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| [YouTube]: American is impressed by sensible British mains plug design |
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| TimFox:
--- Quote from: IanB on October 23, 2022, 05:04:57 am --- --- 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. --- End quote --- My former classic toaster did have a two-prong plug before it was retired after 60 years of service (obtained from a parent). The modern replacement also has a metal body, and is one of my countertop small appliances with a three-prong plug. For the plastic-cased double-insulated small appliances, I don't know where the third wire would be connected. |
| Monkeh:
--- Quote from: coppice on October 23, 2022, 02:21:14 pm --- --- 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. --- End quote --- No, he made it sound like there's a product on the market with safety features. |
| PlainName:
What are the holes in the US prongs for? Are they for ball bearings to drop in and retain the plug? I presume they're not so some kid can bolt some wires to them... If they are part of a retaining mechanism, shouldn't that mitigate against them falling out of the socket, but still allow them to pop out if the cable is snagged? |
| mikeselectricstuff:
--- Quote from: tom66 on October 20, 2022, 04:26:58 pm --- I'm fully aware the fuse has nothing to do with protecting the equipment. However, the fuse also protects the plug and by extension the socket as well, and the BS1363 plug and socket is not rated to exceed 13 amps, therefore it is still required with 4mm^2 cable. I can tell you having used a 10 amp electric car charger for some time on a BS1363 socket/plug that they don't like extended high current operation and begin to overheat, a safe limit is around 8 amps. The idea of 32 amps being OK with the right cable is farcical. --- End quote --- The irony is that a lot of the heat in a heavily loaded 13A plug comes from the fuse, so on balance it may actually be safer overall to use an unfused 13A plug for a 10A car charger. |
| themadhippy:
--- Quote ---There have long been some niche products like that. --- End quote --- Not even niche,available from all good electrical wholesalers,nor that new, i first discovered them in the mid 90's , but if your not playing with the stuff most days you may be excused for thinking that.They do have 1 minor down fall ,but that don't effect the end user,you need another adaptor in your testing kit as just probing the contacts dont work |
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