AC Socket: The Right Point for a 1, 1.5 or 2 Ton AC

What is an AC socket?

An AC socket is the power point that feeds an air conditioner. In an Indian home it is almost always a 16A three pin socket with a 16A or 20A switch beside it, fixed high on the wall next to the split AC’s indoor unit, on a circuit of its own. Larger units often skip the socket and are wired straight to a 32A DP switch instead.

So the question “which AC socket?” is really three: which socket or switch at the wall, which MCB in the board, and which wire between them. This page answers the first for 1, 1.5 and 2 ton ACs, with the codes and MRPs of the parts we make at our works in Marol, Andheri East, Mumbai. The MCB has its own guide, MCB for 1, 1.5 and 2 ton AC, and so does the cable, wire size for AC and geyser.

Which AC socket for 1, 1.5 and 2 ton

Common practice in Indian homes, with one AC per circuit:

• 1 ton a 16A socket with a 16A or 20A switch, on a 16A circuit.
• 1.5 ton the same 16A socket and 20A switch where the circuit is 16A; where the manual asks for a 20A circuit, a 32A DP switch with the AC wired in.
• 2 ton usually a 20A or 25A circuit, so a 32A DP switch with the AC wired in rather than a plug.

The rule underneath all three: the point on the wall must be rated at least as high as the MCB that feeds it. A 16A socket on a 20A circuit is the weak link. The AC’s installation manual lists the breaker it expects, and that figure overrides any typical one.

Where the AC socket goes on the wall

The AC point is commonly fixed about 7 ft (about 2,130 mm) from the finished floor, beside where the indoor unit will hang, so the unit’s short cord reaches it with no extension and no joint.

A split AC point on the bedroom wall

Drawn by us, not to scale. Heights are common practice in Indian homes, measured to the centre of the box.

Fix the indoor unit position before the wall is chased. A point on the wrong side of the window means a cord stretched across the wall or a joint behind the unit. Our switch board height guide gives every other height in the room, and our bedroom electrical points guide places the AC point in a full bedroom layout.

The 16A socket for a 1 or 1.5 ton AC

Any of our 16A sockets suits an AC point. The common picks:

• VIZA V263 ₹160 16A socket with porcelain base, listed as 2M in our product data.
• VIZA V264 ₹150 the same in polycarbonate.
• VIZA Black V1266 ₹179 porcelain, for black or grey boards.
• KEMPS K193 ₹205 6A & 16AX universal socket with shutter.

A plain 16A face is a good choice at an AC point, because nobody will plug a phone charger in 7 ft up, and the porcelain base suits a load that runs for hours on summer nights. Our 16 amp socket guide lists every 16A code we make, and our universal socket guide explains the mixed faces.

The switch: 20A, with indicator, or 32A DP

Beside a 16A socket, fit a 20A switch rather than a 16A one: it costs little more and runs cooler under a steady load. Where the AC is wired in, the switch is a 32A DP that breaks both phase and neutral.

An indicator shows from the bed that the AC point is live. Our DP switch guide and 16A vs 20A switch explain the choice in detail.

A 2 ton AC: the hard-wired DP point

A 2 ton unit on a 20A or 25A circuit is usually not plugged in at all. The AC cable is connected at the point and switched by a 32A DP switch with an indicator, which isolates the unit completely for service. The cable grows with the circuit: at least 4 sq mm on a 20A MCB and 6 sq mm in conduit on a 25A MCB, by our wire table.

In VIZA the 2 module V225 32A DP switch with indicator is ₹295; in VIZA Black, the V1250 is ₹330; in KEMPS Peony the K116 32AX DP with indicator is ₹360 (grey K516 ₹392). For a conventional board, VIYONA makes the 32A DP switch as 175 surface ₹195 and 176 concealed ₹205.

AC socket with an MCB on the board

Some electricians add a small modular MCB on the AC board itself, beside the socket, so the AC can be isolated at the wall without walking to the distribution board. It does not replace the MCB in the DB; it is a local switch that also trips.

• VIZA V401 ₹230 SP tiny trip, 1 module, in 6 to 32A ratings.
• VIZA Black V1301 ₹281 6A to 32A SP MCB.
• KEMPS K225 ₹295 single pole MCB, 10A to 32A.
• VIZA V402 ₹495 DP tiny trip, 2 module.

Match its rating to the circuit, never above the DB MCB. Our MCB in switch board guide covers how these modules are used.

The 16A plug top on the AC cord

Most split ACs come with a moulded 16A plug. If the plug is cut off, cracked or browned, replace it with a proper 16A 3 pin top: our VIYONA Deluxe 242 ₹105 or the Royal 244 ₹110, both packed 20 per box.

A plug that sits loose in the socket heats at the pins every time the compressor runs. If the plug feels warm after an hour, or the socket face is discoloured, switch the AC off at the MCB and have the point checked. Our 3 pin plug guide covers fitting a plug top correctly.

Checking an existing point before the AC goes in

Many ACs go into flats that were wired years ago. Before the installer mounts the unit, six checks take ten minutes:

• Rating on the socket it should read 16A, or 6 & 16A. A 6A socket at the AC position is not an AC point.
• Switch rating 16A or 20A, or a 32A DP. A 6A or 10A light switch in front of it will overheat.
• Own MCB the AC circuit should have its own labelled MCB in the DB, feeding nothing else.
• Wire size at least 2.5 sq mm for a 16A circuit; our wire table, for wire made for us by a partner, rates 1.5 sq mm at only 13 A in conduit.
• Earth the top hole must be connected; a tester or an electrician confirms it.
• 30 mA RCCB recommended on the circuit, since the outdoor unit is a metal body outside the home.

If any check fails, fix the point first. Our earthing check guide and new flat electrical checklist cover the rest of the home.

What an AC point costs at MRP

Three common AC points in our VIZA and KEMPS ranges, parts only:

• 1 or 1.5 ton, VIZA V123 20A switch with indicator ₹109 + V263 16A socket ₹160 + V1153 Cherry 3M plate ₹83 + V613 3M concealed box ₹68 = ₹420.
• 2 ton, VIZA DP V225 32A DP with indicator ₹295 + V1152 Cherry 2M plate ₹65 + V611 small box ₹50 = ₹410.
• 2 ton, KEMPS DP K116 ₹360 + Orchid K302 2M plate ₹102 + V611 box ₹50 = ₹512.

Wire, the MCB in the DB and labour are extra, and they cost more than the wall point. Our house wiring cost guide prices the cable, and our socket price list and switch price list have every code.

Window ACs, more ACs and later upgrades

A window AC takes the same 16A socket and switch, fixed beside the window opening rather than near the ceiling. Each AC in the home, window or split, should have its own point and its own circuit; two ACs sharing one circuit is the usual reason an AC MCB trips on a hot afternoon.

Planning a bigger AC later? Ask for the heavier wire and a DP point at the wiring stage. Pulling new cable after the walls are painted means chasing them again; a DP switch can be fitted in a 2M space today and serve a 1.5 ton unit now and a 2 ton unit later. Our load calculation guide shows how several ACs add up at the main supply, and our geyser socket guide covers the other heavy point most flats have.

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 V263 16A socket, VIZA Black V1250 32A DP switch, KEMPS K516 32AX DP switch and VIYONA Royal 16A 3 pin plug top.