My wife claims everytime she uses a certain plug socket there is a flash when she removes the plug. I suppose I ought to check it out so what to check for other than wires are firmly screwed in the terminals.
Appliances and some sockets are fitted with switches for a reason - use them. Whilst you might have a lose wire, the flash is mainly caused by breaking a high current, possibly inductive load. Always switch off first before pulling the plug out.
Bob
Replace it.
Reasons: It's no more trouble to replace it than check it. It's the only thing that will make the wife happy. The spring contacts might be worn.
You will turn the mains off before you do the job of course?
Bill
"You will turn the mains off before you do the job of course? "
You bet!
Plug sockets are not approved to the stringent part P regulations. You need to change it ASAP for a more modern approved socket plug.
Some years ago a local council converted several pairs of semis into children's home. Knocked through the party wall etc. They didn't re-wire; just continued with the existing electrics, paying two bills. So it was possible for someone to turn up to replace a socket etc, find the consumer unit, turn it off, yet half the place was still live.
Bill
Usually the phases swap as the power goes up the street, so next door houses are often not on the same phase. Result: those sockets could have had 415v between them!
AWEM
Tell her to switch the plug socket off before unplugging the socket plug. Loose wires in the socket has nothing to do with it.
NT
Yes its very irritating to find people have left the cleaner switched on as most have those foot operated push pads and you cannot tell till its too late when you plug it in.
Also of course, the socket might have been getting hot and partly melted so might need replacing. Brian
what's this "plug socket" . there is a 'plug' which plugs into a 'socket'.
into which goes a cable flex for the light lamp.
NT
Never thought of that.
Bill
In practice, what would be the increased danger? I'm sure I've seen rows of racks of cable TV equipment where, to balance the loading, the individual racks were deliberately each fed sequentially with each of the three phases, and each rack was clearly marked with the appropriate colour red, yellow or blue.
That's a fixed installation only likely serviced by experts. A house might have two mobile appliances with faults on them - and 415v is usually fatal.
Years ago a company called Hydromist got a huge order for carpet cleaning machines from a Guvmint Dept.
The machines had two cables, 1 for the large vac turbine & solution pump & 1 for a 3kw water heater.
There use was banned when someone realised they could be plugged into two phases. Cost them a fortune.
talking about plug sockets and socket plugs is just a slightly gentler way of putting the hint across.
NT
It also confuses the issue. Let's stick with 'plug' and 'socket'.
Maybe the same brigade will start calling adaptors plug socket socket plug multi plug sockets.
Maybe a brief wiki article could save endless rewrites on this.
NT
Sometimes cleaning the plug's connector pins, if they are oxidized to brown, will cure this. Use a brillo pad. Really though, she should be using a switched socket or interupt the current by switching off the appliance at its own power switch befroe pulling the plug.
It is a switched socket, and she has been lectured on this but believe me it wont change anything she will still just pull the plug out and not switch off, and of course I will get female logic thrown at me from every direction.......Dont tell me how to pull out a plug! I have done this for 50 years and nothing has ever happened, do you think I dont know what I am doing!........I will have the ear plugs in by then. (boom boom)
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