

In everyday life, situations often arise when the available sockets in an apartment or a private house do not allow the use of any electrical appliances or household appliances. The main reason is their inconvenient location, so the owners prefer to use an extension cord. In some cases, increased power outlets or a longer cord are required. In this case, home craftsmen make an extension cord with their own hands. A hand-made extension cord will be much cheaper than a branded one and much more reliable. If you have the skills to work with the tool, the whole procedure takes from 15 minutes to half an hour.

Preparing to assemble the extension

Before making an extension cord, you first need to decide on its purpose. This will determine the possibility of connecting certain devices, as well as the maximum allowable power. These factors have a direct impact on the choice of cable cross-section and other components. All parameters are recommended to be selected with a small margin, so that in the future it will be possible to connect more powerful electrical equipment.

First of all, you need to buy a wire that will be used as a cord. The most optimal option is copper, characterized by increased flexibility. If there is a grounding contact in the socket, the wire must be three-core, and if it is not available, a cable with two cores can be used. At the time of purchase, you should carefully study the labeling of the product.

If the brand "PVA 3 x 1.5" is indicated, this means that the wire is three-core, and the cross section of the core is 1.5 mm. These parameters allow you to connect a load with a power of up to 3.5 kW. For a power of 5 kW, a cross section of 2.5 mm is required. Data for calculations can be taken in a special one, which will greatly speed up the solution of the question of how to make an extension cord with your own hands.

When choosing a cross section, it is necessary to take into account the factor of the length of the conductor. For example, if the cable length is more than 100 meters, then during operation, a voltage drop is possible due to the connection of high power devices. Therefore, it is recommended to choose a cable with a larger cross section than is provided for in the calculation table.

Then you need to choose the right one, which should be collapsible. It is not recommended to purchase products of the "euro" type, if you plan to use sockets of the old design in advance. Otherwise, you will need an additional adapter. On the body of each plug there is a marking with the designation of the maximum current. For example, at 16A you will need a cable with a cross section of 1.5 mm, and for 25A the cross section will be 2.5 mm. If there is grounding, then the plug must have a grounding contact in the design.

The socket is not recommended to be selected in a single version. The socket block should be at least double, and best of all - with three or four elements. When choosing, you need to be very careful not to accidentally buy an overhead structure designed for use with open wiring. It does not have a special clamp that protects against accidental pulling out, and over time, the back cover of such sockets falls out. For extension cords, there are separate options in the form of socket strips or cable sockets. If you want to connect a computer or other office equipment, then in this case a surge protector is made, in which there is a push-button switch and light indication.

After all the materials are prepared, you can begin to assemble the extension cord. This procedure is carried out with a knife, screwdriver and pliers.

How to assemble an electric extension cord with your own hands

At the first stage, the upper insulating layer is removed from both sides of the cable by about 5-7 cm, after which the ends of each core are stripped by 1 cm. Next, the plug is disassembled by unscrewing the mounting bolt. After that, you need to loosen the screws on the clamp that fixes the cable inside the plug housing. Then the stripped wires are connected to two fork contacts.

The location of the conductors does not matter, the most important thing is to correctly connect the grounding contacts on sockets and plugs. After connecting the conductors, the plug is reassembled.

At the final stage, the socket block is disassembled and two cores of conductors are connected to the contacts. The third core is connected to a grounding contact, exactly the same as on the plug. Thus, both ground contacts are connected by a single wire.

If the core consists of many wires, then it is recommended to solder it or. In extreme cases, simple twisting of the wires with pliers is allowed. After all connections, the cable is fixed inside the case and the final assembly of the unit is performed. The finished extension cord is checked by plugging it into a home electrical outlet or using a multimeter.

How to properly operate a homemade extension cord

When using a homemade extension cord, several mandatory requirements must be observed.

