I wrote earlier about bad UK power socket adapter. Here is another one – better but not ideal. I used this to connect smart phone charger.
The basic construction looks good. You can’t touch the live parts with finger. The UK pins are all metal and not insulated on the upper side like in newer UK power plugs though.
Note that ground pin is all plastic, which is ok because this in ungrounded adapter that only accepts equipment with ungrounded power sockets: this takes flat euro plug but not schuko.
The holding force on the socket is quite low – you can easily plug and tech unplug charger, but sometimes you can accidentally too easily unplug your charger…
The adapter has also 13A fuse in it like proper UK power plugs should have.
Lets take a look at the fuse. It looks normal 5x20mm glass fuse. Maybe barely good enough for this or not – UK plugs typically have slightly bigger ceramic fuse in them.
This adapter works and is clearly better than trying to stick flat euro plug to UK socket directly (it can sometimes fit in but it is not a good idea).
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48 Comments
Tomi Engdahl says:
How to use European plugs in the UK safely, and European to UK Adaptors explained. A Beginners Guide
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-ldVLXnJXs
How to use European plugs in the UK safely, and European to UK Adaptors explained.
Tomi Engdahl says:
FLIP – the thinner and better British plug
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X2OjjPnWLqc
1/3 of Size of the original British plug, folding design protects pin from scratching other items, USB ports, power bank,
PicoPlug – the folding UK 3-pin plug
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_KG0xYEJzww
This slim UK 3-pin plug has folding pins and a lever to eject it from the socket. It is compact for travel/packaging and the design helps release it when stuck or in an awkward to reach socket. It takes a standard size fuse and has a conductive ground pin for products that need to use that.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Folding Plug H 264
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f6DvjKkGT6s
New Slim Folding Plug
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F4_TWKpRQXQ
Tomi Engdahl says:
Which Universal Travel Adapter to Use
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qBrc1SErSJw
Tomi Engdahl says:
Dangerous Travel Adapter
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KZEDNYwgnv0
Dangerous Mains Travel Adaptors
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VgpJSQAweDk
Tomi Engdahl says:
Wiring a UK Plug (+Why its the worlds safest)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cewXz5lzZu8
Modern European Plugs Are As Good As British Plugs, And Here’s Why
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XzGbxTOFi14
British friends who all seem dead set on their mains plug design being the best possible ever. Better than sliced bread. Even usable to connect appliances that will slice your own bread.
Tomi Engdahl says:
How to use European plugs in the UK safely, and European to UK Adaptors explained. A Beginners Guide
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-ldVLXnJXs
Tomi Engdahl says:
How to use European electric plug in the UK without adapter (BS1362)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fi5_CTBnDgc
This video demonstrates How to use European electric plug in the UK without adapter. This is emergency method. So you should use adapter plugs.
NOTE: You shouldn’t do this as euro and US plugs do not have a fuse in them … all uk ones do!
the uk plug is designed for euro plugs and us plugs not to fit on purpose, this is due to how British houses are wired and also plugs requiring fuses due to this. Euro plugs and US plugs dont have fuses and are unsafe to be used without a adapter
Tomi Engdahl says:
Ring Circuits
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hZN6hiGLtrE
Comments:
-Rings-When it comes to re-wires, I typically use 2 x 20A radials for upstairs and downstairs socket outlets and a 32A ring for the kitchen. I have three main reasons for this. 1) As John said, kitchen appliances can have quite a high demand (kettle, toaster, small oven, washing machine, dishwasher, microwave, etc) and I wouldn’t feel comfortable leaving it to a mere 20A circuit to handle it all.
I have the ability to split the ring into 2 x 20A Radials and save the day without ripping the walls apart. 3) Particularly in older houses, 60A supplies are common.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Illegal and Deadly imported UK Plug Rant
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RklIu4SE3M
unsafe, illegal and potentially deadly imported UK plug cable.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Inside another death-dapter variant.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nB1DlBpyS9w
While using this adaptor to check out the little Chinese air pump, I randomly checked it’s earth continuity. There was none… So off comes the cover.
Deadly Chinese plug adapter.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ESIzuV6kdWY
A common adapter supplied with many ebay products from China that has quite a few design flaws. This exciting device allows you to:-
Plug in upside down defeating the earth connection.
