How to install a socket in drywall: installation rules and tips for installing a socket

Drywall sheets (gypsum plasterboard) - the fastest, cheapest and easiest way to align curved walls and change the layout of the room. They are used as finishing material for cosmetic repairs and as the main wall for zoning the space.

When performing repair work using GCR, it is often necessary to replace the wiring and add new points of energy consumption. Some manipulations can be performed independently, for example, mount sockets. Agree, such a skill will be useful to any home master. Doubt your strength?

We will help you implement your plan. The article provides all the necessary information about choosing the best place for the outlet and determining the right wire, safety rules are indicated and acceptable wiring layouts are described.

In addition, we prepared a step-by-step briefing with photo materials, demonstrating how to install the outlet in a drywall yourself. Understanding the algorithm of actions and adhering to the described technology will help to avoid mistakes and arrange a new power point in the apartment or house.

Preparatory work before installation

Mounting a wall outlet on drywall requires a little preparation. It includes the choice of location, brand of wire and its size, wiring at the right point, and, first of all, measures related to safety.

Only after completing these points can you begin installing the socket and the outlet itself.

Electrical Safety

The first thing you should know when starting any electrical work, even as simple as installing a wall outlet in plasterboard, is safety.

The electric current that is supplied to our electric networks is dangerous enough for humans.For domestic needs, a current of 0.2 A and a voltage of about 220 V is supplied

TB regulations will help you not to feel the effects of electric current.

In fact, there are few of them:

1. Never start electrical work until you are sure that the power is off.
2. Use the tool with insulated handles (plastic, rubber, wood). If this is not the case, wrap the handle of the existing electrical tape in several layers.
3. Carry an indicator screwdriver with you. Before you climb into the outlet, check it for voltage indicator.
4. Do not use broken, repaired, soldered sockets or parts thereof. Materials must be new and of good quality.
5. Correctly select the cross section of the wire.

If you follow these basic rules, it will work safely.

How to choose a place to install the outlet

In fact, choosing where to place the outlet is not so simple. No need to focus only on accepted standards. According to European standards, the ideal height of the outlet is 30 cm from the floor.

This arrangement is quite convenient, but there are electrical appliances, exceptions, for example:

• refrigerator;
• Washer;
• TV;
• boiler;
• air conditioning.

These appliances require a different height for connecting to electricity. Therefore, when planning repairs and electrical work, it is important to first consider where large household appliances will be located and where there will be public outlets. So you do not have to pull the extension cord chain to the air conditioner.

Under the washing machine, it is better to install a special waterproof outlet with a lid at a height of 100 cm. The same model is suitable for a water heater. Electricity and high humidity are a dangerous combination, and such protection will make the use of household appliances safer.

An outlet with an RCD is an excellent solution for a bathroom or kitchen. Residual current circuit breaker protects the user from possible electric shock

Many refrigerators are equipped with a too short connection cord and require power output at a height of 60-120 cm.

All kitchen appliances that are used from time to time and placed on a work surface must be connected at the table level. It will be strange to pull the wire of an electric kettle or a blender to a low outlet at a 15-cm height.

Special attention requires a TV with an LCD screen. If it will be located on a wall made of drywall, you need to determine in advance the exact place of attachment. The outlet should be hidden behind the screen, as well as the ugly black power cord.

Agree, the TV on the bracket does not look very aesthetically pleasing, from which the wire to the outlet stretches down or to the side.

If you plan everything in advance, the wires from the TV will not be an eyesore when viewing, but will be very compactly laid behind the bracket

Other universal points of connection to the power supply network should be located in places where they will not be blocked by furniture, for example, a cabinet.

Consider in detail what will be used and where, distribute the power points, pick up switches and sockets. So you count the number of single, double or triple power connectors.

How to choose a wire mark

The main requirement for hidden wiring under drywall is fire safety.

To do this, use:

• fireproof boxes;
• corrugated sleeve;
• non-combustible pipes;
• special wire in double insulation.

The wire or protective pipe is attached to the wall using special clips. Where necessary install junction boxes. The height of the distribution boxes above the floor is 20-25 cm.

A lot of wires can go to the junction box at the same time: from sockets, switches and lighting fixtures. Such insulation robs the source of oxygen ignition and prevents the spread of flame

By marking, the most commonly used cables are:

• NYM
• VVGng - non-combustible;
• PVA.