• There should not be any damage on the cable, and if they do appear, they must be insulated. Isolation is performed when the extension cord is unplugged.
• If the plug or socket is out of order, they must be replaced. They should be protected from moisture and avoid excessive overloads.
• When operating at maximum loads, the cable must be unwound completely to avoid overheating.

Hello to all do-it-yourselfers!

In everyday life, we all often have to use various extension cords. Moreover, if for street conditions or a summer cottage, extension cords with a long cable, several tens of meters long, are mainly used, then for premises (sheds, garages, workshops or at home), such extension cords with a block for three, four sockets and wire length from 3 to 5-7 meters.

In my experience, I have found that when using such extension cords, it is best to hang them on the wall. In this case, neither the extension cord itself, nor its wire, as well as the wires of electric tools connected to it, will interfere, as if you simply put the extension cord on the floor.

However, the problem is that not all manufacturers make canopy holes on the back wall of their extension blocks, thanks to which they can be hung on the wall.

Here, for example, on this extension, there are such canopies.

And this one doesn't have them.

Of course, you can make canopies on the back wall of the block yourself by drilling holes in it. However, this is often dangerous because it can lead to electric shock and sometimes not very convenient.

I found a simple way out of this situation by making such wooden canopies from small planks on many of my extension cords.

And to make such a canopy is quite simple.

For this, from the materials you will need:

• two small screws;
• as well as a small board, 10-12 mm thick, one and a half to two times longer than the length of the extension block and slightly wider than it.

Of the tools you will need:

• electric jigsaw with a saw;
• an electric drill with a feather drill for wood, with a diameter of 20-25 mm, and a drill for metal with a diameter of 4 mm;
• as well as a screwdriver.

The procedure for making a canopy

First, from one end of the blank plank, in the center, you need to drill such a through hole, with a drill bit for wood.

Then, stepping back a short distance from the edge of the circle drilled earlier, drill another hole with a diameter of 4 mm.

Exactly the same hole must be drilled from the other end of the plank.

In this case, the main thing is that the distance from the edge of the circle to the upper hole.

And from the end of the plank to the bottom hole were the same.

After that, using a jigsaw, you need to cut the grooves to the top and bottom holes.

And then you can round the ends of the plank, although this is not necessary.

The canopy board itself can be lightly sanded and painted or varnished, although this is also not necessary. Well, after that, it remains only to fix the extension block on our canopy.
To do this, you need to disassemble the block into two parts by unscrewing the screws and removing the cover with sockets and terminals.

And at the ends of the rear wall of the block, you need to drill two holes with a diameter of 4 mm, and screw it with small screws to the canopy.

After that, the block can be assembled.

And now our extension with a canopy is ready!

Using a canopy for an extension in work

After that, it can be easily hung on the wall by screwing two screws into it. Moreover, you can hang the extension cord either vertically.

Or horizontally, which seems more convenient to me, especially for an extension cord with a switch.

By the way, this extension cord constantly hangs on my porch wall, near the main outlet.
I must say that this is very convenient, since the main, rather powerful socket is used to connect a large load, for example, electric welding. And in the event that you need to connect several power tools, I just use this extension cord by connecting it to this outlet.

If this extension is needed elsewhere, it can be removed very quickly and then hung back.

So using extension cords with similar canopies is very convenient!

Well, that's all for me! Bye everyone and good luck in the new year!

In Ideas for the home: how to hide the wires

Unfortunately, wireless technology has not yet become commonplace in offices and homes. So, in the near future, a bunch of annoying wires on the table will not go anywhere. I will tell you a few tricks that will help you get rid of the mess and hide the cables from prying eyes.

1. Hide the power strip with chargers in the box

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An extension cord with chargers constantly gets in the way on the table or under your feet, collects a lot of dust, and it looks unaesthetic. Dealing with this problem is very simple: take a nice box, make a few holes in it and hide all the wires and cables there.

