ECN Forum Forums General Topics of the Trade Non-US Electrical Systems & Trades My new electric kettle

I don't think there's any kind of code for used stuff here, or at least nobody knows and it's not enforced.

Years ago I posted pictures of a table lamp here...
I got it at a flea market and the plug was falling apart, hot wires were sticking out of the plug and the socket was a US ES26. Besides I think SPT-1 zip cord isn't quite legal around here...
At another flea market I got a nasty shock off a record player (never managed to find the fault though, got the player for free afterwards).
So, since that kettle actually had a Schuko plug on it _nobody_ would have cared.
At the very same flea market I saw a slide projector missing all the guts, live wiring dangling loosely inside the fiberboard (=wood) casing, most likely shortening... flea markets are basically outlaw space, like middle eastern bazars.

As a slightly blasphemic German proverb says... help yourself, then God will help you!
(Note: applied to everyday problems I don't even consider it blasphemic - if there is some superior entity like God it's definitely not to be bothered with small problems)

They tried imposing a load of restrictions on second-hand electrical goods here. Some charity shops and such like were apparently given so much hassle by their local Trading Standards Dept. that they adopted a policy of not selling electrical equipment anymore.

I think there's supposed to be some sort of legal get-out if stuff is sold as a "Collector's item, not for use" or something along those lines. I've not heard anything more about it for several years.

My view is that if somebody tries to sell an item as "perfect working order" then yes, he has a responsibility to make sure it works and is reasonably safe.

If somebody wants to by an item as "untested, can't vouch for its safety," then its his responsibility to have it checked out and the government should mind its own business. We have far too many restrictive laws as it is without adding more. Caveat emptor.

Hm... a few years ago I bought a slide projector offered as "in perfect working condition, I tested it myself!"
The rubber cord was frayed beyond belief, I could see the bare tinned copper sticking out. Bought it anyway since I knew I could easily replace the cord but...
BTW, the seller was a police man...

Why didn't you just use a new plug while you were at it instead of re-using that old dinosaur?

What's that white stuff I see around the pins. Corrosion?

Also, what does that black female connector look like from the front, by the way?

Makes it look like an extension cord - all the kettle connectors I've seen are flat plastic, some with two grounding strips on the flat edges to scrape against the metal casing of the appliance inlet.

Now that's where you'd have a comeback if he'd told you it was perfect when it clearly wasn't (although if it was something as obvious as that, I'm sure that if it went to court it could be argued that it should have been obvious to you that it wasn't).

If some of the health-&-safety nuts got their way though, there would be laws preventing you from buying such an item even if you were told "It's not safe, needs work" and you were happy to buy it in that condition nevertheless.
My guess would be that it's the type which has two round pins for power plus a rectangular one for the earth connection.

They replaced the 2-pin-plus-sliding-side-earth type and were very common on British kettles in the 1950s/60s/70s before the more modern IEC-type connector started to takeover.

They're actually very close to the design of a danish plug / socket.

'Cuz that would have required to get up and dig around in boxes to find a better one... I don't really have a stock of new plugs and the salvaged ones are spread all over the place. So... why bother.
The pins are a little worn (to put it mildly) but near the tip where they go into the receptacle they still look ok. The plug was definitely borderline to getting trashed though.

Yes, Paul is perfectly right. Two round pins and a rectangular ground pin on top (rather flat, not bulky like the BS1363 pins). The entire connector (male+female) is _really_ long, so you'd consider unplugging it before putting the kettle away... it's awkward to fit in my locker.

Here's one of the older connectors with side earth contact and integral switch. Notice that the earth wire passes through the body and is secured by a terminal outside.

This socket would have been from one of the small kettles, or perhaps the old-style hotplate which used a similar connector. Despite the bulky construction compared to modern types, it's rather conservatively rated at 6 amps.

Aaaand now... presenting the kettle itself!

Just for fun I test fitted a BS 1363 plug two days ago - perfect fit, no need for squeezing. The black could be a little shorter, but it definitely isn't too long to fit. The red is extremely short though, barely extends into the terminal.