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British style sockets/plugs are the best. I find that two pin plugs are always falling out of the sockets. I just had my house in Vietnam fitted out with unive
by Daub 1y ago
British style sockets/plugs are the best. I find that two pin plugs are always falling out of the sockets.
I just had my house in Vietnam fitted out with universal sockets that will accept all plugs tyoes. Life changing decision.
- laurencerowe 1y agoBritish plugs are however the worst to step on.
- delta_p_delta_x 1y agoI never understood this. Just don't ever unplug a device. That's why BS1363 sockets come with switches.
- gerdesj 1y agoHave you actually ever stepped on one? If you have, then why was it unplugged? A plug should be plugged in (in which case it is safe) or it is superfluous. I've managed to struggle through to the age of 54 without treading on one of our thrusting tri-pronged plugs. It is surprisingly easy to avoid stepping on them.
- laurencerowe 1y agoMaybe I’m just clumsy but I did it multiple times as a kid. There were never enough sockets (I helped my dad install a bunch when that was still legal in the 80s and 90s) and sometimes you move an appliance from room to room, like a hoover.
- dcow 1y agoYou can't legally do your own electrical work? Shiver...
- RASBR89 1y agoDepends. You can certainly replace broken or worn socket/switch faceplates.
- laurencerowe 1y agoWe were running spurs from the ring main and adding new outlets which is definitely not allowed without inspection now. It’s really not that complicated and I’d feel completely comfortable doing it myself today but I understand how that may not be true for everyone so the requirement is probably reasonable.
- pmyteh 1y agoSpurs have been re-legalised: the Part P changes have now been rolled back to whole new circuits, and spurs and new outlets are back as non-notifiable along with new faceplates etc. That said, you're theoretically supposed to do a full set of earth resistance measurements etc. on the new wiring, which is hard if not impossible unless you've got proper electrician's test equipment. But in reality no one does that when DIYing it.
- laurencerowe 1y agoAt least it’s not as bad as in the US. As I understand it you only need to get it inspected and signed off by a licensed electrician if you DIY, no need for permits from the local council.
- dan_can_code 1y agoBritish-born here. Standing on a plug is somewhat a rite of passage that each kid goes through at least once. It's a meme in the UK. The flat back of most plugs increased the risk of standing on this type of plug. It's similar to the experience of standing on Lego, except it will dig much deeper into your foot, and falling over is better than putting all of your weight on it. It can be a common occurrence, because using an extension cord or an appliance you don't always need to have plugged in can just be laying around. And kids aren't known for being tidy. If you managed to get past being a clumsy kid and had the self awareness to avoid it, props to you.
- Gud 1y agoI did while in Dubai. It took weeks/months to heal.
- tasn 1y agoI used to live in the UK (also lived in the US and Europe), and I HATE the UK plugs. They are too large and too complex (fuse in every plug, this silly shutter, etc). European plugs (especially German style) are far superior, and European two pin plugs never fall off sockets. That is only a problem with US plugs.
- barbazoo 1y agoNot only do they fall out, they also like to slide out part way, exposing the hot part of the plug while still being hot. In EU and these British ones, once it slides out a bit, it will lose contact before you can touch the metal.
- tasn 1y agoYeah, both UK and EU ones have the plastic coating on the base of the hot prongs to prevent this from happening. I really wish US plugs had this plastic coating. I'd choose UK plugs over US plugs any day of the week, but I still think EU plugs are 10x better than UK.
- kiwijamo 1y agoModern ANZ ones also have the plastic coating as well. It seems to be a more recent introduction though so there are still plenty of non-plastic-coated ones. Is this also the case for the UK/EU ones? I, at least, try and dispose of any non-plastic-coated plugs though.