Hacker News new | ask | show | jobs
by otherme123 114 days ago
I am mainland european, but I like better the UK plugs having a fuse and being non pluggable on unearthed sockets: it is common to plug type G appliances to type C sockets. If only they had the safety depth of the CEE instead of being at surface...
1 comments
hdgvhicv 114 days ago
The socket holes are protected so you can’t jam thing in like European ones, and the metal isn’t exposed as the live and neutral are sheathed if the plug is half connected.

Setting aside the fuse the socket is safer than prevented European ones (which aren’t the only European sockets going)

link
otherme123 114 days ago
The socket in CEE also protect the plug from being hit laterally and damaging either the socket or the plug. In Spain, before the adoption of CEE 7/3 we had europlugs without plug pocket, and I remember half the sockets of the house wiggling on the casing due to lateral hits, and plugs coming out of the socket easily. With CEE 7/3 you have to pull, they feel really sturdy, specially compared with NEMA. I don't have much experience with UK sockets, but I bet they are not as secured (not electrically but as in this-plug-isnt-going-anywhere) as the CEE 7/3.

Not a fan of the protection through a sleeve, as it encourages meddling with the socket with a screwer to use unearthed plugs.

That said, I would like Shukos with fuses, and Shuko plugs unable to plug in unearthed sockets.

link
Symbiote 114 days ago
The UK plug is probably not as tightly secured, but the pins are rectangular and almost twice the width of the round CEE pins. I think the result is it's pretty much equivalent.

Unearthed UK plugs simply don't exist.

link
otherme123 112 days ago
There are Youtube "tutorials" about how to plug CEE appliances in the UK, for example: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/AMGKtNtSaHI . In UE we have sockets with unearthed barriers using closed holes when the plug isn't earthed, but they also sell plastic pieces as a workaround for the barriers. I have seen people breaking or sliding the barriers with a screwdriver to get access. At this point is better to just install spring covers like the triphasic sockets, because the only real protection is against dust.
link