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Attach the surge protector to the wall. How to hide wires and get rid of clutter

Some eight or ten years ago, the surge protector, in the eyes of most of our fellow citizens, was an exclusively computer attribute. In those days, when purchasing such a device, the buyer studied its technical characteristics for a long time and carefully in order to choose the really best one offered by sellers. At the same time, not much attention was paid to the appearance of the product, partly due to the fact that in those days most network filters looked almost the same. But, times are changing. And today, network filters are not at all an exclusively computer attribute, but have become an ordinary and familiar household device. The modern buyer is no longer as attentive and picky about purely technical characteristics as it used to be. In addition, surge protectors in everyday life are mostly considered as extension cords with a bunch of output connectors and a switch, rather than as a serious device for filtering the supply voltage. Accordingly, the main attention of the buyer is riveted to such parameters of the purchased product as ease of use, appearance, and functional equipment. It is from this point of view, in this material, six network filters will be considered. I hope that this will help some people to broaden their horizons and see that not all filters are the same and are only "a piece of wire, at the end of which hangs a box with connectors."

According to the manufacturer, Pilot-S is an economical solution for protecting office electronics. In fact, the only thing that this filter will do well is to protect the user's network from possible short circuits in the power circuits of the equipment connected to it.

The considered filter is primitive both outside and inside. The network cable, the length of which is 1.78m, ends with a simple, no-frills housing (size 373x47x46 mm). In turn, the case carries a backlit power switch, a fuse reset button, and six connectors for connecting consumers. Five of them are quite modern, that is, with grounding. The sixth connector is ungrounded and made to be compatible with older plugs. All connectors are located almost close to each other, which may cause some problems for the user. I mean the case when the equipment is powered by an external power supply, the dimensions of which, most often, exceed the dimensions of a conventional mains plug.

Accordingly, when connecting such a power supply, the user will not be able to use the connector adjacent to it. In addition to this, the Pilot-S connectors do not have the so-called "child protection". By the way, the child will also be able to disassemble the housing of the filter in question without any problems. To do this, he does not even need a Phillips screwdriver, because the case covers are tightened with ordinary furniture screws, the heads of which almost protrude beyond the boundaries of the case. Only one of them is recessed so that a plasticine seal could be placed on top of it, made in the best traditions of electrical instrumentation of the Soviet era.

I hope that you can still convince your child that there is absolutely nothing inside the filter that deserves even a drop of attention. Actually, this is actually the case, because in addition to the switch and fuses, the filter consists of one single container. We do not compare the characteristics of filters now, but I think it is not difficult to imagine how "serious" such a filter is.

I hope you have already sufficiently appreciated the Pilot-S in question. And, in my opinion, the last thing left to consider is the possibility of attaching this filter anywhere. For this purpose, two ears with holes are provided in its design. Unfortunately, the shape of these holes does not allow hanging the filter housing on an existing screw, for example, in the wall. That is, to fix the Pilot-S on any surface, you must first install it in the place of attachment and only then fix it with a screw, screw, or whatever you will be fixing it with. The design of the hull does not provide for any other options, which cannot but grieve.

This model is no longer as economical as the Pilot-S discussed above. The electrical circuit has become more serious and has grown to the LC filter that has already become traditional in such devices. True, the manufacturer still managed to save money. Instead of six output connectors, as was the case with the Pilot-S filter, in this case we have only five. Four of them are grounded and one is not. But, compared to the younger model, the location of the Pilot-GL connectors is more convenient for the user, since the universal connector (the one that does not have a ground connection) is 11mm apart from the others. Of course, not much, but if it includes not very large external power supplies for the equipment, then the adjacent outlet will still remain available to the user.

In comparison with the previous model, the Pilot-GL has improved not only the electrical circuit of the filter, but also the indication. So, in addition to the illuminated power switch, the Pilot-GL additionally has a green LED. It glows if everything is in order with the device. If, as a result of an overload or short circuit in the filter, the protection works, the LED will turn off. At the same time, the power switch will continue to glow, indicating the presence of voltage at the Pilot-GL input. I must say that such a function is sometimes very useful.

Here, in general, this is where all the positive differences between the Pilot-GL and its younger brother end. Everything else, unfortunately, migrated from the younger model to the older one without any changes for the better. The network cable remained the same length (1.78m). The output connectors are not "child proof". The body covers of the device are pulled together with exactly the same screws as in the Pilot-S. True, there are two more ears for attaching the filter. But, the holes in them, just like in the Pilot-S, do not allow hanging the filter housing on a screw or screw already screwed into, for example, a wall. In general, in my opinion, Pilot-GL is definitely better than the simpler model described earlier. But, the final conclusions are still far away, so let's move on to the next filter.

