| General > General Technical Chat |
| Grumpy rant #783 |
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| janoc:
--- Quote from: themadhippy on October 05, 2023, 08:01:51 pm --- --- Quote ---So anything designed in a way that relies on/requires polarization of the plug would be unsafe --- End quote --- edison screw lamp bases --- End quote --- Even if you had a polarized plug with Edison lamp base it still wouldn't be safe, due to all the issues outlined in my original post. Edison lamp bases predate any sort of plug standard and certainly any sort of modern safety standards, so those are not the best example. They come from the time when having bare wiring on the walls and knife switches in living rooms has been completely normal way of doing things. Or toasters like this: https://www.sparkmuseum.org/wp-content/uploads/GeneralElectricD-12toaster_SPARKMuseum-768x741.jpg Or live chassis radios and later TVs. We got rid of all the latter, the Edison bases remain only because they are so ubiquitous - and as long as people don't stick their pinkies where they wouldn't their dinky (and/or pull the plug out of the wall/turn off a breaker when changing a bulb!) they are reasonably safe, unlike the rest of the list above. |
| TimFox:
Yes, stuff built many decades ago, especially with two-prong unpolarized plugs, may be unsafe. Go thou and do not do likewise. |
| Someone:
--- Quote from: wraper on October 05, 2023, 06:15:14 pm --- --- Quote from: coppice on October 05, 2023, 06:00:50 pm ---With the UK and China/Australian plugs pushed into a wall socket the lead hangs neatly against the wall. The Schuko lead sticks out, and is easily whacked by furniture and other things. --- End quote --- The vast majority of Schuko plugs have cable going out at 90o angle. --- End quote --- I'm seeing more "out the back" than "out the side" plugs here in the office, so no, the entry direction/type is not strongly linked with the plug standard. AS3112 versions even exist without strain relief boots. |
| janoc:
--- Quote from: Someone on October 05, 2023, 10:35:58 pm --- --- Quote from: wraper on October 05, 2023, 06:15:14 pm --- --- Quote from: coppice on October 05, 2023, 06:00:50 pm ---With the UK and China/Australian plugs pushed into a wall socket the lead hangs neatly against the wall. The Schuko lead sticks out, and is easily whacked by furniture and other things. --- End quote --- The vast majority of Schuko plugs have cable going out at 90o angle. --- End quote --- I'm seeing more "out the back" than "out the side" plugs here in the office, so no, the entry direction/type is not strongly linked with the plug standard. AS3112 versions even exist without strain relief boots. --- End quote --- Yeah, it is certainly false. Schuko leads exist in both straight and 90 degree variants and both are common. Especially anything where the cable is captive and not using an IEC plug at the other end tends to have a straight Schuko - e.g. large appliances like washing machines, fridges, etc. Extension cords the same thing - the plug end is usually straight and not 90 degrees. E.g. the power bar under my bench has 4 straight Schukos and 3 90 degree ones plugged in right now - all stuff like soldering iron, power supplies, bench meter, etc. So one certainly has to pay attention to not damage the cables by smashing the plugs with furniture and similar. OTOH, in most cases where the plug does get in the way it is a fairly easy problem to solve - either swap the cable if it has an IEC connector or use an extension cord/T-splitter. For the really problematic situations where even a regular 90 degrees Schuko sticks too far out there are even special flat plugs being sold. |
| ebastler:
--- Quote from: mansaxel on October 05, 2023, 08:13:01 pm --- --- Quote from: themadhippy on October 05, 2023, 08:01:51 pm --- --- Quote ---So anything designed in a way that relies on/requires polarization of the plug would be unsafe --- End quote --- edison screw lamp bases --- End quote --- Not on the continent, where they are insulated and safe to touch. Or forbidden. --- End quote --- Could you share a picture of an insulated, safe-to-touch E27 lamp socket? I don't think I have ever seen one. In the sockets I am familiar with, both contacts on the inside -- the one on the thread, and the one at the bottom -- can be touched when the bulb is unscrewed. But since both contacts can be touched anyway, connecting the socket via a polarized plug wouldn't make it much safer... ::) |
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