Talk:Europlug/Archive 1

europlug variant with solid pins
it seems there is a plug in use in brazil (and possiblly other places?) which has solid pins but is otherwise identical to the europlug does this deserve a mention here and does anyone have any more info on it? Plugwash 16:33, 30 Apr 2005 (UTC)


 * I think this photo does not show a europlug (pins look too parallel and too thick). It looks more like a variant of the swiss or IEC 60906-1 2-pin plug to me. But it is difficult to distinguish them on a small photo without having one in one's hand to measure pin diameter and distance with a caliper. There are at least half a dozen different plugs with two round pins in use worldwide. Do you have access to a copy of IEC/TR 60083:2004? Markus Kuhn 08:21, 15 July 2005 (UTC)

I followed the link you gave but that didn't seem to give any detail on how the modern europlug differed from the IEC 60906-1 standard. Plugwash 20:09, 15 July 2005 (UTC)
 * The IEC 60906-1 2-pin plug is designed for 16 A, the europlug only for 2.5 A. The europlug has thinner pins that are not parallel.


 * The right-hand plug in that picture is the same as I have on a Brazilian-made radio. While lacking the "safety features" of the genuine Europlug, the two are compatible in sockets designed for the Europlug.  In fact, this thing was an older variant of non-earthed plug (albeit with a rounded face) that was commonly used in Europe in the early-mid 20th Century, before the Europlug was developed. Stephanie Weil 19:28, 15 March 2007 (UTC)

Europlugs and BS1363 co-existing?
About the pins bending when the europlug is forced into a BS 1363 socket - only time that happened to me was with a few VCR cables. Here in Malaysia it's normal to find appliances with both europlug and BS 1363 prongs, both approved by the Malaysian standards body. The common wall socket here is the BS 1363. And everyone just uses a pen or screwdriver if they need to plug any europlug devices into a BS 1363 socket. And usually the europlug would fit snugly into the socket without the pin bending at all too. Perhaps you're confusing it with the schuko or CEE7/7 plug which does indeed have a tighter fit (but still goes fully without bending).RAM 00:52, 5 April 2007 (UTC)

The fact that people are doing so does not make it safe.--76.31.205.97 (talk) 21:02, 7 March 2009 (UTC)

you should buy some cheap plug converters, these are proven safe and can actually safe your life compared to hacking around. Markthemac (talk) 19:18, 28 July 2009 (UTC)

Comments moved from article
There are BS 1363-style sockets on the market that have a europlug-compatible alternative child-safety mechanism. Their shutter permits only the simultaneous insertion of a live and neutral pin and does not require the insertion of an earth pin.


 * are theese the mk ones or something else? unfortunately i don't have any europlugs at the same places i have the mk sockets to try it. i doubt a manufacturer would deliberately make thier sockets like this because of the fusing issue. i'm commenting out this paragraph until this is clarified. Plugwash 02:10, 24 Jun 2005 (UTC)
 * I'v not seen a socket which allows a British or a Europlug, but do have a shaver adaptor(British plug with a combined american/europlug socket on the back) which has shutters which only open when a pin is in each hole. boffy_b 23:09, July 14, 2005 (UTC)
 * do you have any mk sockets handy? (i don't have any handy right now) and if so can you confirm if europlugs will enter thier shutters or not. i know they don't use the earth pin. Plugwash 22:07, 15 July 2005 (UTC)

'RE. MK SOCKETS vs. EUROPLUGS'

Europlugs will not fit MK sockets without using an additional item to open the shutters, since the shutters have angled outer edges which stop against the socket holes and concave areas at the inner edges. This means a BS1363 plug will push the shutter back and, due to the angled surface, the shutter will rotate allowing plug insertion. However a Europlug will just push the shutters against the back-stop without rotating.

It is possible to insert a Europlug by using a toothpick (for example) to gently push one side of the shutter back and use the plug pin to push against the slope on the other side. The shutter will then open allowing the plug to be inserted easily.

Apart from the very tip of the plug pins where they converge, I have found that there is some clearance between the pins and the inner edges of the socket holes on all Europlugs I have used, in the majority of sockets. This is partly due to the insulated part of the plug pins being slightly thinner than the contact area.

N.B. In more recent MK sockets (those with the rounded corners and top face) there is an additional device operated by the earth pin which holds the shutters in place. This requires an additional object (such as a key) to allow the shutters to disengage since it needs to be pushed apart both sides.

These are more tricky to defeat but "cheater" plugs are starting to appear which easily overcome this. They are similar in appearance to socket covers, but have holes in to allow insertion of Europlugs. The plastic Earth pin and the thin plastic pins either side of the holes will defeat practically any shutter mechanism. These are becoming a popular cheap alternative to adaptors due to the proliferation of electrical equipment pre-wired with Europlugs.

