I love the shocked faces on American power outlets.

I did a quick look at a lot of places in the code that you'd expect to see this specified if it was, and didn't find anything mentioning orientation. I could spend a shitload of time to be more sure, it's a big complicated document, but I could also gouge my eyes out with a plasma cutter.

This guy is usually pretty interesting, and cute as hell

I'll watch it later, when I get home, but I'm guessing it's the earth wire which makes it superior. Plugs without one seem more dangerous.

If you think you know about grounding, it's likely you have some misconceptions. Everyone who does any DIY electrical work ought to watch a lot of this guys videos. He'd really damn good.

Animavore wrote:I'll watch it later, when I get home, but I'm guessing it's the earth wire which makes it superior. Plugs without one seem more dangerous.

I'm pretty sure that's a big part of it, and the robustness, but it's been a long time since I watched this and my memory sucks. One thing about all that robustness, it makes power strips much much more of a big deal.

crank wrote:

Animavore wrote:I'll watch it later, when I get home, but I'm guessing it's the earth wire which makes it superior. Plugs without one seem more dangerous.

I'm pretty sure that's a big part of it, and the robustness, but it's been a long time since I watched this and my memory sucks. One thing about all that robustness, it makes power strips much much more of a big deal.

Well the other thing British plugs do (notice the longer top pin) is only open access to the live wires when the top pin pushes the flaps which block them open by going in ahead of them. No child gonna stick a scissors in there easily.

Animavore wrote:

crank wrote:

Animavore wrote:I'll watch it later, when I get home, but I'm guessing it's the earth wire which makes it superior. Plugs without one seem more dangerous.

I'm pretty sure that's a big part of it, and the robustness, but it's been a long time since I watched this and my memory sucks. One thing about all that robustness, it makes power strips much much more of a big deal.

Well the other thing British plugs do (notice the longer top pin) is only open access to the live wires when the top pin pushes the flaps which block them open by going in ahead of them. No child gonna stick a scissors in there easily.

First time in the UK I noticed that and thought, now why don't we do that?

laklak wrote:Nah, ours is best, because 'Murika! Fuk YEAH!

All your power is ours, eh!

https://beta.theglobeandmail.com/report ... le35739086

I have only three gripes with plugs here in N. America:



Safety wise, in fairness to plugs in North America:

* Babies cannot get their fingers in the thin slots of the plug socket, hence shutters are not needed.

* There doesn't seem to be any real evidence as to which way up the three-pin sockets should go. Some argue that it should go down because it prevents your forefinger from coming into contact with live if you over-grip when pulling it out of the wall, since the forefinger is further forward than the thumb in such a grip. It's probably neither here nor there.

* You're probably meant to change loose sockets that don't grip adequately onto the plug pins.

* It would be very easy for an insulated coating to be added to the base of the pins in N. America (like they are in the UK). Why is is not currently the standard is beyond me.

The NEC is great for safety but it should be understood, it's primarily driven by the insurance industry.

British plugs are far too big. It was not long ago you had to fit all your plugs yourself in Britain. Moulded plugs are not that long on the market there. I have never known anything else here. All appliances are sold with a moulded plug and no fuse! Damn nuisance. We use in UK-English RCD / Residual-current device. In US-English GFCI / Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter.

Scot Dutchy wrote:British plugs are far too big. It was not long ago you had to fit all your plugs yourself in Britain. Moulded plugs are not that long on the market there. I have never known anything else here. All appliances are sold with a moulded plug and no fuse! Damn nuisance. We use in UK-English RCD / Residual-current device. In US-English GFCI / Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter.

I'm surprised that you didn't mention that Dutch mains plugs have earth connections both above AND below the live and neutral, and they are not in the form of pin and socket - they're more like clips on strips.

The issue I have is the sheer lack of outlets in this country. There's no such thing as a double socket meaning that while the sockets themselves are safe, you're actually plugging your stuff into some cheaply made shitty extension cord instead.

DavidMcC wrote:

Scot Dutchy wrote:British plugs are far too big. It was not long ago you had to fit all your plugs yourself in Britain. Moulded plugs are not that long on the market there. I have never known anything else here. All appliances are sold with a moulded plug and no fuse! Damn nuisance. We use in UK-English RCD / Residual-current device. In US-English GFCI / Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter.

I'm surprised that you didn't mention that Dutch mains plugs have earth connections both above AND below the live and neutral, and they are not in the form of pin and socket - they're more like clips on strips.

Yep which means there is no set way for wiring or putting the plug in the socket. Belgium and Germany go for the pin which gives only one option of plugging in. Never seems to bother anyone here though.

Animavore wrote:I love the shocked faces on American power outlets.

But is this in fact the reason they are installed that way up?

That's what I meant by "anthropomorphic bias". Looks like a face, therefore people assume that's the right way up

Nicko wrote:

Animavore wrote:I love the shocked faces on American power outlets.

But is this in fact the reason they are installed that way up?

That's what I meant by "anthropomorphic bias". Looks like a face, therefore people assume that's the right way up

I dunno. I was just making a joke, which was also a pun. I want my lawyer.

Animavore wrote:

Nicko wrote:

Animavore wrote:I love the shocked faces on American power outlets.

But is this in fact the reason they are installed that way up?

That's what I meant by "anthropomorphic bias". Looks like a face, therefore people assume that's the right way up

I dunno. I was just making a joke, which was also a pun. I want my lawyer.

Too late. You're already committed to participating in my absurdly unfalsifiable hypothesis.

Thought this was just a thread about power outlets?

Shit just got deep, son.

Scot Dutchy wrote:British plugs are far too big. It was not long ago you had to fit all your plugs yourself in Britain. Moulded plugs are not that long on the market there. I have never known anything else here. All appliances are sold with a moulded plug and no fuse! Damn nuisance. We use in UK-English RCD / Residual-current device. In US-English GFCI / Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter.

WTF as has the fact that decades ago appliances would sometimes be sold without a plug fitted (at a time when the conversion from round to square plugs was still happening) got to do with anything ? The difference in size is insignificant to say the least.

The 'damn nuisance' is an important safety device lacking in European systems. RCD's protect against earth leakage not over current and will not necessarily protect the flex. In a modern British system there will almost certainly be RCD protection of the circuit as well as a Miniature Circuit Breaker (MCB).

Scot Dutchy wrote:British plugs are far too big.

That's something you don't hear too often.