Plug in with pins hanging out posing a shock risk.
Plug in between live and earth posing a shock hazard on ALL electrical appliances on that circuit if the circuits earth is not intact.
The pins can be a non compliant size and damage sockets,
The brass coloured coating can flake off the underlying metal leaving metal flakes inside your wall sockets.
Defeats the safety shutter mechanism used on UK sockets, allowing metal objects to be poked into live metalwork.
Tends to make very poor physical and electrical connection with many plugs.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Extra dangerous electrocute-o-daptor with lamp test feature.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hvOTiQKkQMo
It’s sometimes hard choosing which mains plug adaptor is the most exciting. I think this one is a good contender due to its exciting live pop-out death probes that appear at the touch of a button like a very exciting transformer-robot toy.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Comment on UK power by bigclivedotcom from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K46JYuoDwJg
“Our standard sockets are the square pin type with fused plugs rated for up to 13A. I’d be just as happy with my house wired in 16 or 20A radial circuits, but ring mains are just a part of UK wiring. Their weakness is that they typically use 2.5mm CSA cable which means that if the ring gets broken then the circuit will still work but the protection will exceed the rating of the cable.”
Frank commented that: “The ring wiring seems like a good redundancy, but the redundancy is indeed redundant (no pun intended) if it means exceeding the rating.”
Tomi Engdahl says:
Illegal and Deadly imported UK Plug Rant
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RklIu4SE3M
No animals were hurt during the filming of this video
– The 15.2V was the actual voltage at the output terminals of the power supply, which is a totally safe voltage to be playing around with. There was no risk whatsoever of electrocution when I did this – the only real risks were from the molten plastic (which could have stuck to their fur), or from the plastic fumes as it burned off (which is why I filmed this outdoors in the first place). Hope you’re having a good weekend. Cheers!!
I’m surprised that was the actual voltage. That would mean the cable had a resistance of about 3 ohms, which seems a bit high unless it’s got quite thin wires.
you got 5 amps at 15 volts dc through it, thats 75 watts, Now do the same test at 240 volts ac……. (You wil trip a 20 amp breaker before the wire even gets warm)
the test is not demonstrating what happens when a dead short occurs… its simulating a high load over time… its not the voltage that makes the wire get warm its the current… the current going threw the wire was well within the “rating” of 10 amps…. so if u plugged a gaming computer into this wire… 15 minites into playing your game.. the carpet behind your desk would have melted plastic on it and very possibly a bare 240V live wire… at least for this type of plug
Good demonstration! With a total resistance of about 3 ohms for that short cable the manufacturer obviously wasn’t wasting money on much copper. Worth pointing out that the UK system allows for fusing at just 1A which, with the right plug & fuse would make even thin rubbish cable like that reasonably safe. Not something one can say for the Schuko or US style systems.
Cool video and such dodgy leads are still on sale in 2018.
All genuine U.K. plugs are rated at 13amps and one needs to read the data from the cable sheath to calculate it’s current rating e.g. 0.75mm flex is typically 6amps assuming it is really copper and the makers are not lying.
Fake U.K. plug fuses also exist which cannot clear high fault currents and may not even have the correct size wire so beware of these also.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Comments from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RklIu4SE3M
Few homes in the UK have a 3 phase supply as the single phase supply may be 60A(historic), 80A(common) or even 100A(new target for large homes) . So for an electric cooker, shower or Sauna a single high current link is installed to the Circuit Breaker box (something we call a consumer unit or fuse box). Also our current safety standard for Breaker boxes is that they need to have their circuits spread across at least 2 RCD so when one trips power to is not lost to the whole house.
The real issue regarding any 3 phase supply is that if you manage to connect yourself across 2 phases you are being hit by 415V (in the UK). Due to UK safety rules, this means you have to stick Danger signs everywhere as such a voltage is just about lethal after a second or 2, while most people will survive a 240V shock.
One thing many people do not know is that the UK standards are updated often and just about every update makes changes based on issues found as safety overrides most cost issues. So we started with a single RCD being required when RCDs become a valid option, then as people had issues with the whole house going dark the standard was changed to at least 2 RCDs. The design of the Breaker box has had many changes over the years
Sometimes I tend to forget that most of the safety precautions in place are there for a reason. It’s easy to get complacent and think nothing can go wrong.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Changing a13 Amp Single Socket to a Double Socket
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m0CJIEm6I9U
By using this adapter box you can fit a double wall socket in place of a single wall socket without having to disturb the brickwork or wall behind.
