Male Female Plug: Joining Two Cords Safely

What is a male female plug?

A male female plug is a pair of connectors that joins two lengths of cord. The male half carries the pins; the female half carries the holes the pins push into. Fit one to the end of each cord and the two cords can be joined and separated in a second, with no tape and no twisted joint.

Ours is the 2 pin kind, for two core cord, made in our VIYONA accessories range at our works in Marol, Andheri East, Mumbai. We make it in two designs, the Royal 262 and the Decent 264, each at ₹42 MRP, alongside the matching 2 pin plug tops, Royal 261 and Decent 263, at ₹21 each. This page explains what the pair is for, which half goes on the supply side, how it is fitted, and where a different plug is the right answer. For the difference between 2 pin and 3 pin plugs in general, see our 2 pin vs 3 pin plug guide.

Our 2 pin male female and plug tops

All four are VIYONA parts, packed 30 per box:

Royal and Decent are two designs at the same ₹42 MRP; choose by look. See the Royal and Decent 2 pin tops and male female product page.

What a male female plug is used for

Anywhere a light, two core cord needs to be joined or made detachable:

• Decorative lights joining strings of festival lights, or a light string to its lead.
• Lamp cords lengthening the cord of a table or floor lamp without a taped joint.
• Displays shop windows, covered pandals and indoor stalls, kept dry, where lights are put up and taken down often.
• Detachable fittings a light that must come down for cleaning, such as a mandir light.

A taped twist joint in a cord is the common alternative, and it loosens, heats and gets pulled apart. A proper connector costs ₹42 and can be reused for years. Our pooja room lighting guide shows where detachable lights are handy, and our insulation tape guide explains why tape is not a permanent joint.

Which half goes on the supply side

This is the one rule that matters. The female half goes on the cord that comes from the supply, and the male half on the cord that goes to the lamp.

The right way and the wrong way round

Drawn by us, not to scale. When the pair is pulled apart, the live side must be the one with holes, not pins.

When the pair is separated, the supply side is still live. If that side has the female half, the live parts sit inside the holes, out of reach of fingers. If it has the male half, two bare pins at mains voltage hang from the cord. If the lights come down and go up again every year, mark the supply cord so the female half always goes back on that side.

Fitting a 2 pin top or connector

Each half has terminals for the two cores. The steps are the same for the plug top and the connector:

• Unplug first never fit a connector to a cord that is plugged in.
• Strip the outer sheath back far enough for the cores to reach the terminals, then a short length of each core.
• Twist and tighten twist each core’s strands, fasten each core firmly in its terminal; no stray strands.
• Secure the sheath the outer sheath, not the bare cores, should be held where the cord enters the body, so a pull on the cord does not pull on the terminals.

If any copper shows outside the body once it is closed, open it and redo it. Our electrician tools list covers the stripper and screwdriver for the job, and a line tester confirms which side is live.

Loads it suits, and what it is not for

A 2 pin connector has no earth, so it belongs on double insulated loads only: lamps, decorative lights, chargers and small gadgets. It is not for:

• Heaters, irons, kettles heavy, earthed appliances that need a 3 pin plug and socket.
• 16A loads we do not make a 16A male female; a 16A appliance goes on a 16A plug top and socket.
• Outdoors these are indoor parts with no weather rating; keep them out of rain, puddles and flower beds, and give any outdoor lighting circuit a 30 mA RCCB.
• Three phase machinery, which needs industrial connectors we do not make.

For a heavy appliance, use a proper 3 pin plug top: our VIYONA 16A tops are ₹105 (242) and ₹110 (244); see our 3 pin plug guide. For several devices, an extension board with an earth is safer than chained connectors; see multi plug vs extension board.

The wall socket at the other end

The supply cord usually starts at a 2 pin top in a wall socket. Plug it into a 2 pin or 2 in 1 socket that grips it firmly. On a modular board that is the VIZA V262 2 pin socket with shutter at ₹78 or the V268 2 in 1 at ₹63; on a conventional board, the VIYONA 121 2 pin socket at ₹26.

A plug top that falls out of the wall socket, or a connector pair that separates with a light tug, has lost its grip and will spark. Replace the worn part. Our 2 pin socket guide covers the wall side, and our loose socket fix explains why plugs fall out.

Connector, extension board or a new cord?

A male female pair is one of three ways to reach a little further. Each has its place:

• Male female connector joins two cords on a light, two core load and lets them come apart. ₹42.
• A longer cord for a lamp that will stay where it is, a new cord with a 2 pin top (₹21) has no joint at all.
• Extension board when several devices, or any earthed device, must be reached, a spike guard or extension board with an earth and its own switch is the right tool; see our spike guard guide.

What none of them fixes is a missing socket. If a room keeps needing extension, add a socket at the wiring stage or during a renovation; our extension board burning guide explains what goes wrong when cords and boards stand in for wiring.

Replacing a damaged 2 pin plug

The commonest reason people buy a 2 pin top is a broken moulded plug on a lamp or a charger lead: a cracked body, a pin bent flat, or a cord pulled out at the root. If the cord itself is sound, cutting off the damaged plug and fitting a Royal 261 or Decent 263 top at ₹21 gives it a new life.

Cut back past any damaged sheath, fit the top as described above, and make sure the outer sheath, not the bare cores, enters the body. If the cord is cracked, stiff or discoloured along its length, replace the whole cord instead: a new plug on a failing cord only moves the fault.

Checking connectors before each season

Connectors used on festival or display lighting spend most of the year in a box and a few weeks working hard. Before they go up, check each pair:

• Grip the halves should need a firm push to join and a firm pull to separate.
• Body no cracks, no burnt or brown marks around the pins or holes.
• Cord grip the cord should not move in and out of the body when tugged.
• Pins straight and clean, not blackened.

Discard any pair that fails. At ₹42, a replacement costs less than the bulb string it feeds.

Buying 2 pin tops and connectors

The 2 pin tops and male female connectors are packed 30 per box and sold in full boxes only. At MRP a box of 30 male female is ₹1,260 and a box of 30 plug tops ₹630.

A dealer can stock both designs, Royal and Decent, side by side. Our VIYONA accessories page lists the rest of the range, from multi plugs to the 3 pin tops, and our dealer page explains how to stock it.

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: VIYONA Royal and Decent 2 pin top and male female, VIYONA Royal 3 pin plug top, VIYONA multi plugs and VIYONA 6A sockets.