5A sockets and shaver plugs

[AndyPRK]

Hi.

Could someone confirm the spacing and size of pins is the same between these please.

Thanks

 

[Taylortwocities]

The pin diameter is almost identical but spacing is different. The UK shaver plug is slightly narrower. The UK shaver standard is based on the old 5A round pin plug.
So a shaver plug won’t fit a standard 5A socket, and vice Versa.

Google will give you the exact dimensions.

 

[ericmark]

Google seems to give different results site to site, one says

BS4573 two-pin reversible plug, moulded to a curly shaver cord. Pin diameter (5.1 mm) and spacing (16.7 mm) is identical to BS 372 Part I 5 Amp plugs.

but another gives 5 amp with difference pin spacing.

Diameter, line and neutral pins 5A 0.200 inches (5.1 mm)
Length, line and neutral pins 5A 0.585 inches (14.9 mm)
Distance, L and N pin centres 5A 0.750 inches (19.1 mm)

 

[Taylortwocities]

Google seems to give different results site to site, one says but another gives 5 amp with difference pin spacing.

Your first quote is correct because it compares the UK shaver plug - BS4573 - with the obsolete BS372 (from 1930!).
I did say they were the same!

@AndyPRK has not stated which 5A socket, but I suspect it is the usual Euro- two pin socket?
If so, here’s the difference

Comparison of (top) the BS 4573 shaver plug with its parallel 5.1 mm pins that are 16.66 mm apart with the Europlug with its 4 mm pins converging slightly from a distance of 18.6 mm apart

Not the same, different.

 

[SUNRAY]

Your first quote is correct because it compares the UK shaver plug - BS4573 - with the obsolete BS372 (from 1930!).
I did say they were the same!

Maybe obsolete but wthere are still some in use: https://www.diynot.com/diy/threads/failed-pat.580522/page-4 posts 1 & 57

@AndyPRK has not stated which 5A socket, but I suspect it is the usual Euro- two pin socket?
If so, here’s the difference

View attachment 334192

Comparison of (top) the BS 4573 shaver plug with its parallel 5.1 mm pins that are 16.66 mm apart with the Europlug with its 4 mm pins converging slightly from a distance of 18.6 mm apart

Not the same, different.

Isn't the european (bottom) plug rated at 2.5A

 

[AndyPRK]

Thanks

I’m not asking about the Euro version.

Trying to compare 5A 3pin with uk shaver 2pin

 

[JohnD]

Google seems to give different results site to site, one says but another gives 5 amp with difference pin spacing.

You mean Google the search engine?

It is not a source of knowledge. It just finds things that somebody has previously written. Some of which are true.

I once heard Wikipedia compared to a library, where editors and librarians make valiant efforts to validate and compile reference books into some sort of order

And Google compared to a paper recycling dump, where you wade through scraps of paper lying on the ground or randomly shovelled into skips.

A bit like religious books, where you can find bits to support any belief or prejudice that you hold.

bus on moon - Google Search

 

[ebee]

A bit like religious books, where you can find bits to support any belief or prejudice that you hold.

A big thumbs up to that statement

 

[plugwash]

My understanding is that the shaver plug has the same dimensions as the historic 5a 2-pin plug, which for some reason has different pin spacings from the 5A 3 pin plug, even though both were, at one time, covered by the same standard.

 

[AndyPRK]

Oh. I found a post from Sunray saying they are compatible.

 

[AndyPRK]

Found a shaver plug. 16.6mm pin spacing. (spec on it says BS4573)
Spec of 3 pin 5A (0.75") 19mm pin spacing.

Damm!

Usless info: So what I have learnt is that I could stuff a Euro plug into an old 3 pin 5A socket, and while loose may work. This however is not the combo I wanted or find useful.

Didn't know you could get these 2 pin adaptors:

Travel Adapter UK Shaver Toothbrush BS4573 = EU CEE7/16 2-pin 4.0mm EuroPlug BLU | eBay

UK to EU 2-pin adapter 4.0mm. the EU and UK plugs are quite different;. UK 2-pin = BS 4573 (UK-Shaver, also electric-toothbrush etc.). However, most modern UK bathroom. NOT FOR USE IN UK. French/Belgian round socket.

www.ebay.co.uk

 

[JohnD]

I think bathroom shaver sockets are designed to accommodate several different forms of plug

At rather low wattage due to the isolating transformer.

 

[JackStraw]

My understanding is that the shaver plug has the same dimensions as the historic 5a 2-pin plug, which for some reason has different pin spacings from the 5A 3 pin plug, even though both were, at one time, covered by the same standard.

Without looking anything up so I may not be aware of the whole history:
AFAIA the original for 2pin was BS73 replaced by BS372-pt1 then partially replaced by BS4573 (specifically the 5A size for shavers?)
Original for 3pin BS327 quickly replaced by BS372 -pt2 quickly replaced by BS546.

I don't think BS546 ever covered the 2 pin variants. However there seems to be a lot of confusion on this, IIRC there is a Wikipedia page with lots of details which I believe is incorrect.

 

[AndyPRK]

It does appear they made the shaver ones different at 0.2A.
I guess this stopped someone at the time plugging something else in and damaging the transformer.

 

[ebee]

I`m glad nobody mentioned clock connectors. We had a telly running on one of those when I was a lad