Tomi Engdahl says:
How to replace a single socket with a double socket
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OvLIRwF-pG4
This video shows how to replace a standard UK single domestic socket with a double socket. Single sockets are often not suitable for today’s power hungry households which mean that some people buy unsafe adaptors that put undue stress on the sockets, if such a device is banged when someone is walking past it can mean that the socket is damaged so badly that it is possible to make contact with the live terminals inside. It is therefore much safer to change the single socket for a double, this is very easy if the socket is installed in drywall, but a bit more difficult and time consuming if the wall is solid.
How to fit an electrical back box
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oso7NWPOFyE
Tomi Engdahl says:
Overloaded Sockets and Your Safety
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t8xN3K_s4uc
Are you overloading your electrical sockets? Take a look at my video that discusses plug splitters and extension lead plus other safe ways of increasing the amount of appliances you can plug in.
Teardown of a dangerous extension lead
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bFkg86eTLSk
I bought this extension lead in “home store + more” an Irish homewares retailer. It cost around €5.00 which would be average for such a product.
One day the fuse int the plug overheated to such an extent that the plug started to melt and almost burst in to flames. As a result I decided to take it apart and see how well made it is, or isn’t.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Great $23 Budget Preamp for Video Shooters
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U5nOkyiu3qQ
Today we look at using the Saramonic SmartRig XLR preamp with video cameras. This cheap $23 preamp is very impressive and offers 48v phantom power and level control with a knob.
hack video for this preamp here:
Hacking the $23 Saramonic Preamp For Video Use
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=997z3f0Vzho
It still seems crazy to me that the preamp in a 23$ accessory is better than the internal preamps in most dslrs. Like seriously guys, get it together. Amazing video Caleb, love seeing you mod stuff.
Tomi Engdahl says:
BS1363 UK Socket Shutters Compared
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4PB-nhM0YBY
Comparing various UK sockets with different shutter mechanisms.
Tomi Engdahl says:
The Halfdaptor – Convert two prong plugs to half of a UK plug
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2qvW6rz_ZhA
An entirely pointless and unsafe device which consists of a socket for various styles of two pin plug, and converts those to two pins of a three pin UK plug.
Impossible to insert into any UK socket outlet without the use of some other thing to open the shutters in the socket.
Claims to be rated 6 amps, 250 volts.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Piggyback Plug, Double Adaptors and Extension Bars
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ipasbKQ17Tg
A relatively unknown piggyback or passthrough UK plug, and the more usual alternatives that are used instead.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Overloaded Sockets and Your Safety
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t8xN3K_s4uc
Are you overloading your electrical sockets? Take a look at my video that discusses plug splitters and extension lead plus other safe ways of increasing the amount of appliances you can plug in.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Inside a supplier’s cut-out
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FsYfgMtp39g
Looking inside a service head so you don’t have to!
Tomi Engdahl says:
TL Branded BS1363 Plug with Screwless Terminals
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CnHOlhPd58Q
A BS1363 UK plug from the mid 1980s or earlier. Unlike most other plugs, no tools are required – the wires are secured with press down tabs, the flex grip can be adjusted with fingers only, and the lid has a single plastic piece that can be rotated with a coin.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Pre 2004 the uk had red, yellow, blue phase line conductor colours and black being the neutral.
Then it all changed !!
Now phase colours are brown, black, grey and neutral blue.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Power Outlets in United Kingdom
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=abqMLqHwqpo
Tomi Engdahl says:
Can UK Electricians Learn from French Electrics?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6uBwYU25lo
Tomi Engdahl says:
Power Outlets in United Kingdom
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=abqMLqHwqpo
I’ve heard that electrical system in UK is super safe, but how super?
“Hey cousin, long time no see! Where’s your breaker box??”
Every time he says “Nothing should happen” I fully expect something to happen
Tomi Engdahl says:
Earth Terminal Voltage Drop TN-C-S
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iozyjrPmY7U
How the earth terminal on a TN-C-S supply can be at a different voltage to the true Earth.
