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Grumpy rant #783
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Someone:

--- Quote from: John B on October 09, 2023, 06:10:08 am ---I've never seen most of them in person, I guess most are outdated.

I do however have a UPS with one of these plugs:

I've had a couple of conversations with the electrician on whether I can get this hooked up in the house. The plugs are rated for 32A but I'll only be pulling 25A tops.
--- End quote ---
Thats an AS3123 series "industrial" plug, like the residential/commercial sockets they have some rather elegant scaling/interconnection where a universal socket can support a wide range of plugs, or a limited socket mechanically self restricts what can be plugged in. 2 sizes of shell in common use, 10-20A and 32-50A. Wikipedia says there are larger 50-80 and 100-200 series but I've never seen them. Simpler than the EU or US schemes.

They're going to be much more common in residential settings with uptake of electric cars.
antenna:
I got a deal on this one!
AndyBeez:
I assume in America that fan runs at half the speed?
antenna:

--- Quote from: AndyBeez on October 09, 2023, 09:07:30 pm ---I assume in America that fan runs at half the speed?

--- End quote ---
We don't plan for much more than half speed from Chinese fans anyway, so it did meet expectations.
tom66:

--- Quote from: mansaxel on October 05, 2023, 07:31:16 pm ---
--- Quote from: tom66 on October 05, 2023, 02:49:22 pm ---
A decent plug is Schuko, but it has other issues like lack of polarisation in most cases.


--- End quote ---

The reader is reminded of the fact that we usually are conveying alternating current over these plugs, which means that polarisation is wrong 50 or 60 times per second. Hence, "polarisation" is for people who still think in DC. The only wise move is to regard the two pins as equally dangerous and untouchable. All other moves are loser moves.  (Three-phase is another game, of course. But since the english-speaking world is afraid of it, because Edison, most people never get to have it. )

--- End quote ---

Most electrical installations in the world tie neutral close to earth*, so neutral will only measure a few volts AC above earth and live will measure +/-320V.

This feature is used in many inexpensive devices, table lamps for instance often only switch the live terminal, so the exposed lamp terminals are safe to touch.  Since UK electrical installations require polarised sockets (which are tested before use) and polarised plugs, this is safe.

If you don't have a polarised socket you need double pole switches everywhere.  Have a look at the devices you own and think how many of them actually use double pole.  Most of the time, double pole is only used for larger appliances with greater safety standards (two switches need to fail to not isolate appliance for instance).

*The obvious exception is the USA with its split phase 120V on 240V sockets, but even the USA uses neutral at ~0V and one live conductor for their 120V sockets.  The majority of European countries have neutral close to ~0V.
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