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Old 8th Oct 2018, 12:52 pm   #61
whiskas
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Default Re: Modern MK Safety Plug. Not impressed

...indeed and also could have damaged insulation in the wiring to the socket.. well worth checking it out carefully, for safety's sake.
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Old 9th Oct 2018, 6:35 pm   #62
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Default Re: Modern MK Safety Plug. Not impressed

Years ago (1970s) we had a Hoover tumble dryer. Regularly the plug would get one pin (L I think) would overheat and damage the plug and socket. My dad replaced it a few times, later making sure he used better quality plugs and sockets, MK from memory. I can't remember if it was ever resolved, or if he resorted to a fused spur.
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Old 9th Oct 2018, 6:42 pm   #63
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Default Re: Modern MK Safety Plug. Not impressed

Yep, common problem. It happened in our family home all the time with our washing machine.
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Old 24th Oct 2018, 10:00 pm   #64
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Default Re: Modern MK Safety Plug. Not impressed

New member here, although I've been reading this forum with huge enjoyment for ages! So, hello everyone, here goes my first post.

All this talk of the MK Safety Plug reminded me of my seventh birthday in 1976. I was always fascinated by electrical things as a child, but especially plugs and sockets. I fitted my first plug at age five. Anyway, I happened to see a glossy, full-page colour advert for this wonderful new plug, in the Reader's Digest, and knew I just had to have one! I was truly obsessed.

Unfortunately, Dad said they too expensive and we didn't need a new plug for anything anyway! So I had to content myself with just a picture.

Imagine my pure delight, three months later on my birthday, when I unwrapped my coveted Safety Plug, complete with extra 3 and 5 amp fuses to suit any appliance! Best birthday ever!

For the following couple of weeks I attached that plug to every electrical item in the house. I would swap it every day, and leave it on for exactly 24 hours. Just to see what it looked like on the flex and in the socket. It was finally attached to my prized Sharp cassette recorder's mains lead, where it remained for years (fused at 3 amps, of course)

Just as an aside, I remember one day at primary school in 1979 when an electrician came in and replaced every single plug in the entire place! He was there all day, just taking off (perfectly good) plugs and fitting new ones. I remember thinking what a great job to have! The new plugs he fitted were all the Legrand slimline plug. Which, incidentally, I was coveting having seen a SWEB branded one in Cornwall on holiday the year before. So I went to talk to him at dinnertime (he was having a pie in his van - this is Lancashire after all!) and he very kindly let me have one! I remember he had boxes full of them. All with the fibre cord-grip and unsleeved pins. Happy days!

Sorry if I've rambled on, but great to be able to reminisce about stuff like this.

Best Regards

Peter.
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Old 25th Oct 2018, 9:41 am   #65
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Default Re: Modern MK Safety Plug. Not impressed

Hi Peter,
Welcome to the forum! What a lovely story:- I can see distinct parallels with my own childhood!
In the 1970's, we used to visit the Isle of Wight regularly and Ryde had loads of junk shops then. Old plugs and sockets, fittings etc were to be had for a few pence- heaven for a small boy!
Did you end up as an Electrician? I did!

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Old 25th Oct 2018, 3:20 pm   #66
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Default Re: Modern MK Safety Plug. Not impressed

Quote:
Originally Posted by duncanlowe View Post
Years ago (1970s) we had a Hoover tumble dryer. Regularly the plug would get one pin (L I think) would overheat and damage the plug and socket. My dad replaced it a few times, later making sure he used better quality plugs and sockets, MK from memory. I can't remember if it was ever resolved, or if he resorted to a fused spur.
Some plugs at that time had poor contacts for the fuse, just a Y shape with little contact area on the fuse. Then many appliances were 3kw, just on the edge for a 13amp plug, the two things together damaged the plug and the socket, both required replacement.

The better plugs had a much greater contact area for the fuse but with 3kw appliances could still warm up, not usually burn out though. Although not designed or used in a ring main, the old style 15amp round pin plugs and sockets handled 3kw appliances much better.
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Old 25th Oct 2018, 4:28 pm   #67
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Default Re: Modern MK Safety Plug. Not impressed

Yes heating of the fuse is _very_ common in 13A plugs (one of the reasons I dislike the things...)

In the past there were some plugs whose live-pin was partially-split and this provided the springiness for clamping the fuse. These had fewer problems than the type (MK SafetyPlug being a case-in-point here!) where a separate pressed/stamped-copper U-shaped fuse-clamp was rivetted to the top of the live pin (and another one to the live wiring-terminal).