As the neutral and earth conductor are combined outside the installation, current in the neutral causes a voltage drop, which results in the earth terminal having a different potential (voltage) to the true Earth outside.
Tomi Engdahl says:
KNOW HOW: How does current divide in a ring final circuit? (ring main)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FNgTnFs7f5o
The ring final circuit (ring main) is a unique British socket wiring system. More complex to test and install compared to radial circuits. In this electrical tutorial, Joe Robinson explores how the current flows in the branches of a ring circuit.
This video demonstrates why you can’t use a 16A junction box on a 32A ring final circuit
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.thomann.de/fi/thomann_adaptor_euro_uk.htm
Tomi Engdahl says:
British Plugs Are Better Than All Other Plugs, And Here’s Why
https://youtu.be/UEfP1OKKz_Q
Tomi Engdahl says:
The ring final circuit concept has been criticized in a number of ways compared to radials, and some of these concerns could explain the lack of widespread adoption outside the United Kingdom.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ring_circuit
Tomi Engdahl says:
Teardown of the new MK screwless socket
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4JVgboz_36Y
This is a new and welcome twist on the traditional UK power socket. Instead of using screw terminals it uses spring loaded terminals in the same style of Wago terminals.
In use the spring mechanism tightly clamps the copper wire against a copper or brass busbar. It actually looks very robust, but time will be the true test.
The spring clamp removes the risk of people either under or over tightening the clamp screws. This is especially important in this era of profit-motivated Part-P deskilling. The colour coding of the terminals is also useful in this regard.
Tomi Engdahl says:
How dangerous is forcing a 2-prong plug into a UK socket?
https://www.reddit.com/r/CasualUK/comments/91uty4/how_dangerous_is_forcing_a_2prong_plug_into_a_uk/
the only fan I’ve got has a European plug. I went across the road to ask the shopkeeper if he knew where I could buy an EU-to-UK plug adapter. He didn’t, but he showed me how to use a screwdriver to get the EU plug into the socket. A passing customer who saw the demonstration said “that’s dangerous” but I went home and did it anyway (as well as ordering a proper EU-to-UK adapter with Amazon Prime).
How dangerous is this?
Edit: as an electrician pointed out below (sorry on mobile can’t credit user) – there is an issue, not with the lack of earth but with the shape of the pins making a poor contact in the socket and potentially heating up and causing a fire.
Screwdriver and plug shouldn’t be in the same sentence unless you’re an electrician.
Unless you’re fitting a new plug. Which everyone should know how to do before leaving school.
Electrician here. Don’t do that! A uk socket outlet is designed to take a uk plug. The pins on a euro plug are circular and quite thin, they may not get a good contact with the live and neutral of the socket outlet and this can cause electrical arcing which creates heat. I’ve seen the damage electrical fires can cause and you’d be surprised how extensive this can be from just one poor termination. Turn the socket off at the switch, carefully unplug the fan and fit a uk plug top and a 3 amp fuse. A pair of cheap electrical snips, a screwdriver and a plug top will set you back less than a tenner and you’ll always have the tools for other jobs.
Also to bear in mind, should you somehow manage to escape the inferno, your home insurance is most likely invalidated by such shenanigans.
Yes it is. Whilst Europe is on 220V and U.K. is 240V all goods made for sale in Europe will run on either. In fact we’re all officially on 230V with a tolerance that allows the U.K. to run its power at at 240 and others at 220 and still be spec.
What you’ve got in a device without earth protection. If it’s an un-earthed plug, there’s not much difference. What you do have is an un-protected live conductor during the period of pushing the earth guard out of the way.
You could buy a plug. Use google to learn how to fit it if you never did before
There is lots of misleading information on this thread so I’m going to list the reasons why it is dangerous to do this.
British sockets are only designed to mate with square pinned British plugs. Using a euro plug with round pins will result in a poor electrical connections that could lead to arcing, overheating, and fire. Even if not obvious this may permanently damage the socket and cause overheating and fire even with British plugs.
Using the wrong kind of plug can lead to permanent mechanical damage to the socket contacts. Again this could lead to arcing, overheating, and fire even when you subsequently use British plugs.
