How to Change a Plug
DIY experts usually advise amateurs not to tackle any jobs involving electricity and to leave repairs of this nature to the professionals. For example, anything that involves the mains electricity or the wiring in your home should not to be tackled by DIY enthusiasts. However, as long as you take sensible precautions and follow instructions, there are some minor electrical repairs that you can carry out yourself without having to call an electrician, such as changing or rewiring a plug.
Required Tools
All you need to change or wire a plug is a screwdriver, to remove the cover and access the internal wiring, and a pair of wire strippers, to remove the plastic sheath in the event that the ends of the wire are frayed or damaged. If you are fitting a plug to a new appliance, you may need to buy one from a DIY store, though most products will be sold with a plug in the box.
Getting Started
Use the screwdriver to remove the plastic cover from the inside of the plug. This will expose the wires, which in the UK are always blue for neutral, green and yellow stripes for earth and brown for live. The terminals in many modern plugs are marked with a letter, corresponding to whichever wire needs to be connected to it. If you are fitting a new plug, simply use your screwdriver to secure the exposed part of each wire to its respective terminal. You will only need to use the wire strippers if you are rewiring an old plug and the old wires have become frayed and lost their connection. Once the wires are secured to the right terminal, use the screwdriver to secure the cover back on the plug and your appliance is ready to use.
