Two gang Socket

What is the difference between 1 gang and 2 gang sockets?

So you shopping for a new plug socket and have gotten a little confused by all the different terminology. that’s okay, there’s a ton of information to suddenly take in when looking at plug sockets. One critical thing is whether you want a 1 gang or 2 gang socket, and what exactly is the difference between the two?

What is the difference between 1 gang and 2 gang sockets?

A one gang socket simply means it has one plug socket, a two gang socket has two plus sockets on it.

Below I have put a photo of a one gang socket and then a two gang socket.

One Gang Socket
One Gang Socket
Two gang Socket
Two gang Socket

Is two gang the most you can get?

No, it is not. While not commonly seen you can easily buy and fit three gang and even four gang switches.

Four Gang Sockets
Four Gang Sockets

Sam Wood

Wood by name, wood by nature. I am a fully qualified, time-served, award-winning joiner with an NVQ Level 3 in Carpentry and Joinery as well as an HNC in Construction. Beyond my joinery qualifications, I have also earned a degree in building surveying. I believe these qualifications make me perfectly positioned to provide expert advice on many different areas of DIY as well as share all of the tips I have picked up in over a decade working on building sites!

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1 Comment

  • However, it’s very difficult to find 3 and 4 gang sockets because nobody sells them. It’s often easier to double up a 2 gang socket to get 4 in total. It looks just as neat, especially if you fit brushed stainless steel faceplates. Also, nobody sells 3 or 4 gang back boxes, so stick with one and two gangs and add as many as you need. You can have as many sockets as you want on a ring main as long as you are not plugging anything in that requires a lot of draw on electricity, like household appliances – such as a washing machines, tumble driers, cookers, ovens, hobs etc.

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