There is no fuse to protect the flex, under fault conditions this could lead to the flex overheating or catching fire.
The lack of earth is a red herring, the device will be double insulated and even if it had UK plug the earth wouldn’t be connected.
The proper thing to do would be to use an adapter. An even better solution would be to cut the euro plug off and fit a proper UK plug top.
TL;DR you could burn your house down and or permanently damage your sockets
Was our local shopkeeper from a country where health and safety aren’t a big concern by any chance ?
Tomi Engdahl says:
The UK plug is lethal in another way without any electricity at all. If it falls on the floor the pins tend to face up, so if you are wondering about your abode in your bare feet in the dark, it is a lot more painful than Lego to put your foot on LOL.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Teardown of the new MK screwless socket
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4JVgboz_36Y
This is a new and welcome twist on the traditional UK power socket. Instead of using screw terminals it uses spring loaded terminals in the same style of Wago terminals.
In use the spring mechanism tightly clamps the copper wire against a copper or brass busbar. It actually looks very robust, but time will be the true test.
Tomi Engdahl says:
A dangerously faulty 4 way power socket – on sale in the UK!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7psPwpZWoW0&list=PLkWqaix0DAqWNu4M8syRb5F0auy4kP5d8
I replaced this a few weeks back because one of the sockets was faulty. It’s lucky I did!
This is not a rant about 4-way strips in general, as long as you don’t overload them they’re fine.
The particular model shown in the video, however, is a different matter. With a loose earth terminal they’re an electric shock risk (an unearthed PC will float at around half the mains voltage) and with loose neutral connections they’re a fire risk. The lid was secured with with tamperproof screws, so you need the correct screwdriver bit to be able to find the faults.
Viewer comments:
As far as I can see made in China labelled in English.
The CE mark is incorrectly spaced (the gap between the C and E should be half the width of the C) so it’s either misprinted or fake. The ROHS mark is also misprinted (should be RoHS). I’ve now taken the lid off the plug; the live wire doesn’t go under the screw, falling just short, and both neutral and earth wires have loose strands of wire folded back instead of being fixed in the terminal.
Being surge-protected isn’t a problem, the problem in this case is the way they’re fitted, with the live leg of one of the protectors in very close proximity to the earth bar. I’ve taken photos inside the worst of over 50 socket strips identical to the one shown here, the build quality is horrendous.
That oddball spaced CE mark is the China Export mark, not the true CE mark. Even if it were real, without a specific standard referenced the mark could refer to ANYTHING on the device, such as the housing plastic, the terminal screws, the neon lamps (if any) in the switches or even the printing ink on the bottom label.
BS 1363 applies to standard UK plugs and sockets, multi-way extensions, adaptors to multiple BS 1363 sockets, adaptors to shaver and foreign sockets, plug converters (to fit over a europlug etc) and fused connection units.
A genuine item would not exhibit the CE mark as this is subject to BS 1363, not a European standard. A CE mark on a BS 1363 plug or socket, adaptor etc is a sure sign of a counterfeit. The CE mark is specifically not allowed.
Seeing that makes me cringe! Chinese made rubbish and so dam dangerous, why do they let this sort of thing loose on the market?
Tomi Engdahl says:
The Dangers of UK Safety Socket Covers
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-WhFgaqCX0
Demonstrates how socket covers for UK power sockets are actually dangerous, not just useless. see http://www.fatallyflawed.org.uk
Tomi Engdahl says:
Power Outlets in United Kingdom
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=abqMLqHwqpo
I’ve heard that electrical system in UK is super safe, but how super?
Viewer comments:
It takes a lot of effort and imagination to overcome a UK plug and nearly start an electrical fire. My congratulations…
The fact that he knows how to hurt himself and not kill himself proves how smart he really is
Normal People on vacation: this place is so nice let’s go to the gift shops!
Electroboom: where the hell is the breaker box
Can’t figure out if you’re a qualified electrician and part time comedian, or full time comedian and amateur electrician
Geez, intentionally shorting a foreign hotel’s power outlet is a bold move.
The shaver outlets for bathrooms also have an isolating transformer behind the faceplate.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Can you use a 20 Amp double pole switch to control a spur from a ring final circuit? BS7671
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ToqrYhZ6N64
In kitchens, it’s often desirable to be able to control a hidden 13A socket outlet remotely. For example when the socket is behind a washing machine or dishwasher.
