World wide mains plug guide.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

I found it interesting. ;-)

[Vortex]

FYI I completed the descent into anorakdom by finding this

a few months ago.

I think this should be part of theNational Curriculum.

D

[The Natural Philosopher]

Fascinating.

So we are the only country to use shuttered sockets and fused plugs?

[Andy Hall]

Some of the Schuko ones seem to have shutters as an afterthought - I've seen them in Sweden. However, these are more of a brute force thing - i.e. sprung shutters on the phase connections that are presumably meant to be harder to push against than a small child could manage. They are not interlocked to the earth, obviously. I wasn't convinced by them - it's not that hard to defeat the springs.

I don't know of anybody else who has fuses in plugs. Generally, it's

16A and radial circuits and that's it.

[David Hansen]

On Sun, 07 May 2006 12:40:27 +0100 someone who may be The Natural Philosopher wrote this:-

Look behind people in television reports from Iraq. There are a few countries which have UK style electrical systems for various reasons.

[meow2222]

I thought they used a non-fused version of ours

NT

[John]

Makes one realise how good the 13amp plug is.

John

[Rod]

[e-mail] wrote in news:1147038275.966733.37290 @j73g2000cwa.googlegroups.com:

No idea about Iraq, but United Arab Emirates uses UK-style 13 amp - exactly the same (fused) and, mostly, the self-same manufacturers as the UK.

[Rod]

"John" wrote in news:8Ut7g.9526$gK2.510@newsfe6- gui.ntli.net:

Unless you step on one, pins up. (Ouch!!) Or are trying to pack it away. Or trying to fit a lot of sockets for them into a small space. Or want to run a heavy current appliance (>13 to 16 A). Or have an old one (pre-shielded L+N pins). Or are trying to design a compact adaptor for international use.

But certainly better than some!

[Guy King]

The message from Rod contains these words:

Not as bad as stepping on a 74ls245 pins up. Right in my heel. Possibly one of the most painful extractions I've ever had to do!

[Adrian C]

Ah! You mean like this non-fused example ...

[Frank Erskine]

On Sun, 07 May 2006 18:02:09 +0100, David Hansen had this to say:

A-ha! A conspiracy theory...

:-)

[cupra]

Not entirely accurate - when I was in Bangladesh I saw UK, European and US outlets in use (in the same building!)

[David Hansen]

On 7 May 2006 21:55:25 GMT someone who may be Rod wrote this:-

1) Do lots of people have many of these in their houses? 2) Do the few that do have such gadgets not fit them with BS4343 plugs, just as people on the mainland?

I have lots. They cause no great danger.

[Guy King]

The message from David Hansen contains these words:

I know someone who, having trouble with 13A fuses blowing, added a second plug to his MIG welder.

[Owain]

Ah, but that was the sockets - did they just standardise on matchsticks for the plug?

Owain

[The Natural Philosopher]

Haha. My German employer in S Africa had his factory totally wired with GERMAN plugs.

I used a 13A distribution socket to use my UK equipment...

Was kind of nostalgic to see the old UK 15A round pin stuff elsewhere.

Ive got 5A round pin stuff on my lamps here..

[Andy Wade]

A novel approach which might just come unstuck when he finds sockets on differing phases...

[Mathew Newton]

*Step* on one? You should try jumping off the top of a bunk bed and landing on one of the buggers...

Oh how I laughed.

Mathew

[David Hansen]

On Mon, 08 May 2006 11:53:04 +0100 someone who may be Andy Wade wrote this:-

Or, if he plugs one of the plugs into a live socket and then touches the wrong bit of the other plug.

Far easier to fit a BS4343 plug in my view. They and the sockets are not expensive.