I had an electrician install a double Schuko socket. Each socket had its own terminals (live - neutral - earth) and the electrician bridged each pair. Our double sockets only have one connection to make. Why would they do that? In Germany would you be expected to provide a separate radial circuit for each socket?
I installed via a fused connection unit which I will probably derate to two or three Amps given my intended use.
You might need to, depending on the circumstance.
Since the Schuko plugs are unfused, the circuit breaker will have to provide fault protection right up to the appliance itself including its flex. So unlike in the uk, it can't have a significantly higher rating than that of the single socket. So with a double socket where you are expecting two significant loads to be used concurrently (say a washing machine and tumble drier), you would have to feed each socket from its own radial/circuit to avoid overloading the circuit breaker.
If you feed each socket from a FCU, then you can safely use them on a typical 32A circuit.
Thanks. I thought that might be the reason. I assume many of them are bridged in the way mine is? Incidentally, can our double sockets safely draw 26 amps from the ring?
That's what we did. Given they are for charging (electric toothbrush, shaver etc) I thought a 2 or a 3 amp fuse would provide enhanced protection. (Not located in a bathroom, by the way.)
Maybe for separate switching. In some countries (don't know about Germany), it's common to have one of a double socket switched by the door light switch, and the other permanently on.
In France (not Schuko, but with protruding earth pin), I notice both types were available - commoned, and separatly connected. Interestingly, the commoned ones have the live and neutral pins reversed in each socket, thereby emphasising that although the French plugs are not reversable (unlike Schuko), they are not polarised either.
I hadn't thought of that. It would be a neat way of controlling lamps. My electrician has reversed the polarity (which is of no consequence obviously) but I might change it anyway :-)
2A sockets are neater
NT
BS546, you mean? Not ideal with Europlugs if you are in Germany or France, which is where the thread has migrated.
The max total rating must be printed on the back of the socket and I have only ever seen it stated as 13A.
BS1363 requires testing at a higher current than the rated current. For a single socket, it's 14A with an additional 6A on the looped supply cable. For a double socket, it's 14A from one socket plus 6A from the other.
I wonder if the public knows not to plug two high powered appliances into the same socket. I am sure there must have been kettles and toasters run from the same double socket over the years. I certainly knew adapters were limited to 13 amps in total but I was unaware of any upper limit for sockets other than 2x13 amps.
They're modular, so you can have a socket and a light switch in one box, the only double UK sockets I've seen that are like that are Clipsal "weatherproof" ones ... I can see why sparkies would dislike fitting them.
That not quite the same thing. The test Andrew referred to is a 1 hour test. Small overloads for a short period of time are fine.
The sockets are nominally rated for 20A in that circumstance. In reality most will do better, and will cope with 26A for shorter durations. You would not want to rely on draying 26A long term through a double socket though.
Surprised a toothbrush etc is not fitted with a normal shaver style plug.
I was going to mention them. Not a match on the BG outdoor sockets I fit. Which IMHO outperform the MK waterproof range.
Its probably not that widely known... but then again electrical knowledge of any sort seems fairly scarce!
Indeed, but those are very short term loads, so unlikely to be a problem.
Its not that easy to find long term loads that will draw 13A continuously in a domestic environment. Even "big" loads like driers and washing machines will often only have 2 - 2.5kW heaters and they run on a thermostat.
Not unlike the US practice with a "duplex" socket, where they share a neutral, but then expect the two 110V hot connections from their centre tapped supplies to feed one half each.
There is also a practical limit imposed by the environment. If you were to plug in two 13A long term loads with no cycling, you are going to be dissipating over 6kW in the room, which is unlikely to be practical for other reasons.
It is the Europlug version to allow flexibility to use outside the UK. This fits 'universal' shaver sockets anyway so I don't know why all electric toothbrushes and shavers are not fitted with Europlugs. After all, the masses have access to cheap air travel to go on foreign holidays these days.
I assume they are opposite phase. Does this cause any difficulties in any circumstances? I can't think of any.
I've not got one to hand at the moment, but I am pretty sure that the Volex 9000 range, 2-gang sockets I have almost everywhere have the total rating moulded into the back and they are rated 29A. I have wondered why
29 and not 26.SteveW
A BS1362 fuse will allow some degree of overload. So with the help of a multiway adaptor or extension lead you could in theory get more than 13A onto a single plug...
Note also that the installed capacity of the cable to the socket could be less than 26A (think of a socket on a spur, or a 20A radial, with the cable in conduit).
HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.