[Gllug] OT: Merging UPS outputs

[Liam Smit]

Howzit?

> >     But think of the cost of converting and having two different supplies.
> >     240 is standard throughout most of Western Europe and change would
> > cause more problems, All I can't understand is why we have different
> > plugs in the UK and we can't have the same plugs and equipment
> > throughout the EU the quantity of equipment that you get with Euro Plugs
> > on is a pain.....
> 
> Quite, they ought to adopt the UK standard 3 pin plug.

But UK plugs are ugly!<g>
 
> That is not a chauvenistic comment, the UK plug is much safer than what you
> find in continental Europe:
> 
> * It has an Earth -- many European items don't

Many appliances don't require an earth pin. The appliance is designed
and built in such a way so that this is not an issue. For example my
electric razor, I'd have to remove the plastic casing and then plug it
into the wall and then use wet hands in order to get a shock.

> * It is individually fused -- European circuits rely on a fuse for the whole
>   circuit - this will be a much higher rating then the individual appliance
>   fuse. One problem with UK fuses is that the come in different ratings
>   (3, 5, 13 amp) but highstreet John/Jane just buy/install 13 amp fuses
>   (so that it won't blow again). This means that they don't get the protection
>   that they should. Many electrical items are also sold with the wrong rating
>   fuse in them -- high street retailers don't care as long as they sell something.

Not time to switch over to circuit breakers with earth leakage
protection? They trip out the circuit when it detects an earth leakage
measure in milli amps...

> The unification of plug standards has caused much debate. It is recognised
> that the UK system is better; the cost of installing in the rest of Europe
> means that it won't happen. Don't expect a change soon.

Electricity is strange stuff, I've touched a cable where it was joined
and received a buzzing sensation (like pins and needles) in my arm and
the power did not trip. It was supplying a running fridge. Took me a
while to realise that each time I felt the buzzing feeling I was
touching the cable supply the fridge. I was barefoot at the time on a
concrete floor (garage).

 I've also done naughty stuff like putting a coin in an empty light
socket and turning it on. There is a flash of light and that coin
jumps! Afterwards you can see the contact points have melted spots on
the coin where they touched it. Again the power didn't trip. Then
again just try plugging in something with a lose wire and it'll trip
every time.

cheers
Liam
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