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From: Don Y <blockedofcourse@foo.invalid>
Newsgroups: sci.electronics.design
Subject: Re: British (european?) kitchen counter electric outlets
Date: Tue, 11 Jun 2024 07:30:07 -0700
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On 6/11/2024 3:50 AM, Martin Brown wrote:
> On 09/06/2024 02:29, Grant Taylor wrote:
>> On 6/8/24 19:13, john larkin wrote:
>>> The British plugs and outlets are enormous too.
>>
>> I like the idea of a fuse in the plug end of the cord.
>>
>> I'm only aware of that for Christmas lights in the U.S.A.
>>
>> The Christmas lights show that small fuses can fit in a slightly larger plug 
>> and not require anything nearly as large as European plugs that I've seen 
>> pictures / video of.

XMAS lights are fused because they can be daisy-chained; the next strand
plugged into the end of the previous strand.  As such, the strand closest
to the mains outlet sees the total load of all strands.  Expecting consumers
to observe the limit of 3 strands is wishful thinking.  So, a 5A fuse in
every plug ensures that whichever strand is "first" will open.

Similarly, expecting consumers to consider each of the individual loads they
plug into a 99c 18AWG extension cord is wishful thinking.

> Fuses in plugs is a UK thing. Continental 3 pin plugs are every bit as brutal 
> in shape as UK plugs but are unfused. Continental 2 pin is pretty similar size 
> to US except with round pins 230vac rather than flat ones.

US plugs (for consumer use) tend to be really poorly made.  The blade material
may be flexible, the mount in the (molded!) plug may be flimsy so the blades
don't remain parallel, folks might cut off the earth conductor (to fit to a
two-prong outlet/extension cord) or use an adapter that does the same thing
(and fail to earth the required connection, XMAS lights can be found plugged
(two prong) into an adapter that is screwed into a light socket (! no earth),
etc.

OTOH, plugs for industrial use are very robust (because the manufacturers
don't want to have to replace them!).  Ditto plugs used in hospital settings.

> I have to say that 13A fused plugs at 3kW run quite warm to the touch as well 
> (at least on a continuous load). eg. Fan heater warming up a cold room.

I salvage power cords from discarded (clothes) irons.  They tend to be made of
something that more closely approximates "rubber" (vs. thermoplastics), have
better conductors (to handle the higher load) and are longer (than, for
example, the cord on a toaster)

> Kettle is an intermittment load so seldom gets used for long enough for the 
> heat to really build up to noticeable levels. UK 13A plugs and sockets have 
> fairly recently been derated to 10A (2.4kW load). I suspect with the phasing 
> our of beryllium copper springs in their internals.

A socket, here, is just a preformed piece of metal that tries to pinch
the blades of the plug.  They are "stamped out" for pennies.

Worse, there are receptacles that can be wired by inserting a conductor
into a hole in the rear of the device (instead of putting it under and
around a screw) for a sort of "friction fit".  As homeowners are
allowed to make such repairs/replacements, this is an often used
alternative (the screw connection is also present, just ignored!)

To make matters worse, loads will often be "daisy chained" through
such devices -- instead of a hard connection to pigtails feeding each
device in a box.

> Belgacom stackable telcoms plugs look like they were designed for 3-phase mains 
> for good measure. Almost same size as UK mains plugs!
> 
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tetrapolar_plug
> 
> Their workmen have a sense of humour too. They installed my ISDN service box on 
> the dining room wall so that we could enjoy the LED light show...

*On* the wall (as in "fastened")?  Such equipment, here, would be freestanding;
set on the floor, on top of a TV, etc. but always "portable".  The service
connection would be bound to a particular point but the customer side of
the connection would float.

> Cable TV guy was much more helpful.

They are notoriously abysmal, here.  Ditto with POTS installers.  If you
request new service, you'll find a length of cable run ON THE SOIL to your
home's service connection.  If you want three drops, they will route the
cable up and over the roof, and down the appropriate exterior walls to
enter through a hole that they will bore through your outer wall.

[No basements/attics as they aren't needed -- no snow load so flat roof
is relatively common and architecturally expected; no frost heave (frost
line is ~4 inches) so shallow footings (18") and service trenches (our
sewer line is just a few feet below ground)]

If you want a drop on an *interior* wall, then things get tricky!
The center void in the interior wall needs to be located on the
roof.  A hole drilled through and a plastic conduit installed
(just to perforate the roof).  The cable is fed through the conduit
and the perforation around the conduit sealed with a petroleum
product.  Inside the house, the perforated wall void is located
and a hole drilled into the drywall to fetch the cable end.

The cable feed (on the soil) will stay there for months before someone
will come around to bury it (just a few inches under the soil for
cosmetic reasons.  The thinking seems to be to get you *service* as
quickly as possible -- so they can start billing you for it -- and
worry about the niceties of the installation, later.  (the cable
company uses an ORANGE cable that is very obvious as it lays on the
ground)