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Other Vintage Household Electrical or Electromechanical Items For discussions about other vintage (over 25 years old) electrical and electromechanical household items. See the sticky thread for details. |
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29th Jan 2019, 9:35 pm | #21 | |
Octode
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Newbury, Berkshire, UK.
Posts: 1,770
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Re: 13 amp sockets with USB?
Quote:
Hmmm.
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Chris |
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29th Jan 2019, 9:48 pm | #22 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: Wigan, Greater Manchester, UK.
Posts: 9,433
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Re: 13 amp sockets with USB?
My daughter has a number of these around the house, when they fail to work, capacitors dried up etc it will cost a lot more money to have them replaced than even the most expensive external phone chargers.
They will need to have an electrician call and fit them, cannot do it themselves, also bin a perfectly good pair of 13amp sockets in the unit. But they look neat.
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Frank |
29th Jan 2019, 10:06 pm | #23 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Surrey, UK.
Posts: 4,395
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Re: 13 amp sockets with USB?
There are plug-through 13A USB adaptors available from Masterplug, I bought a couple from Tesco when they were clearing the black ones for just £3.50 a while back, for some reason the white ones stayed at about a tenner. Can't believe that the colour has such influence on sales but who knows what gives in the retail world!
https://www.masterplug.com/uk/high-g...surge-adaptors Apart from the safety and failure possibilities of socket outlets with USB, the cynic in me sees an arms race developing in the smart-device-to-manufacturer's-supplied-adaptor-handshake-restriction scene. |
29th Jan 2019, 10:53 pm | #24 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Aug 2016
Location: Colchester, Essex, UK.
Posts: 4,107
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Re: 13 amp sockets with USB?
I am nit-picking, but:
..The other slight bug with changing 13A sockets is that ring-main cable is quite rigid and it's desirable to flex it as infrequently as possible (copper work hardens) The copper is also slightly deformed as the terminal screws are tightened, and although you can nip the end off prior to refitting a new socket, you are left with less free cable to play with. Dave |
29th Jan 2019, 11:42 pm | #25 |
Heptode
Join Date: Oct 2018
Location: Blackburn, Lancashire, UK.
Posts: 729
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Re: 13 amp sockets with USB?
That's true, Dave, but, I'm sorry, what are you saying exactly?
It's not immediately clear what you are saying. Probably just me being a bit thick! It might not be necessary to trim the cable ends at all, surely.
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Best Regards, Peter. |
29th Jan 2019, 11:53 pm | #26 |
Heptode
Join Date: Oct 2018
Location: Blackburn, Lancashire, UK.
Posts: 729
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Re: 13 amp sockets with USB?
Ignore me, Dave! I wasn't being rude! I just read your post wrong and responded unthinkingly and facetiously. So sorry! It's been a long day and I should be in bed!
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Best Regards, Peter. |
30th Jan 2019, 12:18 am | #27 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Aug 2016
Location: Colchester, Essex, UK.
Posts: 4,107
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Re: 13 amp sockets with USB?
Offence not taken guv, 'course not!
It may not be needed to trim the ends, i am just over conscious of arcing generated at the point of poor connections and hence a fusspot where the copper has been crushed. I have been trying to purge an airlock from a shower pump yesterday and today....purely electrical problems seem so much easier to deal with! Dave |
30th Jan 2019, 12:24 am | #28 |
Heptode
Join Date: Oct 2018
Location: Blackburn, Lancashire, UK.
Posts: 729
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Re: 13 amp sockets with USB?
Thanks, Dave!
Really sorry if I came across in any way wrong! No offence meant at all I'm just really tired! Or 'jiggered' as we say here in Lancashire! And, yes, I understand what you mean! I'm a fuss pot perfectionist aswell! You should see how perfectly all my plugs are wired!
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Best Regards, Peter. Last edited by Lancs Lad; 30th Jan 2019 at 12:36 am. |
30th Jan 2019, 12:42 am | #29 | |
Dekatron
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Leominster, Herefordshire, UK.
