The things I was talking about are sockets like these (ignore the plugs in photo) - no pins to unscrew, nor fuses
Edit: photo in next post!
Kind Regards, John
Small sized plug socket
- Thread starter Simon Vogt
- Start date
Edit: photo in next post!
Kind Regards, John
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Photo didn't appear, and can't be added by editing. Here it is (I hope!) ...
Kind Regards, John
Kind Regards, John
D
Deleted member 267285
Actually, they can. If you edit post, then select more options, you can then add them there.
In all the years I've been using this forum, I never knew that. Thanks! ...and to satisfy myself, I've just edited this one to prove to myself that you're right [this photo added by editing]Actually, they can. If you edit post, then select more options, you can then add them there.
....Kind Regards, John
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The thing with these 'mini sockets' - for want of a better name - is (and this applies to the most recent incarnation) that a plug can be inserted 'upside down' by the earth pin, opening the shutters on the live and neutral holes.
Indeed, and that's why I always thought that (the current version of) BS1363 imposed a minimum distance from the earth pin receptacle from the edge of the plate/whatever. However, if I recall correctly (I'll check again) when I recently looked all I could find was a maximum, not minimum, figure for that distance - which makes little sense to me!
Kind Regards, John
My recollections were not quite right, although it seems to remain the case that the rule does not seem to make much sense. There is a minimum, but it relates to the L/N pins, not the earth one - so, no matter what the rule is meant to protect against, it doesn't seem to preclude the earth pin receptacle being very close to the edge, hence allowing the earth pin of an inverted plug to be inserted, opening the shutters of the exposed L/N receptacles.
Kind Regards, John
Thanks, I had in mind that you meant the round pin 13amp plugs and sockets. Those surface ones were at one time the most common to be fitted during a rewire.
Yes, and sometimes they were fitted without the chunky backplate. I think there was a very slim backplate available too.
The backplate was only really needed so the terminals at the back of the mini socket weren't directly exposed to the wooden skirting board. Not that anyone seemed too bothered then.
(Edited for spelling.)
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The "modern" MK "Mini logic" sockets use the MK "2 pin" shutter mechanism, so while you can insert a plug upside down in the earth hole, doing so won't open the shutters on the live/neutral holes.
Yes, I seem to recall that there were slimmer backplates available. However, the ones I found in my house yesterday (all on skirting boards) all had the 'chunky' ones, as in the photo.
Kind Regards, John
Virtually every multiway socket strip has the earth hole too near the outside edge.
I half remember the thin ones being just a flat plate, they added no extra space for cable entry, they just had a small lip so they located squarely to the socket.
Is that just a 'common sense' statement (in which case I would not necessarily disagree)?
As for 'rules', as I've said, BS1363 seems not to specify any minimum distance of the 'earth hole' from the edge - only the L and N 'holes', which doesn't stop an inverted plug opening shutters if they are solely earth-pin-operated.
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