On Tue, 24 Nov 2015 08:28:49 +0000, Neil Williams
wrote:

On 2015-11-24 00:51:39 +0000, Charles Ellson said:

It turns out that while the same name is used (which effectively only
describes the general style of the plug body) there are variations
across Europe of how such plugs and outlets are required to be
configured WRT earthing and polarisation. In some cases (Netherlands)
a polarised and earthed plug (CEE 7/7 as sometimes delivered with
computers supplied with two "kettle" leads) will still fit a socket
(CEE 7/1) which has neither polarisation nor earthing.
That would suggest that for use in the UK a socket would have to
comply with CEE 7/5 if I'm reading the above article correctly.

The most significant issue in the UK with regard to European style
sockets is the lack of plug fuses, which are required because socket
circuits in the UK are normally fused to 30A/32A at the distribution
board, while the flexes of appliances (nor the appliances themselves)
are not required to have this rating. So a Schuko socket (or any other
non-fused type) could only be fitted on a fused spur or a socket
circuit with a smaller fuse.

There is a strong argument for the UK to move to a larger number of
radial socket circuits fused at 15A/16A, which would AIUI solve this
issue.

As regards sockets, I've seen sockets in India that accept UK, European
2-pin and US plugs on the same faceplate, though the shutter mechanism
would be interesting.

Neil

At a tangent, but a related one. Back in the 1970s, when we bought
our first house in Basingstoke, GB. I was able to purchase a UK
standard double faceplate that had a thirteen amp outlet on one side,
and a fuse holder and two three amp round pin outlets on the other.

This was very useful. For example in ones living room one could use
it for a standard lamp, a table lamp, and still have somewhere in
which to plug one's vacuum cleaner.

Nowadays, I cannot find theses faceplates.