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Old 29th Aug 2010, 10:28 pm   #81
sentinel040
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Wink Re: Award for the worst plug design goes to...

AJS, afraid not, Loughborough, Towers hall late 70's. Seems they were trying to burn down numerous universities during this period....!

73
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Old 29th Aug 2010, 11:49 pm   #82
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Default Re: Award for the worst plug design goes to...

We had both 5A and 2A sockets in the hall I was in at Bangor in the 70s. The standard solution was to have a board with one or more 13A sockets connected to a 5A plug. This was usually good enough to run a kettle from. The hall, built in the 40s, had no ring main but groups of 3 rooms were connected to a single fuse. If for any reason the fuse blew an alternative "adaptor " was used, identical to the first but with a 2A plug.

I believe the hall was rewired during a major refurbishment and 13A sockets were fitted.

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Old 30th Aug 2010, 8:19 am   #83
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Default Re: Award for the worst plug design goes to...

Students never change eh? 2A sounds about right, I'm sure there was a brand name tho..
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Old 30th Aug 2010, 3:54 pm   #84
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Default Re: Award for the worst plug design goes to...

When I was at college, it was 2 single sockets or 1 double on a 20A radial 2.5mm or 6 singles (3 doubles) on a 30A radial 4mm, a 30A ring could have unlimited sockets and unlimited spurs provided the total number of spurs did not exceed the number of ring sockets, it did'nt serve more than 100msq, not including a kitchen which should have its own ring.....has it changed since? I'm talking 15th edition!!

I know 30A is now 32 in euro speak.
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Old 30th Aug 2010, 6:56 pm   #85
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Default Re: Award for the worst plug design goes to...

It was the University Estates dept that stipulated 2A per room, nothing to do with "the regs". This allowed a diversity factor of one, with 28 rooms per level split into 4 x 16A circuits, 6 floors total fed from a 125A 3ph incomer. I guess in the late sixties when the block was built 2A was deemed adequate (little chance of an iron or hoover being plugged in ).
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Old 30th Aug 2010, 7:21 pm   #86
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Default Re: Award for the worst plug design goes to...

@ McMurdo,

Quote:
When I was at college, it was 2 single sockets or 1 double on a 20A radial 2.5mm or 6 singles (3 doubles) on a 30A radial 4mm, a 30A ring could have unlimited sockets and unlimited spurs provided the total number of spurs did not exceed the number of ring sockets, it did'nt serve more than 100msq, not including a kitchen which should have its own ring.....has it changed since? I'm talking 15th edition!!

Hi, yes still pretty much the same,
See :http://www.theiet.org/publishing/wir...8.cfm?type=pdf

see last two pages of the pdf. (I wasn't sure if I could post the Pdf on here, as it will be subject to copyright from the IET) this shows exactly what you are allowed to connect and how, it is worth downloading the last two pages for your own references.

Cheers,
Baz
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Old 28th Sep 2010, 10:25 pm   #87
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Default Re: Award for the worst plug design goes to...

The flat, 2-pin 5-amp Bulgin plug (the male version of the DAC90A connector) was pretty nasty, with no proper cord grip.

Then there is the Plessey military type that can be assembled with the pins in any configuration to suit the equipment being powered. I once used a mains lead from one instrument to power up a different instrument, and only after it didn't work did I check the mains wiring, to find that live wire now went to the chassis but amazingly, I felt nothing, not even a tingle. I was standing on carpet wearing rubber-soled shoes.

I recall a safety recall notice from one manufacturer who put out a batch of 3-pin plugs that had a tendency for the top to come off as the user attempted to remove the plug from the socket, leaving the potentially live brassware exposed!
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Old 8th Oct 2010, 10:29 am   #88
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Default Re: Award for the worst plug design goes to...

Once again I'm a little late in to this one...!

Quote:
Originally Posted by ppppenguin View Post
Not sure about the make but there was a 13A plug with a 13A socket in the back so you cascade them ad infinitum. I saw a set of at least 8 of them at the Brentford Piano Musuem when Frank Holland was still alive. ISTR the end of the set was held up by a length of string.
"Tapon" plugs are common here - although realistically you don't want more than two (or maybe three at a push) in one socket. Things start to sag a bit! They are quite useful in lighting applications though - plugging two or three par cans or spots into one circuit is easy.

Quote:
Originally Posted by ppppenguin View Post
Look at Italy, Australia and the US for some fairly horrible plugs though at least all of these are compact.
I didn't think the AU/NZ standard was that bad - it hasn't really changed much for about 75 years so can't be the worst thing around! You have to go back > 50 years before you start seeing too many alternatives in common use. Probably the worst thing is that it is interchangeable with the Chinese connector (just plug in upside down) - the problem being that phase and neutral are the other way around! I've found more than a few IEC leads with phase and neutral reversed.

As for wiring, new domestic wiring is all 20A MCBs feeding a number of socket outlets - not sure how many, most of ours feed about six double outlets. Outlets are just daisy chained. The whole lot has to be RCD protected. Outlets are ok in bathrooms as long as they are not too close (either 300mm or 500mm) away from wet areas. Lighting is protected by 10A MCBs (in our case staggered between rooms, so two adjacent rooms don't lose lighting at the same time if one trips). Hot water heating (3kW) is on its own 20A MCB. Oven on its own as well - the cooktop is on LPG so just plugs in to a normal socket under the bench for the ignition.
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Old 9th Oct 2010, 9:14 pm   #89
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Default Re: Award for the worst plug design goes to...