For high-current stuff I still like the old BS546 15A round-pin sockets, which are available in a nice dual-outlet metalclad version if you know where to look.
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Old 25th Oct 2018, 5:51 pm   #68
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Default Re: Modern MK Safety Plug. Not impressed

Perhaps in retrospect the whole idea of incorporating 13A HRC fusing in a connector that needed to be both compact and inexpensive was pushing things a bit- 10A being a more reasonable limit in the plug size? I can see the appeal of one domestic connector that would cover everything from a synchronous clock to a 3kW fire whilst getting away from the 2A, 5A, 15A business, though.
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Old 29th Oct 2018, 11:36 pm   #69
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Default Re: Modern MK Safety Plug. Not impressed

Quote:
Originally Posted by whiskas View Post
...indeed and also could have damaged insulation in the wiring to the socket.. well worth checking it out carefully, for safety's sake.
socket and wiring are fine .On examining the old plug i found one of the fuse clips completely burned out .As i have the matching dryer i decided to check that plug only to find it in the same condition so that one has been replaced as well
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Old 29th Oct 2018, 11:43 pm   #70
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Default Re: Modern MK Safety Plug. Not impressed

Hi Lancs Lad, you're clearly completely out of your mind, so you'll fit in well here
Talk of pies and plugs in one paragraph - how delightful!
Welcome to the forum!
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Old 30th Oct 2018, 2:10 pm   #71
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Hello, 1100 Man and Whiskas. What a great welcome! I love this website - especially the household electricals forums. Fascinating reading.

Whiskas, your username suggests you might be a fellow cat-owner (I have four) or does it relate to technical vintage radio term?

No, 1100 Man, I didn't end up as an electrician! Although my entire family were always convinced I would!

Incidentally, what's this hexode/dekatron/nonode etc classification all about? Apparently I'm a diode! How is it decided who becomes what?
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Old 30th Oct 2018, 5:40 pm   #72
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Default Re: Modern MK Safety Plug. Not impressed

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Apparently I'm a diode! How is it decided who becomes what?
It just relates to the number of posts you've made, but takes no account of the quality of their content.

https://www.vintage-radio.net/forum/...ad.php?t=40457
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Old 30th Oct 2018, 7:21 pm   #73
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Default Re: Modern MK Safety Plug. Not impressed

Yes, Lancs lad I'm a fellow cat owner, hence Whiskas.. it's definately not my favourite pie filling!
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Old 30th Oct 2018, 7:52 pm   #74
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Default Re: Modern MK Safety Plug. Not impressed

Oh, I see! What a novel idea. I'm fairly new to all this internet lark. I don't even have a home computer - just my trusty smartphone. So I am learning as I go along by trial and error.
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Old 30th Oct 2018, 8:43 pm   #75
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Default Re: Modern MK Safety Plug. Not impressed

You seem to have mastered Smartphone punctuation though, unlike many. It makes posts easy to read and understand
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Old 30th Oct 2018, 9:57 pm   #76
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Default Re: Modern MK Safety Plug. Not impressed

Hello Bill. Thankyou for those kind words. I just love our language, and cannot abide to see it written badly!

Some of the punctuation and grammatical errors, that seem to be everywhere, make me wince in pain. They are so glaringly obvious, and I cannot understand why so many people seem content to let them stand uncorrected.

Maybe it's just me....

Regards.

Peter.
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Old 30th Oct 2018, 10:56 pm   #77
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Default Re: Modern MK Safety Plug. Not impressed

Hello Whiskas. Fellow ailurophile 😺

I wish there was a 'Vintage Radio Cats' forum! That could be fun.

Sorry to all for going off-topic! Just really excited to be a member - and actually getting replies! Never expected that, somehow.

Regards.

Peter.
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Old 30th Oct 2018, 11:13 pm   #78
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Default Re: Modern MK Safety Plug. Not impressed

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I wish there was a 'Vintage Radio Cats' forum! That could be fun.
That would probably be a very good idea as cats seem to be an integral part of many forum member's lives! They crop up on a very regular basis here!
Wonderful creatures, cats!

Ailurophile- that's a new one for me! According to Google, it's from the ancient Greek, aĆ­louros, “cat”


We'ed better stop there as we are well off topic for this thread- we'll get told off!

All the best
Nick

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Old 31st Oct 2018, 1:46 am   #79
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Default Re: Modern MK Safety Plug. Not impressed

Quote:
Originally Posted by Lancs Lad View Post
Hello Bill. Thankyou for those kind words. I just love our language, and cannot abide to see it written badly!

Some of the punctuation and grammatical errors, that seem to be everywhere, make me wince in pain. They are so glaringly obvious, and I cannot understand why so many people seem content to let them stand uncorrected.

Maybe it's just me....

Regards.

Peter.
No, you're not alone.

Cats, though, no accounting for taste there!
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Old 31st Oct 2018, 2:50 pm   #80
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Default Re: Modern MK Safety Plug. Not impressed

To get back vaguely on topic, I'm intrigued as to why these are referred to as safety plugs. They are, or were, of good quality, but in their standard form they're just 13A plug (tops)?
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