The power supply of any premises must ensure the ability to quickly connect electrical installations (including household appliances). For this purpose, sockets placed on the walls are used. Since the connection of sockets to the power cable must be reliable and safe, the Electrical Installation Rules (PUE) require the presence of a housing for each socket that provides protection against damage electric shock. Sockets designed for wall-mounted(including street) have their own building that meets safety measures. For devices built into the wall, installation of socket boxes is provided.

Receptacle boxes serve multiple functions

• Structural: the box must be firmly fixed in the wall, and securely hold the socket itself.
• Electrical safety. Boxes for brick, concrete and plasterboard walls are made of dielectric materials and prevent ingress electric potential from contacts to supporting structures.
• In addition, the outlet itself is protected. Moisture, dust, and foreign objects do not penetrate inside the case.
• Fire safety. If a fire occurs inside the socket, the flame does not penetrate beyond the socket box.
• There is also an aesthetic component. When installing socket boxes in a brick or concrete wall, the seat looks neat. A flat surface is obtained around the outlet.

Requirements for socket boxes

A unified set of rules describing the installation of boxes for hidden installation electrical outlets, does not exist. Electrical installation rules require compliance general requirements fire and electrical safety. In this sense, installing a box under an outlet is no different from installing distribution box. Exist building codes and rules (SNiP) that determine the geometry of the placement of sockets in the room. Well common sense no one canceled.

We will try to combine all the conditions under which the installation of socket boxes will not cause problems during the operation of electrical equipment.

An optional but useful requirement is the ability to connect several sockets to each other using standard clamps. This allows you to assemble a structure of any length.

We proceed to the direct installation of socket boxes

Before starting work, it is advisable to have a complete set Supplies. Power cable, required amount socket boxes (with a small reserve “for scrap”), building mixtures, PVA glue. The power tool you plan to use to cut the holes.

Marking

Regardless of whether the power cable is laid in advance, or you will be trenching the walls for it at the same time as drilling niches for sockets, the installation of socket boxes begins with careful marking.

It is impossible to guess where electrical appliances will be placed. Perhaps tomorrow you will want to rearrange your apartment. Therefore, sockets are installed according to the following principle:

• For universal use- at a height of 30 cm from the finished floor (meaning the height from the laid finishing coating).
• For large household appliances ( washing machine, refrigerator) at a height of 1 meter.
• If the socket blocks are mounted above countertops or bedside tables - no less than 10 cm from the surface.
• A special case is the installation of sockets for a TV hung on the wall. This is an individual project.
• But the distance between the centers of the socket boxes is a constant (applies to a group installation, in a row). This setting value standard sockets is 71 mm.

The horizontal position must also be taken into account. From corners, ceiling, floor, door frames- a distance of at least 15 cm. From heating radiators no closer than 50 cm. Of course, you cannot place sockets above heating devices (with the exception of the “warm floor” system) and above kitchen stoves. Electrical installation rules and SNiP prohibit the installation of sockets and the laying of wires on walls directly facing the street.

Making holes

There are three main ways. There are no advantages or disadvantages between them. It all depends on the tools and attachments you have. There is no fundamental difference between installing socket boxes in a brick or concrete wall, so the technology is similar.

1. Crown for stone (concrete, brick). The classic and fastest option for drilling a wall for a round box.
   The diameter of such a nozzle is usually 70 or 75 mm. Considering the external dimensions of the socket boxes (61–65 mm), it is better to use a larger crown. Firstly, it’s easier to fill an extra gap with a solution than to squeeze a box into a tight hole. Secondly, you have a small margin in case of a miscalculation in the markings. Then, adhering strictly to the central markings, we drill holes to a depth exceeding the length of the socket box by 10–15 mm. You won’t be able to make ready-made holes; most likely the installation location will look like this:
   It's okay, the core can be easily knocked out with a chisel or bolt.
   
   

   Advice! What to do if reinforcement gets in the way of the crown? (Applies to concrete walls only).

   Identifying the metal under the crown is not difficult. You definitely can’t go wrong: the deepening stops and a characteristic knocking and vibration appears.

   Most good advice- change the installation location of the socket. The reinforcement has a pitch of 15–30 mm; if the placement is not so important, move the hole by 3–5 cm. Before doing this, try to determine which reinforcement you hit: vertical or horizontal. This will help avoid further mistakes.

