What is the best Power Outlet, and why?
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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.
The US uses 120V getting shocked by that once or twice can't be fun.
But, the vast majority of the world uses 230V getting shocked by that would be a lot less fun.Depending what you're into of course
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A useful source:
https://worldofsockets.comGermany and France are members of the EU, so is Denmark.
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F plugs are the only type I've ever seen in all of Scandinavia, Germany, Spain and The Czech Republic. Never in my life have I seen an E plug or anything resembling a variation of E+F combined in any way. Only F. I don't understand how you can say they "are not really a thing anymore".
You mean not a thing in the UK?
I've seen E in France.
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The US uses 120V getting shocked by that once or twice can't be fun.
But, the vast majority of the world uses 230V getting shocked by that would be a lot less fun.Depending what you're into of course
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.
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Why? It doesn't make any difference with AC
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.
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As someone living in a country which uses a variant of Type B (without the ground pin), appreciate the design of Type F.
Mainly because it recessed, which helps with making the plug more securely plugged in. I think it has features that makes plugs really secure, and won't be yanked off, which happened to me quite a lot (tripping on a wire, yanking off something off the wall socket, etc).
I like Type F as well, but I wonder if cables are more likely to be damaged if tripped over instead of just disconnecting?
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You cant the plug is thicker
Can you plug C into F?
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The US uses 120V getting shocked by that once or twice can't be fun.
But, the vast majority of the world uses 230V getting shocked by that would be a lot less fun.Depending what you're into of course
Growing up in the U.S. Ive never been able to shock myself plugging in a type A or B connection. 35 years in and never met someone in person who had ever complained about doing so. Now dryer plugs annoy me. They are the 220/240v, and I know there are at least 3 different types. So I've had to swap the power cords on the dryer in every place I've lived in. (I just keep the old ones). But if you rent a place built in 1970, 1985, and 2010 (random dates). They will all likely have different outlets.
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I like Type F as well, but I wonder if cables are more likely to be damaged if tripped over instead of just disconnecting?
Good point. I guess there's a balance to be made: secure enough plugging such that it won't easily be unplugged, and yet not so strong that the cable (or the plug) breaks instead.
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https://worldofsockets.comnot type B, the tolerances aren't tight enough, and sometimes even if you have the wide/narrow pins the right way, it'll still refuse to go in
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Type N might not be the best but it was like a gift from heavens here in Brazil. We had no standard before it so most outlets would take one or two unsafe options; most houses would not ground their outlets, people would yank out the ground pin from plugs to make them fit; washing machines would often come with a completely different plug that some houses would just have a different outlet for, while others would use adapters. And so many other issues.
Nowadays you don't even need to see what you're doing because you can just stick your hand into outlets to feel where it is and insert the plug blindly without any risk.
In north America most dryers don't come with a cable because there's two different plugs that they use and the manufacturer just leaves it up to you to install the right one for your house
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A useful source:
https://worldofsockets.comThe type I grew up with.
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Yup. Japan also has grounded outlets, though, although they are comparatively rarer.
are house fires and electrocutions common occurrences?
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Type N might not be the best but it was like a gift from heavens here in Brazil. We had no standard before it so most outlets would take one or two unsafe options; most houses would not ground their outlets, people would yank out the ground pin from plugs to make them fit; washing machines would often come with a completely different plug that some houses would just have a different outlet for, while others would use adapters. And so many other issues.
Nowadays you don't even need to see what you're doing because you can just stick your hand into outlets to feel where it is and insert the plug blindly without any risk.
When did type N become common?
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https://worldofsockets.comwrote last edited by [email protected]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.
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F plugs are the only type I've ever seen in all of Scandinavia, Germany, Spain and The Czech Republic. Never in my life have I seen an E plug or anything resembling a variation of E+F combined in any way. Only F. I don't understand how you can say they "are not really a thing anymore".
You mean not a thing in the UK?
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.
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https://worldofsockets.comHuh, 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
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F plugs are the only type I've ever seen in all of Scandinavia, Germany, Spain and The Czech Republic. Never in my life have I seen an E plug or anything resembling a variation of E+F combined in any way. Only F. I don't understand how you can say they "are not really a thing anymore".
You mean not a thing in the UK?
UK uses type G. Type E/F plug has both contact for grounding pin like in type E and two sliding ground contacts on side like in type F. Sockets are either E or F, and i've mostly seen E
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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.
It has been standardized, but like most standard there are competing ones.
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There is the GFCI in the switch box, but yeah, both gfci+grounded would be preferable.
A GFCI won't do squat without PE connected
