Internal wiring of USA v UK mains plug

b wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@m36g2000hse.googlegroups.com:

Not really needed, but could be a hazard due to mis-fusing.

FWIW, some lighting (especially holiday lighting) has fused plugs.

Good aftermarket or factory moulded plugs have grips.

As I said, good plugs don't have them, and wires can be twisted anti- clockwise to wrap around screws.

That is a plus. As is the shuttered recepticals, the reason for the earth pin on everything.

I can't complain there. It is just easier to deal with two prong moulded plugs, and they don't hold that bad in a decent recepticle.

In theory they could handle more, but are only limited to 13A by design. the standard US plug design can do up to 20A.

Another plus for the UK (and Aussie) system.

Here's the one I use:

But yeah, TWO types of outlets? Come on, my house has way more than just TWO types. Heck, I have at least two types of just 120v outlets. I think I have four types of 240v outlets.

snipped-for-privacy@mendelson.com (Geoffrey S. Mendelson) wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@cable.mendelson.com:

In new installations maybe. There are still many hundreds of thousands of two prong recepticals still installed, or incorectly refitted to three prong recepticals.

"Dave Plowman (News)" wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@davenoise.co.uk:

The appliances have a two prong cord, but a 13A plug with a dummy ground pin (to open the shutters in the receptical). With the exception of those that are inteded to be plugged into the batheroom shaver outlet, and those sold in the black/grey market

!!!!!

Graham

Hardly any more of a hazard than an unfused plug !

Graham

" snipped-for-privacy@aol.com" wrote in news:1183051231.753923.312880 @k29g2000hsd.googlegroups.com:

Choc-Blocs or Wagos.

Why would you need more than one type ?

Graham

Most of them are the usual 15 amp outlets (||). Some (in my workshop) are 15/20 outlets, with the extra slot for 20A-only cords(+|). I have one 30A twist-lock outlet in my generator, too.

I don't think I've ever seen the 20A-only plug on anything though. Have they gone the way of the $2 bill?

I've seen them on air conditioners. I put one on a bathroom kick- board heater (2kW).

They're still around too. ;-)

Two-prong receptacles may be replaced by three-prong as long as there is a GFCI on the circuit. It's common to replace the first outlet on the chain with a GFCI outlet. The grounds don't have to be connected, but according to code it has to be marked as ungrounded. I agree that many are incorrectly retrofitted (no GFCI).

They make great presents!

Go f*ck a pig.

Graham

will

The lead was the earthing conductor and at most points, of a tight bend, the lead would fail a few years after the bending at installation.

-- Diverse Devices, Southampton, England electronic hints and repair briefs , schematics/manuals list on

USA.

Helps ? It must be easier learning Japanese than learning to differentiate all that lot and then ominously on top of that sections marked "Reserved for Future Configurations" Is it subsets of that lot for each state or each utility company or a total mish-mash ?

-- Diverse Devices, Southampton, England electronic hints and repair briefs , schematics/manuals list on

The entire lighting circuit in my house was wired in lead when I bought it. And there was no sign of this at all. Nor can I think of a reason why it would - unless subject to continuous flexing. In which case the conductors would fail too.

The current EU standard is a 2 pin plug that looks like the one you have not seen in 20 years. The grounded version is the same with a third pin of the same diameter, but slightly longer between them but below.

The two "fat" round pins, were only used in some parts of Europe and does not fit in the U.K. outlets.

According to an answer to a previous post, modern U.K. outlets have shutters which are opened by inserting the ground pin. This is to prevent the two round pin plugs going in on their own, albeit with a little force.

I know the adaptors of which you spoke, I have several. They take a two pin "euro" plug and clamp onto them. They have to be installed with a screwdriver, so they are not for casual useage and won't fall out halfway when pulled, like the simple two pin U.S. to "euro" plug adaptors.

I recently bought a rice cooker made in the U.S. for export. It had sat unused for years. It was 220 volt, but had a U.S. plug with one of those simple adaptors on it. Since I consider the chance of it staying together while I unplugged it near zero, as soon as I tested it to make sure it worked, off came the plug and a three pin "euro" plug went on it. The third pin is of no real use, the cord is only two wire.

However, I've seen enough of them to know that I am in the very small minority. Most people just use the adaptors and be done with it. I assume the smarter but less handy ones tape them together.

Geoff.

As late as the 1960's London had FOUR different electrical systems with different voltages and plugs. As late as 1989 I bought a clock radio in London that did not have a plug on it. You had to buy one that matched your outlets.

As lightbulbs were mostly the same size around the world a friend of mine who traveled, carried an adapator that screwed into a lamp socket and had a standard U.S. outlet instead of the bulb.

I have one that is like that but it has another lamp socket on the top and two "euro" two pin outlets. I assume that they are highly illegal in the U.K. now.

Geoff.