2. Fix the wires under the tabletop

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To fix the wires and extension cord under the table, you will need binders and screws (they must be at least a quarter less than the thickness of the table top in length, otherwise they will go through and the table will be damaged). First of all, fix the extension under the table top, preferably in the middle of the table or closer to the wall. Then fix the binders in the right places with screws. Connect everything you need to the extension cord and assemble the wires with clamps. Visually, the table has become much cleaner and neater.

There is a simpler option if you do not need to hide a large number of wires. This will require a construction stapler. To prevent the long wire from the lamp from dangling under your feet, carefully fasten it with paper clips at the table leg. A small extension can also be fixed with paper clips. For thicker wires, it is better to use special clamps.

Do you like stapler staples? Regular zip ties will do. Secure the cable to the table leg with cable ties. The wires that run along the floor can be covered with plastic or a plank to match the color of the floor. The extension can be fastened under the tabletop using a wide Velcro: fix it with screws on the back of the tabletop, and then attach the extension. To keep the wires from dangling under the table, run them through cable ducts - these can be purchased at any hardware store. You can fix the channels themselves with electrical tape or a regular plaster.

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3. Organize cable storage

Getting rid of the confusion in the wires will help their proper organization. To get started, collect cords from phones, a player, a game console, and tablets around the house. Then take the boxes (preferably prettier), place cardboard separators inside them, sign the place for each cable (so as not to get confused later) and lay everything out neatly. To avoid tangling the wires themselves, use ordinary ties.

***

If you don't feel like messing around with boxes, buy a basket and stock up on toilet paper rolls.

4. Keep all the necessary wires close at hand

Not all cables we can hide in a box: we need some of them almost constantly. The solution is simple: mount them on the edge of your desktop so that you can reach out and connect the device to the right wire if necessary.

The growth in the number of devices that require a connection point to be installed inside an industrial or residential building has led to the development of many ways to fix the cable to the wall, both at the construction stage and in a long-term and well-occupied room. In various situations, you have to choose how to fix the wires on the wall so that they do not spoil the interior with their appearance, comply with electrical safety rules, and be protected from external environmental influences and accidental damage. A significant aspect is the rational consumption of material and cost savings.

Types of wiring

The need to attach the wire to the wall is first considered in terms of the expected service life. Power cables extending from wire junction boxes are intended for long-term use. Communication lines and television connections are of the temporary type, capable of changing their position if necessary.

Based on this, there are 2 types of laying electrical communications:

• open wiring, when the line is fastened to the outer surface of the structures and the entire network is available for inspection and partial repair;
• concealed wiring is laid in the wall materials (walled) and is available for operations at the points of connection to it (sockets, connectors) or intermediate switching (boxes, shields).

If the hidden laying of the wire is made in corrugated or smooth pipes, then in these areas subsequent fast is possible.

An example of installation in smooth PVC pipes is shown in a series of photos:

In technical rooms, such wiring may remain uncovered with a layer of plaster; in residential apartments, it is under a layer of finish.

Concrete concrete factories even produce special types of panels with internal slabs and design outlet points to connection boxes.

Influence of base material

Another factor influencing the choice of methods for attaching the cable to the wall will be its design and materials of manufacture.

The load-bearing and internal walls of the building are erected in the following options:

• reinforced concrete panels;
• brickwork (solid, hollow, multilayer, combined);
• wooden (logs / timber);
• bulk monolithic concrete;
• sip panels;
• frame-panel construction.

In each case, it is necessary to decide which fasteners to use for the selected type of wiring.

Brickwork

The scheme and method of how to fix the cable on a brick wall is chosen based on the available tools and materials. Masonry, as a rule, is not left without a protective coating of plaster, so the wiring will be closed.

With a large amount of work, you will need a puncher and a grinder for leveling. Short sections can be worked with a chisel and hammer by hand.

An example of wiring on a brick wall is visible in the photo:

It is possible to securely fix the fit of wires to the wall in simple ways that do not require the cost of special fasteners: quick-drying mortar (alabaster, gypsum, glue), wire to driven nails / screws, strips of tin + nails. The main condition is a reliable fastening without the possibility of displacement or sagging.

