What is the best Power Outlet, and why?
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Not really the point, what I'm saying is that F sockets are definitely still "a thing".
Oh, yeah, absolutely. The best thing. I just wanted to say that E type plugs are also in use.
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I thing it is about the cord vs the plug. The plugs are as they are in the picture, but most cords are in F+E configuration. That is, there is the ground plates on the side of the cord (F) and there is a hole in the cord with a springplate to connect to the ground thingy in thr plug (E). I have two extension cords at home of the same brand, one in E and one in F configuration, but all my cords are compatible with both. I'm a bit unsure on this, but I may have seen a plug with E+F configuration in a country which usually goes E, but definetly never in a country with F config.
I think you mean plugs vs sockets. I was talking about sockets, but I mistakenly wrote plugs. I think I misunderstood the original comment in that regard.
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Oh, yeah, absolutely. The best thing. I just wanted to say that E type plugs are also in use.
The best thing
Yeah they are pretty great. Admittedly I am biased 
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This is one of those things I can't believe hasn't been standardized. Why???
As for the question, the one I grew up with type B. All others seems weird to me.
Type B is objectively inferior. This is not anti-americanism either, Technology Connections has my back here. But it's not bad enough to replace three big countries worth of plugs and outlets. The only way to have a global standard would be something like Italy's plug orgy system where you can fit multiple different types but that would kinda defy the purpose.
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I like the USA type-A plug. That's probably not a popular answer since I see lots of comments about safety features in the other plugs, but my focus is on convenience.
The plugs are small, making it much easier to design folding-plug devices like this one. It also means that cords don't have a bulky knob on the end, and splitters and power strips can be smaller than other plugs - much smaller than Schuko type-C or UK type-G.
The most common objection is that it's possible for live pins to be exposed when a device is partially plugged in. That's true, and most people who grew up around them has been shocked that way once. Few have been shocked twice, as the lesson to be careful with electricity usually forms a lasting memory.
I think that type A plug would be greatly improved in terms of safety and mechanically if it was put in a grounded metal shroud, in style of DIN connector https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DIN_connector it still would be compact, smaller than type F
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And your adult toys must be licensed, of course. To protect the kids.
Its important you don't allow them access so you need to keep them on your person in a place thats very hard to access. So hard.
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Type K. I mean how can you say no to that face?
why would you shove things into it's mouth?
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A useful source:
https://worldofsockets.comAs someone who travels a lot and has used all these sockets regularly, my vote is for Type G. The European ones seem like they would be the winner, but I've had trouble unplugging some devices. The recessed hole means some shitty cable designs don't have enough to grab on to to yank out. I can imagine some people with dexterity issues having a lot of problems.
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are house fires and electrocutions common occurrences?
Grounded devices are only important if it's something that can build up charges or has a metal exterior that can become part of the circuit. Even then, it just takes something like a GFCI circuit to make something ungrounded near perfectly safe. House fires happen because of shitty house wiring or unattended or misused hot appliances, almost never because of ungrounded devices.That's more just a general shock risk that can be mitigated in other ways.
Especially these days with so many things being lower voltage DC past an ac to dc converter that should have a ton of protections in itself.
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Huh, I never knew Australia shared the same power point as china, thought we were on our own. Good to know not EVERY country is suffering through inferior plugs
wrote last edited by [email protected]Australia's plug isn't bad, in fact, it's one of the best.
- The angled blade pins ensure polarity will always be the same.
- The ground pin is longer than the live pins, meaning it'll always make contact first, and last when you pull it out.
- The Earth pin is located on the bottom, meaning when you pull down on it, or if something drops on the plug, it'll pull away the live pins first.
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A useful source:
https://worldofsockets.comEasy. Type G. For safety. If you're worried about night-time attacks from ninja you can leave a few plugs by your bedroom door and windows with the pins upward. They will rue the day they entered that room in the dark!
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Type B is objectively inferior. This is not anti-americanism either, Technology Connections has my back here. But it's not bad enough to replace three big countries worth of plugs and outlets. The only way to have a global standard would be something like Italy's plug orgy system where you can fit multiple different types but that would kinda defy the purpose.
wrote last edited by [email protected]The criticisms of type B are so minor, it reaches so hard.
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In my opinion it's Type-F
Because:
- It's bi-directional
- It's grounded and ungrounded plugs use the same socket
- It's already widespread (50+ countries) source
- Your fingers can't touch the live wire as you're plugging in a wire
- It's recessed
- Low footprint
- Accepts Type-C
Accepts Type-C
It took me a few seconds to realize you werent talking about shoving a USB Type C plug into there.
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Why? It doesn't make any difference with AC
It doesn't matter depending on whether both are live. In plenty of places, only one side is live. Switching live with neutral can be very bad depending on the appliance, as described already elsewhere.
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Some people say it does with certain devices but I've never had anything I've run into. The American outlets have been used as bi-directional in most instances. (With 2 prong). If they had a ground then you can only go in one way. But that said... Obviously a cord without a ground can still plug into an outlet that has the ground set up. If the device wants the current to go in a certain direction they use one with a slightly larger prong on one side, but if you pick up any phone charger in America, you can plug it into any outlet any direction.
Phone chargers are definitely not the appliance that's going to have an issue switching things out. That's going to be stuff that directly uses the AC power. Some older appliances or shittily designed ones can even become an electrocution hazard when switching live with neutral.
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A useful source:
https://worldofsockets.comwrote last edited by [email protected]How does the type-A (Japan) ground?
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My toys are wireless...
You'll need a broadcasting licence for that, mate.
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I've been shocked with both. I can confirm 230V hurts more. Neither is likely to result in a medically significant injury with this kind of shock though - just momentary discomfort.
Ehhh that depends entirely on the manner of the shock. Both are more than capable of stopping your heart or going in to afib if the path gets too near your heart.
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Its important you don't allow them access so you need to keep them on your person in a place thats very hard to access. So hard.
Your last sentence is a double entendre?
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A useful source:
https://worldofsockets.comFor safety, the BS1363 (UK, type G) is by far the best.
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It's fused. (Seriously why the hell aren't all plugs fused!)
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Live and neutral can't be reversed.
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Holes are gated (so no kids sticking spoons in).
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High capacity, 240V at 13A gives 3kW of power.
It's only real downside is its size.
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