8 ms·

Reminds me of a story I heard many years ago. UK power plugs have three prongs to include earth. If you rewire earth, live and neutral AND alter the plug wall s

by junto 12y ago

Reminds me of a story I heard many years ago. UK power plugs have three prongs to include earth. If you rewire earth, live and neutral AND alter the plug wall socket to match, then all is well, but if someone steals your PC then plugs it in using a standard wall socket then ouch.

jacquesm 12y ago
Or, if you end up forgetting about it or your s.o. moves the laptop from your desk to the other side of the room...
- junto 12y ago
  The original story actually relates to a computer running a BBS back in the 90's. The plugs were duck taped to sockets and signs more or less read "do not unplug... ever". When the place was raided by the police and the computer confiscated, the fun and games began. The computer was never returned.
twelvechairs 12y ago
UK power plugs also require a fuse, which I believe is not mandatory anywhere else.
- philjohn 12y ago
  They're ugly as hell, and insanely painful if you tread on them, but UK plugs are a bastion of good engineering. Things like not being able to stick things into the line/neutral holes unless the ground pin (which is longer) is inserted make them very safe, and the plastic lower part of the line/neutral pins to stop you accidentally touching something that will have current running through it until the plug is safely inserted is inspired.
  - asdfaoeu 12y ago
    > Things like not being able to stick things into the line/neutral holes unless the ground pin (which is longer) is inserted make them very safe, and the plastic lower part of the line/neutral pins to stop you accidentally touching something that will have current running through it until the plug is safely inserted is inspired. Same in Australia, of course you can still go off an buy and Apple Laptop charger with no ground.
    - TheSpiceIsLife 12y ago
      I don't know why you singled out the MacBook charger. The relevant Australian Standard (AS/NZ 3820, I think?) tells you an electrical appliance doesn't need to have an earth pin if it's double insulated, which the MacBook charger, and the stick blender in my kitchen, amongst others, are. Source: I'm certified for Electrical Test & Tag in Australia.
  - MrBuddyCasino 12y ago
    I know Britons love their plugs, and I have never quite understood why. They look brutish, clunky and over-engineered. The opposite of elegant. The reason why they have fuses is so you can use ring circuits, which saves copper compared to the usual radial wiring. So its just about saving a little money. Everyone now gets to state his favourite plug type. Bring it on! Mine is the swiss Type J (http://www.worldstandards.eu/electricity/plugs-and-sockets/j/ http://www.worldstandards.eu/electricity/plugs-and-sockets/j...). Its safe, not an eyesore and very space efficient. Its safe against voltage reversal, usually has a protective shroud and the ground pin is contacting first. Well engineered, very swiss like.
    - vertex-four 12y ago
      Does anyone actually care that their plugs are elegant? In any case, your Type J is missing the fact that in the UK, the cables point down towards the floor rather than sticking out, keeping them flush with the wall and often allowing you to hide the plugs behind things.
      - swombat 12y ago
        Swiss person here. The total length of the "plug" part of a swiss plug is actually roundabout the same as the width of a british plug. They fit just fine behind couches, shelves, etc.
        vjvj 12y ago
        And as seen here (http://www.worldstandards.eu/electricity/plugs-and-sockets/j/ http://www.worldstandards.eu/electricity/plugs-and-sockets/j...) the socket is indented into the wall so less of the cable protrudes beyond the flat surface of the wall.
        swombat 12y ago
        That's not always the case - but it frequently is, and yes, does make the direction of the cable even less of an issue!
  - kissickas 12y ago
    Very safe theoretically, but in practice (with Malaysian UK-type plugs, full disclosure) I've seen people casually shove pens and even metal spoons in the ground to force the socket to accept their ungrounded laptop plug.
    - riffraff 12y ago
      I have done that, when I was young and stupid and didn't have a UK compatible plug. I have also witnessed a many people doing it. You can also trick it by doing a sort of dance with te plug where you partially force in the ground, then one live, then you spin it and put the other one in. The day we have USB wall sockets can't come soon enough.
      - coldpie 12y ago
        Eh, USB carries data, not just power. I don't trust any USB socket that I don't control.
        fnordfnordfnord 12y ago
        Use a charge-only cable.
        AnonymousPlanet 12y ago
        I would have to tell my phone not to believe everything some house computer (on Earth or Bespin) tells it. At least with USB, my phone is less likely to mistake the power plug for the data plug, because it's all the same.
  - lucian1900 12y ago
    They are however no safer than Schuko plugs, which are significantly less annoying.
    - makeitsuckless 12y ago