After the cable laying is completed, the channels will be. So that they do not affect the monolithic structure of the applied solution, the recesses are covered with a reinforcing mesh.

Monolithic hard surfaces

The wires are attached to the concrete wall with dowels using a mounting gun or manual drilling of holes for installing a plastic sleeve, to which a fixing bracket or clamp is screwed with a screw.

A variant of what plastic fasteners look like is shown in the photo:

Depending on the diameter of the cable (wire bundle), staples, perforated metal tape of industrial production and self-production are also used as fasteners.

The use of a mounting gun on various types of fasteners for cables and corrugations on concrete is demonstrated in the video:

Laying in pipes

Monolithic concrete surfaces are not, wires are fastened on trays, in pipes or using corrugations. The wiring can be left open, mounted inside the wall during its construction, or hidden under the finish. Sometimes, simplifying the work, channels are cut in the slabs of fixed formwork, but this solution leads to a violation of the uniformity of the thermal insulation protection of the house in places where the material of the polystyrene foam plates is removed.

The through-Ø of various standardized products allows you to choose the material in which you can lay the appropriate number of supply wires. Characteristics of corrugated PVC pipes for laying power networks are presented in the table:

Before you install the corrugation according to the design scheme in the bulk wall, you need to thread a soft wire into it, so that you can easily get the wires later. If several cables need to be laid in one tube, diverging in different directions in intermediate fittings (tees, elbows, crosses), then the required number of wires is threaded in directions, and the corresponding ends are marked in different colors (paint, colored electrical tape).

If such preparation for pulling a soft core is not done in advance, then you will have to use a cable (approximately Ø 3 mm), which confidently passes into the pipe at a distance of 3 - 4 m. , did not get stuck, did not damage it when feeding forward with scrolling.

In conditions that do not require a strict aesthetic approach, in technical rooms, for reliable protection of external wiring, a more rigid metal hose is used that connects junction boxes (also metal). The principle of attaching it to the wall does not differ from the plastic corrugation and is shown in the diagram:

In all cases (pipe, corrugation, metal hose), it is important to fix the cable exit into the connectors of the attached box at an angle of 90 °, so the first fastening is placed at a distance of no more than 10 cm.

Walls of different density

Depending on the brand of the wire and the material in which it will be installed, the wire mount on the inner wall may have a different design.

In sufficiently strong plaster, when there is no need to fix the corrugation, you can drill holes and hammer in brackets - dowels with a wire previously inserted into them. A sample of such fasteners is visible in the photo:

On surfaces made of wood pressed from sawdust slabs, various types of brackets and clamps are installed (as on concrete monoliths), in which screws and nails act as a retainer. Installation is carried out manually quickly, and a construction gun replaces an electric screwdriver.

Thin wires for the Internet and phone can be fixed on the drive. This is a special screw, which is partially screwed into the wall, and a thin conductor is screwed onto the protruding part.

For soft bases such as GKL sheets, plastic staples and clips are used, which are simply nailed with small nails. The fastest in this case will be the use of special U - shaped staples and a construction stapler. Such brackets are designed for quick installation of the wire and have plastic stops so as not to transfer the current-carrying core.

They hide the wiring in the apartment with the help of plastic skirting boards, which have internal cavities closed with a decorative cover. It remains to mount the plinth and make exit points to the sockets.

A popular way of fastening cables, combining the ease of laying open wiring and not being flashy for viewing a closed type, are plastic cable channels. A bundle of wires in a box closed with a lid is always available for inspection and switching changes. The channel is attached to the walls with screws, the cores inside it - with plastic ties.

The boxes and junction boxes for them are available in different sizes, you can always choose the right brand for a specific network scheme. In appearance, such boxes on the walls of an office or home have already become familiar and do not cause discomfort in the perception of the situation.