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I had not realised before that trip to Gabon that there were two styles of Europlug - French and the others. The plug you see does not have the grounding hole to accept the French pin. If I hadn't been given a made-up lead (which happened to be of the French configuration) for the electronic equipment before I left - angst would have occurred. I have found though that, outside of the US, most hotels/accommodation units have some equipment in the room with a removable plug and a screwdriver works wonders on the adapter front!

The thing about the different gender grounding contacts is a good point. However, it isn't hard to cut or break off the ground prong of a US plug, at least not the cheap hollow types I've seen.
I guees there was some design error. It's impossible to insert an ungrounded plug into a Schuko receptacle (unless you completely file it down as many people did, including myself) which would be perfectly safe, but it's not the least of a problem to insert a Schuko plug in an ungrounded receptacle which is pretty dangerous.
Only the pre-molded Schuko plugs have the hole for the french ground pin.

Tex,

Surely the now-standard 2-prong "Euro" plug fits Schuko receptacles?

Yes, sure. I was referring to the old round ungrounded plugs. You still see lots of them around here on older appliances. However, it is illegal to install ungrounded receptacles, only to replace "old" with "same". Hard to do as that stuff isn't sold any more. So all electricians here have a good stock of old switches (for the better look) and receptacles they ripped out somewhere.

Ah... I think I understand now. The old plugs have a base which is truly circular, right? The Schuko plug has flats on the sides with the locating lugs which fit between the moldings on the recessed sides of the receptacle.

I can't help wondering why the Schuko receptacles were designed in such as way as not to allow existing non-grounding plugs to fit.

(A similar criticism could be aimed squarely at the British BS546 connectors as well, of course, although at least in that case a 3-pin plug won't fit a 2-pin socket.)



[This message has been edited by pauluk (edited 09-12-2002).]

Right.
I can only tell EVERYTHING that has to do with these old stuf has been entirely banned. (Plugs, fem. cord caps, receptacles, extension cords, 3way cube taps (Though this is probably due to the weak construction of these things, possibly resulting in bad connections leading to Arcs and thus fires, I'll try to postt pictures of the 2 main types of these adaptors),...)
What some ingenious DIYers do is break off some bakelite at the side of the plug and where the ground contacts of the receptacle are located. I've seen more than one plug where someone broke off too much and exposed the terminal screws inside.
If i do something like this (Sometimes inevitably for creating an adaptor or something like) I file the plug down until it fits on the sides and then I file oval shaped holes for the ground contacts. (Will try to post a pix of one of those modified plugs).
Something that is probably common all around the world is people using broken plugs. I've seen that today at school when a classmate of mine brought an extension cord from home. She didn't care the least that half of the plug cover was broken off.

I'm afraid that I see cracked and broken plugs still in use in England as well. Sometimes they're bound up with some PVC electrical tape, although I've also seen them held together with "Sellotape" (a British brand similar to regular American Scotch tape).

For our friends who might not be able to follow the discussion about the flats and locating lugs on Schuko plugs, here's a photo to illustrate the point:


This particular plug is one of the combination type which also has a hole in the front so it will fit French receptacles.


[This message has been edited by pauluk (edited 09-14-2002).]

At least electrical and sello-tape are non-conductive. I saw a replacement plug on an appliance in a second-hand store that had been wrapped in silver duct tape!!!!!!

Texas_Ranger wrote:

>I can only tell EVERYTHING that has
>to do with these old stuf has been
> entirely banned.

Both plugs and sockets are still in use here in Sweden. We still install the unearthed sockets as replacements. And, yes, they are safe.

What people doesn't realise is that using an earthed Schuko plug in a unearthed socket is reasonably safe, but using a round non-earthed plug in a earthed socket is not.
(The flat and shaped plugs are safe anywhere.)

The Schuko system was designed not to allow the use of unearthed plugs. Why?

There are three types of appliances:
- Class 0. No earth, single insulation
- Class 1. Earth, single insulation
- Class 2. No earth, double insulation.

Class 0 was standard in most old appliances, but is no longer legal. It's only safe if it is used in a dry room with NO METAL CONNECTED TO EARTH. In case of a fault you will get an unpleasant shock, but not a lethal one. If there is water present or you touch an metal object connected to earth, chances are that you will be killed since the resistance to earth is much lower.

Hence, a class I appliance will work like a class 0 type in an unearthed socket. But a class 0 appliance in an earthed environment is a real danger.

Now, this idea (or system) was abandoned some ten, twenty or thirty years ago (depending on country) since it is very difficult maintaining a room free from objects connected to earth. Radiators, water pipes, earthed extension cords from other rooms all introduce a potential danger (if you excuse the pun).

Hence, all new sockets are now required to be earthed. (With the exception of replacements)

Earth all or nothing. Improper earthing is like driving in the middle of the road when you go to England just because you are not comfortable with driving on the left. You have to choose side or you will get hurt.

//C-H

Ok, correct me if I'm wrong: hooking up a class 0 device to a Schuko receptacle is dangerous because it creates a false feeling of safety?
People here in Austria have found lotsa ways to continue using those appliances without having ungrounded receptacles.
1) file or break off parts of the plug.
2) Fit a Schuko plug or crimp-on Euro plug
3) Use one of those cube taps that can be plugged into Schuko receps but take 3 ungrounded plugs
4) take the plug apart and plug in the prongs seperately, holding the cord near the prongs. (I've actually seen some guy doing this, luckily he didn't get shocked.)
I'm sure there are lots of more elaborate ways of doing this, e.g. taking off the cover of the receptacle works wonders...