Re: Mains plug restoration
 

It isn't 'vital' that the outer part of the cap is on the neutral; it's just 'preferable'.
One wonders why the Regulations don't specify it, though.
Perhaps to avoid future conflict with some foreign wiring systems?

Re: Mains plug restoration
 

The loud Klaxon in the distance is the forum drift alarm going off. We're a long way from the restoration of some vintage plugs.

David

Re: Mains plug restoration
 

Sort of back on track.....I took delivery of a very battered mains/battery Vidor portable radio last week and it had one of the MK three pin mains plugs attached, with the external indicator to tell what size fuse it contained, never seen one of these before.....(mine is dark brown, not white as in the example shown, and you guessed it, it had the pointer at 7A and a 5A fuse was fitted....;D)

Re: Mains plug restoration
 

I know the plug, and it's a good idea in principle.

I don't think I've ever seen a 7A fuse, although I have no doubt they exist(ed), 3, 5, and 13 Amp were always the most commonly available ones.

Re: Mains plug restoration
 

Got a 7 amp fuse in an extension lead, it gets rather hot with a vacuum cleaner on it, a coffee percolator recently purchased has one in the plug, 5A would have been better and cheaper for the manufacturers.
That old MK plug with the pointer would go back to at least 1950's, it's an early example, I have a few in a box but they are being kept as collectors pieces, too rare to use.

Re: Mains plug restoration
 

The UK is really rather a strange outlier in the concept of polarised-connectors-with-one-pole-always-being-closer-to-ground-than-the-other.

Most of the world lives with reversible 2-pole connectors, and any requirement or consistent implementation of earthing/grounding being seen as distinctly optional.

[My house here has no ground-wires to any light-fittings. Pragmatically, given that the ceiling is 10 feet up and the electroliers/light-fittings don't dangle lower than 7-foot-six, you'd need to be some sort of hyperextensible giant to be able to connect yourself from the electrolier's metalwork to the nearest earthed-point]

Re: Mains plug restoration
 

Electrolier!

What a truly lovely word! Haven't heard it for years!

Thanks for making me smile :thumbsup:

Re: Mains plug restoration
 

We managed one whole post before drifting off topic again maybe this one is done?

After discussion its done

Cheers

Mike T