A lot of bathroom cabinets come with a 2 pin shaver socket.
Two-pin plug anyone (shaver style)
- Thread starter darrenings
- Start date
Do you have a make/model for the socket?
Electric Toothbrush, I have never had an Electric Razor (do not like them) therefore no bathroom shaver socket.
I cut the cord off the toothbrush charger flex and fitted a 13A plug, I charge the toothbrush in the bedroom - it is not any hardship to me.
I cut the cord off the toothbrush charger flex and fitted a 13A plug, I charge the toothbrush in the bedroom - it is not any hardship to me.
I've never known a europlug (4mm pin * 21.5 to 22.6mm width) not correctly fit in a UK shaver socket made to multiple standards, or for that matter not known them not work in a BS372 socket (although in theory they shouldn't) but abroad there is often no provision for a BS4573 (5.1mm pin * 21.8mm width) where we end-up using
Well, in practice, not much difference (unfortunately). so they often gets used interchangeably, which can be a bad thing sometimes because of tolerances it can put a undue strain on them - and that`s if they are made within their own spec which I suspect some are not quite either.
My parents have (or had, I don't know if they still have it) an old adapter with 13A plug pins, a 5A 3 pin socket and two 2-pin sockets, presumablly to BS372. We found Europlugs did not work reliably in said adapter, they would work at first, but over time had a tendancy to either fall out, or loose contact.
I still have and fairly regularly use a number of similar adapters; working with a selection of different AmDram groups one encounters all sorts of variations of historic standards and fashions, additionally working with Public Address systems and persons of all ages and nationalities I've regularly found I have to come up with solutions.
I'm not for one second disputing your findings, not least of which I mentioned they theoretically should not make contact. However the only time I've found a type C plug not work in BS372 socket I found the plug was broken (the bar the pins were fixed to was broken making the pins loose). The type E (Shuko) generally does not work (and certainly not reliably) in a BS372 due to the thicker pins, wider spacing and parallel format.
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This is the socket, it's inside a bathroom cabinet.
I am hoping that I can use it to charge an oral-B toothbrush with it.
My main concern is if the pins are smaller then it may fall out as it is facing downwards.
I'll get one off of Ebay and try it thanks.
Maybe this one.
I am hoping that I can use it to charge an oral-B toothbrush with it.
My main concern is if the pins are smaller then it may fall out as it is facing downwards.
I'll get one off of Ebay and try it thanks.
Maybe this one.
can you accurately measure the centre to centre spacing of the holes.
16.7mm = BS4573/BS372. 18.5 to 19mm = some version of a Europlug.
That is assuming it comforms to a standard
Most oral B chargers I have seen, do have uk shaver plugs in them. Certainly getting that plug and base should not be a problem.
Problems are more electrical. Ie if the cab has an isolation transformer, it’s not great to run it 24/7. Heat. Humming.
Problems are more electrical. Ie if the cab has an isolation transformer, it’s not great to run it 24/7. Heat. Humming.
running the numbers.
A Europlug has pins of 4mm diameter, spaced 18.6mm between centers at the base and 17.5mm between centers at the tips. That gives, at the tip an outer width of 21.5mm and an inner width of 13.5mm.
A UK shaver plug/BS372 2 pin 5A plug has 16.7mm between centers, and a pin diameter of 5.1mm. That gives an outer width of 21.8mm and an inner width of 11.6mm,
So "theoretically" a 0.3mm gap, but the contacts on the socket are probablly designed to Squeeze the pins a bit. Also those are measurements at the tip, closer to the base the contacts will be futher apart. On the other hand, the contacts in the socket may not be mounted entirely rigidly.
A Europlug has pins of 4mm diameter, spaced 18.6mm between centers at the base and 17.5mm between centers at the tips. That gives, at the tip an outer width of 21.5mm and an inner width of 13.5mm.
A UK shaver plug/BS372 2 pin 5A plug has 16.7mm between centers, and a pin diameter of 5.1mm. That gives an outer width of 21.8mm and an inner width of 11.6mm,
So "theoretically" a 0.3mm gap, but the contacts on the socket are probablly designed to Squeeze the pins a bit. Also those are measurements at the tip, closer to the base the contacts will be futher apart. On the other hand, the contacts in the socket may not be mounted entirely rigidly.
My interpretation:
FROM SPEC:
Blue indicates the BS372/4573 socket pockets - 5.1mm
Orange indicates the Europlug contact area - 4mm
Black indicates the Europlug pins insulated section - 3.8mm max
As can be seen the plug contact is just wider than that the socket spacing as it transforms from the insulated section. However the overall width of the insulated section is 19.6 + 3.8mm max = 22.4mm or 0.6mm wider than the socket so potentially applies strain and potentially bending the plug pins inwards.
However I've just measured a 5A version of one of these
The insulation on the Europlug I measured is more like 3.4mm and a max width of 22.1mm (shown purple)
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