British Plugs Are Better Than All Other Plugs, And Here's Why - General

[QUOTE=itisjuly;45321612]Why would that be bad? Unless you got a shitty power strip but that's not a wiring problem any more.[/QUOTE] Because the UK plugs would protect you from something like that, even if you were careless enough to overload a socket and use a dodgy strip. Bit of a moot point since most power strips I know of are fuse protected anyway, along with the legally required fuse in the plug It does happen, though. I know someone who replaced the fuse in his plug with a bit of metal as a quick fix and forgot to replace it. The cable ended up melting, could have been a lot worse [editline]8th July 2014[/editline] [QUOTE=willtheoct;45321657]If you mandate that all new houses get a new plug, then all devices requiring old ones won't work in the new houses. If you mandate that all new devices get a new plug, then new devices won't work in old houses. [/QUOTE] With a decent design you could avoid needing to change the shape of the socket/plug quite easily. I can think of a few ways [QUOTE=willtheoct;45321657] Also I agree with most things in the video, but if the english earth socket was shaped like a T, or even a triangle, you wouldn't be able to plug the thing in upside-down and trigger the shutters. Therefore, english design isn't the best, either.[/QUOTE] You could also poke a thin rod in there and open the shutters, there's no way of avoiding purposeful abuse. And you're not exactly going to plug a plug in upside down by mistake, usually because you can't but mostly because all plug sockets are the same way up

[QUOTE=Folstream;45319521]Sweden uses the same kind of plug and we do not use the hole with a pin in the socket. Instead we have the clips at the top and bottom, like this: [img]https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/23/Schuko_plug_and_socket_annotated.png[/img][/QUOTE] The hole is more of a legacy thing. For example, plugs in poland used to have a groundping extending from inside the socket. The spring contacts are the preferred way to ground these days.

[QUOTE=Midas22;45321528]ITT Europeans gettin buttmad and jelly[/QUOTE] You are European too dumbass.

[QUOTE=Skanic;45321768]You are European too dumbass.[/QUOTE] Theres no need to be upset my unearthed friend. Allow me to defuse the situation.

I do love the plugs you have in the UK but at the same time I hate the size of them, I still love my trusty old US plug with it's shocked expression. (no pun intended)

BS1363 is my favourite British Standard.

[QUOTE=Midas22;45321528]ITT Europeans gettin buttmad and jelly[/QUOTE] you are european [editline]8th July 2014[/editline] apple uk plugs are literally the worst thing

I feel the earth connection being first in, last out is a critical design point missing from the european designs When it comes to the American design you have to bear in mind their 120v supply, a shock from mains there isn't as likely to cause serious injury

i've only ever been shocked by mains once and it hurt like fuck. my whole body felt like it had extreme pins and needles and i couldn't talk or see straight for a couple of minutes

[QUOTE=willtheoct;45321657]I agree with most things in the video, but if the english earth socket was shaped like a T, or even a triangle, you wouldn't be able to plug the thing in upside-down and trigger the shutters. Therefore, english design isn't the best, either.[/QUOTE] A T earth pin plug does exist, but its sole purpose is to restrict access to only certified things like medical equipment or something, and not let someone plug their laptop in there.

[QUOTE=willtheoct;45321657]I agree with most things in the video, but if the english earth socket was shaped like a T, or even a triangle, you wouldn't be able to plug the thing in upside-down and trigger the shutters. Therefore, english design isn't the best, either.[/QUOTE] you can't do that on anything but an extension lead anyways

[QUOTE=.Lain;45322459]i've only ever been shocked by mains once and it hurt like fuck. my whole body felt like it had extreme pins and needles and i couldn't talk or see straight for a couple of minutes[/QUOTE] How did you do that? I mean if it was from an exposed wire or something then fair enough, but you gotta try hard to get a shock from the safest plug in the world!

was an exposed wire, i was a kid and i tried to turn something on with a mid-repair switch

Fuckin A i just read two pages full of opinion posts about plugs and sockets. Love this forum. Anyways, I hate standard US two prong plugs, they bend super easy.

[QUOTE=Reagy;45319185]Pretty much fucking all of the European sockets I've used didn't have that earth pin.[/QUOTE] Are you seriously implying that a wiring system without grounding is a legal standard in the EU? In most, if not all EU countries it's [I]illegal[/I] to mix grounded and ungrounded systems. So either the entire house is outdated and without grounding, or every single socket is required to have it. [editline]8th July 2014[/editline] [QUOTE=itisjuly;45321612]Why would that be bad? Unless you got a shitty power strip but that's not a wiring problem any more.[/QUOTE] Here's an example (numbers are just mockups) Let's say you got a socket on a 10A Circuit, and plug in a power strip that can handle 1A [I]but doesn't have a fuse[/I], then another into that that can handle 3A, with a fuse. Then you plug in a couple of things so it adds up to 2.5A, and let that run for a while. The second power strip is fine, it's wire gauge can handle that perfectly fine, and so does the main circuit. But the first power strip will slowly start heating up, which can melt away the plastic. There's not a lot of reasons to do this in the first place, but it happened a few times too many. Therefore, electricians (at least in Norway) are required to install six outlets wherever a TV is supposed to stand :v: [QUOTE=Brt5470;45321636]It's actually more so that people use a bunch of splitters to put like 50 lights on a sockets. The base socket can't handle the load and could spark. But with circuit breakers that won't typically happen. The circuit breaker trips before enough current passes through to cause a hazard. Unless someone uses like 1amp splitters.[/QUOTE] This shouldn't really happen, as the circuit and the outlets need to handle more than what the circuit breakers are rated for. [QUOTE=subenji99;45322450]I feel the earth connection being first in, last out is a critical design point missing from the european designs When it comes to the American design you have to bear in mind their 120v supply, a shock from mains there isn't as likely to cause serious injury[/QUOTE] There's not a lot of difference in the energy, so it wont really be any less or more dangereous. [QUOTE=Jackald;45323298]Worth pointing out, however, that some of the cheaper plugs in the UK actually just have a plastic top prong instead of being a functional earth connection. [img]http://www.yunhuanelectric.com/Clkj_Images/upfile/Bigpic/Plastic-pin-uk-power-cord.jpg[/img][/QUOTE] That's because not all equipment require grounding, usually because it meets some other safety standards that means there's no shock hazard in a realistic situation. Okay that was a lot. Sorry guys :v:

