How to fit or change a plug.
What you need
A plug
A screwdriver
Pliers (to strip the wire ends, you may not need to)
A fuse for the plug – check the appliance for the watt rating first
Changing a plug is really easy, honestly!
Step 1
If you’re taking off an old plug and replacing it then first you should remove the old one. Unplug the appliance from the socket and turn it over so you can see the heads of the screws. Use a medium size screwdriver and undo the screws, turning them ANTI-CLOCKWISE. Once you have removed all 3 (or sometimes 2) pull the bottom from the top of the plug, be a bit careful to stop the fuse and pins dropping out.
You will now see the fuse, the top of the 3 pins and 3 wires attached to the top of these pins. Loosen the brass top screws on the top of the pins then pull the wires out, so the plug is detached. You should now have just a wire with 3 colour wires coming out of the end.
Step 2
Time to fit the new plug to the wire.
The wires are coloured like this –
BLUE – Neutral
BROWN – Live wire
GREEN & YELLOW – Earth
The plug will have markings inside to show you which pins to put the wires into. They will be –
N – Neutral
L – Live
E – Earth
If the bare wire ends are in good condition then make sure all the strands are together and insert each coloured plug into the correctly marked pin – So put the blue wire into the ‘N’, the brown wire into ‘L’ and the green & yellow wire into ‘E’. Tighten the brass screw on the top of each pin as you go.
If the wires are frayed and not in good condition, then use the pliers to clip off the bad wire then strip a short amount off the end (about 10mm), twist the ends of each of the 3 wires so all 3 look neat and so there are no strands sticking out.
Clip in the fuse if it isn’t already in, then place the top half of the plug onto the bottom half. It will clip together nicely, make sure you don’t catch any of the wires between the plug casings as this can damage the wires, so don’t force it!
Place the screws into the holes on the bottom of the plug and use the screwdriver to screw them back in (CLOCKWISE), until tight. Now test it!
If you find it doesn’t work then check the connections and change the fuse. You can also test the plug by putting it onto an appliance you know works to see if the fault lies with the plug or the appliance.
How to fit a new toilet seat
What you need
A new toilet seat with fittings (available from most good hardware shops)
Pliers
Nothing breaks the concentration like an annoying busted toilet seat... So fix it! It's easy and and quick and worth it.
Step 1
Now remember this is for regular toilet seats, not your space-age fruity designs which may have special fixtures... The seat is attached by 2 metal bolts that hold the seat hindge to the bowl. At the back under the seat will be 2 wing nuts, or just plain nuts. Use a spanner or the pliers to undo the nuts if they are tight, turn them anti-clockwise to undo. Once the nuts are off you can simply lift the old seat upwards and the bolts will slip out, nice.
Step 2
Now you need to get the new seat, and put the 2 bolts attached to the seat back through the holes in the bowl. Remember to add any washers that may be provided with the seat. Now add another washer to the end of the bolts on the underside of the bowl, and do up the nuts a little. Now adjust the seat so it is positioned perfectly for optimal comfort, and tighten up the nuts! Bingo, a comfy crapper.
Need insurance for emergency repairs and home maintenance? We've teamed up with the best UK home insurance companies to bring you excellent 24 hour local emergency repairs and home maintenance repairs. Combined plumbing, electrical and utility cover - From £7 a month - home maintenance & local emergency repairs services They can bring you the best insurance cover and insurance quotes, quotes for UK landlords and house residents.
Click here to get a home insurance quote or get more emergency tips, don't get stuck in a tricky situation! Not everyone has the time to perform repairs and maintenance on their home, getting a house insurance quote can be a pain, make your life easier and take a look at the fantastic cheap home insurance available in the UK. Plumbing & drainage insurance from only £3.99 per month. Find out moreNeed help with home maintenance repairs? Looking for a new UK home insurance policy or a home insurance quote? Looking for piece of mind in case you need an emergency repair, 24 hours a day? Home insurance home maintenance needn't be difficult, simply click here Plumbing, drainage & emergency repairs insurance from only £3.99 per month. Find out more to get a home insurance quote for emergency repairs with trusted local home maintenance providers 24 hours a day. Are you a UK landlord who doesn't have time to deal with the home maintenance repairs on your properties? Plumbing & drainage insurance for rental properties - Find out more! Well get in touch and you can get cheap insurance cover for almost all aspects of maintenance required on your home, from plumbing and electrics to pest control and emergency repairs.
Boiler repairs can cost you an arm and a leg, take a look at the excellent cheap home maintenance and boiler/plumbing cover available here. Get a local 24 hour emergency plumber, whether you're in London or anywhere in the UK, a fully qualified CORGI registered emergency plumber of boiler engineer will be out to your home, no matter what time, all from 1 phone number and no call-out charges (see term and conditions for full info). Are you a landlord who needs plumbing insurance cover for your properties? Gas boiler insurance with up to two claims per year. Just £8.99 p/m Looking for a quote on your properties for boiler and plumbing insurance?.
Getting a local 24 hour emergency plumber doesn't need to be stressful, we've got excellent insurance policies to cover any eventuality to your property, whether you're a landlord or a home-owner or tenant. Central heating maintenance and repairs can be very expensive, cover yourself in the eventuality of your electrical heating system or your gas central heating system getting a fault. Gas boiler insurance with up to two claims per year. Just £8.99 p/m All repairs are carried out by local fully qualified CORGI registered boiler and heating engineers, and they will come 24 hours a day! Faulty electric and gas heating boilers will cost you a fortune if they need a repair, get a quote on a home maintenance insurance policy for peace of mind in those situations that can occur with your plumbing and electrics. Home insurance needn't be difficult, simply click here and see all the amazing services that the policies cover. Get gas boiler insurance for your boiler repair needs
