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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 th

by 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.
  - grecy 11y ago
    > You must have some very old 2 pin plugs, or you got hold of a plug made in China. I just looked at the plug on my mac book air, it's identical and goes in easily either way around. It sparked when I unplugged it and plugged it back in again, both ways :)
    - hwstar 11y ago
      Any twin blade plug made in China will probably have pins of the same size. The reason is North America is the only one using the twin blade polarized plugs, all bets are off in the rest of the world. Also, the pins may be the same size so you won't run into problems when you travel internationally. Sparking will happen regardless of the way you insert the plug into the socket. This is probably due to a lack of inrush current limiting in the notebook power supply. When you plug it in, the discharged capacitors appear as a short across the AC line momentarily as they charge up. This is what causes the sparking.
seanp2k2 11y ago
...and when you live in an apartment, they repair everything with the lowest-cost thing from said home improvement stores, so many people have no choice but to live with whatever garbage they make.

by hwstar 11y ago

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.
- grecy 11y ago
  > You must have some very old 2 pin plugs, or you got hold of a plug made in China. I just looked at the plug on my mac book air, it's identical and goes in easily either way around. It sparked when I unplugged it and plugged it back in again, both ways :)
  - hwstar 11y ago
    Any twin blade plug made in China will probably have pins of the same size. The reason is North America is the only one using the twin blade polarized plugs, all bets are off in the rest of the world. Also, the pins may be the same size so you won't run into problems when you travel internationally. Sparking will happen regardless of the way you insert the plug into the socket. This is probably due to a lack of inrush current limiting in the notebook power supply. When you plug it in, the discharged capacitors appear as a short across the AC line momentarily as they charge up. This is what causes the sparking.

seanp2k2 11y ago

...and when you live in an apartment, they repair everything with the lowest-cost thing from said home improvement stores, so many people have no choice but to live with whatever garbage they make.