The MK Safety plug

[Dr Doofenshmirtz]

formula27 said:

Hi thanks for clearing that up

But if voltage is not an issue why is 55v safer than 110?

It's less likely to make your heart go into fibrillation (which is what ultimately kills you when you get an electric shock). So if you fancy grabbing the live and neutral wires with both hands...you'd better hope a defibrillator is nearby!
The higher the voltage, the more you screw up the hearts natural electrical impulses.

By the way...it's only 55v as referenced to ground - it's still 110v between live and neutral on a site transformer.
You can safely touch the live or neutral on a site transformer and not get a shock...but if you touch any two wires you will get a shock, be it 55v or 110v.

[OldGermanHeaps]

As far as electricity is concerned all things being equal, moisture, salinity, distance, area in contact with the source etc then due to ohms law as voltage increases current flow increases in relation so with 240v applied a lot more current flows through you than at 55v, and its the current flow that harms you, voltage doesn't really harm you from a current limited source, you can be zapped with 100000v and just feel a tickle as long as there isn't much current available, but in terms of a supply which has enough grunt to kill you lower voltage = lower current frowing through your bodies fixed resistance = safer.

[Halmyre]

Wacky Racer said:

If you can never remember which colour wire goes where, In the 1980's, I devised this simple rule.

I call it the second letter rule.....

Note:- UK only



sTriped to the Top

bLue to the Left

bRown to the Right.


Saved me from electrocution many times.

You a Hawkwind fan by any chance?

[formula27]

OldGermanHeaps said:

As far as electricity is concerned all things being equal, moisture, salinity, distance, area in contact with the source etc then due to ohms law as voltage increases current flow increases in relation so with 240v applied a lot more current flows through you than at 55v, and its the current flow that harms you, voltage doesn't really harm you from a current limited source, you can be zapped with 100000v and just feel a tickle as long as there isn't much current available, but in terms of a supply which has enough grunt to kill you lower voltage = lower current frowing through your bodies fixed resistance = safer.

Correct , well done .

So (always a so with me)

We (UK) dont have the safest system in the world.
As for the plugs
As this thread , a lot of people dont know how to wire them safely and what fuses to use.

Ring mains ,PME ,230 V , plugs that lay pins up , and rewirable fuses.all unecesary, and. Cost related rather than safety.

[S. Gonzales Esq.]

MK made one with sleeved pins before the Safety Plug. The little bakelite rings are spring-loaded.

[Wacky Racer]

Halmyre said:

Wacky Racer said:

If you can never remember which colour wire goes where, In the 1980's, I devised this simple rule.

I call it the second letter rule.....

Note:- UK only



sTriped to the Top

bLue to the Left

bRown to the Right.


Saved me from electrocution many times.

You a Hawkwind fan by any chance?

Not really.

Is Stacia still in them?

[Dr Doofenshmirtz]

OldGermanHeaps said:

As far as electricity is concerned all things being equal, moisture, salinity, distance, area in contact with the source etc then due to ohms law as voltage increases current flow increases in relation so with 240v applied a lot more current flows through you than at 55v, and its the current flow that harms you, voltage doesn't really harm you from a current limited source, you can be zapped with 100000v and just feel a tickle as long as there isn't much current available, but in terms of a supply which has enough grunt to kill you lower voltage = lower current frowing through your bodies fixed resistance = safer.

Spot the person who's never worked on CRT monitors !

[Halmyre]

Wacky Racer said:

Halmyre said:

Wacky Racer said:

If you can never remember which colour wire goes where, In the 1980's, I devised this simple rule.

I call it the second letter rule.....

Note:- UK only



sTriped to the Top

bLue to the Left

bRown to the Right.


Saved me from electrocution many times.

You a Hawkwind fan by any chance?

Not really.

Is Stacia still in them?

She wasn't when I saw them in 1979. But Ginger Baker was, and he's a massive tit, great drummer though he is.

[brrapp]

techiedave said:

They arrived today.
Its like Christmas Note the made in England etching!

I've got a huge box of varying types of plug in my shed, very handy for swapping over these crappy sealed ones that come on lots of modern appliances. I got mine from the local council recycling centre, they routinely cut off the plugs from all electrical appliances as soon as they come in , some thing to do with 'elf 'n safety'.
They used to just chuck the old plugs into the general waste. I know some of the guys in the unit and when I saw that, I gave them an old bin to throw them into and told them I'd be back to pick them up. I went back about 2 weeks later and to my astonishment the bin was full to overflowing, must have been around 500 plugs in it. After I'd taken my treasure and slipped them a couple of quid , I told them it might be worth there while to sell them online. I don't know what they do with them now as I've got enough to last a lifetime now.
If you're looking for some decent plugs, (I've had some nice period ones to match old appliances ) then it might be worth a trip to your local recycling centre and have a word with the lads.