   If it is impossible to move the socket block, you will have to remove a piece of reinforcement. To do this, knock out a “glass” of concrete to see the metal. Use a bolt to break the area around the reinforcement a couple of centimeters. A wire with a diameter of 5–6 mm can be cut with a chisel.

   

   Thicker reinforcement will have to be drilled out.

   The best option is to cut out this area with a grinder. We will get acquainted with this method further.

2. Drilling holes using a drill. Not the easiest way, but if you don’t have a crown, you can do one or two seats. Fundamental difference- the contour is not drilled along the center marking point. It is necessary to draw a circle with a diameter of 75 mm around it. Then you need to drill holes along the contour as often as possible.
   And then, as in the first option, use a bolt or chisel.
   

   Tip: Don't be afraid to damage the integrity of the wall around the holes. Of course, you want everything to look beautiful even at the preparatory stage: the holes are like in the picture, a perfectly even row. You will simply waste extra time; all uneven areas will be plastered over and covered with the finishing surface.

   By the way, if you are installing socket boxes in a brick wall, there will be no drilling challenging task. The material is soft, easy to drill even without a hammer drill: a regular drill with a pobedit drill.

   If you are making a niche in red brick, try to get between the cement layers. There is less damage (concrete breaks out in pieces), and it is easier to select a hole.

   

3. Installation of socket boxes using a grinder. This method is not used due to the lack of a drill or crown for concrete. If you have an angle grinder, then you also have a hammer drill. It's just another technology, no better or worse than the others.
   

   The only condition under which this method is indispensable is working with reinforced concrete wall special strength. You will simply dull an expensive bit, and the discs on an angle grinder cost pennies.

   Together with the grooves for the power cable, we simply cut out rectangular or square holes with a reserve around the socket boxes.

   

   It definitely looks rough. On more or less treated walls, the hand does not rise to such blasphemy. And if finishing is still a long way off, this is the fastest and effective method. Also suitable for brick walls.

   

4. The most unesthetic method is a hammer drill in jackhammer mode. It should be resorted to only if other methods are impossible. However, the technology is there and we cannot ignore it.
   

The end result is ready-made holes for socket boxes with connected grooves. Clean the niches with a brush or construction vacuum cleaner, and be sure to prime it.

Installation of boxes

In accordance with the markings, try it on assembled blocks. Installation of socket boxes is carried out regardless of the quality of the holes. If the box rests on an incorrectly drilled niche, it needs to be expanded. Marking is our everything! Don’t be lazy at this stage, even if you don’t want to pick up a chisel again and make a mess.

Experienced installers attach the socket boxes to some kind of guide, fix the ideal location, and then cover the boxes with alabaster.

If you simply sit the socket boxes in a liquid solution, they can move up to completely dry. You'll have to redo everything again.

The wires must be left with a margin of 10–15 cm. When installing sockets, you will remove the excess, leaving a small installation loop.

The eternal question: install socket boxes before or after plastering

If the surface is covered with plasterboard, there is no such problem. What to do when installing socket boxes in a brick or concrete wall?

In fact, from a technical point of view there is no difference. You can accurately calculate the planting height: the main thing is that the socket box does not stick out, even by 1 mm. If the edge is recessed by 3–5 mm, this is not a problem. The mounting pad of the socket will rest against the wall, and use longer screws for fastening.

The problem is rather psychological - it’s a shame to drill into a plastered surface.

When choosing a sequence (before or after plastering), one nuance should be taken into account: if the edge of the installed socket boxes protrudes above the plane of the wall, how will you apply the plaster evenly?

That's why, best option: drill niches, then plaster the walls (there will be holes for sockets with uneven edges), and then carefully clean the edges of the holes. Before installing the socket boxes, you will have to restore the markings.

Simple advice for beginning craftsmen: To prevent alabaster or plaster from hardening too quickly, add PVA glue to the water. After mixing, the solution takes 2–3 times longer to crystallize.

True, you will have to wait several hours for final drying. But the mixture will be many times stronger.

Video on the topic

Installing sockets in a concrete wall is quite a complicated matter, like everything related to electricity, because it requires special care. If you decide to do this work, be sure to strictly follow technological process. Installation of new sockets is important issue, since after each renovation or simply moving furniture, you change your home. For ease of use of certain devices, they are moved to more “accessible” places. If you want to do everything yourself, you need to know the theoretical minimum, which I will talk about in this article.

