6 Amp Socket: How Much It Runs and Which One to Buy

What is a 6 amp socket?

A 6 amp socket is the small socket on a switch board, the one that takes a phone charger, a TV, a laptop or a table lamp. It comes in three faces: a 2 pin socket with no earth, a 3 pin socket with an earth hole on top, and a 2 in 1 socket that takes either plug. All three are rated 6A, and all three are the everyday socket of an Indian home.

Most of a flat’s sockets are 6A. Only the heavy points, the geyser, the AC, the iron, the microwave and the washing machine, need the larger 16A socket, which has its own 16 amp socket guide. If you are deciding between the two for a particular appliance, our 6A vs 16A comparison goes through it appliance by appliance. This page covers the 6A socket on its own terms: the load it carries, the faces, and every 6A code and MRP in our catalogue.

1,380 W: what a 6A socket can run

At 230 V a 6A socket carries at most 6A x 230 V = 1,380 W. That is plenty for electronics and small appliances, and not enough for anything that heats.

The trap is adding up. A multi plug on a 6A socket with a mixer (750 W) and a toaster (about 800 W) can pass 1,380 W without either being large on its own. Our multi plug vs extension board guide covers how far a single socket should be stretched.

The three 6A faces: 2 pin, 3 pin and 2 in 1

The rating is the same; what differs is the earth.

2 pin and 3 pin 6A socket faces, with the plug each takes

Drawn by us, not to scale. Seen from the front, live is on the right.

• 2 pin live and neutral only. For double insulated devices such as phone chargers. Our 2 pin socket guide covers it in detail.
• 3 pin 6A adds the earth, for anything with a metal body or a 3 pin plug.
• 2 in 1 five pin one face with five holes that takes a 2 pin or a 6A 3 pin plug.

For why the earth matters, see our 2 pin vs 3 pin plug guide.

Our 6A sockets and their MRPs

Every one of our ranges has a 6A socket. The modular ones fit our plates; the VIYONA ones are for conventional boards.

KEMPS 6A sockets are 2 module parts; the KEMPS grey versions cost more (K591 ₹112, K592 ₹123). In VIZA, the 2 pin V262 is listed as 1 module in our product data. VIZA also lists a 6A charger socket, V267 at ₹135, and VIZA Black the V1263 at ₹140.

Box quantities differ by code, which matters because we sell full boxes only: the VIZA 2 pin sockets V261 and V262 come 30 per box, the VIZA 2 in 1 sockets and the VIZA Black 3 pin V1269 15 per box, and the KEMPS 3 pin sockets 10 per box. A contractor fitting a whole building usually orders the 2 in 1 face by the box and a single box of 2 pin sockets for charger points.

With a shutter or without

Most of our 6A sockets come in a pair, plain and with a shutter, a spring cover that keeps the live holes closed until a plug pushes in. The shutter costs a little:

• VIZA 2 pin: V261 ₹63 or V262 ₹78 with shutter.
• VIZA 2 in 1: V268 ₹63 or V266 ₹75 with shutter.
• VIZA Black 2 pin: V1261 ₹69 or V1262 ₹78 with shutter.
• VIZA Black 2 in 1: V1264 ₹69 or V1268 ₹85 with shutter.
• KEMPS 3 pin: K191 ₹95 or K192 ₹110 with shutter.

Low sockets are the ones children reach: skirting points, the TV wall, bedside boards. Our socket shutter guide lists which points need one most.

VIYONA 6A sockets for conventional boards

For a conventional (non-modular) board, our VIYONA 6A sockets are the lowest MRP option we make: the 119 3 pin socket at ₹40, the 121 2 pin socket at ₹26 and the 122 2 in 1 socket at ₹38, each packed 20 per box.

Where a socket and its switch should come as one unit, the VIYONA 156 6A switch socket combined is ₹83, and the 171 6A double switch socket combined (10 in one) is ₹270. These suit a repair on an older board, a shop counter, or a surface fitting where a modular box will not go. The same range covers the switches: a VIYONA 101 6A 1 way switch is ₹22.

The switch that goes with a 6A socket

Every socket on a board is normally switched. Beside a 6A socket a 6A or 10A 1 way switch is enough, since the socket itself is limited to 6A:

• V000 ₹45 VIZA 6A 1 way switch.
• V541 ₹56 VIZA Cherry 10A 1 way switch.
• K101 ₹65 KEMPS Peony K101 10AX 1 way.

The switch breaks the live wire, so a switched off socket is dead at its holes, which is safer for cleaning and for plugging in. For the difference between a switched socket and a plain one, read our switched socket guide. The wire for a 6A socket circuit is commonly 1.5 sq mm on a 6A or 10A MCB; our MCB for home guide explains the pairing.

What never goes on a 6A socket

Anything that heats or cools draws more than a 6A socket is built for, often for an hour or more:

• Geyser 2,000 to 3,000 W.
• Room heater around 2,000 W.
• Iron around 1,000 W, close to the limit and running hot for long stretches.
• AC 1 to 2 ton units need a 16A point or a hard-wired DP switch.
• Microwave and induction cooktops.

If a 6A socket is already warm, brown or loose, read our guides to a loose socket and a hot switch or sparking socket before using it again.

Which 6A face to fit where

Because a 2 in 1 or 3 pin face takes everything a 2 pin face does and more, most electricians fit the earthed face by default and keep the plain 2 pin socket for one job: a charger point where nothing else will ever be plugged in.

• Bedside a 2 in 1 face: phones today, a heating pad or a lamp with a metal stand tomorrow.
• TV wall 3 pin or 2 in 1: TVs and sound bars often ship with a 3 pin plug.
• Study desk 3 pin for a desktop computer and monitor.
• Charger only a 2 pin face such as V262 is fine, and the cheapest.

A 2 pin socket can never give an appliance an earth, however good the wiring behind it. If the plug has three pins, it needs a socket with three holes.

A bedside board with a 6A socket, priced

A bedside board usually holds a light switch, a switch for the socket, and the socket. In VIZA that is two V541 10A switches at ₹56 each, a V262 2 pin socket with shutter at ₹78 (listed as 1M in our product data), a V1153 Cherry 3M plate at ₹83 and a V613 3M concealed box at ₹68: ₹341 at MRP.

The KEMPS version takes a 4M plate because the KEMPS 3 pin socket is 2 module: two K101 10AX switches at ₹65, a K192 3 pin socket with shutter at ₹110, an Orchid K304 4M plate at ₹160 and a V614 4M box at ₹88 come to ₹488. Wire, MCB and labour are extra. Our plate size calculator works out the plate for any mix of modules.

How many 6A sockets a room needs

Too few 6A sockets is how homes end up with extension boards on the floor. As a starting point for a flat:

• Bedroom two at each bedside, one at the dressing table, one at the study desk.
• Living room three or four on the TV wall for the TV, set-top box, router and sound bar.
• Kitchen one or two 6A beside the 16A points for small gadgets.
• Passage one low socket for cleaning.

Our bedroom electrical points and TV wall points guides give positions and heights. To price a whole board, with plates and boxes, use our socket price list and switch board price guide.

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 6A 2 pin socket with shutter, KEMPS K192 6A 3 pin socket with shutter, VIYONA 6A sockets and VIYONA Royal 3 pin plug top.