Can a UK plug have round pins?

[Philip]

Looking at this travel charger, which seems like quite a neat form factor (20W, PD, QC claimed, USB-A and USB-C in quite a small gadget).

or

However, I noticed that the "UK plug" seems to use the round L and N pins from the "EU plug", along with a plastic E pin to open the shutters, which seems to be quite a clever solution.

Is there anything in UK regulations to say that the L and N pins need to be rectangular? Other similar devices made by reputable manufacturers - like Skross - use full rectangular pins.

(Yes, I'm aware that the internal electronics are probably not up to much, the CE mark means Chinese Export and most/all of the 5* reviews are likely to be fake).

[Theo]

BS 1363-1:2016+A1:2018 13 A plugs, socket-outlets, adaptors and connection units....

12 Construction of plugs 12.1 The disposition of the plug pins (including ISODs where applicable) shall be as shown in Figure 4a).

Fig.4a shows the usual square pins, including part insulation.

[ISOD is an 'insulated shutter opening device']

You know that bargepole...

Theo

[John Rumm]

Rather depends on you definition of clever... if you mean "a really bad bit of design" then yes :-)

Yes, BS1363 is *very* specific about pin size, shape, and tolerances:

That would be because that is what they need to be.

The risk with using something with non standard pins is not only that they may make poor contact, and not be able to handle the full 13A load (which admittedly for a USB charger is not likely), is that they can damage the terminals in the socket, and hence result in an overheating or fire risk for subsequent users.

(one of the reasons why you should never use one of those child safety socket protectors - the pins on most of those are well out of spec)

Fake or from people basically saying "it works" and "it's convenient", without any detailed understanding of the engineering issues.

[Philip]

"Clever" as is minimising the space requirement within the gadget while maximising the types of mains socket it will - allegedly - work in. The holy grail of a travel adaptor is to be as small and light as possible, while working in as many different scenarios as possible.

I do take all your points on the other side of the equation, though.

I may try reporting it to Amazon and eBay (the same charger are sold on there) as falsely claiming to include a "UK Plug", but I'm not overly hopeful that either organisation will do anything whatsoever about it.

[Dave Plowman (News]

The only type of UK 'compatible' connector with round pins I've seen is designed for very low current applications. And wouldn't allow anything else - unless you did some horrendous bodge.

[Max Demian]

Reminds me of the days you could happily plug a "European" two pin plug into a 13A socket (provided the shutter was released by the simultaneous insertion of the power pins rather than by the earth pin - do they make them like that any more?)

[Jacob Jones]

But his is a very low current application.

[JNugent]

Do you remember the Fit-All plug, made in Northern Ireland?

It worked in 5A, 13A and 15A sockets, two-pin or three-pin sockets.

It wouldn't work with any of yer foreign muck, though.

[Chris J Dixon]

One false move when wiring it up, and you had a pile of bits in your lap.

Chris

[Andy Burns]

Never seen one, looks a bit ropey

[JNugent]

Nice video.

The plug worked very well in practice. That little tab sticking out at the bottom (near the cable entry) could be swivelled so as to allow out only the pins you wanted. The round pins had to be screwed out to secure them (left hand thread IIRC) and the rectangular (13A) pins had to be spring-clipped into place.

In the days when you could never be sure what sort of sockets would be available (eg, playing in a band), the Fit-All was an invaluable tool, fitted to the end of the supply cable for a distribution strip of 13A sockets.

[rick]

I have a few of these, used to have one on a short extension lead so I could connect to any socket I come across.

[rick]

Interesting Q ... prior to BS 1363-1 13A flat pins, the standard plugs in the UK were round pin ... either smaller 5A or larger 15A

The 15A are still available ... though have to be on a specific radial circuit as they are not locally fused.

[charles]

and you can buy 5A round pin and 2A round pin.

[Dave Plowman (News]

5 amp (and 2 amp) are a common way of having a plug and socket connection to say a table lamp on a dimmer circuit. So you can't plug the Hoover into it. But 2 amp seems now the most common for that. 15amp was a standard for theatre lighting. Last thing you want is to change a fuse on a lamp slung high up.

[whisky-dave]

My dad had one of those, I think I might still have it somewhere, I found it quite fascinating as a kid and used to 'play' with it but never plugged it in. Originally he had it on an electric drill.

[Bob Eager]

My dad did too. I inherited it but never used it.

The shutter to retain unused pins was a bit sloppy. On one occasion he plugged it into a metalclad socket. One of the spare live pins slopped forward and there were sparks! And of course the plug fuse wasn't in circuit...

[The Natural Philosopher]

Are they 2A or 3A?

I can remember 3A, which shows haw bloody old I am. Apparently they are well pre war and were superseded by the 2A or 5A sort..

Our 1953 built house was equipped with IIRC just 6 new fangled 13A sockets. Apart from a hoover, whet else did you need?

[charles]

Electric Fire?

Wireless?

[The Natural Philosopher]

In the 1950s? Coal fires and precious little of that. You slept in thick pajamas under as many ex army 'horse' blankets as your parents could scrounge. And scraped the ice off the INSIDE of the uninsulated crittall windows in the morning! Later on a few electric fires, one of which gave you a shock, appeared, but paraffin heaters were more lily.

My dad did three extensions to the wiring that I can recall, and I did a couple more in the 1960s and a few more were done after that.

1/. The 1930s valve radio got a spur run behind the 13A socket to a 2A socket on the wall, 2/. An electric clock was similarly wired to in the kitchen.. 3/. Then a few years later a decent garage was built and a very dubious spur taken to that from the fusebox. to run a fluorescent light and one 13A socket.

After that various 13A ring extensions were added, and possibly after I left home an additional small CU for an electric cooker, but that was how we sold it when mum went into care in the early noughties . It was street legal, but frankly I am sure the new owners rewired it top to bottom. I would have!