Has anyone had this happen to them when unplugging?

[Martin Bush]

Hope this is in the right category.

Today I unplugged the Christmas tree - a non vintage one from Homebase (a few years old) and the plug came in two. The plug hasn't been abused in any way - it simply gave up where the screw joins the two halves.

Apart from it being a bit unusual I thought I would mention it as I wonder whether this might happen with vintage mains plugs at all? My guess is it's less likely than with the tat that gets fitted to some stuff these days.

[Skywave]

Chinese manufacture?

Al.

[high_vacuum_house]

I think it’s down to poor quality plastic that they made the plug bodies from. I have noticed that with newer plugs from cheap Chinese throw away manufactured appliances the plastic is rather soft with the single screw a self tapping type and more likely to pull out if over tightened. Although the plugs can be reused their quality leaves a lot to be desired and I usually throw them away.

Older plugs have brass inserts fitted with machine screws meaning the mechanical joint is considerably stronger. I have one or two old brown Bakelite plugs with 2 screws holding the lid on at diagonal corners and these ones would probably be very difficult to pull the lid off.

Christopher Capener

[paulsherwin]

There are certainly some poor quality mains plugs around, especially on cheap items like Christmas lights. The plastic is flexible and the top can be pulled away from the base, though the gap isn't usually wide enough to expose any live parts. I've got into the habit of checking for this on new appliances and changing any suspect ones. I've got a box of decent reclaimed plugs so there's no cost in doing this, though it does take a couple of minutes.

Not all Chinese plugs are like this - the majority are perfectly decent and are transferred to my reclaimed box when the appliance is scrapped.

[broadgage]

I have had this happen more than once with cheap new plugs. As suggested above, the problem seems to be soft plastic and self tapping screws.

When PAT testing in previous employment I found numerous failures of badly made 13 amp plugs.

I have never had this problem with older MK plugs, whether vintage, or say 10 years old.
I have found failures of old rubber "duraplugs" in which the threaded insert intended to take the cover fixing screw, has pulled out of the rubber moulding.

[Refugee]

I have seen that on plugs of various ages.
Just use a plastic tool to get it out if it is an unswitched socket and the plug is an old one without insulated pins.

[Boater Sam]

Originally Posted by Refugee

I have seen that on plugs of various ages.
Just use a plastic tool to get it out if it is an unswitched socket and the plug is an old one without insulated pins.

Isn't the wire thing hanging out of the bottom for yanking the plug out?

[Refugee]

I can remember my mum using the vac on a weekend and she said it has stopped again implying that it had been playing up.
My dad waggled the cable reel where it usually used to go intermittent with no luck so he worked his way closer to the plug.
The cable then shot out of the plug leaving a neat black up side down V sign on the wall pointing to the location of the fault

[MrBungle]

I don’t know why people complain about the Chinese plugs and this. Happened to me more than once with the old MK ones. All it takes is a strategic knock to the plug body.

Big fan of moulded plugs and IEC leads though now and tend to put them on any equipment I refurb and build.

[phut bang]

When I used to do PAT testing I used to come across it normally on cheap inported stuff and many a plug I changed because of the original plug falling to pieces.

[Herald1360]

Originally Posted by Boater Sam

Isn't the wire thing hanging out of the bottom for yanking the plug out?

In this sort of case that's a nice bit of lateral thinking. Saves undoing the screws to replace the plug if you get it just right, too

[Colinaps]

I've had quite a few wall-warts come apart leaving the line contact with its wee spring wide open to attract fumbling fingers.

Colin.

[G8HQP Dave]

It takes a lot of skill and experience to design something so that it falls apart in normal use, but it cannot be dismantled for repairs.

[Refugee]

Originally Posted by Boater Sam

Isn't the wire thing hanging out of the bottom for yanking the plug out?

Fake fuses yank the wire out of the plug if you buy the correct ones.

[Refugee]

I can still remember repairing a wall wart with an earth pin from a plug that had been dropped and broken.
Plastic shutter release pins are not as safe as the system is cracked up to be. They can all to easily snap off and leave the safety shutters open.

[emeritus]

AFAIR changes to the electricity regs a few years ago manated the use of resilient plastics for plug covers.

[mark_in_manc]

Originally Posted by broadgage

I have found failures of old rubber "duraplugs" in which the threaded insert intended to take the cover fixing screw, has pulled out of the rubber moulding.

I've a pile of these from when they were switched for plugs with shielded pins, at work. Several have gone this way when I put them to use at home.

[Glowing Bits!]

The only time plug covers have broken off is when extension leads are fitted with cheap hard plastic, the old MK types (possibly bakelite) seem to survive being slammed hard on a concrete floor.
Any extension/power tool/vacuum cleaner plugs in this place have to withstand abuse, they are usually dragged across the floor or dropped.

Rick, a smash-happy guy.

[yesnaby]

I had an AC wall-wart for a Christmas tree (just a transformer inside I think). It worked without fault for 15+ years and then one Christmas the casing decided to melt and come apart. Rescued it just in time, now have a new one.

[McMurdo]

Not a KDJ brand plug at all? They've been recalled by various retailers for this reason.