[Gllug] OT: Mains electricity colour coding.

Chris Bell chrisbell at chrisbell.org.uk
Mon Oct 25 21:27:55 UTC 2010


On Mon 25 Oct, John Winters wrote:
> 
> 
> On Sun, 24 Oct 2010 22:57:01 +0100, Richard Jones <rich at annexia.org>
> wrote:
> [snip]
> > ...or that my relative forced a plug into a different-
> > shaped socket.  Anyone know more?
> 
> I used to work for a theatre supplies company, and theatres tend to use
> 15A (round pin) plugs and sockets rather than 13A (rectangular pin) ones. 
> Given the rubber plugs and sockets generally in use, it was not uncommon to
> find a 13A plug forced into a 15A socket.  (Not in a theatre I hasten to
> add - more likely by someone in an amdram company.)
> 
> John

   I do not remember the change from DC to AC being accompanied by any
changes in plug design, any more than the standardisation on around 240
volts. Power used to be supplied by local companies who could and did supply
a range of voltages, often a choice of voltages, within their own local
area. My own 1933 house had a different connector design for almost every
socket, with wires insulated by cotton covered rubber that was brittle in
parts, liquid in others. Standard 13 amp internally fused plugs were
relativly new.
   Many years ago while working at White City I gave up counting the types
of power connector in use when I reached 50. There were DC and AC, 110, 240
volt and 3-phase, clean stabilised, various current ratings, standard,
ruggedised, military spec, waterproof, no fuse, internal fuse, fuse used as
a pin, various shapes such as normal 13 amp but with all pins rotated
through 90 degrees, etc. Some connectors were common in particular areas of
the UK, others were normal in other countries.

-- 
Chris Bell www.chrisbell.org.uk (was www.overview.demon.co.uk)
Microsoft sells you Windows ... Linux gives you the whole house.

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