4 ms·

I don't feel safe plugging things in anywhere else. Those funny little plugs that don't say in the sockets - I hate them. Last time I went to America, the illu

by to3m 11y ago

I don't feel safe plugging things in anywhere else. Those funny little plugs that don't say in the sockets - I hate them. Last time I went to America, the illusion of boundless wealth was rapidly shattered when I went to plug something in and was confronted by a little bit of plastic with two thing on the end, and couple of slots in the wall. I plugged the thing in, and it fell out. There were sparks. This is how I imagine things to be in North Korea.

lisper 11y ago
You must simply have encountered a defective socket. The experience you describe is not typical.
- alextgordon 11y ago
  I have also experienced sparks in a US socket. How glad I was to come back to the civilisation of semi-insulated prongs and switches.
  - iSnow 11y ago
    I think you can have sparks in any system while plugging in a large enough load. My 85W Macbook adapter sparks in honest-to-god German engineering sockets.
    - alextgordon 11y ago
      Sure, but in the UK the live and neutral prongs are half insulated[0] so the sparks stay inside the socket. And if a socket or device is known to be iffy, just switch it off at the wall before plugging anything in. [0] http://i01.i.aliimg.com/img/pb/149/635/934/934635149_988.jpg http://i01.i.aliimg.com/img/pb/149/635/934/934635149_988.jpg
      - mixmastamyk 11y ago
        In the article, it mentions why the UK plugs have more features, not to mention being designed 50-100 years later, and also why other plugs aren't being replaced. I don't have any problems with American or Euro plugs, however I may have learned how to avoid them. Still I think there is room for improvement, perhaps something like a larger lightning/usbc plug with some of those safety features.
      - wiredfool 11y ago
        The prongs may be insulated, but lots of people wind up putting plugs on wires themselves, so there are a lot of grotty plugs out there with 240v Sparks in them.
    - to3m 11y ago
      Here in the UK we don't dare use a German-style socket for anything heavier-duty than an electric toothbrush.
hwstar 11y ago
This is due to relentless cost-cutting by manufacturers supplying sockets to the large home improvement stores. When you can buy duplex receptacles for less than $1, this is what you get. If you invest in a Hubbell, Eagle, or other reputable brand, the plugs will stay in the sockets. The drawbacks to the American NEMA 5-15 plug are that it is still a shock hazard as the pins aren't sheathed with insulating material. Also, the pins get bent easily and are a bit undersized for 15A in my opinion.
- to3m 11y ago
  Plugs in hotel rooms probably aren't in the best shape anyway. This was in Las Vegas and the cheap- and flimsy-looking plug sockets just struck me as a funny counterpoint to the unhinged level of excess that was on display everywhere else.
  - yc1010 11y ago
    That's Vegas for you, shinny on outside, grotty on the inside
- grecy 11y ago
  After living in North America for 9 years, it still confuses the heck out of the me that I can plug everything in either way around. Sometimes it will spark one way and not the other, and it just makes me feel uncomfortable when I do that.
  - hwstar 11y ago
    Newer style NEMA 5-15 plugs are polarized. The neutral pin is larger than the live pin. You must have some very old 2 pin plugs, or you got hold of a plug made in China. The Chinese plugs have pins of the same size and are even more dangerous. Also chances are the sparking isn't due to the way the plug is inserted in the socket. It's more likely due to the fact you have connected a capacitive load such as a computer power supply, and the fact the the mating parts of the receptacle are very close to the front making a spark more visible.
nommm-nommm 11y ago
I once rented an apartment that had nothing but those loose falling out sockets. The first thing I did was call maintenance to have them come replace all of them. Thankfully they didn't give me any hassle about it. *I'm sorry if I am using the wrong terminology.

by to3m 11y ago

lisper 11y ago

You must simply have encountered a defective socket. The experience you describe is not typical.

alextgordon 11y ago
I have also experienced sparks in a US socket. How glad I was to come back to the civilisation of semi-insulated prongs and switches.
- iSnow 11y ago
  I think you can have sparks in any system while plugging in a large enough load. My 85W Macbook adapter sparks in honest-to-god German engineering sockets.
  - alextgordon 11y ago
    Sure, but in the UK the live and neutral prongs are half insulated[0] so the sparks stay inside the socket. And if a socket or device is known to be iffy, just switch it off at the wall before plugging anything in. [0] http://i01.i.aliimg.com/img/pb/149/635/934/934635149_988.jpg http://i01.i.aliimg.com/img/pb/149/635/934/934635149_988.jpg
    - mixmastamyk 11y ago
      In the article, it mentions why the UK plugs have more features, not to mention being designed 50-100 years later, and also why other plugs aren't being replaced. I don't have any problems with American or Euro plugs, however I may have learned how to avoid them. Still I think there is room for improvement, perhaps something like a larger lightning/usbc plug with some of those safety features.
    - wiredfool 11y ago
      The prongs may be insulated, but lots of people wind up putting plugs on wires themselves, so there are a lot of grotty plugs out there with 240v Sparks in them.
  - to3m 11y ago
    Here in the UK we don't dare use a German-style socket for anything heavier-duty than an electric toothbrush.

hwstar 11y ago

This is due to relentless cost-cutting by manufacturers supplying sockets to the large home improvement stores. When you can buy duplex receptacles for less than $1, this is what you get. If you invest in a Hubbell, Eagle, or other reputable brand, the plugs will stay in the sockets. The drawbacks to the American NEMA 5-15 plug are that it is still a shock hazard as the pins aren't sheathed with insulating material. Also, the pins get bent easily and are a bit undersized for 15A in my opinion.

to3m 11y ago
Plugs in hotel rooms probably aren't in the best shape anyway. This was in Las Vegas and the cheap- and flimsy-looking plug sockets just struck me as a funny counterpoint to the unhinged level of excess that was on display everywhere else.
- yc1010 11y ago
  That's Vegas for you, shinny on outside, grotty on the inside
grecy 11y ago
After living in North America for 9 years, it still confuses the heck out of the me that I can plug everything in either way around. Sometimes it will spark one way and not the other, and it just makes me feel uncomfortable when I do that.
- hwstar 11y ago
  Newer style NEMA 5-15 plugs are polarized. The neutral pin is larger than the live pin. You must have some very old 2 pin plugs, or you got hold of a plug made in China. The Chinese plugs have pins of the same size and are even more dangerous. Also chances are the sparking isn't due to the way the plug is inserted in the socket. It's more likely due to the fact you have connected a capacitive load such as a computer power supply, and the fact the the mating parts of the receptacle are very close to the front making a spark more visible.

nommm-nommm 11y ago

I once rented an apartment that had nothing but those loose falling out sockets. The first thing I did was call maintenance to have them come replace all of them. Thankfully they didn't give me any hassle about it. *I'm sorry if I am using the wrong terminology.