Getting started preparatory stage, you must already have purchased an electrical appliance, and also purchased necessary materials, tools and the work area was brought into proper shape.

Typically, the location of sockets is not regulated in height, so electrical appliances can be installed wherever you want, observing only one condition: heating, gas and plumbing systems should be 1 meter away from your chosen installation point. The exception is the toilet and bathroom; Under no circumstances should electrical outlets be installed in them.

Required tools and materials

To work you will definitely need:

1. Electrical socket (better take a product with a ceramic base);
2. An appropriately sized installation box;
3. Cable and conductor products;
4. Alabaster.

For equipment, select:

• perforator;
• chisel;
• putty knife;
• indicator screwdriver.

Types of sockets

There are several main types of sockets. Depending on the type of installation, there are: built-in for open wiring and built-in for internal wiring. Built-in ones are used when wires run through the wall. This usually happens in apartments, as this is a guarantee of safety. Overheads are more suitable for wooden houses, where the wiring goes over the wall.

Sockets with protective curtains are good because the openings are protected. The curtains move back only when the fork is inserted. They can open upward, with a certain pressure, in a circular motion, etc.

Sockets with ejectors are suitable for using multiple appliances when you need to frequently pull out the plug and replace it with another one.

A socket with a timer is more suitable for children and the elderly. You can program it to turn on a particular device. This, for example, can be done with a teapot.

Sockets with indicator. Using the indicator, you can determine whether there is current in the network.

Installation instructions

Marking

First of all, we start marking - using a tape measure and a pencil, we mark the center of the future outlet on the wall. When installing the block, apply all centers.

Holes in a concrete wall

For further installation of socket boxes, make a hole in the concrete wall. To make the job easier, use a hammer drill and prepare a special crown. You use it to make holes with a depth of 50 to 60mm. Then you insert the concrete bit into the hammer drill and use it to mark the future dimensions of the hole.

Make 12 holes along the resulting length. Drill them to the installation depth of the selected socket boxes (usually no more than 50 mm). Using a spatula attachment, remove any remaining concrete.

Electrical wiring installation

After you have made all the holes and punched the grooves to them, you can begin installing the electrical wiring. You must route the power wires to the sockets. The best option is to connect each to its own electrical cable.

Installation of socket boxes

At this stage, carefully follow the things I described, because durability, reliability, convenience and, of course, your safety depend on it.

Considering the number of socket boxes you want to install, assemble the appropriate block. Let's take two things as an example.

1. Connect two sockets together.
2. Make the plugs needed to enter the cable.
3. Remove excess connecting elements that interfere with installation.
4. Try on the socket box, placing it in the already formed hole. Once you are sure that it is not sticking out, protruding or tilted, you can proceed to the next step.

1. Clean the hole from dust.
2. Prime with a special primer that guarantees durability.
3. Dilute putty or plaster mixture on a gypsum basis. Then apply the mixture inside the holes. In such cases, the use of alabaster is also allowed.

Important! You need to work quickly because the plaster hardens in a very short period of time.

1. “Press” the socket boxes with the wires in them into the solution.

Wall decoration

Next, you need to prime and then cover significant chips, dips and depressions with plaster. The socket boxes themselves need to be coated especially carefully. After the wall has dried, putty and sand the areas so that everything looks smooth and beautiful.

After this you can safely go to finishing(paint, wallpaper, etc.).

It is very possible that you already do not have enough sockets in your apartment and want to add a few, especially if renovations are underway. How and with what to drill a niche for socket boxes? Do I need to buy an expensive crown or make do with hammer drills? You will learn about this further in this article.

Crowns for socket boxes

For cutting holes or niches for socket boxes in a brick wall, inexpensive crown - the best option. Brick is very soft material, compared to concrete or titanium.
It is unlikely that you will need to install sockets in a titanium wall. It is unlikely that you have a titanium wall in your apartment. But concrete is quite likely. To drill holes for socket boxes in concrete you will need a very good crown and a good hammer drill with at least active system bite protection. Otherwise, if you have an inexpensive but powerful Chinese hammer drill, you risk dislocating your wrist. This is possible if the crown gets stuck in the concrete. And the power of the rotary hammer is 950-1200 W. will provide you with a visit to a traumatologist. A hammer drill of less power simply will not cope with the task.

