Sorry Aussie,
I missed that question.
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I recall finding a book in one of our libraries concerning NZ wiring practices (this was prior to the combined AS/NZ standard). What surprised me was that mention was made of UK 13A sockets and that they were approved for use in NZ. (I know you use the British telephone socket rather than the Australian one). Is that for real and to what extent have they been used? Are they used on a ring main or just with normal AS/NZ wiring practices?
The BS1363 plug and socket arrangement was mentioned in all the releases of the NZ Electrical Wiring Regulations, from 1932 to 1976, as was the BS 546 configuration.
However, that doesn't mean that either was really ever used here.
You can still get them here though, PDL still make the BS 1363 plates and plugs, although I have no idea why.
I've only ever seen them used here and by golly, I can't for the life of me remember where it was. [Linked Image]
{Edit:I know where it was, it was underneath Timaru Hospital, there were long strings of them, I remember now looking at them during a BA course (before I was ever an Electrician) and thinking "what a strange looking plug!", they were the metal bodied type with a plastic(??) socket insert fitted into the lid}
Kiwi,
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Ring circuits are good for things like outdoor floodlights and such. Where there are long cable runs.
Yup, I agree mate, the majority of our caravan parks are wired in this fashion, but instead of a 13A fused plug, we have a 16A (Blue) IEC 309 connector and a 16A MCB and the usual cord-line RCD.
Oh and BTW Aussie, our telecommunications system was originally based upon the BT 3-Wire system, I may be grossly erronous in saying that, but I was under the impression that that was how we got the connector spec as well.
Them older Aussie phone plugs were pretty large little beasts, I remember seeing one of them for the first time and wondering what voltage the Austel system ran on. [Linked Image]



[This message has been edited by Trumpy (edited 01-18-2006).]