Wiring regs 18th edition changes

[dr.s.lartius]

Useful. Page

will need one or more small updates.

[Terry Casey]

In which case you probably paid a premium price for it!

Plenty in the High Street from £1 upwards.

Quality does vary, though, so a visual examination is a good idea.

Some don't accomodate the French earth pin, which means they are useless in France/Belgium and a few other countries, others have very thin brass pins and/or only connect to one Schuko earth contact

The best ones have full size plated 16A pins [1] and a full modified Schuko earthing arrangement [2], yet are often cheaper than the poor ones!

[1] But fused at no more than 13A, obviously! [2] Note that the 13A earth pin is used for one Schuko earth contact.

[Scott]

Okay for anything double insulated, which includes many appliances.

Is it necessary to make contact with both side earths? After all, one earth pin is all it would get in the UK for which the appliance is presumably designed.

[The Natural Philosopher]

£2.99 IIRC

Saw one in boots today £2.99 IIRC

[Terry Casey]

No. Because the earth pin in the French style connector protrudes from the socket, a connector not designed to accept the earth pin won't fit the socket, thus rendering the adaptor useless.

Probably not but I think that the extra attention to detail indicates that serious thought has gone into producing a better quality device. (The construction standards of first few I saw was very cheap and nasty.)

[Terry Casey]

If you are right, you did very well. Which ferry company?

Whenever I've looked at such items on ferries and the 'Travel Accessories' displays in chemists, etc., they've usually been anywhere between £7 and £11.

Interesting. I've got enough for my own needs so don't go specifically looking for them these days but, just out of interest, I must start looking again!

[Scott]

I had forgotten about that. That's why a lot of 'hybrid' plugs have a hole in them.

I would agree with that reasoning.

[Terry Casey]

What do you call a 'hybrid' plug? If you mean the modified Schuko, more correctly known as a CEE 7/7 plug:

a/File:CEE_7-7.jpg

or

you can clearly see the socket for the French earth pin and the contacts for it.

However, I've also seen 13A adaptors which have a hole but it in not in the correct place to suit the earth pin or even too small!

With the better quality devices there will be no uncertainty that (a) it will fit both types of socket and {b} will provide a proper earth connection if necessary.

[Scott]

That's the one. I think I have seen is described as 'hybrid' elsewhere.

I would agree with that also.