You can, of course, buy a thousand crown for 5-6 rubles. And a hammer drill, over thirty thousand. Drill a couple of holes, break its teeth and curse the hour when you decided to make these purchases. But if you need to install just 10-12 socket boxes, it’s easier and cheaper to use a regular hammer drill and a chisel for it. And there is no need to buy an expensive hammer drill, which we are amazed by in videos on You Tube.

First, let's examine it for installation in concrete or brick. They have no significant differences. In principle, for a single socket or switch, you can purchase absolutely any socket box. If you need to install several sockets in a row, then it is better to buy models that connect into an infinite number of sockets. You can also find ready-made “double”, “triple” and “quadruple” socket boxes on sale. Their design is more rigid than those connected in a chain. They are easier to install in the wall due to their rigidity in maintaining plane, but they also cost several times more. In general, the choice is yours. I will show you using cheap socket boxes as an example.

Marking of socket boxes

So, you want to move a switch, an outlet, or move an outlet and increase the number of them.

First, of course, you should decide how many sockets or, as they also say, “places” will be located in one place or another. Basic principle here it’s like: “There can’t be too many sockets!” Let me remind you that both power sockets (220 V) and low-current sockets, that is, telephone, television and Internet, can be combined into one line. It is better to place low-current sockets on the edge of power outlets. This makes it more convenient and correct to stretch the wire. The distance between the power and low-current wires should be at least some (just kidding). In general, these cables should not be laid side by side to avoid exposure to electromagnetic fields. In the best case, an antenna, telephone or Internet wire should be in a shielded sheath. And the closest distance between them will be two sockets, to which they approach from different sides. Then, guaranteed, your Internet will be free from troubles in the form of electromagnetic waves. I will add that 15 cm between the shielded low-current cable and the 220 V power cable is a sufficient distance for normal operation of the TV and the Internet. Tested by experience. Those who are not satisfied with my statements can turn to specialized literature.
So, you have decided how many outlets you will have in this area of ​​the wall. I don't recommend more than five. You simply won't find a strip that combines six sockets. I was not lucky enough to meet one like this on this planet. But maybe you'll get lucky.

Next you need to choose a place to locate these outlets. Here the most correct thing would be not to adhere to some mythical rules and norms, but to do what is most convenient for you. To make it convenient to turn on the plug and pull it out if necessary. So as not to look for sockets under the table, bed or behind the closet. But you shouldn’t install it in the most visible place, like a painting. I am sure that you are able to solve this problem yourself. That's not what the article is about.
Draw according to the level strictly horizontal line. Lean against front side your socket boxes to the wall, centering along the line, and outline them with a pencil. Stand back and admire. Here there will be socket boxes first, and then the sockets themselves.

Hollowing out a niche for socket boxes

Load a 6-8 mm drill bit into the hammer drill. and drill, slightly beyond the contour marks of the socket boxes, holes 6 cm deep.

It is better to immediately drill 5-8 mm wider than the mark. When gouging, the chisel will tend to the center, forming a cone-shaped niche. It will be difficult to get the edges inside the niche. Make the niche a little wider.

Everything that will be inside the contour must be hollowed out using a chisel, replacing the drill in the hammer drill with it. To make gouging easier, drill additional holes in the center of the marked outline of the socket boxes, thereby weakening the concrete. The whole point of this action is to rarefy and weaken the bonds of concrete molecules, if only it consists of molecules. Here, the more holes, the easier and faster the process of choosing a breed will be. Feel like a miner!

If you come across reinforcement, cutting it out with a grinder will not be difficult. When you decide that you have worked hard enough, insert the socket boxes into the niche, check their location horizontally and along the plane of the wall. They should be recessed into the wall with a small margin for the plaster solution to which they will be fixed.
A small digression. If you are going to plaster a wall, leveling it flat and vertical level, then the surface of the socket boxes should be leveled according to the applied layer of plaster. And if the layer is supposed to be large, then less depth will have to be hollowed out.
I prefer to hollow out a niche for the socket boxes before applying the plaster. I don’t want to spoil an already smooth wall with such lethal effects. Pieces of concrete come off unevenly and are torn out along with the plaster. This is unpleasantly damaging to my eyes and nerves.
I do this. First I hollow it out, then I plaster it. After which I “freeze” the socket boxes, leveling them along the plane of the plastered wall. If leveling with a plaster layer is not required, then I level it along the existing plane, as in this example.