Hi,
I've got a Clix 13amp stackable plug and an NZ one I found at a UK flea market as well as a "Sturdee" NZ standard plug. That came in handy to make up an adapter to a 13amp trailing socket for our mobile phone charger on an anniversary holiday trip to Australia. Pity I took the wrong charger, Doh! . We now have an Australian phone charger and I'm looking for a cheap Oz/NZ adapter to French 2 pin. .
Cheers de Pete
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Old 9th Oct 2010, 9:39 pm   #90
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Default Re: Award for the worst plug design goes to...

One of these? http://www.jaycarelectronics.co.uk/p...l&form=KEYWORD

Alternatively I probably have a trailing socket around I could send over but the postage would probably be more than its worth!
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Old 10th Oct 2010, 2:06 pm   #91
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Default Re: Award for the worst plug design goes to...

The pins on the NZ / Oz plugs look flimsy and easily bent but I don't know if they give much trouble in practice.
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Old 11th Oct 2010, 7:13 pm   #92
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Default Re: Award for the worst plug design goes to...

Hi,
Thanks for that Arjoll, just what I had in mind. Thanks for the offer of a socket but, as you say, the postage would be steep. I should have bought a trailing socket or an adapter while in Oz. Mind you wifey didn't fancy spending a romantic anniversary trip half way round the world with me mooching round electrical shops . I did modify a UK shaver adapter and I could use that along with a UK to French adapter, but it's not very neat.
The Aussie plugs I've got have quite sturdy pins. Maybe stronger than US plugs.
Cheers de Pete
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Old 11th Oct 2010, 7:37 pm   #93
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Default Re: Award for the worst plug design goes to...

A point in favour of the Aus / NZ plug: the two-pin version is non-reversible, so (assuming that they were as careful about their wiring as us Brits) not much chance of an unpleasant surprise from an AC/DC set.
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Old 14th Oct 2010, 4:46 pm   #94
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Default Re: Award for the worst plug design goes to...

I read earlier in the thread about the Fitall plug, and, I have one...

Don't like it though, it's big, it's bulky, it has one fuse for all powers (5, 13 and 15), and it's very fiddly. It also doesn't fit modern style Shuttered BS546 sockets, cos the tips of the Earth pins are not rounded like on normal BS546 plugs....

Here's some pics of it (5Amp, 15Amp, 13Amp, under the cover and the stripped out innards):
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Old 14th Oct 2010, 9:38 pm   #95
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Default Re: Award for the worst plug design goes to...

Rather OT (because I think it was a rather good design), but does anyone remember the make of 'quick-fit' 13A plug which had a 'core', removed by lifting and twisting the earth pin? The prepared cable was pushed into the core, and a plastic locking-ring tightened, then the core was returned to the shell.
I had one for several years, which I used for temporary connections in the manner of a Safeblock.
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Old 15th Oct 2010, 10:38 am   #96
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Default Re: Award for the worst plug design goes to...

Quote:
Originally Posted by fidobsa View Post
The pins on the NZ / Oz plugs look flimsy and easily bent but I don't know if they give much trouble in practice.
They aren't too bad at all - its certainly possible to bend them (more so with the newer ones with partially insulated pins), but its rare to destroy a plug this way.

Quote:
Originally Posted by ajs_derby View Post
A point in favour of the Aus / NZ plug: the two-pin version is non-reversible, so (assuming that they were as careful about their wiring as us Brits) not much chance of an unpleasant surprise from an AC/DC set.
Installation wiring should be throughly tested before its signed off - I don't think I've ever seen a phase/neutral reversal, and I know for a fact all the wiring here is ok (I helped with it and know its all been tested). AC/DC sets don't seem that common here though - one of the more experienced NZ members would know more, but I know even the wee/cheap sets like the Bell Colts all had a mains transformer and earthed chassis.

As I mentioned the only potential risk is anything wired for Chinese supply plugged in here - they use a similar plug with the same pin spacing and angles but mounted the other way up, and with phase and neutral swapped. It's all going to be newish and probably with a mains transformer or switch-mode supply so not really a drama.
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Old 15th Oct 2010, 8:49 pm   #97
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Default Re: Award for the worst plug design goes to...

Hi,
I've got a Fitall plug here somewhere as well as a quick fit one. Or I had them. The Fitall plug was originally advertised as fitting 5 different sockets. It would fit a 5amp and a 15amp 2 pin socket as well by squeezing the sides of the body. The fuse was a pig to remove too.
Cheers de Pete
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Old 15th Oct 2010, 11:35 pm   #98
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Default Re: Award for the worst plug design goes to...

Quote:
Originally Posted by Tractorfan View Post
It would fit a 5amp and a 15amp 2 pin socket as well by squeezing the sides of the body.
Ah, so that's what the purpose of the triangular slot was.
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Old 16th Oct 2010, 2:04 am   #99
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Default Re: Award for the worst plug design goes to...

Quote:
As I mentioned the only potential risk is anything wired for Chinese supply plugged in here - they use a similar plug with the same pin spacing and angles but mounted the other way up, and with phase and neutral swapped.
AFAIK, the Chinese plug has the same polarity, though unsleeved pins which are 1mm longer and used "upside down" compared to the Australian, which the NZ is 45 deg. to, and it's the Argentinian one that has the same dimensions as the Chinese but the reversed polarity.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AC_power_plugs_and_sockets
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Old 16th Oct 2010, 3:38 am   #100
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Default Re: Award for the worst plug design goes to...

Aah, ok I must have been confusing the Chinese and Argentinian plugs!

One interesting thing - I picked up a cheap charger for Taniamaree's cellphone from a mall in Christchurch when we were up there during the week - it has uninsulated phase and neutral pins, making it technically illegal to sell!
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