      Schuko plugs are a pain in the ass, because more often then not they require brute force to unplug them (or even just plug them in). Also doesn't help the lifespan of powerstrips. Being able to plug them in ungrounded Euro sockets is handy, but also makes them less safe.
    - MrBuddyCasino 12y ago
      I consider Schuko plugs to fall somewhere between the british and the swiss plug. It certainly is a little too big for what it does, and also hard to unplug. That 16A rating is nice, though.
    - talideon 12y ago
      We used to use Schuko plugs here in Ireland, but switched to type G plugs for convenience and trade reasons back in the '60s. I think my grandparents' house still had some Schuko sockets about the place. Personally, I'm not too bothered either way. I don't find either any more or less annoying as they're both pretty bulky, unless you're using Europlugs, which lack most of the benefits of Schuko plugs. Still nothing compares in its awfulness to North American plugs. Aussie plugs are similar, but they had the good sense to tilt the prongs at an angle to give the plug better mechanical stability.
- dtech 12y ago
  This is because Post-WW2 UK houses were wired as one giant ring circuit, while in the rest of the world there generally was a fuseboard with every fused circuit connected to a few sockets. This saves wire (copper) but requires every plug to have a fuse. I do not now if modern UK homes are still wired like this. In modern times the individual fuse still makes it safer, but it is also one of the reasons UK plugs are so large and clunky.
  - julian_t 12y ago
    They definitely shouldn't be.... IANA electrician, but as far as I am aware UK regulations require separate power and lighting circuits and a proper distribution board with RCBs. And while our plugs may be clunky, I kind of prefer them to the wobbly, spark emitting two-pin plugs that I seem to come across in the US...
    - MrBuddyCasino 12y ago
      Obviously the US plugs are the worst, but thats the price for being the first. PAL was better than NTSC, too.
      - talideon 12y ago
        They needn't have been so bad: one small change--tilting the pins at an angle--and they could've been mechanically sound like Aussie ones.
        fnordfnordfnord 12y ago
        I'm not sure the order these were conceived, but it may be that there was already a plug with a similar configuration. http://www.jmjwebsitedesign.com/cdpro/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/nema1-1024x648.jpg http://www.jmjwebsitedesign.com/cdpro/wp-content/uploads/201...
        talideon 12y ago
rplnt 12y ago
I lived in a place where someone managed to swap wires at one of the switchboards. There was no ground (not that uncommon), so the supposed 0 was wired to the ground at the sockets (that's what you should do). What it means with German/French-combo style socket is that phase (+/-230V AC) was wired to metal parts sticking out of a socket or any grounded appliance plugged in. Everything plugged into affected sockets seemed to work just fine. Even a desktop computer + monitor. We only found out because roommate was getting electric shocks from the metal PC casing.
- brankso 12y ago
  I used to work in a school where students reported electric shocks from the laptop computers. The "electrician" came and unbelievably, wrapped a wire round the earth pin of a plug, and bolted the other end to a desk. Apparently it solved the electric shock problem which I guess was static.
anomie 12y ago
When my grandparents died and we sold their house (in the uk) we had some builders in to tidy up some stuff and they discovered that in a big part of the house the earth was actually wired to live in the sockets. They'd lived with it for 40 years or something. Guess not many devices actually use the earth. (The wiring was originally done by my grandad'a brother - use a professional people...)
- riffraff 12y ago
  I've found earth and live wires mixed in 2 different houses I've lived in. Programmers are not the only ones that do shoddy work :)
- taco_emoji 12y ago
  If you're not going to do it professionally, at least use one of these: http://smile.amazon.com/GE-3-Wire-Receptacle-Tester-50542/dp/B002LZTKIA/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1425997170&sr=8-2&keywords=outlet+checker http://smile.amazon.com/GE-3-Wire-Receptacle-Tester-50542/dp... (that's US wiring but surely there's a UK equivalent)
  - mturmon 12y ago
    Nothing wrong with that device, but it's also nice to know about its big brother: http://smile.amazon.com/Amprobe-INSP-3-Wiring-Inspection-Tester/dp/B005E0XSR8/ref=pd_cp_hi_2 http://smile.amazon.com/Amprobe-INSP-3-Wiring-Inspection-Tes... This tester can simulate a 10A or 15A load and measure voltage drop, which should remain within 5% of its unloaded value (this is the recommendation in U.S. code). This can identify situations where connections are weak, or wires are too long or too thin. It has also helped me to improve my wiring practices. It turns out that keeping voltage within 5%, under a 15A load on a 20A circuit, is pretty demanding, and a series of (say) 8 or 10 twisted connections may not meet it, if you are not careful with your technique. The device can also test GFCI outlets by allowing some current to leak to ground. This provides an end-to-end test in situations where the GFCI is not present at the outlet.

