Hot 13A Socket/Plug

[Crossword]

I have a clothes drier connected via 13A plug in to a double socket. I noticed that the plug was getting quite warmish when in use. I checked the wiring of the plug and the socket - all nice and tight connections with no sign of any problem. I replaced the socket with a new MK double socket. I replaced the plug with a new MK 13A plug. When I came to plug in the plug I realised that there was a sticker on the front of the plug which said it only fitted an MK "non-standard socket", I then realised why: the earth pin on the new plug was a slight T in cross-section. The plug I had bought was this one:

Note that there is no indication that this is other than a standard

13A plug until you look at the Product Information tab (after the event of buying it and trying to use it of course)

There was no indication on the bag containing the plug that it was non-standard in any way: only apparent when you took it out of the bag, and if you noticed the sticker on the front of the plug.

I took it back to RS - and the guy I spoke to there was nonplused as well and agreed that it should be much clearer on the web-site and on the plug package what you were buying. He said he had never noticed the odd type of plug before or sold one.

I got a refund - no problem.

(I did not get a "standard" MK 13A plug from RS as they only sold them in packs of ten. The "odd" ones were sold singulalry which must be an indication of the low demand for them)

Any way: plug and socket now working fine: but still a very slight noticeable warmth of the plug.

Has anyone ever come across these plugs and used them: if so - why did you need them and the "extra protection" what ever that is.

[Chris Bartram]

Yes. They are sold for use with special supplies (usually UPS circuits in IT environments, or hospitals) to (a) ensure the equipment is connected to the right circuit, and (b) as there is a matching socket, to make sure no-one plugs (for example) a kettle into the UPS.

[charles]

If you are getting warmth because of a poorly fitting earth pin, then something is badly wrong. There should be no current in the earth lead, except under fault conditions.

[Andy Burns]

You've made something of a leap to conclude that from what the O/P said.

[dr.s.lartius]

Read .

Your RS URL shows a price of £5.77. The correct plug from them is £2.8

43 each (in tens). Poundland recently sold me, for £1.00, such a plug, a ttached to about a foot of cable and a three-way outlet - I don't know how many plugs they would sell for £1.00.

Clothes driers don't take much current, so the plug should not get warm. C heck its temperature with the drier switched off, to be sure where the heat is coming from. And check the fuse rating; it should be 3A, to protect th e cable, unless the cable is higher rating. I guess the actual current is under an amp, since with more the clothes might catch fire.

You should get someone who knows more about such things to look at it all.

[Brian Gaff]

I have seen them before in laboratories etc, to stop people using the plugs in normal sockets and vice versa. In this case the supplies were supposedly mega clean as they were inside a chamber/faraday cage. Brian

[jrwalliker]

I bought two standard MK 13A plugs from CPC Farnell a few weeks ago. One of them was exactly as you describe. CPC refunded me immediately.

John

[Andy Burns]

I think you'll find many of them are 2.4kW, so need at least a 10A fuse.

e.g. this replacement element

[Peter Parry]

A tumble dryer takes about 3kW and is usually the highest current device in a house.

I think you are mixing up a tumble dryer clothes dryer with the simple heated tent sort.

[Andy Burns]

He's probably still got a Flatley ;-)

[DerbyBorn]

[e-mail] wrote in news:77770ed6-4323-4d31-816b-d8315a7be613 @googlegroups.com:

Sounds like they stocked the wrong ones by mistake.

[Tim Watts]

I've seen them recently - in a block of flats for the cleaners (of the communal areas). Presumably in a weak attempt to stop people nicking "free" electricity.

But all it does it make it a pain for workmen who need power and as you rightly discovered, it's not hard to get the plugs.

See also "walsall gauge"

[Tim Watts]

This would be the sensible use of course - and probably the reason intended by the manufacturers :)

[Tim Watts]

IME lots of things with moulded plugs have s**te plugs that get hot.

I favour GET or MK sockets - neither have given me trouble at high long term loads, except for 1 GET socket that was abused (plugs inserted halfway).

Permaplug, Duraplug and MK plugs are all excellent.

[Adam Funk]

That or the kettle. ;-) (But the kettle doesn't run for as long at a time.)

Or the spin dryer kind (I can't remember the proper name, but I mean the kind that just centrifuges your clothes; you put an old margarine tub under the spout at the bottom).

[Adam Funk]

Even better: make an extension lead with the special plug & 4 standard sockets at the other end!

[Chris French]

Umm, Spin dryer I think :-)

[Davey]

We had one of those, but it had a hose that you hooked over the sink to discharge the water. It replaced the old mangle, which I remember well. The brand name of the spin dryer was probably Hotpoint.

[Andrew Gabriel]

A fuse at full rated load can give off up to 1W - that's normal and allowed for in the spec. Do use a 13A fuse, even if the appliance could in theory get away with less (assuming it doesn't have a long mains lead).

However, make sure you buy a good quality plug if you are going to consistently use it at high current, and that the fuse springs are nice and tight.

[Bob Eager]

Oooh, we had one of those!