Is there a reference describing, briefly but terrifyingly, the folly of plugging a continental (or other alien) mains plug into a standard domestic 13A socket?

Very old French 2 pin plugs fit just fine. They long predate europlugs. IIRC several other countries also use them.

NT

removing the words would be better, otherwise you're just misinforming

not true at all

might

Wise? For foreign hotel guests perhaps.

NT

there are 3.

1. Lack of suitable fusing
2. Lack of ampacity due to the round pin against flat contacts
3. In some cases the typically foreign 2 pin plugged appliance does not meet UK safety standards in other respects, eg it's single insulated

A microwave is an example where 2 or maybe all 3 of the above are likely to apply

NT

Lots of 5 & 15A radials went in in the 50s in round pin systems.

Yes, I think that's right. My parents built (as in designed etc. and bought in labour) their own house in 1949/1950 and it was *very* modern in having BS1363 square pin plugs and sockets.

Interesting video. Seems MK's design engineers are still on the job.

I have a couple of these and the socket for the Euro plug is too loose, resulting in the Euro plug coming out for only a small tug on the cable.

However this doesn't overcome the lack of a proper value fuse mentioned by other posts.

If you look on the bottom of the adapter you'll find a small hole, it gets covered by a black sliding shutter when you plug it into the wall socket. Deep down in this hole there's a screw. Insert the Europlug into the adapter and tighten the screw so that it grips the plug. You've then effectively converted the Europlug into a BS 1363 plug

Of course this isn't at all convenient if you want to use this for a variety of Europlug devices but it's good for converting a single device.

Yup for round pin, radials would be the norm for same reasons as on continental plugs now - no separate fusing.

Perhaps a better start would be to explain what you actually want to do with this information, and how it will be used? Otherwise it is easy to get sidetracked in obscure technical discussions.

Round pin sockets are permitted, although they should be modern shuttered versions.

There is a simple solution to the Europlug/13a adaptor combination being too long.

It is a 13A plug into which the Europlug is inserted at right angles and is no deeper than a 13A plug.

or:

I thought old shuttered ones were also permitted, albeit that they're not too common

NT

I have rewireable fuses and one 20A MCB.

The 20A breaker is on a faulty ring where a wire has become disconnected somewhere inaccessible.

There isn't much point in replacing the consumer unit for the little extra safety that is gained.

Reminds me, I must test the breaker sometime.

At one time my parents had round pin plugs that had a fuse as one of the pins. I'm sure that was the case.

They also had cartridge fuses in the consumer unit.

I got banned from a neighbours house about the same time having made an electromagnet using some copper wire I found. Problem was the varnish had fallen off some of it and it shorted the mains.

You would think this was OK but no they had replaced the fuses with strips of metal and the company fuse went.

They wanted me (a 10yo) to pay for the company charges when they came to fix it.

There is a screw to clamp them. They are also fused.

I want to persuade a neighbour from Europlug-land to let me put her electric power arrangements in order, as far as I can - with particular reference to eliminating Europlugs in 13A sockets, Eurosockets not supplying Earth where needed, and other safety matters.

why not just list the spotted safety issues.

NT

Yup I have seen pictures of some of those, but never seen on in the wild. I have a feeling some of these system may have been regional though which could explain the lack of local examples.

These?:

I wonder if they checked the CU when they did the fuse?