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[YouTube]: American is impressed by sensible British mains plug design

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vk6zgo:

--- Quote from: b_force on October 22, 2022, 09:33:24 pm ---
--- Quote from: themadhippy on October 22, 2022, 09:09:58 pm ---Even a table lamp with an es lamp base?

--- End quote ---
What is the question here?

Any lamp fixture has to be grounded (and therefore connected to a ground), any lamp base is either grounded or double insulated?
A regular light bulb doesn't care, a modern LED bulb also doesn't care?

--- End quote ---

The threaded part of an ES lamp socket is part of the wiring of the lamp circuit, & cannot be grounded.
Depending on how the connections are made to the socket, it could be Neutral or Active.

If the light switch is inadvertently wired in the Neutral line, & the socket transposed, the threaded part is still "hot" when off.

In the Bayonet cap lamps used for house lighting in Oz, both the  Active & Neutral contacts are insulated from the metal part of the light bulb.
Ideally, the metal part of the socket would be grounded, but that is AFAIK not done---in any case, many modern sockets make that part out of plastic, as it doesn't need to be metal.

Black Phoenix:

--- Quote from: Monkeh on October 22, 2022, 10:48:59 pm ---
--- Quote from: b_force on October 22, 2022, 10:47:31 pm ---What's so funny?

That is actually the case in a lot of places/countries?

--- End quote ---

Not being allowed to change a lightbulb by yourself? That is, in fact, hilarious, depressing, and stupid in equal measure.

--- End quote ---

Seeing how some people are clueless of some stuff that is not twitter rants and celebrity's gossip I would not even task them into connecting a plug to an outlet...

IanB:

--- Quote from: TimFox on October 23, 2022, 02:52:44 am ---
--- Quote from: james_s on October 23, 2022, 01:23:27 am ---
--- Quote from: IanB on October 22, 2022, 10:31:33 pm ---
--- Quote from: TimFox on October 22, 2022, 09:45:49 pm ---It is a molded 3-prong plug for US 120 V service, at the end of the attached cord for a relatively modern toaster (that has no internet connection).
--- End quote ---

I am surprised it is a three prong plug. Every small kitchen appliance I have encountered so far has only had a two prong plug on it.

--- End quote ---

My toaster oven, microwave and refrigerator all have 3 prong plugs. Smaller stuff like toasters, hand mixers, popcorn poppers and stuff like that are normally 2 prong.

--- End quote ---

All of my kitchen appliances with metal exteriors, including large appliances, such as refrigerators, and the small appliances such as mixer, toaster, and coffee grinder, have three-prong plugs.  The small appliances with two-prong (polarized) plugs are double-insulated, with plastic exteriors.

--- End quote ---

That's interesting. I have a toaster and two kettles with metal exteriors and two prong plugs. That's why I made the comment, and said "small" kitchen appliances. Refrigerator and microwave do indeed have three prong plugs.

Halcyon:

--- Quote from: Monkeh on October 20, 2022, 02:15:48 pm ---
This is precisely why strain reliefs fail, and is a practice which encourages unnecessary wear and tear and increases the chance of a fault in the plug or socket.
--- End quote ---

Yeh, maybe. But in my time, I've never actually seen a plug fail in this manner. They are extremely robust. That's not to say it doesn't occur, but it's rare.

A clean, low (physical) resistance break is far less likely to result in damage to a plug or socket. Even if it's unintentional (like you moving a vacuum cleaner just that bit too far), I'd rather just have it shut off because the plug was pulled as opposed to damaging pins or the wall socket itself.

coppice:

--- Quote from: Monkeh on October 23, 2022, 02:41:37 am ---
--- Quote from: coppice on October 23, 2022, 01:34:34 am ---
--- Quote from: james_s on October 23, 2022, 01:27:37 am ---
--- Quote from: themadhippy on October 22, 2022, 09:09:58 pm ---best  come to the uk and have a look at our enhanced safety lamp holder,with the lamp out theres no power to the pins.

--- End quote ---

I've been to the UK and I have some light sockets I got from there, I confess I've never tried sticking my finger in one that was energized to see if it would shock me. How does the mechanism work? Is it a standard feature?

--- End quote ---
It doesn't. I assume he's messing about. When you remove a bayonet lamp the exposed pins are live.

--- End quote ---

No, they're actually a thing, they integrate a rotary switch into the body.

https://docs.rs-online.com/8b74/0900766b813fbb9b.pdf

--- End quote ---
There have long been some niche products like that. You made it sounds like bayonet lamps are safe. The vast majority are not.

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