ECN Forum Forums General Topics of the Trade Non-US Electrical Systems & Trades Which plug is most common?

Sven,
Does your British plug look something like this?



This is a typical 1940s/1950s era 2-pin 5-amp plug. The barrier strip between the terminals has a notch at either end around which the wires are wrapped to act as a strain relief. This type of plug is certainly not manufactured anymore. New electrical regulations in the 1970s banned the use of plugs where the cover can be removed without the use of a tool. ("Too easy for someone to unscrew the cap and touch live terminals" they said.)

Here are a couple more 5A plugs of different styles:

The one on the right is a side entry type, with a single screw to hold the top in place. The one on the left is the flat-type, with a single fixing nut and bolt which holds the two halves of the plug together. These are probably of late 1950s/1960s vintage.

Anyone searching for a replacement plug for his shaver in the normal shops these days is going to have a hard time finding one. I haven't seen 2-pin 5-amp plugs in the likes of Woolworth for years.


[This message has been edited by pauluk (edited 05-12-2003).]