Build A NZ -UK Power Lead

[SUNRAY]

We will all have personal opinions, which will inevitably differ, but that's never a reason for biting any heads off!

Youyr opinion about this may be true/valid but, as I said, to move the UK to a system which did not have fused plugs would essentially be 'unthinkable'.

Why unthinkable, we could adopt the fused Shuko sockets as used occasionally in other countries on circuits higher than 16A.

 

[ericmark]

I remember a site with the Reyrolle plugs and sockets, there was a small difference, so you could plug in a fused plug in either socket type, but the unfused plug would only fit fused sockets. The unfused sockets were on a 32 amp ring, relying on the fuses in the plug, the pins were the fuses, and an electrician, we that's what he said he was, replaced them for the modern yellow type, so 32 amp from a 16 amp socket, we replaced with a version using a 16 amp MCB in the outlet.

However, I have also seen yellow 3 kW portable transformers, often with a 10 amp push to reset overload on the 230 volts side, so 2300 watt at 55 volts = 41.8 amps, how they are allowed I don't know, a real fire risk. And I have seen where 110 volt leads have been used one plugged into the next, so when a scaffold pole caused a short line 1 to earth, there was not enough current to trip the 10 amp overload, until the cable melted and a second short circuit happened. We were lucky the scaffold planks showed burn marks but did not go on fire.

Since using extension leads, we simply put them all in the bin, but if the cables had been installed, that would have caused a lot of work.

Today where I work, we have 110 volt bricks for festoon lighting, but power tools are in the main battery powered. If I was the safety officer I would ban yellow bricks, all transformers should have overloads on the output. I have simply never worked out how the yellow brick was ever allowed?

 

[JohnW2]

Why unthinkable, we could adopt the fused Shuko sockets as used occasionally in other countries on circuits higher than 16A.

Perhaps you didn't 'take in' what I wrote (and you correctly quoted) - what I wrote would be unthinkable' was ...

... to move the UK to a system which did not have fused plugs ..

... and I still think that is almost certainly true.

We could, as you say, (very gradually) move to a system using a different design of fused sockets - but, as I said, one of the biggest problems (overheating) of BS1363 ones seems to be related to the presence of a fuse, so one would have to be sure that we weren't jumping from the frying pan into the fire

 

[ebee]

Maybe. I presonally would have thought that it was very unlikely that such would happen, and even more unlikely that it would do any 'harm' even if it did happen.

In any event, I imagine that all sorts of designs of plugs allow one to include some slack in the earth conductor if one really wants to, don't they?

Yes you might be right, the few that I have actually noticed then not much.
In reality, perhaps good practice we were taught along with all other stuff, whether in pro life or everyday life we all get taught things and some stick.
Those that get repeated often and by the "Great & Good" in our mindset then tend to take a higher pecking order in our minds and that does not always follow the pecking order that logic might suggest.
The way we eat with a knife and fork might be an example, use a spoon in as well and we have three utensils but only two hands, that pecking order does get stressed a bit.

 

[SUNRAY]

Perhaps you didn't 'take in' what I wrote (and you correctly quoted) - what I wrote would be unthinkable' was ...

... and I still think that is almost certainly true.

We could, as you say, (very gradually) move to a system using a different design of fused sockets - but, as I said, one of the biggest problems (overheating) of BS1363 ones seems to be related to the presence of a fuse, so one would have to be sure that we weren't jumping from the frying pan into the fire

Perhaps you didn't 'take in' what I wrote (and you correctly quoted) - what I wrote was:

Why unthinkable, we could adopt the fused Shuko sockets as used occasionally in other countries on circuits higher than 16A.

in response to your

... as I said, to move the UK to a system which did not have fused plugs would essentially be 'unthinkable'.

Which would essentially be a similar system, simply moving the fuse from one side of the connector pins to the other.

 

[ebee]

Some UK design Plugtops do seem better than others in their fuse holding heat disapation properties, take care of that and the cord holding method (another thing that could do with improvement with some makes).

 

[ericmark]

I have looked at cable entry points, with our plugs, pulling the cable will not pull plug out of the wall, it damages plug and socket to try and means the cable is more of a trip hazard, these

plugs, clearly designed for outside use, but if you tripped on the cables, plug would come out, rather than one ending up on the floor, so in some cases safer, but now it seems not permitted. Nearest seems to be these

at £68.76, no thank you. The ides of the cord out of bottom was they do not work themselves out, well it does not work the number of times I have needed to push plugs home in the kitchen I have lost count.

I read the cable out of bottom is a safety feature, well if I trip on a cable, I would like it to come out, not put me on the floor.

 

[JohnW2]

Perhaps you didn't 'take in' what I wrote ...

You're right. My brain 'took in' your mention of "fused Shuko sockets" to be saying "fused Shuko plugs". My apologies. However, I don't think that materially alters what I wrote, for two reasons:

1... I would guess/estimate that there are probably at least a billion BS1363 sockets (and plugs) in service in the UK, and to change all them would, at least in my opinion, be essentially an 'unthinkable' (and very expensive) exercise which, apart from anything else would result in a period of many years or decades during which a mixture were in service - what type of plugs, I wonder, would be factory-fitted to all the electrical items sold in the UK during those 'mixture' years/decades?​

​

2... As I've said, it seems that thermal damage to BS1363 plugs and sockets is related to connections to the fuse. Moving the fuse from plug to socket would not necessarily alter that - so, as I said, one would need to be careful to ensure that one was not moving 'from frying pan into fire'!​

 

[ebee]

You're right. My brain 'took in' your mention of "fused Shuko sockets" to be saying "fused Shuko plugs". My apologies. However, I don't think that materially alters what I wrote, for two reasons:

1... I would guess/estimate that there are probably at least a billion BS1363 sockets (and plugs) in service in the UK, and to change all them would, at least in my opinion, be essentially an 'unthinkable' (and very expensive) exercise which, apart from anything else would result in a period of many years or decades during which a mixture were in service - what type of plugs, I wonder, would be factory-fitted to all the electrical items sold in the UK during those 'mixture' years/decades?​

​

2... As I've said, it seems that thermal damage to BS1363 plugs and sockets is related to connections to the fuse. Moving the fuse from plug to socket would not necessarily alter that - so, as I said, one would need to be careful to ensure that one was not moving 'from frying pan into fire'!​

Yes Agreed.

2... yes indeed it does probably stem from how good the fuseholder grips the fuse end caps in my opinion can vary quite a bit with different makes, it is the weaker cheaper ones I reckon mostly likely culprit, if it`s only friction pressure of a bit of springy metal that can cause problems.

 

[JohnW2]

Yes Agreed. .... 2... yes indeed it does probably stem from how good the fuseholder grips the fuse end caps in my opinion can vary quite a bit with different makes, it is the weaker cheaper ones I reckon mostly likely culprit, if it`s only friction pressure of a bit of springy metal that can cause problems.

I'm inclined to agree - although, as you know, people seem to be happy to trust joints which rely on "...only friction pressure of a bit of springy metal" when it's in the context of an 'MF' joint