[QUOTE=Col. Mandrake;45323440]Fuckin A i just read two pages full of opinion posts about plugs and sockets. Love this forum. Anyways, I hate standard US two prong plugs, [b]they bend super easy.[/b][/QUOTE] I actually think that is an advantage because if a power outlet in your house is getting loose you can just bend the prongs slightly outwards and shove it in. Works good in a pinch till you can replace the outlet.

[QUOTE=SGTNAPALM;45319530]I like the concept of how the European plug has the ground on the socket, and not the plug. That means if you need to be grounded you can just touch the pin and you're set.[/QUOTE] I actually have a little metal pin that i put in my light switch that acts as a ground specifically for that purpose :v:

[QUOTE=Trumple;45319906]And EU/US plugs still do not contain fuses to my knowledge[/QUOTE] In the plugs no, but we have a central fuse box. And no house built today will be without ground or these fuse boxes. Older houses might still have it (we have a few outlets in our house which aren't grounded) but the laws and standards says new houses can't be without them. And there's also the fact I doubt you can even buy a non-grounded socket anywhere. Minus those tiny flat ones.

[QUOTE=Lord Fear;45325305]In the plugs no, but we have a central fuse box. And no house built today will be without ground or these fuse boxes. Older houses might still have it (we have a few outlets in our house which aren't grounded) but the laws and standards says new houses can't be without them. And there's also the fact I doubt you can even buy a non-grounded socket anywhere. Minus those tiny flat ones.[/QUOTE] I believe in Denmark, that standard has been in place since the 70s or 80s, so any house newer than that HAS to have it. It was also important for older houses to get these things, if feasible, but I am not sure if it is/was required by law.

I had a plug half sticking out of my wall behind my computer desk long ago. Had an empty capri sun sitting on the edge. Capri Sun pouches are made out of... aluminum with some micro thin plastic coating or some such, and I accidentally knocked it off the desk. It fell against the wall and landed right on the two prongs sticking out of the wall. Everything electrical flickered in the room, it made a large enough spark to char the backplate and some of the dry wall. Always push them bitches in deep

[QUOTE=.Lain;45322439]you are european [editline]8th July 2014[/editline] apple uk plugs are literally the worst thing[/QUOTE] I don't remember saying I wasn't?

[thumb]http://i.imgur.com/ly68XPJ.jpg[/thumb]

[QUOTE=Jackald;45323298]Worth pointing out, however, that some of the cheaper plugs in the UK actually just have a plastic top prong instead of being a functional earth connection. [img]http://www.yunhuanelectric.com/Clkj_Images/upfile/Bigpic/Plastic-pin-uk-power-cord.jpg[/img][/QUOTE] there's no point earthing something with a plastic case

Personally I like how the pins are thick and thus don't wobble in the socket at all. Also how the wire runs downward as opposed to going straight out the wall, makes it stick out less and is less of a trip hazard. Also in case of sudden and unexpected war we can just take any spare plugs lying around and re-purpose them as caltrops.

[QUOTE=cardfan212;45320229]I don't understand why we can't just have one universal plug.[/QUOTE] different voltages and shit

Anyone who's ever used a british plug just knows theyre better. When you plug them in, they feel secure and tight, as opposed to the wobbly two north american plugs. The euro plug is decent, but the british plug is just the best. No doubt.

[QUOTE=reevezy67;45320086]Australian plugs are pretty solid too although we don't have the fuse or shutters the connectors are thin so it's difficult to stick anything in. It's very hard to unplug one by accident. [IMG]http://www.ladyelliot.com.au/files/upload/image002_0.jpg[/IMG][/QUOTE] My only issue with Australian plugs is that they're so easy to fucking bend I've bent a lot of plugs and after that it's a bitch to try and slide back into the point, also I'm sure you could stick a metal fork in those holes I'm not going to try either

[QUOTE=mastersrp;45325369]I believe in Denmark, that standard has been in place since the 70s or 80s, so any house newer than that HAS to have it. It was also important for older houses to get these things, if feasible, but I am not sure if it is/was required by law.[/QUOTE] It's also nice not having to unscrew every single fucking thing incase something breaks the fuses. [editline]9th July 2014[/editline] [QUOTE=Tinter;45321465]They're pretty terrible concerning all the smart safety features all the other have. They're simple though, plugs in either way and doesn't default to a painful position when on the ground.[/QUOTE] The way I see it, if you were stupid enough to get shocked by it, you probably didn't lose much by getting shocked by it :v:

[QUOTE=godfatherk;45325992][thumb]http://i.imgur.com/ly68XPJ.jpg[/thumb][/QUOTE] Argentina uses the Australian standard? wot [editline]9th July 2014[/editline] Oh wow, they do too: [url]http://www.worldstandards.eu/electricity/plugs-and-sockets/[/url]

[QUOTE=Tinter;45321465]They're pretty terrible concerning all the smart safety features all the other have. They're simple though, plugs in either way and doesn't default to a painful position when on the ground.[/QUOTE] Yeah, most plugs in my house (and my friends' houses) don't have a ground connection.