5 ms·

I know type L is not great because it's not polarized, but I think it's the best looking socket out of any of the ones listed.

nrr 3y ago
Somewhat paradoxically, it's actually safer from a consumer safety perspective to assume that you don't have a polarized connector. The big reason is that the consumer can see fit to make modifications to meet their circumstances. If the culture here in the US of filing down the wider blade on polarized plugs so they'll mate with an unpolarized receptacle is anything to go by, people just want to use their stuff, safety be damned.
- pathartl 3y ago
  Of course. Ideally we'd be able to have all appliances be polarizing agnostic and write that into any standards, and then be able to enforce those standards.
- bluGill 3y ago
  Polarization is only safer in the case of a screw in light plug (ie light bulb) where the design makes it likely you will touch one of the live wires - if that wire is the one connected to ground you can safely touch it.
  - pmyteh 3y ago
    It's also helpful when dealing with old hot chassis appliances such as antique radios, where the metal case is wired to what is hopefully neutral but can be at line voltage if the plug or socket is wired in reverse.
ilyt 3y ago
Oh you funny man, thinking we have polarized ones! Brits do I think, but most of the eu has unpolarized ones. One of the common 2 socket wall sockets for example have just straight bars connecting 2 sockets being 180 degrees rotated, so each socket have line and neutral on different connector. So if you say put a tester in it, one socket will read "correct" while other will read "L/N reversed"
slategruen 3y ago
Saves a lot of space too. One thing that’s bothered me with most popular socket variants is how wide their power strips usually become. I think the Italian one is the most practical variant that unfortunately isn’t as ubiquitous. It (1) occupies less space, (2) reversible, (3) sticks to the wall more firmly unlike the flat-pronged ones in North America.

nrr 3y ago

Somewhat paradoxically, it's actually safer from a consumer safety perspective to assume that you don't have a polarized connector. The big reason is that the consumer can see fit to make modifications to meet their circumstances. If the culture here in the US of filing down the wider blade on polarized plugs so they'll mate with an unpolarized receptacle is anything to go by, people just want to use their stuff, safety be damned.

pathartl 3y ago
Of course. Ideally we'd be able to have all appliances be polarizing agnostic and write that into any standards, and then be able to enforce those standards.
bluGill 3y ago
Polarization is only safer in the case of a screw in light plug (ie light bulb) where the design makes it likely you will touch one of the live wires - if that wire is the one connected to ground you can safely touch it.
- pmyteh 3y ago
  It's also helpful when dealing with old hot chassis appliances such as antique radios, where the metal case is wired to what is hopefully neutral but can be at line voltage if the plug or socket is wired in reverse.

ilyt 3y ago

Oh you funny man, thinking we have polarized ones! Brits do I think, but most of the eu has unpolarized ones. One of the common 2 socket wall sockets for example have just straight bars connecting 2 sockets being 180 degrees rotated, so each socket have line and neutral on different connector. So if you say put a tester in it, one socket will read "correct" while other will read "L/N reversed"

slategruen 3y ago

Saves a lot of space too. One thing that’s bothered me with most popular socket variants is how wide their power strips usually become. I think the Italian one is the most practical variant that unfortunately isn’t as ubiquitous. It (1) occupies less space, (2) reversible, (3) sticks to the wall more firmly unlike the flat-pronged ones in North America.