Kitchen Worktop Cable Grommet

[Huge]

+1 on my "PHD"(*) camera.

(* Push Here, Dummy.)

[newshound]

Significantly more work and hardware to do that though. In my kitchen I have a long run of worktop just below a wide window, so there was no vertical space to do that. Admittedly non-compliant, but in the 28 years since I did it I don't think I have ever needed to isolate one of the appliances. I agree that it is non-ideal since you may miss an overheating plug or socket that might be revealed by colour change. But not had one of those there either.

[newshound]

Yes, I have done that once or twice. Good point.

[newshound]

?

[spuorgelgoog]

1. I don't agree that moulded on plugs are more reliable at all.
2. It's been a bit snowy up here and the local supermarkets had no milk left.

Owain

[newshound]

Well, I have never had one fail. But I have had a number of failures with conventional plugs. My only complaint about them is that too many of them are black.

[Johnny B Good]

I can't see any reason why a properly designed moulded on plug should be

*less* reliable than a replaceable plug with its screw terminals and single cord grip strain relief where some mechanical forces can still pass through to the terminations due to the 'wriggle room' within the plug's wiring channels.

The moulded on plug uses welded connections and the wires and their welds are entirely buried in the plug mouldings right through to the strain relief. You should be able to use a moulded plug kettle lead as a 'flail' to batter an intruder into unconsciousness with the 13A plug end before using it to connect your kettle up afterwards for a nice calming brew whilst you await the arrival of the police to deal with your unexpected trespasser. :-)

Whilst you might be able to use a duraplug ended cord a few times as a temporary weapon, the moulded plug lead could be used like this indefinitely until sheer wear and tear from its primary use eventually, if ever, takes its inevitable toll on the cordage itself.

That's not to say that some manufacturers might find a way to totally f*ck up the concept of an everlasting plug for the sake of corner cutting on materials costs in a manufacturing process that virtually guarantees an indestructible moulded on plug. However, I'd expect such plugs would be easy enough to identify by feel and their heft (more likely to appear on cheap items such as extension leads and hand held kit rather on domestic white goods). I rather think they'd have to be pretty 'shonky' to be less robust than the typical re-wireable plug.

[damduck-egg]

Had a few one the outer insulation of the flex had cracked possibly because there was no give where it entered the plug top itself, and on one occasion I found one where a conductor had fractured.

There was someting quite a few years where some item(s) were found to have sub standard moulded on plugs, A fine strand or two of the conductors had escaped from whever they should be terminated and the strand ends terminated level with the mould material where to a normal glance they lurked unnoticed waiting to give a hand an expected jolt.

G.Harman

[Tim Watts]

Me too - but only with high power equipment with crappy supplied plugs like heaters. I usually switch on sight to MK (with the mushroom screws), Duraplugs or Permaplugs, none of which give me any trouble.