2amp and 5amp plugs and sockets
- Thread starter sparkwright
- Start date
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Not sure what this relates to but in my experience BS546's have always been the best build quality of any mains connectors I've worked with. I have a small hire stock but have not replaced plugs or sockets in the last 10 years and I don't hold any spares, comparing that to 13A, 4343 and Shuko... I have to hold spares and take them with me for 'on job' repairs... no contest.
Yes, it does seem odd that they didn't add shutters and sleeved pins - would have kept backwards compatibility. Doing that would also have meant a faster adoption since at the moment people will carry on with what they already have. I can't see many people having all their sockets and plugs replaced 
Or is it a case of NIH - not invented here and it's seen as another hangover from colonial rule
Or is it a case of NIH - not invented here and it's seen as another hangover from colonial rule
Are you talking about South Africa (and/or other non-UK places)? Here, both those features obviously exist (now).
Kind Regards, John
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I remember both 5A and 15A BS546 sockets having shutters in the 1960s. The old two-pin sockets (both 5A and yes-15A) were unshuttered, as were old 3-pin siclets. So shutters must have come in later. Can't remember whether the pins on the plugs were sleeved though.
Some may have done, but I personally cannot remember seeing any that did.
2-pin sockets couldn't really be shuttered, since there's nothing other than the L&N pins themselves that could open the shutter - and that would be rather self-defeating! As above, I don't remember seeing any shuttered 'old' sockets.
I certainly can't remember any sleeved ones. After all, it was quite a long time after introduction of BS1363 ones that they started being sleeved.
Kind Regards, John
SA. The switch to sleeved pins on our plug went largely un-noticed by most as it made no difference to how they were used.
Has they (SA) simply mandated shutters and sleeved pins on any new sockets/plugs sold, then the safety issues would have reduced (IMO) faster than by creating "yet another" plug & socket that people will find a PITA for years.
You can shutter a 2 pin socket - some of our BS1363 ones (by MK I think) did just that. The SA socket will take 2 pin plugs.
They way they work is that both ends of the shutter lock in place - if you push something into one hole, the other end of the bar stops it opening. You have to push something into both holes as the same time - first pushing the shutter back to unlock both sides, then it either slides or pivots to uncover the contacts. It's enough to stop a single item being poked in.
They were introduced and I certainly installed them, I think the late 60's may be right, this was for the front facing bakelite sockets
2 pin connectors in 2, 5, 15 & 30A were the predecessors and to a different standard, I'll hazard a guess at BS327 but the 546's (3 pin) kept the same diameter pins but shorter and the live pins are wider spaced making them incompatible. there was a much earlier 10A 2 pin version which I struggle to recall accurately but I think the pins were the same diameter as the 5 or 15A but longer and spaced the same as the larger sized 3 pin plug (ie the same diameter as the 5A plug but spaced like the 15A 3 pin). This meant people would try to use them in the wrong socket.
I have never seen the 30A 2 pin and only a very small number of the 15A but the 2A 2p were our standard loudspeaker plugs for many years and the 5A 2p were the mains plugs on all of our PA and domestic sound kit until about 1973 when the disco era invaded our kit.
yes they did and the thing was both had to be pushed together otherwise they locked each other out and quite frankly they were pants.
They started being sleeved at the same time as BS1363.
Ah yes - on reflection, I (once!) knew that, although I'm not sure that I've ever seen one!
Kind Regards, John
As I'v just writte, now that I've been reminded I just about remember that!
That makes sense - although I presume that relatively (very?) few were being used (or replaced) by then?
Kind Regards, John
Are youmaware that the 15A and to a lesser extent 5A are still the mainstay for incandescent stage lighting and while we are still in this silly downlight fashion a lot of new builds include them for table lamps.
what romms in new builds have 5A sockets then ?
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