Dating electrical plugs

In most designs, such " polarized " plugs cannot be mated with non-polarized sockets. Wiring systems where both circuit conductors have a significant potential with respect to earth do not benefit from polarized plugs. Polarization is maintained by the design of the plug, socket and contacts so that a plug fits only one way into a socket.

In some countries, and other jurisdictions, they violate safety standards for sockets. Safety advocates, the United States Army, [5] and a manufacturer of sockets [6] point out a number of safety issues with universal socket and adapters, including voltage mismatch, exposure of live pins, lack of proper earth ground connection, or lack of protection from overload or short circuit.

Universal sockets may not meet technical standards for durability, plug retention force, temperature rise of components, or other performance requirements, as they are outside the scope of national and international technical standards. A technical standard may include compatibility of a socket with more than one form of plug. Chinese dual sockets have both an unearthed socket complying with figure 5 of GB both flat pin and 4.

A so-called 'universal socket', which meets no standard [7] but is intended to accept a number of different plug types. An earthed Thai socket that appears to comply with figure 4 of TIS Plugs and power cords have a rated voltage and current assigned to them by the manufacturer, and these values are marked on the plug.

AC power plugs and sockets - Wikipedia

Using an appliance, plug, or power cord that is inappropriate for the load may be a safety hazard. For example, high-current equipment can cause a fire when plugged into an extension cord with a current rating lower than necessary. So that manufacturers need not build many similar appliances differing only in the type of plug fitted, a common strategy is to provide an IEC inlet on the appliance and a detachable power cord mains flex lead and appropriate plug.

The appliance need only to be tested to the power inlet. Some appliances have a switch for selection of voltage. Extension cords extension leads are used for temporary connections when a socket is not within convenient reach of an appliance's power lead. A power strip with multiple sockets may also have a switch, surge voltage protection, or over-current protection. Special purpose sockets may be found in residential, industrial, commercial or institutional buildings.

Examples of systems using special purpose sockets include:. Special-purpose sockets may be labelled or coloured to identify a reserved use of a system, or may have keys or specially shaped pins to prevent use of unintended equipment. National wiring regulations sometimes prohibit the use of sockets within certain areas adjacent to water taps, etc. A special socket, with an isolation transformer , may allow electric razors to be used near a sink. Because the isolation transformer is of low rating, such outlets are not suitable to operate higher-powered appliances such as blow dryers.

Isolation transformers and special shaver receptacles were once standard installation practice in North America, but now a GFCI receptacle is used instead.

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This provides the full capacity of a standard receptacle but protects the user of a razor or other appliance from leakage current. The International Electrotechnical Commission IEC maintains a guide documenting letter designations for generally compatible types of plugs, [11] which expands on earlier guides published by the United States Department of Commerce as a guide to travellers.

The IEC letter codes are often used as a de facto naming standard when comparing different AC power plugs, such as when describing travel adapters. Some letter types have variants with different current ratings or for special purposes, and different technical standards in different countries, so a letter does not uniquely identify a specific plug or socket within the type family and does not guarantee compatibility. Physical compatibility of the plug and socket does not ensure correct voltage, frequency, or current capacity.

Not all plug and socket families have letters in the IEC guide, but those that have are noted in this article, as are some additional letters commonly used by retail vendors.

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The flat pins for the 10 A version measure 6. The pin length is the same as in the Chinese version. The earthing pin length is The poles plugs length is The most important difference from the Australian plug is that the Argentinian plug is wired with the line and neutral contacts reversed. In Brazil, similar plugs and sockets are still commonly used for high-power appliances like air conditioners, dishwashers, and household ovens.

Australian and New Zealand wall sockets almost always have switches on them for extra safety, as in the UK. An unearthed version of this plug with two angled power pins but no earthing pin is used with small double-insulated appliances, but the sockets always include an earth contact. These sockets accept plugs of equal or of a lower current capacity, but not of higher capacity. For example, a 10 A plug will fit all sockets but a 20 A plug will fit only 20, 25 and 32 A sockets.

The requirement for insulated pins was introduced in the revision. There are two types of sockets and plugs in NBR NBR does not require shutters on the apertures, a further aspect of non-compliance with IEC NBR was not enforced in that country until , when its adoption was made optional for manufacturers. It became compulsory on 1 January Few private houses in Brazil have an earthed supply, so even if a three-pin socket is present it is not safe to assume that all three terminals are actually connected.

Most large domestic appliances were sold with the option to fit a flying earth tail to be locally earthed, but many consumers were unsure how to use this and so didn't connect it. The new standard has an earth pin, which in theory eliminates the need for the flying earth tail. The plugs have three round pins arranged in a triangle, with the larger top pin being the earthing pin.


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The plugs are polarized and unfused. Plugs are non-interchangeable between current ratings. BS "13 A plugs, socket-outlets, adaptors and connection units" [20] is the main plug and socket type used in the United Kingdom. According to the IEC [11] it is also used in over 50 countries worldwide.

AC power plugs and sockets

Some of these countries have national standards based on BS , including: The BS plug has a fuse which is suitably rated to protect the appliance and its flexible cord from overload and consequent fire risk. Modern appliances may only be sold with a fuse of the appropriate size preinstalled. In the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Malta, there is a two-pin plug and socket for use with electric shavers and toothbrushes, defined by the BS standard. Although superficially similar to the Europlug Type C, the diameter and spacing of the pins are slightly different.

It was originally published in , the 2nd edition was published in May and was last updated by Modification 4 in March CE marking is neither applicable nor permitted on plugs and sockets. There is no connection for the earthing contact.


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Because they have no earth connections they have been or are being phased out in most countries. Sweden, for example, prohibited them from new installations in In Germany unearthed sockets are rare, whereas in the Netherlands and Sweden it is still common to find them in "dry areas" such as in bedrooms or living rooms. Some countries prohibit use of unearthed and earthed sockets in the same room, in the "insulated room" concept, so that people cannot touch an earthed object and one that has become live, at the same time. The depth of the sockets varies between countries and age.

Older sockets are so shallow that it is possible to touch the pins of a plug when the plug is inserted only deep enough to get electrical power on the pins, while newer sockets are deep enough to protect from this kind of accident. The plug pins are 4. The Schuko connection system is symmetrical and unpolarised in its design, allowing line and neutral to be reversed.

The current German standards are DIN Schuko is an abbreviation for the German word Schutzkontakt , which means "Protective contact" - in this case "protective" refers to the earth. This standard is also used in Belgium, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and some other countries. However, the Czech standard recommends that the line wire be on the left side when facing the socket.

The French convention changed circa from nothing particular, to, if the earth pin was at the top then the line hole in the socket would be on the right looking at the socket. Packaging in France of sockets is normally marked with correct connection of the cables. Polarised pre-fitted plugs on appliances are therefore connected with the brown line wire to the right pin and the blue neutral wire to the left, the earth being connected to the contact at the "top" of the plug. There are two variants. This alternative is seldom used. The Europlug is not rewirable and must be supplied with a flexible cord.