Posts: 16,535
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Re: 13 amp sockets with USB?
Quote:
If the appliance itself needs protection, it should have its own means for it, whether it connects to the plug via a lead or directly. Hopefully something better than just a thin bit of PCB track! I've got a couple of USB equipped double sockets in surface boxes- so far so good. They're unlikely to set fire to anything if they do go pop and replacement costs would be just for a new socket.
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....__________ ....|____||__|__\_____ .=.| _---\__|__|_---_|. .........O..Chris....O |
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30th Jan 2019, 1:10 am | #30 |
Octode
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Wrexham, North Wales, UK.
Posts: 1,457
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Re: 13 amp sockets with USB?
BG ain't that bad, nothing can be any worse than Wickes own brand sockets.
We have a double in the living room primarily for charging vaping machines and the occasional mobile contraption. It has been operating for under a year with fairly havy loading without any problems. One is likely to be fitted in the workshop in the near future, fixing radios is so stressful, I need a nicotine fix! |
30th Jan 2019, 8:10 am | #31 | |
Heptode
Join Date: May 2014
Location: Salisbury, Wiltshire, UK.
Posts: 998
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Re: 13 amp sockets with USB?
Quote:
It's a bit like deadly aspartame sweetener. I was told it'd be horribly bad for me but then I consider the millions of litres drunk each day and how much I see in any press release about death and illness caused by aspartame. Thus I sleep safely.
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David, G4YVM. |
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30th Jan 2019, 10:41 am | #32 |
Heptode
Join Date: Oct 2018
Location: Blackburn, Lancashire, UK.
Posts: 729
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Re: 13 amp sockets with USB?
So, is it risky to leave a wall wart charger plugged in when it's not actually charging a phone?
For years I have been berating my friends and relatives when I see unconnected chargers plugged in and switched on in their homes. It just doesn't seem to occur to them that these little innocuous-looking plugs are still full of electricity and buzzing away quietly to themselves! It's a losing battle, I find....
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Best Regards, Peter. |
30th Jan 2019, 11:46 am | #33 | |
Heptode
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: West London, UK.
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Re: 13 amp sockets with USB?
Lancs lad
Quote:
John |
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30th Jan 2019, 12:23 pm | #34 |
Guest
Posts: n/a
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Re: 13 amp sockets with USB?
I have one of the feed through things (4 USB outs), because it has an earth pin I have earthed the USB out. I feel safer than using a dodgy "almost double insulated" job.
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30th Jan 2019, 12:54 pm | #35 |
Heptode
Join Date: Oct 2018
Location: Blackburn, Lancashire, UK.
Posts: 729
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Re: 13 amp sockets with USB?
How do you earth the USB out, Merlin, please?
I've no idea how to do that!
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Best Regards, Peter. |
30th Jan 2019, 1:16 pm | #36 |
Octode
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Wrexham, North Wales, UK.
Posts: 1,457
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Re: 13 amp sockets with USB?
Peter, you're not the only one, they are usually earthed through a computer but not a power pack.
Rick. |
30th Jan 2019, 3:23 pm | #37 | |
Guest
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Re: 13 amp sockets with USB?
Quote:
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30th Jan 2019, 5:12 pm | #38 | ||
Octode
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Newbury, Berkshire, UK.
Posts: 1,770
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Re: 13 amp sockets with USB?
Quote:
Might be a pain for some that have glued cases or welded plastic
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Chris |
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30th Jan 2019, 7:15 pm | #39 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Worksop, Nottinghamshire, UK.
Posts: 5,553
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Re: 13 amp sockets with USB?
The USB ports are earthed on desktop computers but not on wall warts or laptops.
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31st Jan 2019, 12:00 am | #40 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Heckmondwike, West Yorkshire, UK.
Posts: 9,642
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Re: 13 amp sockets with USB?
Four posts discussing an OT aside deleted
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