4 ms·

> and scary to think that two-prong outlets and appliances are legal anywhere In Japan, two prong outlets make up the vast majority of sockets, it kinda sucks.

kalleboo 10y ago
I don't think I've ever seen a three-prong outlet in Japan (maybe only new installations?), but "earth screws" are quite common (any room prepared for an air conditioner will have one at least) http://www.hakusui-trading.co.jp/safety/img/img02.jpg http://www.hakusui-trading.co.jp/safety/img/img02.jpg
- Teever 10y ago
  What? That's crazy looking! Why not just put the third prong in there if it's wired up to handle a screw? What's the point?
  - Too 10y ago
    Just guessing here but I think it's to allow easy grounding of old appliances and other equipment that might risk contact with electricity but are not grounded by default. Metal frame desk as example.
    - LaurentVB 10y ago
      Very clever actually.
  - kalleboo 10y ago
    And the cable on the left here is what the included Apple MacBook power cable looks like, with the little earth wire sticking out to screw on http://rinare.com/wp-content/uploads/image_archive/110801_2.jpg http://rinare.com/wp-content/uploads/image_archive/110801_2.... I think it's just a legacy thing - historically, the only things that needed grounding were static appliances like fridges, washing machines and air conditioners. The manual in our fridge has this instruction for earthing http://mayoyo.tokyo/jIe.jpg http://mayoyo.tokyo/jIe.jpg I need to revise my comment that "I don't think I've ever seen a three-prong outlet in Japan", because now that I have power sockets on my mind, I just saw a three-prong outlet at my gym. So I guess newer buildings have them.
- bschwindHN 10y ago
  They're starting to become more common in newer apartments. For some reason my apartment has one outlet panel with two of the three-prong outlets, but the rest are two-prong. Except for the air conditioner and laundry machine sockets, which have the earth screw like you described.

kalleboo 10y ago

I don't think I've ever seen a three-prong outlet in Japan (maybe only new installations?), but "earth screws" are quite common (any room prepared for an air conditioner will have one at least) http://www.hakusui-trading.co.jp/safety/img/img02.jpg http://www.hakusui-trading.co.jp/safety/img/img02.jpg

Teever 10y ago
What? That's crazy looking! Why not just put the third prong in there if it's wired up to handle a screw? What's the point?
- Too 10y ago
  Just guessing here but I think it's to allow easy grounding of old appliances and other equipment that might risk contact with electricity but are not grounded by default. Metal frame desk as example.
  - LaurentVB 10y ago
    Very clever actually.
- kalleboo 10y ago
  And the cable on the left here is what the included Apple MacBook power cable looks like, with the little earth wire sticking out to screw on http://rinare.com/wp-content/uploads/image_archive/110801_2.jpg http://rinare.com/wp-content/uploads/image_archive/110801_2.... I think it's just a legacy thing - historically, the only things that needed grounding were static appliances like fridges, washing machines and air conditioners. The manual in our fridge has this instruction for earthing http://mayoyo.tokyo/jIe.jpg http://mayoyo.tokyo/jIe.jpg I need to revise my comment that "I don't think I've ever seen a three-prong outlet in Japan", because now that I have power sockets on my mind, I just saw a three-prong outlet at my gym. So I guess newer buildings have them.
bschwindHN 10y ago
They're starting to become more common in newer apartments. For some reason my apartment has one outlet panel with two of the three-prong outlets, but the rest are two-prong. Except for the air conditioner and laundry machine sockets, which have the earth screw like you described.