Major laws and standards on adaptors, power sockets, plugs building's electrical wiring.

The laws

 * 1) Electrical cable colour standard AS 3000
 * 2) IEC 60446
 * 3) IEC 60083
 * 4) BS 1363 (UK)
 * 5) BS 1363\A (UK)
 * 6) BS 546 (UK)
 * 7) BS 546 is also the precursor of current Indian and South African plug standards.
 * 8) BS 7671 (UK)
 * 9) 2006 Amendment 2 of 17th Edition of the BS7671 Wiring Regulations.
 * 10) National Electrical Code (NEC) (USA)
 * 11) Canadian Electrical Code (CEC)
 * ISO: 9001
 * ISO: 14000-14006
 * 1) KM 39096 (UK)
 * 2) KM 09977 (UK)
 * 3) BS 1362 (UK)
 * 4) BS 646 (UK)

UK
Electrical wiring in the United Kingdom is commonly understood to be an electrical installation for operation by end users within domestic, commercial, industrial, and other buildings, and also in special installations and locations, such as marinas or caravan parks. It does not normally cover the transmission of electrical power to them.

Installations are distinguished by a number of criteria, such as voltage (high, low, extra low), phase (single or 3 phase), nature of electrical signal (power, data), type and design of cable (conductors and insulators used, cable design, solid/fixed or stranded/flexible, intended use, protective materials), circuit design (ring, radial), and so on.

Electrical wiring is ultimately regulated to ensure safety of operation, by such as the Building Regulations, currently legislated as the Building Regulations 2010, which lists "controlled services" such as electric wiring that must follow specific directions and standards, and the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989. The detailed rules for end-use wiring followed for practical purposes are those of BS 7671 ''Requirements for Electrical Installations. (IET Wiring Regulations''), currently in its 17th edition Amendment 3, which provide the detailed descriptions referred to by legislation.

UK electrical wiring standards are largely harmonised with the regulations in other European countries and the international IEC 60446 standard. However, there are a number of specific national practices, habits and traditions that differ significantly from other countries, and which in some cases survived harmonisation. These include the use of ring circuits for domestic and light commercial fixed wiring, fused plugs, and for circuits installed prior to harmonisation, historically unique wiring colours.

Hong Kong
Before the legislation of the Electrical Products Regulation (a few years prior to the handover in 1997), British standard extension cables, plugs and adaptors were seldom found in the market. Electrical appliances were fitted with 2-pin plugs and quasi-UK three pin plugs (which meant they were compatible with BS 1363 or BS 546 sockets, but the plug itself did not comply with the British Standard).

After the enforcement of the regulation, many British standard electrical products are common in Hong Kong market. Some adaptors common in the United Kingdom are not available in Hong Kong. Conversely, local manufacturers develop adaptors for the Hong Kong market and they are not often sold in the UK.

Some local manufacturers print the Union Flag on the plugs and extension cables, but these products are not manufactured or sold in the United Kingdom. This practice has not ceased even though Hong Kong was transferred to the People's Republic of China in 1997.

USA
The National Electrical Code (NEC) specifies acceptable wiring methods and materials for many states and municipalities in the U.S. It is sponsored by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and has been periodically revised since 1897. Local jurisdictions usually adopt the NEC or another published code and then distribute documents describing how local codes vary from the published codes. Governments cannot distribute the NEC itself for copyright reasons, though parts that have been adopted into law are not subject to copyright.

The purpose of the NEC is to protect persons and property from hazards arising from the use of electricity. The NEC is not any jurisdiction's electrical code per se; rather, it is an influential work of standards that local legislators (e.g., city council members, state legislators, etc. as appropriate) tend to use as a guide when enacting local electrical codes. The NFPA states that excerpts quoted from the National Electrical Code must have a disclaimer indicating that the excerpt is not the complete and authoritative position of the NFPA and that the original NEC document must be consulted as the definitive reference.

New construction, additions or major modifications must follow the relevant code for that jurisdiction, which is not necessarily the latest version of the NEC. Regulations in each jurisdiction will indicate when a change to an existing installation is so great that it must then be rebuilt to comply with the current electrical code. Generally existing installations are not required to be changed to meet new codes.

Other code requirements vary by jurisdiction in the United States. In many areas, a homeowner, for example, can perform household wiring for a building which the owner occupies; this may even be complete wiring of a home. A few cities. have more restrictive rules and require electrical installations to be done by licensed electricians. The work will be inspected by a designated authority at several stages before permission is obtained to energize the wiring from the local electric utility; the inspector may be an employee of the state or city, or an employee of an electrical supply utility.

For electrical wiring in Canada, the Canadian Electrical Code is a very similar standard published in Canada by the Canadian Standards Association since 1927.

Qualifications
Only fully qualified electricians can do complex private or any public work in:
 * UK
 * 1) The EU
 * 2) Canada
 * USA
 * 1) Hong Kong

Grounding\Earthing wire
In America it may be bare or identified insulated wire of green or having green stripes. If necessary, long, low-corrosion potential metal rod placed into the ground in the ground outside the place in which the device is installed.

In the UK it may be bare or identified insulated wire of green or having green stripes. If necessary long rod placed into the ground, bonding, with low impedance, the installation to earth potential. Usually made from copper or copper-clad, galvanised, or stainless steel, for corrosion prevention. There are other types of earth bond, such as: earth plate, earth mesh, or earth ring.

Heavy electrical loads
American Furnaces, water heaters, heat pumps, central air conditioning units and stoves must be on dedicated circuits.

EU stoves must be on dedicated circuits.

In the UK larger loads like air conditioners, cookers, water heaters and other fixed appliances a double-pole switch is used, which isolates also the neutral, for more safety. A three-pole isolator or circuit breaker is used for three-phase loads, and also at the distribution board to isolate all the phases as well as the neutral. UK stoves must be on dedicated circuits.

BS appliance low voltage fuse standards
They are to use a ceramic cartridge fuse, commonly rated at 3 A (red), 5 A (black), or 13 A (brown); but some accessories and adaptors can use a ceramic cartridge fuse.

American insulation standards
XHHW stands for "XLPE (cross-linked polyethylene) High Heat-resistant Water-resistant." XHHW is a designation for a specific insulation material, temperature rating, and condition of use (suitable for wet locations) for electrical wire and cable.

THWN stands for "Thermoplastic Heat and Water-resistant Nylon-coated." THWN is a designation for a specific insulation material, temperature rating, and condition of use (wet locations) for electrical wire and cable.

THHN stands for "Thermoplastic High Heat-resistant Nylon-coated." THHN is a designation for a specific insulation material, temperature rating, and condition of use (suitable for dry and damp locations) for electrical wire and cable.

Non-metallic (NM) sheathed cable, like PVC, is also covered by it.

Wire types for North American wiring practices are defined by standards issued by Underwriters Laboratories, the Canadian Standards Association, the American Society for Testing and Materials, the National Electrical Manufacturers Association, and the Insulated Cable Engineers Association.

Also see

 * Significant government legislation