computer socket outlets

[colwyn]

does anyone know why sockets for computers are different to standard sockets?

 

[ltfc]

something to do with high earth leakage currents on some I.T. equipment,
Computer sockets have two earth terminals which, i think, require you to run an extra supplementary earth.

 

[Steve]

does anyone know why sockets for computers are different to standard sockets?

in what way? what do your sockets look like?

 

[colwyn]

the question is part of a city and guilds assignment ,it says explain to the customer why the socket outlets suppling computer equipment are different to the standard 13A socket outlet cheers for any help

 

[JohnD]

Didn't you ask that question already, or was it someone else? The best explanation seemed to me to be that they can then be put on a protected clean circuit (no spikes or surges) and because they have a special socket, no-one will plug fridges or heaters onto that circuit which would make the supply noisy and defeat the cost and trouble of providing a clean supply.

(p.s. acknowledgements to Plugwash who brought this up)

 

[BlueIce]

I'm just guessing but, something to do with Surge, Spike and Lightning protection maybe?

 

[JohnD]

BTW I think this is an out-of-date question. I work in the IT trade and I've never seen any desktop PCs on a special circuit or special plugs in an office. However I know that supermarkets now keep the computerised tills on a dedicated circuit with twist plugs, of course they have lots of refrigeration equipment which makes quite a surge.

Computer rooms usually have a dedicated clean supply and UPS, and you aren't allowed a kettle or anything, so they don't have special plugs either.

Server cabinets and LAN cabinets have a bank of 13Amp sockets (though the supply within the cabinet only supports about 10Amp in total)

 

[Jim2287]

Dedicated sockets are only used in special occasions (eg Cash registers)? where you dont want someone plugging things that are not ment to be on there (eg a vacuum cleaner)


For computer sockets, you should use two seperate earth terminals -
i think : the idea is that if one earth falls out, it still has another earth connected, where as: if you connect two cables in one terminal, if one falls out then the other is loose and therefore also falls out leaving no earth for the computer, which as someone already said has high earth leakage

 

[JohnD]

Never seen it done.

And almost everything inside the case runs at 6.5 volts and doesn't care about the earth.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

does anyone know why sockets for computers are different to standard sockets?

See here for a discussion.

And, of course, Section 607.....