"Keyed" mains plug

[crappy]

Hi Folks,

I've been searching for a while but come up short - do you get a "keyed" mains plug in the UK?

There is a South African "clean power" plug where the earth pin, normally round, has a chamfered side. The socket has the corresponding chamfer in it so the plug fits. The plug can still be used in normal sockets as well.

These are used for UPS or clean power rings and stop people plugging heaters and non-approved items in as the round earth pin cannot fit. They are normally found in offices.

I need something similar for my (uk) home so that the hoover, kettle, heater etc cannot be plugged into the rings powered by the inverters.

It must of course be type approved etc.


thanks
Crispin

edit
clean plug:

normal one (no chamfer)

 

[slup]

MK do one with a T-shaped earth pin.

Go onto their website and type 'Non Standard' into the search box and you can see the full range.

 

[davelx]

http://www.kewelectrical.co.uk/section.php?xSec=104605&xPage=1

http://cpc.farnell.com/1/1/861-non-standard-plug-white-647whi-mk-electric.html

 

[crappy]

cracking stuff! Thanks guys.

 

[JohnW2]

I need something similar for my (uk) home so that the hoover, kettle, heater etc cannot be plugged into the rings powered by the inverters. It must of course be type approved etc.

How about something like this?

Kind Regards, John

 

[crappy]

been having a look at these now and not sure.

I don't have a normal one today to compare other than the one currently powering this computer...

The idea is that the plug can still be plugged into a normal socket but the socket will not accept a standard plug. These options (gaaar, price!) seem to be the other way round? A normal plug will go into the T socket but a T plug will not fit a standard socket.

Wrong way round to what I need.

I want to to stop my wife plugging the hoover into the same plugs as the TV but the TV (keyed plug) should be able to fit anywhere.

Cheers,
Crispin

 

[JohnW2]

The idea is that the plug can still be plugged into a normal socket but the socket will not accept a standard plug. These options (gaaar, price!) seem to be the other way round? A normal plug will go into the T socket but a T plug will not fit a standard socket.
Wrong way round to what I need.

Good point. Thinking about it, the only way it could work the way you wanted would be if the earth pin (and corresponding hole in the socket plate) was smaller for the 'special' plug/socket - in which case it would presumably not be compliant with BS3631. I therefore suspect that such things would not exist. You may have to do some lateral thinking!

Kind Regards, John.

 

[crappy]

That's exactly the idea on the SA red ones. The earth pin on the socket is smaller, by a small amount, so only the special plugs will fit. Still compliant though.

It's not the end of the world for me, my thinking was more along the lines of "if they were cheap then I would convert".

Even the T ones are to expensive to justify.

Now, I'll just educate

Thanks though...

 

[slup]

The idea is that the plug can still be plugged into a normal socket but the socket will not accept a standard plug. These options (gaaar, price!) seem to be the other way round? A normal plug will go into the T socket but a T plug will not fit a standard socket.

They are completely incompatible. You can't plug either plug into either socket - so they do fulfil your requirement for preventing the unwanted loads being connected to your inverter sockets.

 

[crappy]

The idea is that the plug can still be plugged into a normal socket but the socket will not accept a standard plug. These options (gaaar, price!) seem to be the other way round? A normal plug will go into the T socket but a T plug will not fit a standard socket.

They are completely incompatible. You can't plug either plug into either socket - so they do fulfil your requirement for preventing the unwanted loads being connected to your inverter sockets.

True but I cannot then move the load (TV, HI-FI etc) to a normal plug easily.
I could make up some adapters though for the odd occasion...... think..

 

[slup]

How often do you move your TV and HiFi around

 

[Paul_C]

How about installing BS546 5-amp sockets for the clean power? (Smaller cousin of the 15A type which is still used widely in South Africa.)

The prices are more reasonable than for the "modified BS1363" types, and if you do need to connect to a 13A BS1363 socket any time, you can make up a short adapter lead, or scavenge around for an old 13A-5A adapter (very common in the 1960's, so shouldn't be too difficult to find one).

 

[janner10]

OT but what is wrong with not plugging in the TV and hoover into the same socket etc?

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Looks like that isn't the issue - it's keeping heavy loads off the inverter powered sockets.

 

[sparkybird]

How about a word in your wife's shell like and a sticker on the sockets???

Cheap!