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German Power Plug
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<blockquote data-quote="2cvbloke" data-source="post: 1006120" data-attributes="member: 199791"><p>Well, them pictured sockets I'd assume are used in things like hotels and run off fused spurs and on dedicated 120v stepdown transformers, with the appropriate protection they're just as safe as UK sockets, as the US system is usually 2x 15A outlets on a 20Amp breaker, and it's radial wiring over there too so it's basically one cable per socket so the fusing is actually in the fusebox rather than the plug just as we had with BS546... <img src="https://www.satellites.co.uk/styles/default/xenforo/smilies/smile.png" class="smilie" loading="lazy" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" data-shortname=":)" /></p><p></p><p>The UK system of having fuses in the plug is simply because of copper shortage after WWII, before then the dominant BS546 standard of the 2A, 5A and 15A plugs & sockets was standard with the fusing done at the fusebox (there were other regional standards, but not as widely used), and being radially wired (I.E. 1 or 2 sockets per fuse) used more copper, so they decided to have the ring main feed multiple sockets, and as the 30 amp cables could deliver more than the old BS546 plugs were rated for, they had to devise a localised fusing system which resulted in our one-for-all BS1363 plugs, though in this day and age, a lot of new builds are being wired radially, so the fused plug is a becoming a bit pointless but we hang onto it anyway, though why 13Amps makes me wonder, cos 15 Amps was a much nicer, rounder, more lucky figure... <img src="/styles/default/xenforo/smilies/38389100.lol.gif" class="smilie" loading="lazy" alt=":-lol" title="Laugh Out Loud :-lol" data-shortname=":-lol" /></p><p></p><p>But as for the US plug ratings, I have plugs somewhere in this mess of mine from the US and they are actually rated for use at 250v, the only real difference is their use of single-insulated wire (essentially thicker versions of speaker wire) versus our double-insulated, and of course, insulated pins are not a thing over there as yet (and there was a video on youtube a few years ago where someone demonstrated how easy it is to short the two pins while plugged in out creating quite the bang!!), but they'll catch up eventually I'm sure... <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite13" alt=":-rofl2" title="roll on floor :-rofl2" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":-rofl2" /></p><p></p><p>As for the eastern countries, well, look at what they've done to our BS1363 standard:</p><p></p><p><a href="http://www.bs1363.org.uk/" target="_blank">BS 1363 Plugs and Sockets</a></p><p></p><p><img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite9" alt=":eek:" title="Eek! :eek:" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":eek:" /></p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="2cvbloke, post: 1006120, member: 199791"] Well, them pictured sockets I'd assume are used in things like hotels and run off fused spurs and on dedicated 120v stepdown transformers, with the appropriate protection they're just as safe as UK sockets, as the US system is usually 2x 15A outlets on a 20Amp breaker, and it's radial wiring over there too so it's basically one cable per socket so the fusing is actually in the fusebox rather than the plug just as we had with BS546... :) The UK system of having fuses in the plug is simply because of copper shortage after WWII, before then the dominant BS546 standard of the 2A, 5A and 15A plugs & sockets was standard with the fusing done at the fusebox (there were other regional standards, but not as widely used), and being radially wired (I.E. 1 or 2 sockets per fuse) used more copper, so they decided to have the ring main feed multiple sockets, and as the 30 amp cables could deliver more than the old BS546 plugs were rated for, they had to devise a localised fusing system which resulted in our one-for-all BS1363 plugs, though in this day and age, a lot of new builds are being wired radially, so the fused plug is a becoming a bit pointless but we hang onto it anyway, though why 13Amps makes me wonder, cos 15 Amps was a much nicer, rounder, more lucky figure... :-lol But as for the US plug ratings, I have plugs somewhere in this mess of mine from the US and they are actually rated for use at 250v, the only real difference is their use of single-insulated wire (essentially thicker versions of speaker wire) versus our double-insulated, and of course, insulated pins are not a thing over there as yet (and there was a video on youtube a few years ago where someone demonstrated how easy it is to short the two pins while plugged in out creating quite the bang!!), but they'll catch up eventually I'm sure... :-rofl2 As for the eastern countries, well, look at what they've done to our BS1363 standard: [URL="http://www.bs1363.org.uk/"]BS 1363 Plugs and Sockets[/URL] :eek: [/QUOTE]
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