Hello to all do-it-yourselfers!

In everyday life, we all often have to use various extension cords. Moreover, if for street conditions or a summer cottage, extension cords with a long cable, several tens of meters long, are mainly used, then for premises (sheds, garages, workshops or at home), such extension cords with a block for three, four sockets and wire length from 3 to 5-7 meters.

In my experience, I have found that when using such extension cords, it is best to hang them on the wall. In this case, neither the extension cord itself, nor its wire, as well as the wires of electric tools connected to it, will interfere, as if you simply put the extension cord on the floor.

However, the problem is that not all manufacturers make canopy holes on the back wall of their extension blocks, thanks to which they can be hung on the wall.

Here, for example, on this extension, there are such canopies.

And this one doesn't have them.

Of course, you can make canopies on the back wall of the block yourself by drilling holes in it. However, this is often dangerous because it can lead to electric shock and sometimes not very convenient.

I found a simple way out of this situation by making such wooden canopies from small planks on many of my extension cords.

And to make such a canopy is quite simple.

For this, from the materials you will need:

two small screws;
as well as a small plank, 10-12 mm thick, one and a half to two times longer than the length of the extension block and slightly wider than it.

Of the tools you will need:

electric jigsaw with a saw;
an electric drill with a feather drill for wood, with a diameter of 20-25 mm, and a drill for metal with a diameter of 4 mm;
as well as a screwdriver.

The procedure for making a canopy

First, from one end of the blank plank, in the center, you need to drill such a through hole, with a drill bit for wood.

Then, stepping back a short distance from the edge of the circle drilled earlier, drill another hole with a diameter of 4 mm.

Exactly the same hole must be drilled from the other end of the plank.

In this case, the main thing is that the distance from the edge of the circle to the upper hole.

And from the end of the plank to the bottom hole were the same.

After that, using a jigsaw, you need to cut the grooves to the top and bottom holes.

And then you can round the ends of the plank, although this is not necessary.

The canopy board itself can be lightly sanded and painted or varnished, although this is also not necessary. Well, after that, it remains only to fix the extension block on our canopy.
To do this, you need to disassemble the block into two parts by unscrewing the screws and removing the cover with sockets and terminals.

And at the ends of the rear wall of the block, you need to drill two holes with a diameter of 4 mm, and screw it with small screws to the canopy.

After that, the block can be assembled.

And now our extension with a canopy is ready!

Using a canopy for an extension in work

After that, it can be easily hung on the wall by screwing two screws into it. Moreover, you can hang the extension cord either vertically.

Or horizontally, which seems more convenient to me, especially for an extension cord with a switch.

By the way, this extension cord constantly hangs on my porch wall, near the main outlet.
I must say that this is very convenient, since the main, rather powerful socket is used to connect a large load, for example, electric welding. And in the event that you need to connect several power tools, I just use this extension cord by connecting it to this outlet.

If this extension is needed elsewhere, it can be removed very quickly and then hung back.

So using extension cords with similar canopies is very convenient!

Well, that's all for me! Bye everyone and good luck in the new year!

The growth in the number of devices that require a connection point to be installed inside an industrial or residential building has led to the development of many ways to fix the cable to the wall, both at the construction stage and in a long-term and well-occupied room. In various situations, you have to choose how to fix the wires on the wall so that they do not spoil the interior with their appearance, comply with electrical safety rules, and be protected from external environmental influences and accidental damage. A significant aspect is the rational consumption of material and cost savings.

Types of wiring

The need to attach the wire to the wall is first considered in terms of the expected service life. Power cables extending from wire junction boxes are intended for long-term use. Communication lines and television connections are of the temporary type, capable of changing their position if necessary.

Based on this, there are 2 types of laying electrical communications:

open wiring, when the line is fastened to the outer surface of the structures and the entire network is available for inspection and partial repair;
concealed wiring is laid in the wall materials (walled) and is available for operations at the points of connection to it (sockets, connectors) or intermediate switching (boxes, shields).

If the hidden laying of the wire is made in corrugated or smooth pipes, then in these areas subsequent fast is possible.

An example of installation in smooth PVC pipes is shown in a series of photos:

In technical rooms, such wiring may remain uncovered with a layer of plaster; in residential apartments, it is under a layer of finish.

Concrete concrete factories even produce special types of panels with internal slabs and design outlet points to connection boxes.

Influence of base material

Another factor influencing the choice of methods for attaching the cable to the wall will be its design and materials of manufacture.

The load-bearing and internal walls of the building are erected in the following options:

reinforced concrete panels;
brickwork (solid, hollow, multilayer, combined);
wooden (logs / timber);
bulk monolithic concrete;
sip panels;
frame-panel construction.

