Installing sockets in drywall: how to make a socket in drywall

Drywall is increasingly used for wall cladding and creating partitions with your own hands. However, to successfully complete the repair, you need to know not only how to properly make the frame and fix it gypsum plasterboard sheets, but also about how to install sockets in such a wall, which no one can do without room. Installing outlets in drywall is significantly different from the case with concrete walls: in general, the process is not so complicated and accessible to anyone who is willing to independently deal with an electrician.

Preparing to install sockets in a drywall wall

It is necessary to begin with the preparation of all the necessary tools and related materials for fixing the outlet in a sheet of drywall and its connection. In order to install an electrical product yourself, you must have at least the following set:

1. Drill (you can screwdriver).
2. Crown for making holes in drywall with a standard diameter of 68 mm.
3. Installation box for drywall.
4. Building level.
5. Pencil or felt-tip pen.
6. A Phillips screwdriver to fix the petals of the box (you can also use a slot, but this is not so convenient).

Instead of a drill bit, you can buy a special cutter. The principle of its operation is somewhat reminiscent of a compass and it is no less easy for them to cut out the hole necessary for the box in a sheet of drywall.

Drywall Cutting

When everything is ready for work, you need to devote enough time and attention height selection and competent markup. Cutting a hole in drywall twice in one place will not work in any way. If you install, for example, a block of four outlets, there is a risk due to poor marking in the end to put the frame crooked, and it will be difficult to fix the error. Therefore, measurements must be made with all care.

After the measurements, draw a cross on the drywall in the place of the center of the future outlet, put on it the central drill bit, pre-installed in your drill, or cutter. Trying to hold the tool as evenly and firmly as possible (especially for an unbalanced cutter, if crash into gypsum too sharply, it will begin to "step" to the side, ruining the gypsum wall), proceed to drilling holes.

Important! The crown in the cartridge must be installed firmly, it will be subject to a fairly strong load.

 Box installation

First you need to make sure that the gap between the wall and the drywall sheet is at least 45 mm, which will allow you to freely install the socket. If the distance is less, you will have to ditch the base surface with a lance or crown on concrete to achieve the desired size.

The installation process will look like this:

• A wire is drawn to the hole just done in the drywall, to which the socket will subsequently be connected (it should already be under the drywall at the installation site). For convenience, it would be better to pull it out of the hole a certain distance.
• Then you need to pick up the box of the socket and remove the plug for threading the cable from the most convenient side and pull the wire through it.
• Now the glass is very carefully installed in the hole. Typically, the antennae of the mounts are located horizontally, and the screws that secure the outlet to the box are vertically mounted. This rule is flexible, in fact, it is much more important that the stalk stand is level. Again, you need to spare no time, and, armed with a level, "measure seven times."
• When there is no doubt about the correct position of the box, it is necessary to use a screwdriver to turn the screws responsible for the mounting tabs. Do not be too zealous if you pull, they will destroy the gypsum, yet the material is very soft. But at the same time, it is also impossible to attach weakly: the socket will “hang out”. So you need to find some "middle ground".

Power outlet

Installation of sockets in a wall from drywall begins with the connection of the cable. To do this, the outlet itself needs to be partially disassembled, that is, throw off the frame. It is usually fastened with a screw on the front side.

Now we will check with a tester or multimeter whether electric current is supplied to the conductors. There are 2 options:

• two cores in a cable;
• three cores in a cable.

Option number 1. Connection to a two-core cable

In the first case, it is difficult to make a mistake: after checking the voltage with the probe testers, we turn off the circuit breaker responsible for the zone to which our future outlet belongs.

Important! In no case do not forget about de-energizing the wiring! An electric shock can cause death.

We clean about 8–10 mm of insulation for each core and drive them to equidistant terminal sockets. The performance of the sockets can be very different, but there is one thing in common - the power terminals are always equidistant from each other, so finding them is not difficult.

Remember that next to one terminal there may immediately be a hole, also leading from it, used for further parallel connection of wiring products. Do not connect there, it will cause a short circuit. Holes for different terminals should be at a respectful distance: from 1.5 cm from each other.

The polarity does not play a role in this case, because the current is alternating.

Option number 2. Three core cable

The second option is used when protective grounding is carried out in the apartment - a very useful thing that will remove static voltage from the devices.

The core responsible for grounding, according to the standard, should have a bright yellow-green color.

If provided for our outlet ground connection, in its nests there should be copper “antennae” above and below, and inside there should be a separate terminal for connecting this wire. If the outlet is without grounding, this wire is well insulated and hidden behind drywall. For the rest, the connection picture does not differ from the option considered above.

Securing the outlet

The socket is fixed very simply:

• We install the already connected outlet in the box, we fix it initially with the help of the petals, which will cut into the inner surface of the socket.
• Then the socket must be secured with screws, on each side of the socket mounting panel there are convenient semicircular holes for them.
• After installing the insides of the outlet in the reverse order, install the frame on it and screw it with a screw.

The question of how to install a socket in a drywall wall turned out to be very simple, although not without subtleties. A person can cope with it without special training. But nevertheless, it is recommended to use the services of an electrician who will accurately cope with the task and will do everything for your safety during the long-term operation of the outlet.