With reference to BS7671 can you use a 20Amp switch to control a socket connected to the spur off a ring final circuit?
Tomi Engdahl says:
Safety Advice: Plugs and Fuses
https://www.electricalsafetyfirst.org.uk/guidance/safety-around-the-home/plugs-and-fuses/
BS 1362 Fuse Operation Characteristics
https://www.pat-testing-training.net/articles/fuse-operation-characteristics.php
It may not be immediately apparent, but a 13A rated fuse is not designed to actually blow at 13A. In fact, a 13A fuse will allow a current of 20A to pass indefinitely without blowing. If we look at the graph in Fig 1, it shows the operating characteristics for both 3A and 13A BS 1362 fuses.
Why does a 13A rated fuse not blow at 13A?
The wire inside a fuse heats up when a current passes through it. The more current that passes, the hotter the wire will get. If the current is high enough, the wire will melt and cut the power to the appliance. The rated current of the fuse, in this case 13A, is the current that it can safely pass whilst maintaining a low enough temperature not to overheat the plug. BS 1362, the British Standard for the fuses used in plugs, specifies a maximum power dissipation of one watt when carrying the rated current.
Non-Fusing Current
The non-fusing current, the current that the fuse is capable of carrying, is specified as 1.6 times the rated current (Inf = 1.6 In). The fuse must be capable of carrying the non-fusing current for at least 30 minutes. So a 13A fuse must be capable of maintaining a current of 20.8A for at least 30 minutes without blowing.
Fusing Current
BS 1362 also specifies the fusing current as 1.9 times the rated current (If = 1.9 In). If the current exceeds the fusing current, the fuse must blow within 30 minutes. So a 13A fuse must blow within 30 minutes when carrying a current that exceeds 24.7A.
We are also finding an increasing number of counterfeit plugs made from flammable plastic being sold online. We have an article on counterfeit plugs where we conduct a flammability test to show how dangerous they are.
Counterfeit 13 A Plugs
https://www.pat-testing-training.net/articles/counterfeit-plugs.php
The fuse in the plug is an obvious cheap counterfeit. It does not have a manufacturer’s name or mark and is also missing an approval mark. Both are requirements of BS 1362, the British standard for plug fuses.
Breaking the fuse open, we can see that it does not contain the sand filling required by BS 1362. The sand filling is important because it displaces the air within the fuse and prevents it from exploding when it blows. We also have an article on counterfeit fuses, including a video demonstration of a counterfeit fuse exploding.
Counterfeit BS1362 Fuses
https://www.pat-testing-training.net/articles/fake-fuses.php
Tomi Engdahl says:
Exploded British General USB socket
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UpiSk4S7mZU
I’m not a huge fan of built-in electronics. It means that in an instance like this, the densely packed electronics can fail dramatically with the awkwardness of it still being built into the house wiring with no easy way to remove or replace it without electrical skills.
For charging USB devices I recommend using good quality plug-in chargers, and better still, plugged into a fused adaptor or extension.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Tip to Improve Your European Plug
https://youtube.com/shorts/Qs54btlGxN0?feature=share
Tomi Engdahl says:
Rogue lamp adaptor with shock risk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-M0ENypBnUA
Another interesting example of people making products without understanding what they’re doing. In this case it’s a simple lamp adaptor with a built-in design fault that can make the shell of a bayonet cap lamp-base live. If the adaptor is used in a plastic ungrounded holder this won’t be noticed, but it does pose a shock risk due to exposed metal.
If the adaptor is put into an earthed/grounded socket then it will either bridge live or neutral to earth. That will either result in instant RCD/GFCI tripping if live is bridged to earth, or unpredictable tripping if neutral is connected to earth.
When neutral is bridged to earth it can result in some of the neutral current bypassing the RCD and causing an imbalance. That results in the RCD/GFCI issues when a load reaches a specific level, even on other circuits. It can be quite hard to trace, because turning off single pole circuit breakers will not remove the neutral to earth short.
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://helpfulcolin.com/mains-safety-issues-with-extension-cables-13-amp-plugs/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Wiring one of the Worlds Finest Electrical Sockets
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/i06hcKnwv9w