What is the best Power Outlet, and why?
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I would argue that neither of the plugs shown in the picture nor those mentioned by others are the best.
Ignoring current adoption, I think that IEC 60906-1 is the best plug. It is very similar to the Swiss plug and was intended to, at least in the EU, replace other plugs. It has quite a few advantages over the other plugs. It is rated at 16 A, has a compact form factor, is polarised, and has almost all the common protections except fuses (which are pretty much useless anyway). Currently it only is used in South Africa without major changes to the plug.
Compared to the Schuko (Type F):
- Much smaller. You can fit three plugs in the same space as a single Schuko plug (similar to Swiss triple outlets).
- It takes less force to plug in. Above 2.5A, Schuko plugs require a lot of force to plug in and pull out. To some extent, this is actually good for safety, but I would argue that, in the case of Schuko plugs at least, it's too much
- It is also easier to plug in without seeing the plug since it isn't round. Everyone who has tried to plug in a Schuko plug without seeing the holes knows how difficult it is
- It's polarised/directional. In some very specific cases, there is a security advantage to using a polarised plug, but I think it's also a hassle to only be able to plug in a plug one direction.
It also fits Europlugs (the thin, small plugs with only two pins that are very common in Europe, e.g. on phone chargers)
Compared to (Typ G)):
- Wayyy smaller
- Not a stepping hazard
- Rated for 16A (instead of 13 A)
- No Fuse (Again, pretty unecessary)
Regarding three-phase power, I would argue that Swiss type 15 (10A) and type 25 (16A) plugs are the best. These are really cool because while beeing the same size as Schuko (Typ F) plugs, they can transfer three-phase power (so 11 kW; 230 V / 16A on all three phases). They also fit standard Swiss single-phase and Euro plugs. This makes plugging in large appliances like electric stoves much easier than in other countries.
I would find it quite cool if most countries switched to one common plug, and I think IEC 60906-1 would be best for that. It would also be possible to build hybrid sockets for many common plugs during the transition phase.
Look at the lengths the EU is going through trying to make it seem as it didn't reluctantly recognise the superiority of the Swiss plug and adopting it
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Schuko (Type F) of course. The British plug (Type G) is a truly worthy adversary.
Schuko takes way too much space.
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The Europlug is designed to be compatible with [Types C, E, F, and K]
Which is just a Swiss plug.
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This diagram doesn’t do the utter goofiness of type M justice.
Here are a few styles you will come across.
Ridiculously oversized
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G.
The plugs are shuttered, so they're protected from being stabby-stabbed. The plug's prongs are sheathed so live metal is never exposed, negating the need for recessed sockets. Compared to recessed plugs, it takes less force to insert/remove them, but the oversized prongs and their triangular arrangement means it can safely withstand more lateral stress than any other plugs. Every plug has a fuse appropriate to the appliance so every device has appropriate protection while also allowing any device to be used on any outlet - no need for dedicated outlets for tumble dryers. And the plugs are traditionally right-angled, so once they're plugged in they only protrude about a centimeter, making it easy to plug things in behind furniture.
The whole 'every plug has a switch' thing is bullshit, though. That's just weird.
Ask any foot doctor, type G have injured a lot more people than type F have.
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of the time yes, but the pin in type E will not cause some chargers to
I haven't seen a plug here in Finland, where all sockets are of type F, that would not have a hole for the ground pin of type E in case that I want to travel to France or Belgium and use the device there. Where have you found a device whose plug doesn't fit in type E socket?!
A lot of phone chargers etc that aren't grounded and some are slightly to thick to fit in type E
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Well, the amount of differences isn't really that huge.
Unlike told in the video, if you pull the continental European plug out enough to be able to touch the pins, it's no longer connected. That safety feature exists in plugs of type J, F, E, K, and, I think, L. Plus, I'd guess N.Also the slack in ground should exist in all sockets with grounding, as well. (I have never checked if they really do, though...)
So, the only real safety differences are:
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While it is indeed a bit difficult for a child to insert a pencil or similar into the plugs of type C-contemporary, because there are usually kind of covers that require some strength to push through, the feature where the ground pin pushes the other holes open is a much better solution
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The fuse can save you in case that there's a short-circuit that causes the appliance itself to catch fire without tripping the central fuse. The British standards enables each appliance to have a fuse only as big as the maximum that appliance might ever need in normal operation, so that if it ever tries using more current than designed, the fuse will blow and a danger gets averted.
This means: one of the listed safety features is partially implemented, another one can save you from a fire in a fringe case, and the rest of the features exist at least in types E, F and K.
Type K, BTW would allow for the same kind of shutters for the live holes as in the type G plug in the video. I wonder if that's implemented? I hope it is!
Modern installations are supposed to have overcurrent and ground fault protection on all branches, so the fuse is somewhat useless and you have an extra protection against electrocution.
Most European receptacles only accept a plug if both prongs are pressed in at the same time, so children can't get electrocuted without being exceptionally clever
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A useful source:
https://worldofsockets.comIts India
Because its easy to use. -
What's the difference of C and F type?
wrote last edited by [email protected]The type-C shown in the picture is also not the only form it has and maybe partly misleading, the plug usually is significantly smaller and flat, and power strips can feature multiple of those in less space.
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A useful source:
https://worldofsockets.comType I.
ElectroBoom (Youtube) made some points about Australia's Type I. Seems it was very hard for him to electrocute himself. Lots of breakers on the outlets. I mean he did electrocute himself, but he was always going to.
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Type I
Earth pin doesn't cause the plug to murder your feet like the UK plug.
Angled pins to prevent cross polarisation.
Localised power switch per socket so you can turn something on or off with your toe and not bend down to unplug it.
Looks like a ghost face and when in the double gang formation the switches when on looks like the plate is high.
I'm a G guy at heart but use I now. My main issue is how easily the pins can bend.
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They're all functional, but the UK's Type G plug is the best of all plugs out there IMHO. I'm a Yankee and our plugs are fine, but the shutter design and built in fused plugs of the Type G are just.......chef's kiss.
See bold text.
wrote last edited by [email protected]I meant which EU plug do you think is better? There are multiple.
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A useful source:
https://worldofsockets.comI think I would like Australia's over the rest.
The recessed circles I feel like they would gather dust and grime in there if you don't use it often and be tough to clean out.
I like the angles prongs as well as the switch to turn it off and on.
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Type B, H, or I. They look unpleasantly surprised by what I'm shoving in their mouths. Definitely not K, because he looks like he likes it.
But that's why I like type k.
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This is the most definitive argument that type J is superior to all others:
Image showing an arrangement of 3 swiss plugs in the same footprint as one french one
J is superior. Not only is it the most space efficient, it's safe as the recessed plug prevents incompletely inserted pins from being shorted out if a conductor were to fall atop them.
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A useful source:
https://worldofsockets.comAs a Brazilian, that makes me so sad. We used to have a type that could fit European and American plugs, but they just changed it. Never gonna let it go hahaha
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I meant which EU plug do you think is better? There are multiple.
Schuko/Type F
Or it's slim version -
As a Brazilian, that makes me so sad. We used to have a type that could fit European and American plugs, but they just changed it. Never gonna let it go hahaha
That makes me sad for you guys...
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A useful source:
https://worldofsockets.comI have a strong preference for the German and Swiss types, but I think we can all agree that Japan massively fucked up. They took the already shitty American plug and just forgot about the ground.
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A useful source:
https://worldofsockets.comType E is inverted in the picture.
