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Best plug type

  • 13-03-2015 5:50am
    #1
    carlowplayer
    Registered Users Posts: 519 ✭✭✭carlowplayer


    Which is the best plug type ie safest and is there any chance of having a universal plug type? Would it be expensive to change all plug sockets into one type of plug is g type ? What would that involve asides from changing the sockets would it involve changing the energy output and wiring in the house


Comments

  • #2
    L1011
    Moderators, Business & Finance Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 67,523 Mod ✭✭✭✭L1011


    BS1363/Type G is claimed to be the safest - but that can cause massive arguments amongst electrical engineers let alone members of the public. There is one obvious problem with it, namely that people almost always use a 13 amp replacement fuse if one blows, even if the load was well below 13A.

    Changing every plug in the world would be massively expensive, BS1363 isn't even the most common currently, and there'd be safety concerns about using the same plug for all voltages and frequencies used on domestic supplies. Wiring may need to be changed, particularly if a system which had a much lower maximum amperage previously was in use.


  • #3
    Sam Russell
    Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators Posts: 19,336 Mod ✭✭✭✭Sam Russell


    The EU did try but got opposition from everyone. The UK wanted an internal fuse for safety, but French and Germans said that was dangerous and a fire hazard. The French/Germans wanted round pins but UK insisted on square pins. etc etc etc. They did come up with a good design but it was never adopted. It was a bit like the Swiss plug - a very good design.

    When God made standards - he made plenty of them.


  • #4
    joujoujou
    Registered Users Posts: 13,494 ✭✭✭✭joujoujou
    Unregistered Users


    Plenty indeed.

    http://www.iec.ch/worldplugs/


  • #5
    carlowplayer
    Registered Users Posts: 519 ✭✭✭carlowplayer


    joujoujou wrote: »
    Plenty indeed.

    http://www.iec.ch/worldplugs/
    What steps would be involved in changing a socket to a another type of socket or G may I praytell? Would there be changed needed to be made to the internal wiring and voltages


  • #6
    Sheldons Brain
    Registered Users Posts: 1,394 ✭✭✭Sheldons Brain


    carlowplayer wrote: »
    What steps would be involved in changing a socket to a another type of socket or G may I praytell? Would there be changed needed to be made to the internal wiring and voltages

    The voltage is not an issue for using different European plugs, unless you propose to introduce US sockets. The issue is whether the sockets are on a ring connection or whether each socket has an individual connection back to circuit breaker. In the former case you'd need fuses in plugs.


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  • #7
    Sam Russell
    Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators Posts: 19,336 Mod ✭✭✭✭Sam Russell


    carlowplayer wrote: »
    What steps would be involved in changing a socket to a another type of socket or G may I praytell? Would there be changed needed to be made to the internal wiring and voltages

    Depends.

    The proposed EU plug was defined/designed to take a maximum of 16A, but the type G plug we use is defined to use 13A. However, the European standard wire system uses star topography while our system uses ring-main which requires a level of diversity.

    Just changing the output sockets would not be good enough.

    Voltages would not really be a problem because, with the exception of the UK, most use 220 or 230V 50 Hz. [Of course USA and most of America (N&S) with some exceptions use 110v and 60 Hz]. The UK gives rise to problems with some transformers and power supplies in electronic products.

    One solution would to have a socket that can cope with both standards.

    How many plugs and how many sockets do you have in your house? I would have more than 50 of each.


  • #8
    joujoujou
    Registered Users Posts: 13,494 ✭✭✭✭joujoujou
    Unregistered Users


    From both most popular European systems frequent user's point of view - I used C + F (mostly interchangeable) a lot, as well as G.

    I found C/F much more comfortable in daily use than G. Have no opinion about safety though, actually never had a problem with either of them.

    C/E/F plug can be put into a G socket (with a little bit of effort alright). G plug obviously won't go into C/E/F socket without an adaptor.


  • #9
    L1011
    Moderators, Business & Finance Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 67,523 Mod ✭✭✭✭L1011


    joujoujou wrote: »
    C/E/F plug can be put into a G socket (with a little bit of effort alright).

    Damaging the socket in the process. The contacts are not designed for round pins.


  • #10
    Sheldons Brain
    Registered Users Posts: 1,394 ✭✭✭Sheldons Brain


    The link above is interesting, in American Samoa they use 110V Schuko plugs!


  • #11
    Carawaystick
    Registered Users Posts: 8,779 ✭✭✭Carawaystick


    Sam Russell wrote: »
    Depends.

    The proposed EU plug was defined/designed to take a maximum of 16A, but the type G plug we use is defined to use 13A. However, the European standard wire system uses star topography while our system uses ring-main which requires a level of diversity.

    I think our newer electrical regs recommend or mandate star routing, but they are only available if you pay so I don't know for sure.


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  • #12
    Connor Pitiful Femur
    Posts: 0 ✭ Connor Pitiful Femur


    Sam Russell wrote: »
    The EU did try but got opposition from everyone. The UK wanted an internal fuse for safety, but French and Germans said that was dangerous and a fire hazard. The French/Germans wanted round pins but UK insisted on square pins. etc etc etc. They did come up with a good design but it was never adopted. It was a bit like the Swiss plug - a very good design.

    When God made standards - he made plenty of them.
    I read somewhere that the only country to adopt the "Europlug" standars was Brazil of all places.


  • #13
    Capt'n Midnight
    Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 90,657 Mod ✭✭✭✭Capt'n Midnight


    Sam Russell wrote: »
    Voltages would not really be a problem because, with the exception of the UK, most use 220 or 230V 50 Hz. [Of course USA and most of America (N&S) with some exceptions use 110v and 60 Hz]. The UK gives rise to problems with some transformers and power supplies in electronic products
    All of Europe uses 230+/- a few %

    it's a fudge to allow the UK to use 240 and everyone else use 220

    these days most electronic equipment is 100-250v 50/60Hz
    even 20 years ago the voltage switch on computer PSU's just changed the connection of the pair of input capacitors from serial to parallel. Nowadays they just use one capacitor with the higher voltage rating

    To make them run on DC ( 140v-360v) would mean uprating the bridge rectifier, at a cost of a few cents.

    incandescent light bulbs are going extinct and they were the main thing that would be affected by a few % change in voltage.


    I've heard it said the the UK plug is the best plug for the worst distribution system. Ring mains means more likely to over load especially if there's a break in the ring and you are only getting power from one side.

    That said the worst plug to step on with bare feet is the UK one.


  • #14
    Connor Pitiful Femur
    Posts: 0 ✭ Connor Pitiful Femur


    Capt'n Midnight wrote: »

    That said the worst plug to step on with bare feet is the UK one.
    I think that the UK plug is the only one that can "rest" with its pins sticking up, all the others either have pins that are in line with the cable or the body is moulded so that the pins can't end up opposite the floor.


  • #15
    plodder
    Registered Users Posts: 7,120 ✭✭✭plodder


    The worst and flimsiest plug has to be the North American one. They never seem to sit in the socket right and suffer a lot from arcing.


  • #16
    Carawaystick
    Registered Users Posts: 8,779 ✭✭✭Carawaystick


    Capt'n Midnight wrote: »
    incandescent light bulbs are going extinct and they were the main thing that would be affected by a few % change in voltage.

    Ovens, heaters, toasters, tumble driers.....


  • #17
    Capt'n Midnight
    Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 90,657 Mod ✭✭✭✭Capt'n Midnight


    Carawaystick wrote: »
    Ovens, heaters, toasters, tumble driers.....
    they'll just run a bit slower.

    incandescent bulbs lives are halved or doubled by a 5% change in voltage unless there is some current limiter


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