Survey: Is your mains-powered gear mostly 2-prong or mostly 3-prong?

[freemansteve]

The sight of it makes me cringe, please buy two made up leads. Do you realise when one plug is connected two of the other plug‘s pins are live? Is your equipment dual voltage 110/230 Volts, the US plug is 110 Volts, the UK plug is 230 volts.

It's humour!
And one pin is live, the other neutral - stick a voltmeter from live to earth, and compare that with neutral to earth in the UK.....

 

[MakeMineVinyl]

You do know that sticky black PVC tape will ruin the audio signal!

That is audiophile grade heat shrink tubing.

 

[Suffolkhifinut]

It's humour!
And one pin is live, the other neutral - stick a voltmeter from live to earth, and compare that with neutral to earth in the UK.....

Are there measuring instruments in the after life? You measure line to neutral and then to earth why? Ask because years ago had to go and investigate a complaint about a man’s electrical supply, said it stopped his electric blanket from working properly as the line to neutral reading was 1 Volt lower than his line to earth reading.

 

[bluefuzz]

The standard did not define the insulation on the prongs the plug - that was my point.

I don't think my professor friend's issues with the British system was with the insulation of the plugs. I remember him drawing detailed drawings of typical European contra British housing curcuits with potential paths to ground and so on. But it's getting on for 40 years ago and I don't remember the details.

 

[freemansteve]

That is audiophile grade heat shrink tubing.

My mistake - I didn't spot the £1K shrink-wrap, made from the hair of real angels...

 

[freemansteve]

I don't think my professor friend's issues with the British system was with the insulation of the plugs. I remember him drawing detailed drawings of typical European contra British housing curcuits with potential paths to ground and so on. But it's getting on for 40 years ago and I don't remember the details.

40 years ago is the key point! Back then some older houses still had various round-pin plugs for appliances, and even wiring that had fabric and rubber insulation. Anyway, you don't find may profs who are Part-P certified, and thus would not legally be allowed to touch wiring these days....!

I'm still puzzled however, about any meaningful conclusions from this thread. Can we start a new thread to compare domestic water pressure? I was rather hoping to sell some audiophile ceramic tap washers

 

[DonR]

I made up this special AC adapter cable so I can power my gear on either side of the pond.

View attachment 199654

The ground pins are superfluous since you never connect them at the equipment.

 

[MakeMineVinyl]

The ground pins are superfluous since you never connect them at the equipment.

I'm surprised that none of the eagle eyed engineering types hasn't caught on to the gag that when plugged into a 120V outlet, the other plug has live exposed pins with 120V. When plugged into a 240V outlet the opposite end has live exposed pins with 240V. Either way, you get shocked/killed.

Given this, the "safety" ground is indeed superfluous.

It's humor folks, it's a gag.

 

[TheBatsEar]

What is a joke? What is trolling?
We may never fully understand.

 

[sarumbear]

Quite easily, it’s protected by a 6 Amp circuit breaker and the 2 amp socket outlet is connected to the same circuit supplying the luminaires. If in doubt it’s clearly laid out in BS7671. A 6 Amp circuit breaker is needed to protect the conductor with the smallest CSA connected to the circuit. The fixed wiring is solid core 1MM squared or 1.5 MM squared, while the flexible cord used from a ceiling rose to the lamp holder is usually 0.5 MM squared. Radial and ring power circuits are used to supply free standing luminaires and again the flexible cord is usually 0.5 MM squared, protected by a 3 Amp fuse in the plug. BS1362 fuses are made with a maximum carrying capacity of 1,3,5,7,10 & 13 Amps. To avoid consumer confusion the recommended ratings are 3 & 13 Amps.

What I am asking is how can the consumer differentiate them? Do you look at the wire gage or the fuse when you plug your devices to the wall socket?

 

[sarumbear]

Something to note is that contrary to what many believe the Type G three pin plug is not just a British plug, it's actually used quite widely.

It depends on how you define British. Those countries that use the type G plug were used to be part of the British Empire.

 

[Suffolkhifinut]

What I am asking is how can the consumer differentiate them? Do you look at the wire gage or the fuse when you plug your devices to the wall socket?

With the BS1363 fused plug system the recommendation is for a load of up to 700 Watts the BS1362 cartridge fuse should be rated at 3 Amps, with a Load exceeding 700 Watts a 13 Amp fuse should be fitted into the plug.

