3 ms·

TR plugs are required now in the US. We replaced ours because it looks a lot better than outlet covers.

by herf 8y ago

zaarn 8y ago
Interesting, is there some image of the TR plug, I couldn't find anything online?
- mixmastamyk 8y ago
  Found this: https://www.esfi.org/resource/what-is-a-tamper-resistant-receptacle-538 https://www.esfi.org/resource/what-is-a-tamper-resistant-rec...
- maxerickson 8y ago
  Search "Tamper-resistant electrical receptacles". They don't really look all that different, there's just a mechanism in the holes that prevents some foreign objects from being inserted.
  - zaarn 8y ago
    Yeah that's not really better at all. You can get the same protection with 3$ child-protection covers here. The issue is exposed live voltage when you plug it in. Schuko and Europlugs generally don't allow this (even the flat plug is designed such that the contact aren't exposed anymore when they make contact)
deelowe 8y ago
TR plugs don't prevent the spades from being exposed when plugging in a cord. They simply prevent a someone from inserting something into one of the slots like a bobby pin.
- minikites 8y ago
  It's still a massive improvement.
  - athenot 8y ago
    But you can't safely guide the plug into the wall socket without looking at it. With European plugs[1], that's fine. The grounded version doesn't have that protection, but the female side has walls on the side and a protruding ground plug, so it's also safe to guide with your fingers: by the time the plug is sufficiently in to become live with power, the gap is smaller than the width of a toddler's finger. [1] https://ae01.alicdn.com/kf/HTB1Cya9KVXXXXXoXpXXq6xXFXXXK/202006245/HTB1Cya9KVXXXXXoXpXXq6xXFXXXK.jpg https://ae01.alicdn.com/kf/HTB1Cya9KVXXXXXoXpXXq6xXFXXXK/202...
    - minikites 8y ago
      Yes, I understand, but I'm not sure how you address that without changing literally every existing plug and outlet in the USA.
      - mrguyorama 8y ago
        You could probably require the plug leads to have rubber coating on 80% of the plug material, and recess the actual contact points slightly farther back into the receptacle, which would emulate the British plug somewhat, but good luck getting anything like that past the lobbying of groups who often cut a tiny hole in one or both blades just to save fractions of a penny per plug
        minikites 8y ago
        Those holes mate with a spring mechanism in some outlets to keep the plug attached to the outlet more securely.
      - athenot 8y ago
        That's exactly what happened in Europe. The old ones were as dangerous as the ones currently in use in the US. They managed to make the transition in a way that was backward compatible. Here in the US we did change our plugs, by introducing polarized plugs. We don't have to be change-averse.
- AstralStorm 8y ago
  Good ones are also liquid proof.
toast0 8y ago
Tamper resistant outlets are required (maybe) for new construction, but there's a lot of existing housing -- some of which has two prong, unpolorized outlets. Hardware store still carry traditional outlets as well.
mindslight 8y ago
"TR" plugs are another "innovation" that someone got a patent on and then lobbied to get into the NEC. In my experience, their only functionality is to bend up the prongs on plugs when the plastic bits choose to not get out of the way. Why should everybody have to pay a continuing overhead simply so people with small children don't have to install outlet covers? If you're actually concerned with electrical safety, you're much better off installing solid "commercial-grade" receptacles than pretending that garbage-grade ("residential") has been rendered safe by being more difficult to use.
TheSpiceIsLife 8y ago
Do you also have an RCD[1] in the mains switchboard? Each circuit breaker in my shiny new upgraded mains switchboard is also an RCD. I still occasionally see an old switchboard with ceramic wire fuses with the fuse wire replaced with a bit of coat hanger wire, or the correct fuse wire wrapped around the terminals ten times. They often seem to be the same houses that give you a tingle if you touch any of the metal plumbing fixtures. Yikes. 1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Residual-current_device https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Residual-current_device