In each case, it is necessary to decide which fasteners to use for the selected type of wiring.

Brickwork

The scheme and method of how to fix the cable on a brick wall is chosen based on the available tools and materials. Masonry, as a rule, is not left without a protective coating of plaster, so the wiring will be closed.

With a large amount of work, you will need a puncher and a grinder for leveling. Short sections can be worked with a chisel and hammer by hand.

An example of wiring on a brick wall is visible in the photo:

It is possible to securely fix the fit of wires to the wall in simple ways that do not require the cost of special fasteners: quick-drying mortar (alabaster, gypsum, glue), wire to driven nails / screws, strips of tin + nails. The main condition is a reliable fastening without the possibility of displacement or sagging.

After the cable laying is completed, the channels will be. So that they do not affect the monolithic structure of the applied solution, the recesses are covered with a reinforcing mesh.

Monolithic hard surfaces

The wires are attached to the concrete wall with dowels using a mounting gun or manual drilling of holes for installing a plastic sleeve, to which a fixing bracket or clamp is screwed with a screw.

A variant of what plastic fasteners look like is shown in the photo:

Depending on the diameter of the cable (wire bundle), staples, perforated metal tape of industrial production and self-production are also used as fasteners.

The use of a mounting gun on various types of fasteners for cables and corrugations on concrete is demonstrated in the video:

Laying in pipes

Monolithic concrete surfaces are not, wires are fastened on trays, in pipes or using corrugations. The wiring can be left open, mounted inside the wall during its construction, or hidden under the finish. Sometimes, simplifying the work, channels are cut in the slabs of fixed formwork, but this solution leads to a violation of the uniformity of the thermal insulation protection of the house in places where the material of the polystyrene foam plates is removed.

The through-Ø of various standardized products allows you to choose the material in which you can lay the appropriate number of supply wires. Characteristics of corrugated PVC pipes for laying power networks are presented in the table:

Before you install the corrugation according to the design scheme in the bulk wall, you need to thread a soft wire into it, so that you can easily get the wires later. If several cables need to be laid in one tube, diverging in different directions in intermediate fittings (tees, elbows, crosses), then the required number of wires is threaded in directions, and the corresponding ends are marked in different colors (paint, colored electrical tape).

If such preparation for pulling a soft core is not done in advance, then you will have to use a cable (approximately Ø 3 mm), which confidently passes into the pipe at a distance of 3 - 4 m. , did not get stuck, did not damage it when feeding forward with scrolling.

In conditions that do not require a strict aesthetic approach, in technical rooms, for reliable protection of external wiring, a more rigid metal hose is used that connects junction boxes (also metal). The principle of attaching it to the wall does not differ from the plastic corrugation and is shown in the diagram:

In all cases (pipe, corrugation, metal hose), it is important to fix the cable exit into the connectors of the attached box at an angle of 90 °, so the first fastening is placed at a distance of no more than 10 cm.

Walls of different density

Depending on the brand of the wire and the material in which it will be installed, the wire mount on the inner wall may have a different design.

In sufficiently strong plaster, when there is no need to fix the corrugation, you can drill holes and hammer in brackets - dowels with a wire previously inserted into them. A sample of such fasteners is visible in the photo:

On surfaces made of wood pressed from sawdust slabs, various types of brackets and clamps are installed (as on concrete monoliths), in which screws and nails act as a retainer. Installation is carried out manually quickly, and a construction gun replaces an electric screwdriver.

Thin wires for the Internet and phone can be fixed on the drive. This is a special screw, which is partially screwed into the wall, and a thin conductor is screwed onto the protruding part.

For soft bases such as GKL sheets, plastic staples and clips are used, which are simply nailed with small nails. The fastest in this case will be the use of special U - shaped staples and a construction stapler. Such brackets are designed for quick installation of the wire and have plastic stops so as not to transfer the current-carrying core.

They hide the wiring in the apartment with the help of plastic skirting boards, which have internal cavities closed with a decorative cover. It remains to mount the plinth and make exit points to the sockets.

A popular way of fastening cables, combining the ease of laying open wiring and not being flashy for viewing a closed type, are plastic cable channels. A bundle of wires in a box closed with a lid is always available for inspection and switching changes. The channel is attached to the walls with screws, the cores inside it - with plastic ties.

The boxes and junction boxes for them are available in different sizes, you can always choose the right brand for a specific network scheme. In appearance, such boxes on the walls of an office or home have already become familiar and do not cause discomfort in the perception of the situation.

Unfortunately, wireless technology has not yet become commonplace in offices and homes. So, in the near future, a bunch of annoying wires on the table will not go anywhere. Here are some tips to help you get rid of the mess and hide the cables from prying eyes.