NYM cable equip power wiring to an electric oven, a powerful water heater, an apartment electrical panel. Copper cores in isolation from finely filled rubber will not allow a fire to spread.

VVGng cable most often connect the remaining sockets. Its insulation is made of polyvinyl chloride, as is the shell connecting the individual cores. The marking “ng” means “non-combustible”, which means that it can be safely used when installing outlets in drywall.

A detailed marking of the VVG wire shows how many cores have a particular type of cable (first digit) and what is the cross-sectional area of ​​each of them (second digit)

PVA - flat stranded cable. Often used in concealed wiring, not inferior to other types of wires in safety. Polyvinyl chloride insulation and sheath are protected from burning.

Area cable section you need to choose based on the load. Ideally, you need to estimate the current strength that the electrical device connected to a specific outlet will consume. Then, according to the table, select the required diameter of the wire core.

However, in practice, you can connect any household appliance to the outlet without restrictions, and it must withstand the load. According to standards, 4 squares (4 mm2) of copper wire is enough for apartment wiring, that is, the diameter should be 2.26 mm. If the cable is multi-core, the area of ​​each core is added up and a total cross section is obtained.

Rules for laying wires for drywall

Before installing the sockets, it is necessary to lay the cable connecting the electrical panel with each connector. Do this in advance, even at the stage of wall decoration or erection of partitions, because after the drywall is screwed, it will be impossible to lay hidden wiring.

There are 2 types of situations:

1. Drywall sewn up a regular wall. In this case, the electrical cable is laid along the wall.
2. Partition construction from GKL and metal profile. Cable laying is performed on the first installed drywall sheet, before sewing the structure on the other side. It is important to observe parallelism here.

You can save on the wire and lay it along the shortest path, that is, at an angle, diagonally and in general, in free order. Why is it better not to use this method?

Correctly installed wiring under the drywall will look like strictly vertical and horizontal cables. Diagonal connections are allowed only in extreme cases.

When making repairs, you must have thought of everything. But after several years, you may need to install an additional switch, change the location of wall lights, hang a picture on the wall, in the end.

And then randomly mounted wiring can become a serious problem. After all, with a drill or punch, you can easily damage a hidden cable and create a short circuit.

To avoid such surprises, we recommend placing the wiring parallel to the floor, adding a few turns at right angles. It’s better to document the layout scheme: draw a plan, drawing or just take a photo on the phone.

So, after several years, you will be able to drill walls anywhere without problems and fears without consequences for wiring.

Installing a socket box in drywall

To mount the outlet on a wall of drywall, you need to choose the right socket and install it. First, find out how the special installation box for drywall differs from the standard, for concrete. After that, it should be installed correctly.

Installing the wall outlet in drywall includes a number of standard steps:

Installation box design

Drywall is a universal building material for wall decoration and the construction of partitions. It can be moisture resistant (for the kitchen and bathroom) and ordinary wall - for other rooms.

The sheets are thin, brittle, do not compare with concrete or brick walls. Because of this, a reasonable question arises: how is the outlet installed in such a thin material?

The location of the fasteners may be different. Some models of bolt holes have bolts on all four sides, in other variations the bolts are in pairs from two sides

This is done using the installation box. For drywall produce special sockets with a special way of fixing. They look like a plastic cup. There are 4 screws on the front side. Two of them are located above the rest. They are needed to fix directly the metal frame of the outlet itself.

Feet can be metal or plastic. The first ones are a little more expensive, but accidentally tearing such a socket out of the wall by negligence will be much more difficult

Those that are a little lower are responsible for installing the sockets in drywall. At the bottom of the installation box are special locking mounting tabs. Their position is regulated by these two screws.

When the screw is rotated, the presser foot is pressed more and more against the drywall sheet. Such a mechanism provides a solid installation of the socket and ensures that the socket does not fall out of the wall at the earliest opportunity.

The bottom of the installation box is equipped with blanks for holes for wires of different diameters and configurations. Depending on the method of bringing the cable to the glass and its thickness, cut a suitable hole with a knife. At this stage, the socket is fully ready for installation.

