Line voltages and plug type information

[AdamW]

I thought about putting this on the "Electrics outside the UK" forum, but then realised it does apply to the UK too. It is pretty interesting reading (well, I suspect it will be for you guys like it is for me).

http://users.pandora.be/worldstandards/electricity.htm

I quote:

The reason why we are now stuck with no less than 13 different styles of plugs and wall outlets, is because many countries preferred to develop a plug of their own, instead of adopting the US standard.

Hmmmm, cos THAT is a superior standard! Think I would rather be using a 15A round pin plug than that, personally.

This gives information on power tolerances and frequency stability for each country as well. However, the entry they have for the UK is incorrect (the tolerance and earth requirements) so don't go into William Hill and bet your house on whether or not Country X requires an earth connection. It is interesting that Johannesburg and Argentina have also DC distribution systems.

 

[securespark]

So Belgium are in favour of the US system?

As you say, what's so great about their system?

Even they have started distributing 240 to cope with "european appliances"!!!

Interesting - I knew our plug/socket standard was used in Malaysia/Singapore, but not the others.

 

[plugwash]

in a lot of third world contrys (and from what i gether even in places like greece which are in the EU now) there is a mixture of stuff depending on what rhich country had the most influence in that area

btw i think it was a bad move to use certain types of connector (iec and figure 8 spring to mind) for both 1xx and 2xx (exact voltages vary slightly within the same major band) volt systems

who agrees and disagrees and why

btw if you want a universal travel adaptor fit an iec plug to an extention lead (prefereablly a 4 way one with a fuse in the socket end so you can fit a 10A fuse to the rating of the IEC) then just borrow or buy a local iec mains lead

 

[ZenStalinist]

Why do you mention a 15 amp round pin plug with such contempt?

Sure, they're clunky, but it's not a bad system compared to some. Only thing I don't like about it is how large the pins are in diameter, leading to larger holes, meaning kids who have mastery of the earth shutter (hey, push it down and those holes open up!) can easily insert their fingers in the socket. That and the earth pin shutter is easy to operate due to the shape and size of the hole. Well, I think that's my only problem with 15 amp BS546. In South Africa they uprated it to 16 amps.

The American NEMA system is just terrible, and actually there would have been at least two plug standards, as AEG designed the predecessor to the Schuko about the same time as NEMA were developing their plugs.

btw i think it was a bad move to use certain types of connector (iec and figure 8 spring to mind) for both 1xx and 2xx (exact voltages vary slightly within the same major band) volt systems

I concur. The cigarette lighter plug is also one of the worst things. They just don't hold together well, and the same ones are used for 6 volt, 12 volt, and 24 volt electrics, I know once again of plenty of lorry drivers who plugged their TV accidentally into the 24 volt socket and damaged it.

 

[AdamW]

Why do you mention a 15 amp round pin plug with such contempt?

I didn't realise they had shutters. I think it is a great plug, round pins and holes could be engineered to produce a much more efficient power transfer. But square pins are easier to make a good contact with.

What I meant by my comment was, why should the whole world have gone for the two-prong plug, when at the same time they developed their's we developed our earthed, polarised, three-prong plug? Ours would have seemed like a much better choice. My experience of US plugs is that they don't feel like they will stay in the socket well enough. And the lack of polarity can't help! I don't have any contempt for the 15A round-pin!

It's funny how for some things we harmonised from the outset, but others we all try to keep separate. Same frequency and similar voltage, but totally different plug. Or with TVs, the Secam standard being a prime example.

And when did someone decide domestic plug-tops should be in the 10-15A range, and voltage be in the 200V (or 100V) range? I am surprised no countries had whacking big 30A plugs or 1000V domestic wiring!

 

[ZenStalinist]

Well, I read Belgium used to have DC supplies (170 volts?), in common use up until the 50s, so there's a bit of nonstandardness.

115 volts was chosen because it is the most efficient voltage when used with a tungsten incandescent lamp, 230 as we know because it's close enough to both 240 and 220, which were chosen because it was the highest voltage that was deemed to be safe within ordinary domestic wiring.

 

[AdamW]

Just read this at the bottom of that Belgian webpage...

Most products have the wattage printed somewhere on them. Some products list only amps. A rough conversion is 1 amp equals 1000 watts.

Hmmm, 1 amp = 1000W? I hope all you sparks out there are listening! Some dumb idiot told me that P=VI with a unity power factor, and that we are on 230V.

I am off to install a 45A mcb, so I can have 45kW electric shower.

 

[ZenStalinist]

and how many watts in a volt again?

 

[AdamW]

What?

 

[dingbat]

My experience of US plugs is that they don't feel like they will stay in the socket well enough.

My experience of US plugs is that they simply don't stay in the sockets at all!

 

[plugwash]

15A round pin sockets didn't have shutters when they were routinely used in the uk

and im sure a lot in third world countrys still don't

but CURRENT 15A and 5A round pin sockets sold in the uk (they are used a lot in stage lighting for example) definately do have shutters

 

[Stod]

I see that the second web page lists the UK's distribution voltage as 230/415.

Now I wonder how we manage that?!

 

[ZenStalinist]

I don't know. Maybe the box where the three phase terminates into single phase supplies for me and the neighbours is actually a transformer like my dad once called it

On another note, I see the logic of that if you just read it on paper. For some reason we always seem to have 'Danger 415 volt' signs, never 'Danger 400 volts'.

Plus, wouldn't it actually be something closer to 398 volts even so?