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by Lukas_Skywalker 997 days ago
You need to take Type-J from my cold dead hands. The image shows a quite important safety feature (and misses one):

The socket is recessed into the wall, and only the frontmost part of the plug is conducting. That means that while you are plugging it in, there is never any metal exposed. Contact can only be made when the plug is already quite far in the socket.

The second feature would be to mount the socket upside down, so the center hole (the ground contact) is on the top. Metal objects falling down on the plug are prevented from making contact with the two current-carrying contacts and usually bounce right off the center contact.

2 comments

> The socket is recessed into the wall, and only the frontmost part of the plug is conducting. That means that while you are plugging it in, there is never any metal exposed. Contact can only be made when the plug is already quite far in the socket.

Same thing for E/F... the actual metal connectors for power are recessed in socket so when socket is in you can't touch anything before it even connects power, because plug itself covers the socket

But yeah, type J is more compact one, althought only 10 amps is laughable

I'd rather have C13/C14 than any of those tbh

What domestic device are you using that consumes more than 2.3kW? My vacuum cleaner with 900W is the most power hungry one I can think of. That is a pretty wide margin.
A 3kW kettle is the classic 13A appliance in the UK. I'm sure people would be keen to have a higher power version if possible, but lowering to 2.3kW would waste precious tea drinking time.

I've also got a 3kW plug-in electric radiator for emergency heat in the attic, but except for poor households in crap rented accommodation (lowest capital cost per kW and portable on moving) that's pretty niche these days.

While the compact-ness of Type J is very convincing, I personally like Types E and F best. This is because the ground is exposed, so you can quickly touch it to remove any static charges from yourself. I do this f.e. before handling circuit boards.
Also only 10 amps