2 Pin Socket: Where It Fits and What It Costs

What is a 2 pin socket?

A 2 pin socket is a 6A socket with only two holes, live and neutral, and no earth. It takes the round two pin plug found on phone chargers, trimmers, small lamps and many adaptors. On a modular board it is the smallest and lowest priced socket, and it is the right choice only for devices that never need an earth.

Because it has no earth hole, a 2 pin socket cannot take a three pin plug, and it should never be made to through an adaptor. Below are the 2 pin socket codes we make in VIZA, VIZA Black and VIYONA at our works in Marol, Andheri East, Mumbai, with MRPs, what they suit, how they are wired, and when a 2 in 1 socket at the same price is the better buy. For the wider family of 6A sockets, see our 6 amp socket guide.

Our 2 pin socket codes and MRPs

The modular 2 pin socket comes in VIZA and VIZA Black, each with and without a shutter. VIYONA makes one for conventional boards. KEMPS sockets are 3 pin, so for a KEMPS board choose a 3 pin or a universal socket instead.

The VIZA V262 is listed as 1 module in our product data. The VIZA and VIZA Black 2 pin sockets are packed 30 per box and the VIYONA 121 20 per box.

What a 2 pin socket is for, and not for

A 2 pin socket suits anything with a two pin plug that is double insulated: the device has no exposed metal that could become live, so it does not need an earth. Typical examples:

• Phone and tablet chargers
• Trimmers, shavers
• Small plastic lamps
• Mosquito repellent and similar plug-in devices

It does not suit anything with a metal body or a three pin plug: the iron, the fridge, the washing machine, the microwave, a desktop computer. Those need the earth, and a 2 pin socket has nowhere to connect one. Our 2 pin vs 3 pin plug guide explains why the earth matters.

How a 2 pin socket is wired

A 2 pin socket takes two wires: phase through a switch to the live hole, and neutral straight to the neutral hole. The earth wire that runs in the conduit has no terminal to land on.

A switched 2 pin socket, schematic

Drawn by us, not to scale. Seen from the front, live is on the right; the grey bar marks the shutter on V262.

The switch beside it can be a 6A or 10A 1 way switch: VIZA V000 6A at ₹45 or VIZA Cherry V541 10A at ₹56. The switch must break the phase, not the neutral, so that a switched off socket has no live hole; a socket wired the other way round stays live at one hole with the switch off. A line tester on each hole with the switch off shows which way it was wired. The circuit is usually the room’s ordinary socket circuit, commonly 1.5 sq mm on a 6A or 10A MCB. Our switch board wiring diagram shows how a whole board is connected.

2 pin or 2 in 1: the same price in VIZA

Here is the part most buyers miss. In VIZA the plain V261 2 pin ₹63 and the V268 2 in 1 five pin ₹63 cost the same. The 2 in 1 takes the same two pin plug and a 6A three pin plug, with an earth.

• VIZA with shutter: V262 2 pin ₹78; V266 2 in 1 ₹75, ₹3 less.
• VIZA porcelain base: V266A 2 in 1 ₹75.
• VIZA Black: V1261 2 pin ₹69 and V1264 2 in 1 ₹69; with shutter V1262 ₹78 and V1268 ₹85.
• VIYONA: 121 2 pin ₹26; 122 2 in 1 ₹38.

The 2 pin socket still earns its place on a charger-only point, a bedside where space is tight, or a repair that must match an existing board.

The shutter on a 2 pin socket

The V262 and V1262 have a spring shutter over the two holes. It covers the holes until a plug is pushed in, which makes it harder for a child to push something into a live hole.

Two pin sockets tend to sit where children are: beside a bed, at skirting level for a night lamp or a mosquito repellent. For those points the shutter is worth its ₹15 at MRP (V262 ₹78 against V261 ₹63). Our socket shutter guide lists the points that need one most.

VIYONA 2 pin socket for conventional boards

On a conventional board, the kind with switches and sockets fixed to a sheet, the VIYONA 121 ₹26 2 pin socket is our lowest MRP socket of any kind. It pairs with the VIYONA 101 6A 1 way switch at ₹22.

VIYONA also makes the 122 2 in 1 socket at ₹38 and the 119 3 pin socket at ₹40, so a conventional board can take an earthed face for ₹12 to ₹14 more. See the VIYONA 6A sockets for the range. If the old board is cracked or the sockets are loose, our semi modular vs modular guide helps decide whether to repair or upgrade.

Two pin plug tops for the other end

A 2 pin socket is only as good as the plug in it. A plug with loose or bent pins sparks at the socket face. We make two 2 pin plug tops, the Royal 261 ₹21 and the Decent 263 ₹21, packed 30 per box, for re-fitting a two core cord.

To join two lengths of two core cord, there is the 2 pin male female pair at ₹42 (262 and 264); our male female plug guide explains which half goes on the supply side. For three pin plugs, see our 3 pin plug guide.

A charger board with a 2 pin socket, priced

A small charger point by a bed or a sofa: a V541 10A switch at ₹56, a V262 2 pin socket with shutter at ₹78, a V1152 Cherry 2M plate at ₹65 and a V611 concealed box at ₹50: ₹249 at MRP, parts only.

Where the point should also take an earthed plug, price it with a 2 in 1 face from the comparison above instead, and check the plate size with us. Our socket price list and switch board price guide price larger boards the same way.

Where a 2 pin socket makes sense

Most electricians now fit an earthed face by default, but a few points in a home are genuinely charger-only, and a 2 pin socket there is neat and cheap:

• Bedside a phone charger beside each bed, on the bedside board.
• Night lamp or repellent a low point near the skirting, ideally with a shutter.
• Mirror point for a trimmer or shaver, out of reach of the shower or bath, on a circuit with a 30 mA RCCB.
• Hotel rooms charger points at the desk and bedside, alongside earthed sockets for kettles and irons.

Everywhere else, the TV wall, the study desk, the kitchen counter, a 3 pin or 2 in 1 face avoids the day someone needs to plug in a device with an earth pin. Our bedroom electrical points and hotel room electrical points guides place each socket.

Buying 2 pin sockets by the box

We sell in full boxes only. The VIZA V261 and V262 and the VIZA Black V1261 and V1262 come 30 per box; the VIZA 2 in 1 sockets come 15 per box; the VIYONA 121 comes 20 per box.

For a typical 2BHK, one box of 30 two pin sockets is more than the flat will use, so a contractor can buy a box of 2 in 1 sockets for the general points and share a box of 2 pin sockets across several flats for the charger points. A dealer stocking for walk-in repairs can keep both, plus the VIYONA 121 for older boards. Our socket price list gives the box quantity of every code.

Problems with 2 pin sockets

• Plug falls out worn contacts; replace the socket. See our loose socket fix.
• Flat pin plugs do not fit our round pin sockets; a travel adaptor on a wall socket strains the contacts and should not stay plugged in.
• Brown marks around the holes mean heat. Stop using it and have it checked; our hot switch or sparking socket guide covers the causes.
• Heavy load a heater or iron on a 2 pin socket through an adaptor overloads a 6A part and leaves the appliance unearthed.

Where we supply

Everything on this page is made at our works in Marol, Andheri East, Mumbai, and sold through dealers and distributors across Maharashtra and in many other states. See where we supply in Maharashtra and how we supply the rest of India. Orders placed through our office are delivered all over India, in full boxes only.

From our catalogue: VIZA V262 2 pin socket with shutter, VIYONA 6A sockets, VIYONA Royal and Decent 2 pin tops and VIYONA 6A Deluxe switches.