Moving a socket in a finished HDB flat or condominium usually means hacking into a wall, patching the plaster and repainting. A power track avoids most of that, because the track carries power along a wall or cabinet and you plug in wherever you need to. Getting the track onto the wall still takes planning, since the wiring point, the surface and the choice between surface and recessed fitting all shape the job. This guide covers each stage of power track installation in the order it happens, using our own installation guide and specifications.
Power track installation starts with deciding where the track goes and where the nearest wiring point sits. A surface track mounts onto a plate or housing on a flat wall, while a recessed track sits in a cut-out made to the dimensions we provide. The last step connects the live, earth and neutral wires, and our own electrician and contractor handle the whole job when you buy from us.
A power track, sometimes called an electrical track system, is a rail that carries power along its length. Instead of fixed sockets, you clip adaptors into the rail, and each one becomes a socket or charging point wherever you place it. Our power track system comes in two series, SLIM and Pro, and each series is made in a surface version and a recessed version.
The rail is wired in once, so the installation happens a single time. After that, adding, moving or removing an adaptor is something you do by hand. If you only need one extra socket in a spot that stays the same, a standard wall socket may be the simpler job.
When you buy your track from us, our own electrician and contractor carry out the installation. Our team handles the whole job from start to finish, and the visit is arranged at a time that suits you.
If you already have an interior designer or a contractor working on your home, they can install the track instead, as long as it is installed properly. We provide the measurements and specifications for both surface and recessed tracks. In that case, making sure everything can be installed properly is the responsibility of your designer or contractor, so share our specifications with them early.
Start by deciding which walls, counters or cabinets need power, then measure each stretch with a measuring tape to see how much track it can take. Decide at the same time whether you want the track mounted on the surface or concealed in a recessed space, because that choice changes how the area is prepared.
Next, mark the closest electrical points to each area, or take photos of the spots and their nearest points, and our electrician will make recommendations from those. For advice before you buy, we offer a complimentary consultation at your home or at our design showroom. Bring floor plans and photos of the areas you have in mind, and our consultants will plan the layout with you.
The electrical wire point has to sit inside the planned installation area itself. A surface power track installation also needs a flat surface that is free of obstructions, so shelves, trims or switches in the path need to be planned around.
When the nearest point sits outside the planned run, the wires have to be relocated, which means extra drilling or cutting. On a simple wall, and where our installer has the tools, we can do this ourselves. On a feature wall or a similar finished surface, the cutting has to be done by your own contractor. Mark the wiring points before you settle on the track’s position.
For a SLIM surface track, the mounting plate is positioned about 5.5cm from where the live, earth and neutral wires come out of the wall. The plate’s screw holes are marked and the plate is fixed to the surface. The wires are then inserted into the end terminal and tightened under the terminal cap, and the track is placed on the plate and pushed in by hand to finish.
A Pro surface track uses a housing in place of a plate. The track core is unclipped from the housing, the housing is placed over the power cables at the chosen height, and its fixing points are marked with a spirit level. Wall plugs and screws secure each side, back clips are spread evenly in pairs along the housing, and the core is clipped back on once the wiring is connected.
A recessed track sits flush inside a slot in the wall or in a piece of furniture. The power source has to be close enough for the wires to reach the track’s terminal, and the inside walls of the cut-out need to be sturdy enough for simple drilling.
The cut-out is sized from the track you order. For a SLIM recessed track it is the track length minus 10mm, 71mm wide and 25mm deep. For a Pro recessed track it is the track length minus 10mm, 71mm wide and 35mm deep. Your carpenter prepares the cut-out from these dimensions, which we provide, and our comparison of surface and recessed power tracks explains which one suits your space.
A recessed power track installation is easiest to plan while carpentry and feature walls are still being built, because the cut-out can be made with the rest of the joinery. If you are renovating, bring the track into the plan before the carpentry drawings are final. Our article on whether a power track is worth it for a renovation looks at where it earns its place.
A surface track suits a home that is already finished, since it mounts onto an existing wall or cabinet. That makes it the usual choice when you want flexible power and your completed carpentry stays as it is.
Every one of our tracks is joined to your home’s wiring at its end terminal, where the live, earth and neutral wires are each fixed in place. That connection is the step that needs an electrician. We recommend using our own electrical installers, and when your own contractor does the work, the wiring connection should still be made by someone qualified to do it.
A correct installation also keeps the safety design of the track working as intended. Our tracks are certified to BS 5733 and registered for the Safety Mark, which in Singapore must be affixed on controlled goods that have been tested and certified to the relevant safety standards. The Nexen story sets out the tests our tracks passed at TÜV SÜD PSB Singapore.
With the track wired and fixed, adaptors clip into the rail and twist to lock, and you can add or move them yourself. Our guide to power track socket adaptors explains how each one fits and switches on.
Before you plug in several high-power appliances, add up the wattage printed on their rating labels so the total stays within 8,000 watts for each track. Spreading heavy appliances across two tracks is the simpler answer when the total runs close.
The living room, kitchen, study room and master bedroom are where our customers most often install a track at home. In offices, meeting rooms, co-working spaces and pantries are the common choices. Our guide to the best places to install a power track at home works through each room and what it needs.
Installation is one line of the budget alongside the track and its adaptors, and our power track price guide shows how those lines add up.
To plan your power track installation, WhatsApp us using the button below with photos of the areas and their nearest wiring points. We will recommend a track, a mounting style and a time for our electrician to install it.
Standard-length orders are prepared in 3 to 5 working days. Orders needing a length outside the price list, or other customisation, take 7 to 10 working days. Installation is then arranged at a time that suits you.
Yes. Our power tracks can be installed to replace any traditional socket outlet. Where the existing socket sits inside the planned run, its wiring point can serve the track, which keeps the power track installation straightforward.
One metre of our power track supports up to 11 adaptors. The total power draw of every appliance plugged into the track should still stay within 8,000 watts, so count wattage as well as adaptors.
Search the government’s Safety Mark register by typing Nexen into the Trademark box. Our power tracks and adaptors are registered under Safety Mark numbers 220001-00 and 220002-00, and appear with their registration details.
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