Chasing walls for wiring

Now I need groove for the wire. Draw horizontal and vertical lines from the recess you created to the place where you intend to connect the new wire. In this case, it’s an old outlet that we decided to get rid of. According to the rules, you should not make the groove diagonally. This makes it easier to remember the location of the wire hidden under a layer of putty or plaster. If you believe Pythagoras, then the diagonal is much shorter, and if you do not intend to subsequently drill the wall in this place, then do as your reason tells you. Just in case, the grooves with wires can be photographed, adding distances from the corner and from the floor level to the photo.
Strobe concrete You can also drill holes 10 mm deep. and the same diameter according to the groove marking, that is, apply perforation with a puncher. After that, with the same drill, drill through all the partitions between the holes, making a continuous groove. It’s easier, of course, to use a wall chaser, but it’s unlikely you have one.
Having cut under the wire, do not forget to drill holes in the groove with a diameter of 6 mm. under the dowel there is a clamp securing the wire. After which, it is necessary to sweep out all the dust from the niche and grooves and prime them. After the primer has dried, you can begin attaching the wire.

Fastening the wire for socket boxes in the groove

It is convenient to secure the wire in the groove using dowel clamps. At the points where the wire enters the socket box, use a knife to remove the outer insulation that combines the wires into the cable so that the insulated wires enter the socket box separately. So, later, it will be easier to install the sockets themselves, and in the present - to fix the socket boxes. For ease of installation of the sockets themselves, leave the wire with a reserve, then you can cut it. It will be worse if you do not have enough wire. At the entrance to the socket box, make the groove a little deeper so that the wire does not squeeze the socket box out of the fresh solution. Each socket box has places for wires to enter. Make sure in advance that the groove fits exactly this place. Of course, you should break out the holes in the socket boxes for the wire to enter. They are visually easily distinguishable, it is impossible to make a mistake, unless you are crazy. But, in this case, you are unlikely to take up this matter. Crazy people don't install electrical outlets, and it fills our hearts with compassion for them.

How to secure socket boxes

Fasten, or as they also say “ freeze"to the place of her further and lifelong stay, using any solution. The easiest way to do this is with gypsum plaster. In most cases, I use the same one I use to plaster walls. "Rotband" - that's what it's called. Do not use building gypsum(alabaster). It will set faster than you can set it to the desired position. Prepare the solution. The more gaps you need to fill between the edges of the socket box, the thicker and tougher the solution is needed. It is easier to fix one socket box than several in an assembly. It is easier to align it with the plane of the wall and horizontally. Before final installation, check whether the socket boxes fit easily into the niche and whether the wire does not interfere with their correct position. If necessary, you can use a grinder or metal scissors to slightly enlarge the holes for the wires to enter.

Thoroughly coat the inner walls of the niche with the solution and fill the niche 2/3 full with plaster. After that, press your socket boxes into the solution, squeezing the excess out. As soon as you achieve a clear position, level the solution along the plane of the wall and let it harden. In the meantime, you can fill the groove with the wire with a solution.

Socket boxes are required in almost all places where electrical appliances are installed. The final appearance depends on how smoothly one or more socket boxes are installed. installed sockets, switches and other installation products. Of course, the evenness of the installation of the socket box does not 100% decide the final result - a socket or switch can be perfectly screwed even into a crookedly “grown” socket box. However, this does not mean that you can be irresponsible about “smearing” round installation boxes (This official name socket boxes).

A crookedly installed socket box can cause a lot of suffering during the final installation of installation products. Therefore, smooth installation of installation boxes is strongly recommended.

By the way, socket boxes do not always have rounded shape- there are square installation boxes designed for four modules, two in a row. And in general, there are models rectangular shape, according to their purpose, replacing several single socket boxes in a row. However, the most common are the round ones, so we will focus on them.

At first glance, installing a socket box in a concrete wall seems simple. In principle, this is true; anyone can “smear” the installation box. The only point that many people have difficulty with is the evenness of installation, especially of several combined socket boxes.