[Perd Hapley]

I also used to snip the old MK plugs off scrap appliances, but I preferred the older ones with the earth peep hole.

[speedyman]

Seen these lampholder plugs used a few times as well to power small appliances years ago. Note they are only two wire so no earth.

[Morningside]

speedyman said:

Seen these lampholder plugs used a few times as well to power small appliances years ago. Note they are only two wire so no earth.

I used to love those. You could get a switched holder as well and from what I understand speaking to dad years ago that a house would be supplied with a socket and light fitting and into that you would plug your iron, radio or some other mad item.

[speedyman]

These were also about to. Plugged into the ceiling lampholder with the lamp fitted at the bottom and you could run the appliance from the side outlet.

[anonymous-user]

Morningside said:

speedyman said:

Seen these lampholder plugs used a few times as well to power small appliances years ago. Note they are only two wire so no earth.

I used to love those. You could get a switched holder as well and from what I understand speaking to dad years ago that a house would be supplied with a socket and light fitting and into that you would plug your iron, radio or some other mad item.

Funnily enough we had some of these on some old Christmas lights we had I remember they would be plugged into the lamp that was normally I think behind the TV. Every year my dad would get them down from the loft and in they would go. I seem to remember there is something showing this sort of thing in one of the museums possibly at York (not sure). It seems quite scary that items we are now used to as being "earthed" such as irons were not so years ago.

[speedyman]

I started an apprenticeship as an electrician in 1968. I saw quite a few diy electrical bodges. 5amp rewireable fuses for lighting circuits which had been rewired with 30amp fuse wire or just plain copper wire strands. A friend of mine said he saw one where a nail had been used as a fuse. Also a heater wired above a bath tied onto a nail with string are just a couple of the most memorable ones. Always made me wonder why the public hardly ever touched gas, but you can smell it. Hardly ever touched water, but you can see it. But electricity lots of people have a good old fiddle with lol.

[anonymous-user]

I have told this story several times and many times been called a fibber but it's true !
When I was 12 in my 2nd year at High School at Xmas the Christmas Tree lights failed I remember my parents were out and the Christmas edition of Upstairs Downstairs was on ITV. Anyway I pulled the plug for the lights out and started investigating making sure each bulb was screwed in (this all predates the white fuse bulb wiring type) I eventually I narrowed it down to a faulty bulb but replacing the bulb didn't help. Squeezing the bulb holder did. Off shoot was I took the bulb holder out of circuit and insulated the wires back together. I did however bare the wire with my teeth. Unfortunately the thing was still plugged in. I received a hell of a shock.
Now I've been told by people that such at hing would have killed me etc hence the lying thing but I swear its true

[AlexC1981]

I've got an old sleeveless MK plug that's been hanging around in drawers for years and looks like it's had a hard life. It's got the connectors that you wrap the cable round and then screw a clamp down onto it.

Anyone know what the hole is for in the top?

(It's on an ironing board cover by the way, not stained bedsheets )

[Jonesy23]

AlexC1981 said:

Anyone know what the hole is for in the top?

'Earth peep hole' as mentioned above? I guess so you could see if the earth core was present as the once wired up the cable might not make it obvious.

[Smiler.]

Jonesy23 said:

AlexC1981 said:

Anyone know what the hole is for in the top?

'Earth peep hole' as mentioned above? I guess so you could see if the earth core was present as the once wired up the cable might not make it obvious.

My immediate thought would be exhaust of hot air in the event of the fuse blowing. Or heat dissipation when under load. Intersesting point.

[TheExcession]

Smiler. said:

Jonesy23 said:

AlexC1981 said:

Anyone know what the hole is for in the top?

'Earth peep hole' as mentioned above? I guess so you could see if the earth core was present as the once wired up the cable might not make it obvious.

My immediate thought would be exhaust of hot air in the event of the fuse blowing. Or heat dissipation when under load. Intersesting point.

Sorry, but not wanting to call you all retards, that little lug on the top, it's there to help you align the top/cover over the plug

Think about it, you've wired the plug and cables, so you turn it upside down in your hand with the back in your palm and the other prickly part in your other hand and then some genius came up with the idea ' what if we put in a notch so that you can quickly align back and front'

Genious!