Melted

[James Wilkinson Sword]

Whoops! For some reason a triple adapter decided to melt. Two things were plugged in at the time, both rated at 1kW, one switched on, one not. Both devices are still functional and undamaged. No fuses have blown, including the one in the photo, although when I noticed the problem (the day after I was using the 1kW device which I switched off normally the day before) neither device would operate, presumably the fuse had fallen out of the holder. I can only assume there was an arc due to a loose fuse? There was a slight dodgy smell when I was using the device yesterday, but I couldn't work out what it was.

[Nick]

Perhaps you had a poor electrical connection inside the plug socket. All you really need to get hot for a specific current is to have resistance. Not the I know anything about it.

[hubops]

Glad it didn't start a serious fire ! I'm not sure what your adaptor was adapting ? but the common AC to DC adaptors are notorious for their poor quality - many recalls; many unapproved or phony approvals in the aftermarket junk. Sometimes they have small-print restrictions for "continuous use" .. whatever that is ... John T.

[James Wilkinson Sword]

No, just a triple adapter to plug in three mains powered devices.

[James Wilkinson Sword]

I'm not having a good day. My cat's flea killer just went bang. On closer inspection, it's got a 240V bulb in a 125V fitting. I've had nasty words with the seller and manufacturer (Aspectek).

[James Wilkinson Sword]

Now that's possible. One of the devices is a vacuum cleaner, and it does yank the cable sometimes. So it could have been the adapter pin in the socket contact, or either end of the fuse clip. It had melted all the way from the socket clip to the far end of the fuse, presumably by thermal conduction.

[Tim Streater]

WTF is a "plug socket"? It's either a plug or a socket. Which did you mean?

[James Wilkinson Sword]

I don't understand why people say that. I say plug or socket, never both. So er.... if there are plug sockets, there must be other types of sockets? Ones you don't put plugs into but something else?

[Alan Dawes]

Eye socket Tooth socket Dry socket Ball and socket Spark plug socket Cigar lighter socket Hip joint socket Shoulder joint socket Croquet hoop socket Drain pipe socket Lighting rig spigots into barrel socket Trans-tibial prosthetic socket for lower limb amputee etc

:-)

Alan

[James Wilkinson Sword]

But tends to get called an adapter.

When people say "plug socket" I think they mean socket. For some reason they add plug as an adjective.

Do you ever say "I'm just driving my road car to the food supermarket"?

[James Wilkinson Sword]

Try "electrical socket". "Plug socket" is still ambiguous. And normally context helps anyway. "Plug the vacuum into the socket" is quite clear. You obviously don't mean to plug it into your eye.

[Rod Speed]

To distinguish it from the other sockets like the spanner sockets etc.

We do say rail car with those that run on rails.

[Rod Speed]

Most language is.

If you expect any language to be completely logical and rational, you'd best just hang yourself now, you'll be disappointed.

[Nick]

It appears to be common usage.

I don't know where the resistance occurred, Maybe the Plug. Maybe the connection between the plug and socket.

I did say I didn't know anything about it. Are you the type of person who takes an admission of ignorance as an opportunity to try and appear clever?

[Tim Streater]

That's a different kind of animal. Mostly one talks about a plug at the end of a wire, or a socket on the wall. That's clear enough.

[Tim Streater]

[Mark Lloyd]

[snip]

A socket made to accept a plug?

Also, some holiday light strings have a socket built into the plug (as well as the socket on the other end).

[Mark Lloyd]

[snip]

Lightbulb sockets? Connectors on a stove where you connect the elements?

[Tim Streater]

When discussing matters electrical, the *default* meaning for socket is one on the wall.

And when discussing an adapter, it's obviously got one plug part and a number of socket parts, because without a plug part it's illegal, and without a socket part it's useless.

I expect you say "foot pedal", too.

[James Wilkinson Sword]

That's a "light socket". But the socket for plugs is the most common one, so you just say socket.

Rarely spoken about, you'd describe them fully.