EBME Forums Forums Maintenance Technical Assistance Can i ask you all about plugs please?

PS Sorry, back on target now!
Reversible Shuko plugs! Ever been caught off guard repairing kit with these fitted?

Ed

Caught off guard? In what way? The Schuko plug is designed (?) to be reversible.

Anyway, don't get worrying Quinny about things that she doesn't need to know about!

Yeah and Live becomes Blue and Neutral becomes Brown

Eddie

So, what's the problem? That's what multimeters are for! It's because of little matters like that that these things are best left to people who know what they're doing (ie, us), and not meddling amateurs!

UK mains plug wiring:-

Brown - live
Blue - neutral
Green with yellow stripe - protective conductor ("earth")

USA mains plug wiring:-

Black - live
White - neutral
Green - protective conductor ("earth")

Keep your wits about you and it's OK...millions of Europeans don't seem to loose too much sleep over it! As a Brit I DO think that polarised plugs are indeed a very good idea, but I've worked in enough other countries to realise that other systems work too! Of course if someone's got their green an yellow mixed up too, then be afraid..be very afraid!

Totally used to them now Tony but most "Brits" that come here get caught out with the reversed mains scenario (Geoff being the usual exception )
But 7 years ago when I first arrived in KSA (after 15 years + working on UK systems) it was easy to wonder where the hell your mains supply was WHILST USING A MULTIMETER? Only to remember the bloody reversed plug!

As Geoff USUALLY points out! There is another world yonder over that there horizon.

Eddie

When working in "interesting places", the survivor always checks out the "earth"! In the UK, we are used to the "earth" being pretty closely tied to neutral, but that cannot be assumed elsewhere. The so-called earth is often not there at all, or can also be about half way (voltage-wise) between line and neutral (due to being tied to the centre tap of a transformer somewhere). And of course, there are the joys of 110 and 220 volt mains supplies being available (often within the same room, and from the same configuration of outlets). It's great working overseas ... you get to put all that rusty theory into practice! Again, the trusty multimeter comes in handy!

Oh yes, Eddie. But don't forget that most of us old sweats put in time in the Tank Parks (and Gun Parks) of Germany. So we know all about the vündervall Schuko plugs and the related building wiring.

Actually, I personally like the Continental system of having circuit breakers in both lines in building mains distribution (as against the UK's traditional fuse wire in the live line only - that's the "hot" wire in the jargon used by some people). But (like Tony) I also like the good old British 13-Amp plug too. So let's have both! Belts and braces?

I used to get soooh many people bringing me their TVs radios hairdryers etc - for repair after plugging them into the wrong socket

It's not just hair dryers, though is it? What about lab analyzers ... and all the rest?