Does a plug need the 3rd pin?

[z4chris99]

hairyben said:

And die in an inferno caused by an electrical arc cos you were to tight to buy 13a plugs @ 59p or easy fit converter things @ 99p each. Win.

I'm still Alive, no kittens harmed

[dirkgently]

Gokartmozart said:

Ram a pencil or similar, into the earth pin, put two fingers across the the Live and Neutral.

Chances are slim it would happen, but...

If your child can push their fingers far enough in to the holes as to touch the conductive parts they have a serious birth defect.

[MonkeyHanger]

dirkgently said:

blueg33 said:

One small finger in earth opens the shutter, another small finger in one of the others and......

bks.

I couldn't have put it better myself.

[blueg33]

MonkeyHanger said:

I couldn't have put it better myself.

Kids will use anything, teaspoons would do it, but fingers work

Would you like to take up the argument with my pediatric emergency surgeon friend - she will tell you about the damage that plug sockets can do. If you are really lucky she will show you the pics of the burns and the plastic surgery.

[McHaggis]

blueg33 said:

Kids will use anything, teaspoons would do it, but fingers work

Would you like to take up the argument with my pediatric emergency surgeon friend - she will tell you about the damage that plug sockets can do. If you are really lucky she will show you the pics of the burns and the plastic surgery.

Or the metal knitting needles I tried to use...

[tonyvid]

You need those shutters in the socket to stop the electricity falling out of the wall.

[Hugo a Gogo]

davepoth said:

MonkeyHanger said:

The earth pin activates the shutter mechanism in the socket. Without it, you won't get the plug in.

And that makes it pretty much the best domestic plug and socket combo in the world IMO.

until you stand on one, pins-up, in your bare feet

[McHaggis]

tonyvid said:

You need those shutters in the socket to stop the electricity falling out of the wall.

I thought it was to stop air getting in the wires.

[New POD]

You notice on the base of the earth pin is not plastic, but the base of the live and neutral are plastic? . Before that change, lots of weak and feeble people would use a knife to get leverage to get the plug out. Boom. Fizz. UGH.

[vladcjelli]

Bring back public information films.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5N0ATdDdwKg

Lessons learned on a Saturday morning, between watching fat men throw skinny men around, are still fresh in the mind now.

I still won't play frisbee near pylons. Just in case.

[Vipers]

Saddlebag said:

On 3 pin plugs now, the top pin (earth) is just a plastic pin, that appears connected to nothing.

What happens if it has snapped off? Does the item still work? Does the world explode in a huge ball of flame?

On certain appliances, some need an "Earth" which is the top pin, like washing machines, cookers, maybe some of the newer models dont.

Unless the appliance has the symble of one square box inside another, then it needs earthing, I think.

[Cobnapint]

Vipers said:

On certain appliances, some need an "Earth" which is the top pin, like washing machines, cookers, maybe some of the newer models dont.

Unless the appliance has the symble of one square box inside another, then it needs earthing, I think.

Correct. Appliances that are double insulated to the required standards do not need an earth.

[miniman]

Cobnapint said:

Vipers said:

On certain appliances, some need an "Earth" which is the top pin, like washing machines, cookers, maybe some of the newer models dont.

Unless the appliance has the symble of one square box inside another, then it needs earthing, I think.

Correct. Appliances that are double insulated to the required standards do not need an earth.

Nonetheless, they won't work without an earth pin as the plug won't go in the socket.

[Vipers]

miniman said:

Cobnapint said:

Vipers said:

On certain appliances, some need an "Earth" which is the top pin, like washing machines, cookers, maybe some of the newer models dont.

Unless the appliance has the symble of one square box inside another, then it needs earthing, I think.

Correct. Appliances that are double insulated to the required standards do not need an earth.

Nonetheless, they won't work without an earth pin as the plug won't go in the socket.

Thats why those which are double insulated have a plastic pin on the moulded plug so you can plug it in.

[Cobnapint]

miniman said:

Cobnapint said:

Vipers said:

On certain appliances, some need an "Earth" which is the top pin, like washing machines, cookers, maybe some of the newer models dont.

Unless the appliance has the symble of one square box inside another, then it needs earthing, I think.

Correct. Appliances that are double insulated to the required standards do not need an earth.

Nonetheless, they won't work without an earth pin as the plug won't go in the socket.

...unless a small child has already released it with its finger, then you can break it off ( the pin, not the finger ).

[Vipers]

Also thinking any appliance which needs a 13 amp fuse will need to be earthed, its only a few appliances which are double insulated and are supplied with a moulded plug, example mobile phone chargers.

[Cobnapint]

Vipers said:

Also thinking any appliance which needs a 13 amp fuse will need to be earthed, its only a few appliances which are double insulated and are supplied with a moulded plug, example mobile phone chargers.

The fuse has nothing to do with earthing. Its there to blow if the appliance develops an internal fault which could draw a dangerously high level of current causing it to burst into flames.

The earth wire is there on non- double insulated appliances to make sure any electrical fault within it that may touch the external metal casing, goes straight to earth via the wire provided and not YOU.

[Vipers]

Cobnapint said:

Vipers said:

Also thinking any appliance which needs a 13 amp fuse will need to be earthed, its only a few appliances which are double insulated and are supplied with a moulded plug, example mobile phone chargers.

The fuse has nothing to do with earthing. Its there to blow if the appliance develops an internal fault which could draw a dangerously high level of current causing it to burst into flames.

The earth wire is there on non- double insulated appliances to make sure any electrical fault within it that may touch the external metal casing, goes straight to earth via the wire provided and not YOU.

Didnt know that, thank you.

[King Herald]

davepoth said:

And that makes it pretty much the best domestic plug and socket combo in the world IMO.

They are a rather spiffing design, solid, compact, fit flush to the wall, no wire pointing out several inches to get in the way of furniture etc.

When we moved out to the Philippines we took all our UK stuff, and I was determined I was going to outfit my whole household with English plugs, but it simply wasn't practical and I ended up chopping them all off and fitting local American style two pin plugs.

Unfortunately there is no normal 3 pin earth system here, but most of my tools and appliances don't have an earth anyway.

To get normal 230v we use both the live wires in the system. The strange thing is to get 115 volts we connect one of the live wires to the 'ground' system in the house. Normally it is run to a long copper spike hammered into the earth.

There is no live and neutral, much like the UK, except nobody seems to realize that. You can connect any UK appliance with the oh-so-important brown (live) and blue (neutral) wires reversed, with no adverse effects.

All our drills, grinders, toasters, fridges, freezers, Xbox, Wii, etc are wired to two pin reversible plugs, and they work exactly the same whichever way round they are plugged.

[Paul Drawmer]

Interesting reading here:
http://www.bs1363.org.uk/

I bought a 'canon' (except it wasn't) charger from ebay, and it had a plug like this on it:

an illegal unfused plug. (and the live pins are too near the edge.