by junto 12y ago

jacquesm 12y ago

Or, if you end up forgetting about it or your s.o. moves the laptop from your desk to the other side of the room...

junto 12y ago
The original story actually relates to a computer running a BBS back in the 90's. The plugs were duck taped to sockets and signs more or less read "do not unplug... ever". When the place was raided by the police and the computer confiscated, the fun and games began. The computer was never returned.

twelvechairs 12y ago

UK power plugs also require a fuse, which I believe is not mandatory anywhere else.

philjohn 12y ago
They're ugly as hell, and insanely painful if you tread on them, but UK plugs are a bastion of good engineering. Things like not being able to stick things into the line/neutral holes unless the ground pin (which is longer) is inserted make them very safe, and the plastic lower part of the line/neutral pins to stop you accidentally touching something that will have current running through it until the plug is safely inserted is inspired.
- asdfaoeu 12y ago
  > Things like not being able to stick things into the line/neutral holes unless the ground pin (which is longer) is inserted make them very safe, and the plastic lower part of the line/neutral pins to stop you accidentally touching something that will have current running through it until the plug is safely inserted is inspired. Same in Australia, of course you can still go off an buy and Apple Laptop charger with no ground.
  - TheSpiceIsLife 12y ago
    I don't know why you singled out the MacBook charger. The relevant Australian Standard (AS/NZ 3820, I think?) tells you an electrical appliance doesn't need to have an earth pin if it's double insulated, which the MacBook charger, and the stick blender in my kitchen, amongst others, are. Source: I'm certified for Electrical Test & Tag in Australia.
- MrBuddyCasino 12y ago
  I know Britons love their plugs, and I have never quite understood why. They look brutish, clunky and over-engineered. The opposite of elegant. The reason why they have fuses is so you can use ring circuits, which saves copper compared to the usual radial wiring. So its just about saving a little money. Everyone now gets to state his favourite plug type. Bring it on! Mine is the swiss Type J (http://www.worldstandards.eu/electricity/plugs-and-sockets/j/ http://www.worldstandards.eu/electricity/plugs-and-sockets/j...). Its safe, not an eyesore and very space efficient. Its safe against voltage reversal, usually has a protective shroud and the ground pin is contacting first. Well engineered, very swiss like.
  - vertex-four 12y ago
    Does anyone actually care that their plugs are elegant? In any case, your Type J is missing the fact that in the UK, the cables point down towards the floor rather than sticking out, keeping them flush with the wall and often allowing you to hide the plugs behind things.
    - swombat 12y ago
      Swiss person here. The total length of the "plug" part of a swiss plug is actually roundabout the same as the width of a british plug. They fit just fine behind couches, shelves, etc.
      - vjvj 12y ago
        And as seen here (http://www.worldstandards.eu/electricity/plugs-and-sockets/j/ http://www.worldstandards.eu/electricity/plugs-and-sockets/j...) the socket is indented into the wall so less of the cable protrudes beyond the flat surface of the wall.
        swombat 12y ago
        That's not always the case - but it frequently is, and yes, does make the direction of the cable even less of an issue!
- kissickas 12y ago
  Very safe theoretically, but in practice (with Malaysian UK-type plugs, full disclosure) I've seen people casually shove pens and even metal spoons in the ground to force the socket to accept their ungrounded laptop plug.
  - riffraff 12y ago
    I have done that, when I was young and stupid and didn't have a UK compatible plug. I have also witnessed a many people doing it. You can also trick it by doing a sort of dance with te plug where you partially force in the ground, then one live, then you spin it and put the other one in. The day we have USB wall sockets can't come soon enough.
    - coldpie 12y ago
      Eh, USB carries data, not just power. I don't trust any USB socket that I don't control.
      - fnordfnordfnord 12y ago
        Use a charge-only cable.
      - AnonymousPlanet 12y ago
        I would have to tell my phone not to believe everything some house computer (on Earth or Bespin) tells it. At least with USB, my phone is less likely to mistake the power plug for the data plug, because it's all the same.
- lucian1900 12y ago
  They are however no safer than Schuko plugs, which are significantly less annoying.
  - makeitsuckless 12y ago
    Schuko plugs are a pain in the ass, because more often then not they require brute force to unplug them (or even just plug them in). Also doesn't help the lifespan of powerstrips. Being able to plug them in ungrounded Euro sockets is handy, but also makes them less safe.
  - MrBuddyCasino 12y ago
    I consider Schuko plugs to fall somewhere between the british and the swiss plug. It certainly is a little too big for what it does, and also hard to unplug. That 16A rating is nice, though.
  - talideon 12y ago
    We used to use Schuko plugs here in Ireland, but switched to type G plugs for convenience and trade reasons back in the '60s. I think my grandparents' house still had some Schuko sockets about the place. Personally, I'm not too bothered either way. I don't find either any more or less annoying as they're both pretty bulky, unless you're using Europlugs, which lack most of the benefits of Schuko plugs. Still nothing compares in its awfulness to North American plugs. Aussie plugs are similar, but they had the good sense to tilt the prongs at an angle to give the plug better mechanical stability.
dtech 12y ago
This is because Post-WW2 UK houses were wired as one giant ring circuit, while in the rest of the world there generally was a fuseboard with every fused circuit connected to a few sockets. This saves wire (copper) but requires every plug to have a fuse. I do not now if modern UK homes are still wired like this. In modern times the individual fuse still makes it safer, but it is also one of the reasons UK plugs are so large and clunky.
- julian_t 12y ago
  They definitely shouldn't be.... IANA electrician, but as far as I am aware UK regulations require separate power and lighting circuits and a proper distribution board with RCBs. And while our plugs may be clunky, I kind of prefer them to the wobbly, spark emitting two-pin plugs that I seem to come across in the US...
  - MrBuddyCasino 12y ago
    Obviously the US plugs are the worst, but thats the price for being the first. PAL was better than NTSC, too.
    - talideon 12y ago
      They needn't have been so bad: one small change--tilting the pins at an angle--and they could've been mechanically sound like Aussie ones.
      - fnordfnordfnord 12y ago
        I'm not sure the order these were conceived, but it may be that there was already a plug with a similar configuration. http://www.jmjwebsitedesign.com/cdpro/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/nema1-1024x648.jpg http://www.jmjwebsitedesign.com/cdpro/wp-content/uploads/201...
        talideon 12y ago