How best to cut a hole

In addition to the glass itself and the wiring in advance, you will need:

• electric drill;
• drill bit;
• roulette;
• hacksaw;
• pencil.

First of all, on the drywall sheet, you need to draw a mark where the center of the socket will be located. To accurately mark the point, draw a cross. If the outlet is double, outline the centers of all glasses at once. In this case, the desired number of points at a distance of 72 mm is marked on one horizontal line.

Installation boxes for several outlets can be solid, or can be assembled from separate elements according to the principle of the designer. Such sockets are more convenient, because you can easily assemble a combination of any length

The diameter of the standard socket is 68 mm.A special nozzle on the drill is a real salvation for the master, who will have to install large quantities of sockets and switches in drywall.

This crown already has the right diameter, it can be easily installed in any electric drill.

In the center of the crown is a drill. Thanks to this, it is easy to get to the center of the future circle, simply by combining the drill and the mark on the wall. The hole will turn out the right diameter and in the right place

If you do not have a crown of the desired diameter, you will have to do with improvised materials. Then you need to draw a circle slightly larger than the installation box for the outlet and cut it in drywall with a hacksaw or stationery knife. To do this accurately most likely will not work.

Using a random tool, you risk completely screwing up the new partition. And even with a successful outcome, you will have to spend more time on finishing

The second method is to use a thin drill. Many small holes are drilled along the contour of the drawn circle until the resulting circle from the drywall falls out. This is faster than an operation with a clerical knife, but you still won’t get a smooth, beautiful edge.

The procedure for installing the power outlet

Installation of sockets in drywall begins with mounting box mounts. Lead the wires through the slotted hole, place the socket in the slot in the drywall and secure it with the locking tabs. To do this, tighten the corresponding bolts all the way.

When connecting wires, observe color standards: earth - yellow-green, neutral - blue, phase - black, gray, white, red and others.

Take the outlet and remove the plastic cover. To do this, use a screwdriver to unscrew the central bolt. In the device of a standard socket for hidden wiring, you will see the terminals. They need to be slightly loosened so that you can connect to them stripped cable ends.

Tighten the terminals well after connecting to the wires. Weak contact may cause heating of the wiring.

To clean the wire from insulation, you need to use a clerical knife. Life hack from professionals: take an ordinary lighter; making an incision in the place where you need to remove the plastic, warm the end of the wire and remove the insulation with your fingers. In the form of heat, this is very simple.

Now the outlet can be inserted into the socket. Fastening is carried out by mounting bolts of the installation box. When the main part of the outlet fell into place, you can close it with a plastic overlay by inserting the central bolt into the hole.

Wall mounted model mounting

Sometimes instead of the usual outlet with hidden wiring, overhead sockets are used. For them, you do not need to make holes in the walls and install socket boxes. Yes, and the wiring itself passes not under the drywall, but on top.

This method is not very aesthetic. An overhead outlet is bulky, cables pulling along the walls do not add harmony to the room. But in some cases this can be justified, for example, when the distance between the drywall sheet and the concrete wall is too small (less than 45 mm), and there is no hammer drill.

Also, outdoor wiring and patch sockets are often used in design projects of apartments in the style of steam-punk, retro or loft

In this case, special fireproof cables in a strong non-combustible sheath are used. They can also be placed in a corrugated sleeve.

The wiring is fastened to the wall with clips, and the socket is simply screwed onto a drywall with screws, like an overlay. Another plus of this arrangement is that at any time you can change the location of electrical appliances and sockets along with them.

Conclusions and useful video on the topic

If you do not fully imagine the process of installing the outlet on drywall, it is better to play it safe and once again read the step-by-step instructions, but in video format.So you will learn the basic steps of installation and understand exactly what where to cut, where to fix and twist.

Installation of the wall outlet from drywall:

Installing a wall outlet on a drywall partition:

Mounting technology for wall-mounted sockets:

Installing an electrical outlet on drywall is one of the most common electrical installation tasks faced by novice craftsmen during the repair of an apartment or house.

Observing all safety rules, following the step-by-step instructions and taking into account the subtleties and secrets shared by professional electricians, this work will not become a stumbling block for you.

Have experience installing a wall outlet in plasterboard? Or want to ask questions on the topic? Please comment on the publication and participate in the discussions. The feedback block is located below.