The method that I want to describe is far from new. These few additional operations will allow you to efficiently install several socket boxes in a row in any walls - concrete, brick, aerated concrete.

First stage - marking, you need to outline the horizontal and vertical axes each socket. When installing several boxes in a row, you need to maintain between them correct distance so that future socket or other modules are installed correctly. The optimal distance between axes (centers) is considered to be 71 mm, however, there are products whose connecting elements contain a distance of 70-72 mm. When installing 2-3 socket boxes, this does not matter much, but for 5 boxes in a row, every millimeter is important.

Before installing 5 points in a row (vertical or horizontal), you should clarify the specific size of the installed electric points of a particular series. The best way is to assemble the socket boxes on the table in a row using connectors (usually included with the boxes) and screw all 5 sockets (or switches). Then you will know whether the axle size is correct or not. Often, 5 socket boxes in a row may not correspond to the size of five sockets. If there is no opportunity to try on the sockets, a distance of 71 mm is maintained between the axes.

If the outer width of the box is 70 mm. (with a front border) - such socket boxes can be installed without problems with a distance between the axes of 71 mm. If the width is 72 mm, then it will be difficult to “narrow” the axes of the boxes. For 2-3 modules in a row, you can maintain a distance of 72 mm, but for 5 in a row it is better to choose other products.

So, the axes are marked - socket boxes can be mounted in both vertical and horizontal rows. But some series of rosettes are not designed to form vertical rows (rare, but it happens), so you need to clarify this point.

The second stage is the selection of holes for installation. In concrete, this can be done with a diamond bit for a high-speed drill or grinder. An easier way is to drill holes in a circle with a small drill and knock out the middle with a hammer drill. The optimal hole diameter is 75 mm. - then any socket box will fit in freely and there will be a gap for putty. The depth of the hole is about 50-60 mm, the box must fit completely into the wall. A cleanly installed socket box should be flush with the final putty of the walls or slightly recessed relative to the plane of the wall.

For brick, plaster and other softer walls (relative to concrete), a hammer drill bit is suitable. This crown can also drill concrete walls, but then its service life is greatly shortened. In brick walls it is drilled with impact, in foam concrete and plaster - in drilling mode without impact.

When the hole is made, a socket box (or a group of socket boxes) is fitted into it; if everything fits in without problems, it is swept and primed.

Next stage- creation of patterns. Many installation boxes are equipped with connecting elements for combining into groups. Connectors can be structurally part of the socket box or equipped with a separate part. In our installation method, connectors are completely unimportant, they may not exist at all. The role of a reference template that maintains the required distances between the mounting screws is played by a homemade pattern.

Any piece of profile, for example PN27X28, is suitable for making patterns. Holes for the fastening screws of each socket box are marked and drilled in the profile, so that there is a distance of 71 mm between the left screws of the first and second boxes (and all subsequent ones). Well, the distance between the screws in one box is 60 mm.

The pattern profile must be longer than the entire group of socket boxes so that there is room to attach to the wall. For this, holes are also drilled in the profile. Next, all the boxes are screwed into the pattern from the flat side; for this, screws are used that come with the socket boxes.

The assembled structure is tried on in a pre-prepared recess. Nothing should prevent the profile from fitting tightly to the plane of the wall.

Well, the final operation is smearing. Suitable for fixing socket boxes in concrete, aerated concrete and brick wide list materials. This can be a gypsum mixture: alabaster, thick fugen, rotband or goldband and others. Quite suitable and cement mixtures, including tile adhesive. The most important thing is that thanks to the template, the putty does not need to set quickly.

The putty is filled into the prepared hole and the socket boxes are pressed in from above. It is necessary to press until the plane of the template profile fits snugly against the plane of the wall. The pattern is aligned to the horizontal axis of the group of socket boxes (or to the vertical axis when forming a vertical row) and, after drilling holes, it is fixed to the wall. All excess putty that has come out from under the boxes is removed with a small spatula. Putty will also definitely get inside the socket boxes - it can be removed without problems after removing the template.

When applying it, it is important to ensure that not a single socket sticks out from the plane of the wall. If some boxes fell a little deeper than the plane of the wall (which is unlikely), it’s okay.

