Quality of different brands (MK, Crabtree, Volex & Marbo)

[Distorted Vision]

We've just new chipboard floor boards fitted to the middle section of trusses from gable to gable. Before that alot of the boards were broken and they only extended about a quarter of the way along then a little further with loose boards. Anyway there is just a single 100W bulb in a pendant and its very inadequate now. I'm asking our electrician to put four 4ft fluorescent tube lights up there. I was wondering what the best manufacturer for them is. With it being in the loft I wanted to get the best possible to avoid replacing eg if the ballast goes.

Many thanks!

[Dave Plowman (News)]

That would save no space - and simply complicate things for no advantage. You might as well just have an adaptor if you had a second smaller plug. Which I think is a bad idea anyway. Our system may not be perfect - but it's better than any other currently in use.

[Mike Barnes]

Unfortunately, that's what everybody says.

[PeterC]

Depends how long your loft is, but I was doing the same sort of job and considered 3 or 4 tubes, One problem was getting them home, as I don't have a car, then in Morrisons there were CFLs at 4 for £1 so I bought quite a lot of 11W and 14W (gave several to my neighbour). Went to Wilkinsons and bought some batten holders, Screwfix for cable etc. Put 7 fitting along the loft, now have good, distributed lighting and the total cost was about £8!

[Rod]

It would not save space on the wall. Unless people choose to fit multi-way sockets which could easily be much denser. Obviously, that would only be appropriate in places where it is anticipated that lots of small things will be in use.

What it would do is permit a neat, relatively safe design of light duty plug. (One that doesn't take up more space than the appliance in some cases.)

[Andrew Gabriel]

In a loft for very occasional use, just use a cheap 4-pack from one of the sheds, or from a wholesaler if he can match the price (probably can't). Old magnetic ballasts hardly ever die (providing you ignore the american 120V marketplace, where they often die).

Might want to think if you need any method to avoid leaving them on accidentally.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Here the two areas where that might help is round a computer installation and an AV one. But not everyone will have so much clutter - so if all they want is a printer to be used with a laptop is it to be supplied with a large or small plug under your scheme? Or both? Or without - and you fit your own? Then, of course, many small appliances use a wall wart - and these would be too large for your small socket.

[Rod]

Fitted with a lead using a 'Rod's Universal' plug. Everyone, but everyone, in the UK will have a few 13A to RU adaptors. If it uses a figure-of-8 lead or similar that plugs into the printer (i.e. not a fixed lead), maybe people would choose to use a 13A lead as a need-to-buy-separately alternative.

Go to Euro-socket land with your laptop and printer, all you need is the local adaptor. And only if you go to places that have not yet fitted the new RU sockets!

Wall warts should be replaced by PoE, USB or something else common.

I don't think that it is only computer and AV kit - though they probably do predominate. Thinking about low power devices near me (but we have yet to agree a definition of low power!):

Lamp (11W CFL) Shaver DVD player Virgin Box Monitors External drives Bosch drill battery charger Makita battery charger Mouse base stations Desk fan Lamp (20W halogen) Kitchen hand mixer Torch charger Printer Scanner (but that is happy on USB-only) Hair clippers Car battery charger Soldering iron Hot melt glue gun Stapler Phone chargers DECT phone adaptor

And I am sure I have missed quite a few.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

I've copied the list and removed all those which are computer or AV.

If that's on it's own, is the size of the plug a problem? Or is it used with your computer, etc?

Mains ones already have a small plug. If rechargeable, usually a wall wart.

Since these aren't fixed, wouldn't having to have two plugs be a pain?

When in a kitchen is the size of the plug a problem? You need a given amount of work space to use these things so plenty of room for adequate sockets.

What comes out of this is you probably have too many toys for your available sockets and or living space. Making sockets and plugs smaller won't alter this. ;-)

[meow2222]

So lets get this right - youre suggesting going back to the old way of having 2 incompatible plug types plus adaptors. Anyone who lived with that will know why its a dud idea.

Then youre suggesting mixed 110/230 wiring, which adds a whole pile of expense, will kill lots of appliances, and simply isnt necessary for

99% of the population.

This is all way too high a price to pay for harmonisation with mainland europe.

NT

[PeterC]

The switch for mine is fused spur at the top of the ladder, so I can operate it on the way out. A cheap 40A shower pull-switch would be OK - has neon (unreliable) and mechanical flag (less unreliable).

[Rod]

I don't think that there is anywhere in mainland Europe that uses 110V, is there?

110/230 mixed is *only* if wanted. That would only be used for things like laptops. Basically, if the device doesn't care it can connect to 110 or 230; if it cares, it can connect to just the one.

[Rod]

It seems inevitable that we either go for a second plug design (for low power/universal access) or we do without. The cost in terms of some form of adaptor (at least for an interim period) seems to me to be worth it. Fully accepted that others will disagree.

The number of times I have cursed 13A plugs for their bulk, their big sticky-out design, their weight, etc.! And the pain when I stand on the prongs...

I accept that last comment!

[Jason]

Probably not the exact bar code, but definitely the same model number.

[Jason]

Yes, that is a possibility.

[Distorted Vision]

Wow that's alot of different discussions in this thread I'm struggling keeping up. Anyway I was asking about fluorescent tube fittings. For areas of heavy usage what is the best quality brands to use for the batten fitting?

[Dave Plowman (News)]

That's a bit of a broad question. If you mean separate ballasts I've got Osram high frequency ones which have been very reliable. But pricey.

[Andrew Gabriel]

Yes, everyone who's lived in a house wired with different sockets, and that's one reason the 13A plug/socket was so readily accepted.

[Grimly Curmudgeon]

We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the drugs began to take hold. I remember [e-mail] (Andrew Gabriel) saying something like:

Exactly. Unless one lives in broom cupboard, I see no difficulty with the size of current 13A UK sockets.

[Dave Liquorice]

Agreed, mixed plug/socket sizes is a right PIAT.

The only real problem is when you have lots of low powered kit in one place, like by the telly or computer. Then having a dozen or so things all wanting a 13A socket to draw 10W is a bit annoying. Things with flexes can be rewired to IEC but that doesn't help with wall warts.