rplnt 12y ago

I lived in a place where someone managed to swap wires at one of the switchboards. There was no ground (not that uncommon), so the supposed 0 was wired to the ground at the sockets (that's what you should do). What it means with German/French-combo style socket is that phase (+/-230V AC) was wired to metal parts sticking out of a socket or any grounded appliance plugged in. Everything plugged into affected sockets seemed to work just fine. Even a desktop computer + monitor. We only found out because roommate was getting electric shocks from the metal PC casing.

brankso 12y ago
I used to work in a school where students reported electric shocks from the laptop computers. The "electrician" came and unbelievably, wrapped a wire round the earth pin of a plug, and bolted the other end to a desk. Apparently it solved the electric shock problem which I guess was static.

anomie 12y ago

When my grandparents died and we sold their house (in the uk) we had some builders in to tidy up some stuff and they discovered that in a big part of the house the earth was actually wired to live in the sockets. They'd lived with it for 40 years or something. Guess not many devices actually use the earth. (The wiring was originally done by my grandad'a brother - use a professional people...)

riffraff 12y ago
I've found earth and live wires mixed in 2 different houses I've lived in. Programmers are not the only ones that do shoddy work :)
taco_emoji 12y ago
If you're not going to do it professionally, at least use one of these: http://smile.amazon.com/GE-3-Wire-Receptacle-Tester-50542/dp/B002LZTKIA/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1425997170&sr=8-2&keywords=outlet+checker http://smile.amazon.com/GE-3-Wire-Receptacle-Tester-50542/dp... (that's US wiring but surely there's a UK equivalent)
- mturmon 12y ago
  Nothing wrong with that device, but it's also nice to know about its big brother: http://smile.amazon.com/Amprobe-INSP-3-Wiring-Inspection-Tester/dp/B005E0XSR8/ref=pd_cp_hi_2 http://smile.amazon.com/Amprobe-INSP-3-Wiring-Inspection-Tes... This tester can simulate a 10A or 15A load and measure voltage drop, which should remain within 5% of its unloaded value (this is the recommendation in U.S. code). This can identify situations where connections are weak, or wires are too long or too thin. It has also helped me to improve my wiring practices. It turns out that keeping voltage within 5%, under a 15A load on a 20A circuit, is pretty demanding, and a series of (say) 8 or 10 twisted connections may not meet it, if you are not careful with your technique. The device can also test GFCI outlets by allowing some current to leak to ground. This provides an end-to-end test in situations where the GFCI is not present at the outlet.