 

[freemansteve]

Are there measuring instruments in the after life? You measure line to neutral and then to earth why? Ask because years ago had to go and investigate a complaint about a man’s electrical supply, said it stopped his electric blanket from working properly as the line to neutral reading was 1 Volt lower than his line to earth reading.

What kind of idiot using a voltmeter is going to die? This is the exact thing an electrician will do on an inspection, or a change like a new consumer unit, as well as many other measurements! It's not hard. I recommed you stick to no more than 2x AAA batteries! I can sell you audiophile ones though!

 

[freemansteve]

With the BS1363 fused plug system the recommendation is for a load of up to 700 Watts the BS1362 cartridge fuse should be rated at 3 Amps, with a Load exceeding 700 Watts a 13 Amp fuse should be fitted into the plug.

yes and everything in the UK has to have a ratings plate to make it clear.
You can commonly buy 3A, 5A, 10A and 13A fuses for UK plugs if you need to fix one - no excuse for getting the wrong one, but in the end, all you are doing is protecting the flex from the plug to the equipment from overheating by the choice of fuse. The breakers in the consumer unit will trip if a) the max circuit amperage is reached, which will be >13A anyway, typ. 32A or b) if there is a current of >30mA to earth on either live or neutral (RCD trip, which measures live-neutral imbalance wrt earth)

 

[Suffolkhifinut]

What kind of idiot using a voltmeter is going to die? This is the exact thing an electrician will do on an inspection, or a change like a new consumer unit, as well as many other measurements! It's not hard. I recommed you stick to no more than 2x AAA batteries! I can sell you audiophile ones though!

Think you deliberately misunderstood the post, when working on a mains installation any tests must be done at the supply voltage. polarity tests on socket outlets as an example. When changing a consumer unit the first thing you do is to electrically isolate and lock off the electrical supply. Don’t think checking correct isolation could be done with two AA batteries.

 

[sarumbear]

With the BS1363 fused plug system the recommendation is for a load of up to 700 Watts the BS1362 cartridge fuse should be rated at 3 Amps, with a Load exceeding 700 Watts a 13 Amp fuse should be fitted into the plug.

I am asking what differentiates the sockets that are for lighting? What is physically different upon visual observation.

 

[sarumbear]

yes and everything in the UK has to have a ratings plate to make it clear.
You can commonly buy 3A, 5A, 10A and 13A fuses for UK plugs if you need to fix one - no excuse for getting the wrong one, but in the end, all you are doing is protecting the flex from the plug to the equipment from overheating by the choice of fuse. The breakers in the consumer unit will trip if a) the max circuit amperage is reached, which will be >13A anyway, typ. 32A or b) if there is a current of >30mA to earth on either live or neutral (RCD trip, which measures live-neutral imbalance wrt earth)

I’m not sure if Americans comprehend that we have a fuse inside the plug.

 

[Suffolkhifinut]

I am asking what differentiates the sockets that are for lighting? What is physically different upon visual observation.

If you are asking about 2 Amp socket outlets they have two small round inlets for the live connections the earth pin is also round and has a slightly bigger diameter. If you are asking what differentiates the BS1363 plugs it’s the fuse rating for lighting recommended to be rated at 3 Amps.The 2A plug is a BS546 1950 design, just Google 2 Amp lighting plug, still widely available.

 

[Suffolkhifinut]

yes and everything in the UK has to have a ratings plate to make it clear.
You can commonly buy 3A, 5A, 10A and 13A fuses for UK plugs if you need to fix one - no excuse for getting the wrong one, but in the end, all you are doing is protecting the flex from the plug to the equipment from overheating by the choice of fuse. The breakers in the consumer unit will trip if a) the max circuit amperage is reached, which will be >13A anyway, typ. 32A or b) if there is a current of >30mA to earth on either live or neutral (RCD trip, which measures live-neutral imbalance wrt earth)

You can also buy 1A and 7A, the IEE recommend the use of 3A & 13A as when the full range were recommended the public found it too confusing. If you doubt it look it up on the IEE website.

 

[sarumbear]

If you are asking about 2 Amp socket outlets they have two small round inlets for the live connections the earth pin is also round and has a slightly bigger diameter. If you are asking what differentiates the BS1363 plugs it’s the fuse rating for lighting recommended to be rated at 3 Amps.

I forgot about them. I understand what you mean now. However, it is purely academic. They are not general purpose sockets; you cannot plug in any device that is on sale within the UK. They are for speciality circuits, for instance for lights are switched from a wall switch. I haven’t seen them on any building other than some country house hotel.