What is the best Power Outlet, and why?
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A useful source:
https://worldofsockets.comSchuko (Type F) of course. The British plug (Type G) is a truly worthy adversary.
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A useful source:
https://worldofsockets.comEverything else falls out with a light breeze, G is the way forward.
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That doesn't ground a lot of plugs
wrote last edited by [email protected]Not supporting the French was an intentional design decision.
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Some images of the plugs, since I didn't know what they looked like.
It was mentioned the pins started being insulated like that second image 20 years ago, but going by the images I found the older uninsulated style is still more common. This is ofc a major shock hazard when plugging in your stuff.
Even with the insulation, you can still reach under the half inserted plug, just less easily and maybe only if you have smaller hands (like children).
Fundamentally flat sockets are doomed to be shock hazards, compare it to the recessed sockets where the entire surface the contacts insert into is cut off from reach before the pin insertion starts, and on top of that the pins of say type F have been insulated for so long many don't know there were uninsulated variants.
Another bonus of the recessed style is the plug doesn't stick as far out of your walls. For extension cords it's probably a bit bulkier, but when you sink the recession into the wallbox of the outlet you can get as flush as the width of the cable with an angled plug.
Also pretty sure you can step on angled type I plugs resting on their backs. The recessed plugs usually have grips on top so can't rest on their back even when angled. Their pins are also ball-shaped on the end, type I looks quite angular and more painful.
Ironically, those are upside down.
Which usually indicates Chinese Type I - they don't insulate pins but do put earth on top.
We insulate pins but live/neutral is on top.
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The safest ones (design-wise) would be the ones that are inset, like types C, E, F, H, J, and K. If there is ever a chance a plug is partially pulled out or not fully inserted, the socket being inset wouldn't allow anything to touch any of the contacts.
Fuses in plugs and the orientation are relatively irrelevant to the plug style and are more a convention choice, if not regulatory requirement.
Type I (in Australia, at least) plugs are partially insulated with in order to prevent that from being an issue.
We are the descendants of the UK after all, our nanny-state is almost as strong as the motherland’s!
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A useful source:
https://worldofsockets.comFun fact; even though China and Australia both use Type I plugs - they aren’t actually fully cross-compatible, due to differences in the thickness of the metal prongs.
China’s are thinner, so they hang somewhat loose in Australian outlets - and given they are less likely to have insulation around the plug ends, are a relatively common fire risk.m
On the other hand - Australian plugs don’t commonly fit into Chinese wall sockets due to their girth (giggitty), and often require the use of a power board or travel adapter in order to work.
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Ironically, those are upside down.
Which usually indicates Chinese Type I - they don't insulate pins but do put earth on top.
We insulate pins but live/neutral is on top.
Oof, I see.
Kinda a bad look for type I when some of the users follow a different spec and ruin all attempts at improving safety or even keeping standards like earth being down.In comparison the european plugs are moving closer together, for example F+E combo plugs are increasingly common.
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Their whole homes are on GFCI
wrote last edited by [email protected]Same in Denmark. I thought this was the standard everywhere lol. I almost never see ground pins except on professional electronic equipment
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A useful source:
https://worldofsockets.comwrote last edited by [email protected]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.
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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.
You do know that the european type e and c also have shutters.. Right?
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Yeah but the plug is FUCKING HUGE.
Doesn't matter because you leave it plugged in and flip the switch to fully disconnect it. I don't know how you savages live without that feature.
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They are, but they do have slight differences. For instance, the type E plug is often used in Belgium and France, it has a ground pin just below center. It basically means that you cannot turn the plug upside down, similar to the plug used in the US, which can be very annoying when you are used to plugs F and C, these are grounded in the bezel, allowing the user to plug upside down.
Type E always bugs me when I visit Belgium or France and I do that often. It's like the original USB plug, you always plug it in wrong on first try.
Thanks, great to know!
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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
And type-E. Most EU plugs are F-E compatible, because countries go about alternating them. Spain F, France E, Germany F, Poland E. You build a plug with a hole for the E ground bolt and a cutout for the F side contacts.
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Clear, informative and solution oriented. I wish all signs were this good.
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A useful source:
https://worldofsockets.comB is mounted upside down. Also the prongs get bent easily. So definitely not B.
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I see a lot of your comments about F being objectively same or better compared to G. The only thing I'd throw into the mix is the socket switch feels so logical, I'm really surprised it's not more standard.
High frequency use case: I don't need my microwave on all the time showing me the time, so I switch it off at the socket unless I'm using it
Low frequency use case: before going on holiday I switch all the electrics off at the sockets
Why not switch off the fuse in the holiday case? More time efficient.
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A useful source:
https://worldofsockets.comwrote last edited by [email protected]I couldn't plug in an adaptor in what seemed to be the correct way, in a Sri Lankan hotel (type M), but it went in ok when I rotated it. As soon as it went in, the power went out in the entire hotel. It was out for the rest of the night, and as I went up the street the next morning, there was a crew working on a transformer a few blocks away. Coincidence?
Also, at the place I was working, there were 2 other types of power plug than type M. WTF?
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And having your chargers look like clown shoes compared to the slender 2-pin chargers used in Europe, Australia and elsewhere is a small price to pay.
Do more kids really die of electrocution in, say, France or Germany than the UK?
I have no data, but seeing how modern differential fuses work, I doubt it.
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The British standard is still stuck in 1947, where the expected use cases were kettles, washing machines
People still use kettles and washing machines.
For your USB power supply, mobile charger, LED table lamp, game console, etc., which doesn’t even have an earth connection, not so much.
You can get a USB power strip.
And for kettles and washing machines we still have earth connections. Doesn't make sense to make it mandatory so a 5W charger has to be bigger than the phone.
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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.
Is not Type N (used in Brazil) an implementarion of IEC 60906-1 without any major change?
