Counterfeit and Illegal Plugs and Leads

[FatallyFlawed]

From time to time the subject of counterfeit plugs and power leads is discussed on this and other forums.

Counterfeit plugs are often distinguished by having partially sleeved earth pins in clear contravention of BS 1363, that means that they cannot be legally sold (The Plugs & Sockets etc. (Safety) Regulations (1994)). Despite that they are freely available from (amongst others) many ebay sellers, and even Amazon!

Some of the counterfeits also have counterfeit fuses fitted, others have no fuses whatsoever!

For further information see www.bs1363.org.uk This includes samples of ebay and amazon sales listings, and links to reports from PAT testers who have come across these.

The safety of BS 1363 sockets and plugs is under threat from a variety of sources; it is time that the government and the IET took stronger action to counter this.

 

[holmslaw]

..

 

[plugwash]

Can you actually name any cases of someone actually getting hurt by these plugs/leads?

 

[JohnW2]

Counterfeit plugs are often distinguished by having partially sleeved earth pins ....

How very odd. If I wanted to produce a counterfeit of something, I wouldn't make it more complicated than the thing I was copying!

If the partially-sleeved earth pin were the only thing 'wrong' with the plug, I would think it would be vanishingly improbable that this would ever do anyone any harm.

Kind Regards, John.

 

[Spark123]

Have added your post to the "Useful manufacturer/product info" sticky at the top of the forum

 

[plugwash]

Counterfeit plugs are often distinguished by having partially sleeved earth pins ....

How very odd. If I wanted to produce a counterfeit of something, I wouldn't make it more complicated than the thing I was copying!

It sounds like someone was told "sleeved pins are required in the UK" and thought that meant that all pins needed to be sleeved.

 

[JohnW2]

It sounds like someone was told "sleeved pins are required in the UK" and thought that meant that all pins needed to be sleeved.

I guess so, but if I were wanting to make a 'counterfeit copy' of something which cost just a few pence, the very least I'd do is get a 'specimen' in my hands to copy from!

Kind Regards, John.

 

[FatallyFlawed]

If the partially-sleeved earth pin were the only thing 'wrong' with the plug, I would think it would be vanishingly improbable that this would ever do anyone any harm.

John, I need to do a sanity check here. Do you understand that a sleeved earth pin often results in no earth connection at all? Power pins mate at the end furthest from the face of the plug, earth pins are designed to mate at the inner end of the pin (to ensure they are the first connection made on insertion, and the last to be opened on removal). That is why BS 1363 specifically disallows earth pin sleeving.

I cannot believe that you are saying that you believe earthing to be an unnecessary extravagance?

 

[JohnW2]

John, I need to do a sanity check here. Do you understand that a sleeved earth pin often results in no earth connection at all? Power pins mate at the end furthest from the face of the plug, earth pins are designed to mate at the inner end of the pin (to ensure they are the first connection made on insertion, and the last to be opened on removal). That is why BS 1363 specifically disallows earth pin sleeving.

One often sees all that said, and it would certainly make sense - but, having taken a good few BS1363 sockets apart in my time, it doesn't seem to be 'how it usually is'. The contacts of a typical modern socket generally look like this:

Untitled

• JohnW2
• 20 Aug 2011
• 1

As you can see, the 'near edge' (closest to plug pins) of the contacts for all three pins are to all intents and purposes in the same plane; the contacts for the earth pin are necessarily 'deeper' than the other two (to accommodate the longer pin).

Kind Regards, John.

 

[FatallyFlawed]

As you can see, the 'near edge' (closest to plug pins) of the contacts for all three pins are to all intents and purposes in the same plane; the contacts for the earth pin are usually at least as 'deep' as for the other two.

John, I am not denying that SOME sockets will be like that, but certainly not all! For instance, the standard MK socket which uses simultaneous L/N pin pressure to open the shutters (as sold before the introduction of the Logic Plus type), brings the earth contacts right to the engagement surface. There must be many millions of those in service! Testing proves that a sleeved earth-pin plug will not make proper contact with one of those sockets. This is not a corner case issue but a main-stream problem when counterfeit plugs are used. I presume that is why PAT testers are designed to fail sleeved earth pins.

 

[timtheenchanter]

IIRC, the sleeved earth is just one of the easy tell tales of a counterfeit lead.

The other, and larger issues I have seen reported are.

The plug top itself is too narrow, so you can touch live conductors whilst inserting the plug into the socket.

The conductors on the leads of premade units (IE IED leads for computers fig 8 leads etc) being undersized.

Some are unfused (the plugtop being too small to allow for this) or having non-standard fuses in them.

I have not yet come across any seperate plugtops like this, but have seen one or two pre-made leads.

 

[JohnW2]

IIRC, the sleeved earth is just one of the easy tell tales of a counterfeit lead.

Fair enough. As you will have seen, the seemingly contentious thing I wrote started :

If the partially-sleeved earth pin were the only thing 'wrong' with the plug....

IIRCThe other, and larger issues I have seen reported are.
The plug top itself is too narrow, so you can touch live conductors whilst inserting the plug into the socket.
The conductors on the leads of premade units (IE IED leads for computers fig 8 leads etc) being undersized.
Some are unfused (the plugtop being too small to allow for this) or having non-standard fuses in them.

Those things would obviously not be acceptable. I do, however, find it difficult to understand why those wishing to make 'conterfeit' copies of something so ubiquitous, with which we are so familiar, don't do their counterfeiting ('copying') more accurately - I wouldn't, for example, try to make fake £1 coins with an engraving of Mickey Mouse on them!

Kind Regards, John.

 

[Monkeh]

I do, however, find it difficult to understand why those wishing to make 'conterfeit' copies of something so ubiquitous, with which we are so familiar, don't do their counterfeiting ('copying') more accurately

Two reasons, really:
A: Counterfeiters of products like this are stupid and don't actually care.
B: Nobody actually looks at plugs. It goes in a socket on the wall and makes things work. That's all the majority of the population knows.

 

[JohnW2]

John, I am not denying that SOME sockets will be like that, but certainly not all! For instance, the standard MK socket which uses simultaneous L/N pin pressure to open the shutters (as sold before the introduction of the Logic Plus type), brings the earth contacts right to the engagement surface. There must be many millions of those in service! Testing proves that a sleeved earth-pin plug will not make proper contact with one of those sockets.

Fair enough. If it has actually been demonstrated that these plugs fail to establish a satisfactory earth connection with some types of BS1363-compliant sockets, then I obviously would agree with you that this is unacceptable. From what you say, I presume you can point me to such evidence.

I presume that is why PAT testers are designed to fail sleeved earth pins.

To repeat myself, if it has actually been demonstrated that these plugs fail to establish a satisfactory earth connection with some types of BS1363-compliant sockets (and not just with PAT testers), then I obviously would agree with you that this is unacceptable.

Kind Regards, John.

 

[JohnW2]

Two reasons, really:
A: Counterfeiters of products like this are stupid and don't actually care.
B: Nobody actually looks at plugs. It goes in a socket on the wall and makes things work. That's all the majority of the population knows.

All true, but I would still have expected an even quarter-sensible conterfeiter (maybe that's my mistake to have an example of what (s)he was copying, and then copy it reasonable closely. Mind you, at least they are making it easy for us to identify the counterfeits

Kind Regards, John.