TR plugs are required now in the US. We replaced ours because it looks a lot better than outlet covers.

by herf 8y ago

TR plugs are required now in the US. We replaced ours because it looks a lot better than outlet covers.

zaarn 8y ago

Interesting, is there some image of the TR plug, I couldn't find anything online?

mixmastamyk 8y ago
Found this: https://www.esfi.org/resource/what-is-a-tamper-resistant-receptacle-538 https://www.esfi.org/resource/what-is-a-tamper-resistant-rec...
maxerickson 8y ago
Search "Tamper-resistant electrical receptacles". They don't really look all that different, there's just a mechanism in the holes that prevents some foreign objects from being inserted.
- zaarn 8y ago
  Yeah that's not really better at all. You can get the same protection with 3$ child-protection covers here. The issue is exposed live voltage when you plug it in. Schuko and Europlugs generally don't allow this (even the flat plug is designed such that the contact aren't exposed anymore when they make contact)

deelowe 8y ago

TR plugs don't prevent the spades from being exposed when plugging in a cord. They simply prevent a someone from inserting something into one of the slots like a bobby pin.

minikites 8y ago
It's still a massive improvement.
- athenot 8y ago
  But you can't safely guide the plug into the wall socket without looking at it. With European plugs[1], that's fine. The grounded version doesn't have that protection, but the female side has walls on the side and a protruding ground plug, so it's also safe to guide with your fingers: by the time the plug is sufficiently in to become live with power, the gap is smaller than the width of a toddler's finger. [1] https://ae01.alicdn.com/kf/HTB1Cya9KVXXXXXoXpXXq6xXFXXXK/202006245/HTB1Cya9KVXXXXXoXpXXq6xXFXXXK.jpg https://ae01.alicdn.com/kf/HTB1Cya9KVXXXXXoXpXXq6xXFXXXK/202...
  - minikites 8y ago
    Yes, I understand, but I'm not sure how you address that without changing literally every existing plug and outlet in the USA.
    - mrguyorama 8y ago
      You could probably require the plug leads to have rubber coating on 80% of the plug material, and recess the actual contact points slightly farther back into the receptacle, which would emulate the British plug somewhat, but good luck getting anything like that past the lobbying of groups who often cut a tiny hole in one or both blades just to save fractions of a penny per plug
      - minikites 8y ago
        Those holes mate with a spring mechanism in some outlets to keep the plug attached to the outlet more securely.
    - athenot 8y ago
      That's exactly what happened in Europe. The old ones were as dangerous as the ones currently in use in the US. They managed to make the transition in a way that was backward compatible. Here in the US we did change our plugs, by introducing polarized plugs. We don't have to be change-averse.
AstralStorm 8y ago
Good ones are also liquid proof.

toast0 8y ago

Tamper resistant outlets are required (maybe) for new construction, but there's a lot of existing housing -- some of which has two prong, unpolorized outlets. Hardware store still carry traditional outlets as well.

mindslight 8y ago

"TR" plugs are another "innovation" that someone got a patent on and then lobbied to get into the NEC. In my experience, their only functionality is to bend up the prongs on plugs when the plastic bits choose to not get out of the way. Why should everybody have to pay a continuing overhead simply so people with small children don't have to install outlet covers? If you're actually concerned with electrical safety, you're much better off installing solid "commercial-grade" receptacles than pretending that garbage-grade ("residential") has been rendered safe by being more difficult to use.

TheSpiceIsLife 8y ago

Do you also have an RCD[1] in the mains switchboard? Each circuit breaker in my shiny new upgraded mains switchboard is also an RCD. I still occasionally see an old switchboard with ceramic wire fuses with the fuse wire replaced with a bit of coat hanger wire, or the correct fuse wire wrapped around the terminals ten times. They often seem to be the same houses that give you a tingle if you touch any of the metal plumbing fixtures. Yikes. 1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Residual-current_device https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Residual-current_device