After the putty mixture has set, the template-pattern is unscrewed, and the remaining sagging is cleaned off with a spatula. Installation completed!

For those who love “reliable reliability”, we can recommend additional reinforcement of the fastening using self-tapping screws. A hole is drilled in the wall right through the bottom of the socket box and a self-tapping screw with a plastic dowel is screwed in. In walls made of foam concrete and aerated concrete, there is no need for preliminary drilling - the self-tapping screw is screwed in just as it is. It is convenient to use self-tapping screws with a press washer.

Whatever one may say, the putty mixture usually gives some shrinkage, so the place where it is applied requires finishing putty. That's why the best solution Electrical installation will be carried out until the final plastering of the walls.

Tip: Mounting screws get lost all the time when it comes to final installation of outlets and switches. Therefore, it is recommended to tighten the screws in place immediately after removing the template. And so that they don’t interfere finishing puttying- the screws are tightened deeper than the plane of the wall.

How to install socket boxes before plaster

In general, it is easier to install using finished plaster, but installing socket boxes before plaster no one forbids it. Another thing is that it is a little more complicated.

In order to properly position the installation boxes before plastering, it is necessary to have already installed plaster beacons. When substituting the rule for beacons, you need to control that the socket boxes do not protrude from the plane of the future plastered wall. It’s best to even deepen the boxes a little relative to the rule by 1-2 mm, then you probably won’t have any problems with pulling plaster mortar rule.

The smearing algorithm is practically no different from the one described above, the only difference is that the template is not attached to the wall tightly, but taking into account future layers. By controlling the plane using the beacon rule, a template bar is set. Some wedges are inserted between the template and the wall. After the fastening solution has set, the fastening screws are removed or sunk deeper, the protruding wires are neatly rolled up in the sockets themselves.

With this order of work, you need to carefully ensure that the top and bottom of the socket boxes do not protrude from the plane of the beacons. To solve this problem, it is better to use a wide strip for making patterns.

Installation of boxes for non-modular devices

Similar situations happen rarely, but can bring a lot of difficulties if they are not taken into account. If non-modular sockets or switches (which do not fit into a common frame) will be installed in one row, then between them it is necessary to maintain minimum distance. Otherwise, further installation will be impossible!

As an example of such a scheme, you can take a cheap thermostat for an electric heated floor - this product is not modular and does not fit into a common frame with other sockets. Of course, there are thermostats suitable for general frames, but they are more expensive and are tied to a certain collection of installation electrics. Therefore, if you use a device without a common frame, it is imperative to maintain the distance!

So, the vast majority of sockets, switches, thermostats and others, in their finished form, have a width of 86 mm. Accordingly, between boxes for non-modular sockets there must be a minimum distance (along the axes) of 86 mm. But this is if it’s “grinding in” and not exactly, what if the switch turns out to be wider? Therefore, it is better to make the minimum distance between the axes of the installation boxes 90 mm. or more.

Well, the article has come to an end. It is more than enough for installing socket boxes in concrete and other materials.

When installing modern sockets or switches indoor installation their mechanisms must be placed in a special plastic box - a socket box. Today, almost all electrical fittings are made in such a way that it allows you to install several sockets or switches in one row.

Agree that one socket in the kitchen is no longer enough, and sockets installed at different ends of the wall are not always convenient to use. Therefore, electrical equipment is often designed in such a way that several points for connecting household appliances are located in one place. It is very practical and functional.

Some craftsmen, out of ignorance, do not assemble for one multi-post frame, but install separate sockets nearby. This design does not create the impression of a single whole device, because of this, such installation does not look very nice.

Professionals at installation of socket block Always use a decorative frame for two, three or four windows. But sometimes it happens that at the final stage of installation it is difficult to install the sockets in the boxes, due to the fact that they overlap each other.

In this case, the decorative frame also does not fall into place. This is due to the fact that when installing the socket boxes, the distance between their centers was not maintained. Ideally distance between centers of socket boxes should be 71 mm. And when installing a large number of boxes, they begin to move relative to each other or become deformed under the action of the putty mixture.

Good afternoon dear friends! I am again pleased to welcome you to the Electrician in the House website. In this article we will talk about one simple and, at the same time, useful thing for installation of socket boxes in brick walls, concrete and gas blocks. Those people who are professional electrical installers know how difficult it is sometimes to evenly install a block of five sockets.