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1. Hide the power strip with chargers in the box

An extension cord with chargers constantly gets in the way on the table or under your feet, collects a lot of dust, and it looks unaesthetic. Dealing with this problem is very simple: take a nice box, make a few holes in it and hide all the wires and cables there.

There are also ready-made solutions, such as Plug Hub from Quirky. This is a box made of hard plastic with a rubberized bottom. There are three holes on the top for cables, and inside there are three fasteners, on which you can wrap extra long cords. Plug Hub can be placed on the floor or mounted on the wall.

2. Fix the wires under the tabletop

To fix the wires and extension cord under the table, you will need binders and screws (they must be at least a quarter less than the thickness of the tabletop in length, otherwise they will go through and the table will be damaged). First of all, fix the extension under the table top, preferably in the middle of the table or closer to the wall.

Then fix the binders in the right places with screws. Connect everything you need to the extension cord and assemble the wires with clamps. Visually, the table has become much cleaner and neater.

There is a simpler option if you do not need to hide a large number of wires. This will require a construction stapler. To prevent the long wire from the lamp from dangling under your feet, carefully fasten it with paper clips at the table leg.

A small extension can also be fixed with paper clips. For thicker wires, it is better to use special clamps (for example, these).

Do you like stapler staples? Regular zip ties will do. Secure the cable to the table leg with cable ties. The wires that run along the floor can be covered with plastic or a plank to match the color of the floor.

The extension can be fastened under the tabletop using a wide Velcro: fix it with screws on the back of the tabletop, and then attach the extension. To keep the wires from dangling under the table, run them through cable ducts - these can be purchased at any hardware store. You can fix the channels themselves with electrical tape or a regular plaster.

3. Organize cable storage

Getting rid of the confusion in the wires will help their proper organization.

To get started, collect cords from phones, a player, a game console, and tablets around the house.

Then take the boxes (preferably prettier), place cardboard dividers inside them, sign the place for each cable (so as not to get confused later) and lay everything out neatly.

To avoid tangling the wires themselves, use ordinary ties.

4. Keep all the necessary wires close at hand
Not all cables we can hide in a box: we need some of them almost constantly.

The solution is simple: mount them on the edge of your desktop so that you can reach out and connect the device to the right wire if necessary. Sugru will help us with this - plasticine-rubber and one of the most indispensable things in the household.
Roll the Sugru into small balls and place on a table support. Then, with a clerical knife, remove some plasticine (carefully, try not to deform the balls much).

Life hack: to prevent plasticine from sticking to the blade, pre-rinse it with soapy water.

Then adjust the shape a little with a sushi stick or a toothpick to get neat hollows (they should be slightly wider than your wires).

Everything is ready, you can fix the cables.

There is an option for those who know how to work with wood. A small block with holes will help organize all the wires on the desktop.

The simplest solution is to pass the wires through the binders attached to the tabletop.

5. Don't hide wires
Seriously, if you get creative, cables can be an interesting piece of decor. For example, you can fix the wire on the wall using special clips. Why hide the wire when you can attach a bird to it?

All extension cords and surge protectors (I still don’t understand what their difference is, except for the cherished general shutdown button, which no one uses anyway), has one, very significant, in my opinion, minus: they lie freely. And if ever-never is still an advantage, for example, putting it aside when you vacuum, or pushing the system unit away, then more often it is not. And at the most inopportune moment, when your hands are busy with something, and your vision is limited by something oversized, you hook the extension cord with your foot and pull it out of the network. In the best case, the download of the file, which has already lasted for 1.5 hours, is interrupted by 98%, or you will have to start transferring music to your phone from the beginning. Well, at worst, if the plug of the electrical appliance has not fallen out, but the wire has broken, it is simply unsafe.

So I, having suffered with all kinds of extension cords, wondered: what prevents it from being fixed, not even on the floor, but higher. It's more convenient and safer that way. But here’s the problem: I didn’t find anything similar on sale (although I might not be looking there), and the preliminary outlines of this simple device began to emerge:
Small, compact, but at the same time convenient;
On a clamp, so that you can always rearrange;
So as not to be conspicuous, but always at hand.

So I profess the principle of car tuners: “you can’t buy it - build it yourself”, I set to work. By the way, for reference: it took no more than 15 minutes, even taking into account the fact that I was a "pioneer". Your creation will take much less time.
First of all, I bought two external sockets without grounding, single,

and double (I told you that the requirements for the extension cord began to emerge).

And always with a back wall, otherwise it would have to be done.

But the clamp (plastic, for attaching the flexible shaft of the drill), I simply found in my “bins”. Such a “piano in the bushes”, so I didn’t have to buy it. Although, as practice later showed, finding and buying something like this is not at all difficult, and there is something similar in abundance in construction markets and supermarkets.