Using a simple device, which will be discussed in this article, you can install socket boxes with millimeter accuracy. Stuff like this isn't made industrial enterprises, so the craftsmen independently make homemade products suitable for them. This device is called in electrician slang. There are also names such as conductor or layout, but they all perform the same function.

Strip for installing socket boxes

Most plastic boxes for mounting sockets have dimensions of 68 mm in diameter and a depth of about 45 mm. Boxes different manufacturers may differ slightly in size and characteristics, but all have the same functionality - when assembled into a block, they provide a center-to-center distance of the installed mechanisms of 71 millimeters.

To prevent the boxes from dancing relative to each other during installation, they must be firmly fixed to each other. How are the boxes assembled into a block? Let's consider socket boxes from Schneider Electric for indoor installation. If you look closely at the front there are special latches for joining several boxes.

You can also dock boxes using special connectors – plugs.

At first glance, the matter seems simple - after collecting the boxes into a block, the required center-to-center dimensions. Why is some kind of template needed for installing socket boxes? Everything fits together perfectly.

However, it should be taken into account that in order to secure the socket box, the entire space between the walls of the hole in the wall and the socket box itself must be filled with mortar. Therefore, the solution is placed in excess in the nest. And when you begin to press the box into place, the solution will begin to come out of all the cracks, filling the voids, resulting in a very strong fixation of the socket box.

But when pressing the box, it is necessary to apply a fair amount of force, under the influence of which the plastic socket box can simply burst or change shape (become oval), and a block of several boxes will necessarily blur into different sides. At the final stage of installing the mechanisms of sockets and switches, it is impossible to compensate for all these shortcomings with calipers.

Moreover, during installation, the boxes must be clearly leveled so that the ends do not stick out or are recessed, but are flush with the wall. When installing a socket box with bare hands This can be done, but it takes a lot of time and effort.

It was to solve such problems that I made myself such a device as which allows you to save not only time, but also nerves.

How to make a template for installing socket boxes with your own hands

Let's proceed directly to the manufacture of our device. To do this, I took an aluminum corner measuring 40x40 mm. The length of the corner depends on the number of socket boxes installed in the block, plus the necessary indents from each edge for attaching the corner to the wall (approximately 10 - 15 cm on each side). I decided to do layout for five socket boxes so I took a corner 60 cm long.

By the way, it is not at all necessary to make a template from a corner, much less from aluminum. You can take any rigid material of arbitrary shape, whoever has what, for example, a pipe profile. The convenience of an aluminum template is its lightness. By the way, the idea arose to make a model from a DIN rail, there is no need to drill holes.

Now you need to mark a line in the center of the rib where the boxes will be attached. Using a tape measure, find the center on both sides of the corner and mark a line with a pencil.

Along the marked line we will drill holes for fastening the socket boxes using self-tapping screws. Ours is almost ready. Let's start drilling the holes. To do this, we can use a screwdriver and a 3 mm metal drill.

We retreat 12 cm from the edge of the corner and drill the first hole. To prevent the drill from slipping from the intended drilling site, I recommend that it be centered.

Then we measure distance between screw centers socket box and transfer it to our template. I got 60 mm. This will be the point for drilling the second hole. Similarly, we drill holes for all socket boxes in the block.

Trying the box on the bar

We retreat 5 cm along the edges of the corner and drill two more holes. During installation, this will help press the entire structure against the wall.

Now let's fix it to finished layout all the sockets, it turns out smooth design, which can be inserted into the wall without distortions or bends.

Let's see what distance we have between the centers of the boxes relative to the drilled holes:

For installing a socket box using a template pour a little mortar into the hole in the wall, insert the wires into the sockets and attach the template to the wall. First you need to drill holes in the wall. We fix the corner to the wall with dowels.

The convenience of this design is that all boxes are installed with an exact distance relative to each other, and there is no need to constantly check and adjust each box until the solution dries completely. Deformation of the boxes is also eliminated, and all of them are placed flush with the wall.

You can make sharpenings along the edges to make it convenient align the template horizontally.

I hope, dear friends, the article was interesting for you, and this device will help you make installation easier and faster. Who has any opinions? Maybe someone is already using this design or has opinions on how to improve it. Let's share our experience.