BG ENGLAND (talk) 18:50, 6 June 2010 (UTC)

(Just after the mention of converter plugs) I'm sure they are larger than a normal british plug. does the BS1363 standard actually state maximum body dimensions? Plugwash 02:18, 24 Jun 2005 (UTC)
 * I'v seen a few of these, they'r not much bigger than a normal plug, much less chunky than an avaerage transformer plug. boffy_b 23:09, July 14, 2005 (UTC)
 * yep they are deffinately smaller than wall warts but deffinately bigger than most normal plugs. the original question about if there is any standard size still remains though. Plugwash

Incompatibility with Indian sockets
I request other editors to keep the heading (the same as that of this para). Let Indian readers know about the issue. The separate heading will help -59.95.21.234 (talk) 13:31, 7 January 2013 (UTC)


 * The Europlug is, by definition, intended to be compatible with most European domestic sockets. The fact that it is not compatible with sockets used in many non-European countries is not surprising, and there is no justification for a section in this article which states that Europlugs are not compatible with Indian sockets.  If such were the case then we would need similar sections for South Africa, Australia, the US, China etc. etc.!  I congratulate SSHamilton for removing this section and drastically reducing the unnecessarily overlong Incompatibility with UK and Irish sockets section. Deucharman (talk) 21:57, 14 May 2013 (UTC)

FF-UK is edit-warring again
This editor has a history of edit-warring on this page. They don't seem to understand what the word "physically" means. What can I do to ensure they don't keep reverting this correction?  Tu rk ey ph an t 17:13, 17 October 2014 (UTC)


 * It would be a good start if you provided a reference from an acceptable source that would back your claim. Bear in mind that there is already a pointer to the clause in the standard which requires that a Europlug will not open the shutters.  Your reverted edit: "it is possible to physically force it into 13 A sockets when the shutters are manually opened" does not describe a situation of physical compatibility, but a situation where first you have to tamper with the socket, and secondly "force" in the plug.    Furthermore, the forced entry which you describe is impossible to achieve in the most prevalent type of socket.  The two-pin or three-pin operated shutters in MK sockets have profiles which are specifically designed to trap and prevent entry of Europlug pins.  It is quite beyond me why any editor would wish to describe forced vandalism of this type in an encyclopedic article. FF-UK (talk) 09:21, 18 October 2014 (UTC)


 * How can you provide a source for the logical equivalent of "2 + 2 =5"? The facts are the two plugs are physically compatible (unlike almost every other pairing) but that the official standards prevent them from being used interchangeably in normal usage. It's completely false to claim that it's "impossible to achieve in the most prevalent type of socket".  Tu rk ey ph an t 01:21, 20 October 2014 (UTC)


 * I only just noticed that there are multiple comments on this Talk page repeating the same thing as me. Seems enough data to amend the article.  Tu rk ey ph an t 01:24, 20 October 2014 (UTC)


 * Turkeyphant, it is not clear why you think that a situation which involves tampering with the mechanism of the socket, and then forcing in an incorrectly shaped and wrongly sized plug justifies the claim that "the two plugs are physically compatible". The opposite is clearly the case.


 * I notice that you have also misrepresented the content of the referenced article by describing it as saying The UK Electrical Safety Council has drawn attention to a single instance the combination of a BS 1363 socket designed to make it more difficult to insert a Europlug and forcing Europlugs into such sockets produced a fire risk. whereas what is actually stated is "we have heard from Fire & Rescue Services up and down the country about fires resulting from  foreign plugs, such as the 2-pin Europlug, being forced into 13 A socket-outlets".


 * The permissible distance between the inner surfaces of the pins on a Europlug is a minimum of 13mm (that is 17mm centres less the diameter of the pin which is 4mm). The minimum permissible distance between the inner surfaces of the line and neutral apertures on a BS 1363 socket is 16.9mm.  This is a clear indication of the physical incompatibility of a Europlug and a BS 1363 socket, the only way that a Europlug can enter a BS 1363 socket is for the pins to be forced apart, and only then after tampering with the shutter mechanism.


 * Turkeyphant's denial of the statement "Furthermore, the forced entry which you describe is impossible to achieve in the most prevalent type of socket. The two-pin or three-pin operated shutters in MK sockets have profiles which are specifically designed to trap and prevent entry of Europlug pins." is simply incorrect, indeed, the mechanism which prevents it in the MK two-pin operated shutter mechanism has already been described by another editor on this page.  The MK three-pin operated shutter mechanism is different, and even more effective.  I am reverting Turkeyphant's latest edit as it is not consistent with the facts.  Again, I question why he is trying to force seriously unwise and inaccurate information into an encyclopedic article?  Could it not be said that the promotion of vandalism is in itself a form of vandalism? FF-UK (talk) 06:47, 20 October 2014 (UTC)


 * Another aspect of physical compatibility is the ability of the socket contacts to properly connect with the plug pins. Because a Europlug has round pins, and BS 1363 socket contacts are designed specifically to mate with flat pins, the resultant connection is is often ineffective, can be of a relatively high impedance, and also results in arcing which itself can lead to overheating and fire in "normal" use.  The dangers of inadequate protection because there is no plug fuse present, which means that the system circuit-breakers will allow up to 32A to flow in fault conditions, are of course significant, but the inadequate contact without the presence of a fault condition is probably of even greater significance.  It is downright ridiculous to claim physical compatibility for this combination.    71.228.66.131 (talk) 07:22, 20 October 2014 (UTC)
 * 71.228.66.131 - this is a encyclopaedia, not a technical document - it's nonsense to claim that they are not physically compatible when the sources FF-UK cites above explicitly state that many people are using these "physically incompatible" devices successfully together. This by definition shows that they are, in fact, physically compatible.
 * FF-UK - apologies for misread the document. I will amend the phrasing for the next edit. But again, your phrasing is not NPOV and, furthermore, it's patent nonsense to claim something to be "impossible" which is evidently possible.  Tu rk ey ph an t 21:41, 20 October 2014 (UTC)

It would appear that we have two editors who disagree on what “compatible” means. The obvious way through this is to consult Electropedia: which is published by the IEC. The definition given there for “compatible connectors” is: “ connectors that are intermountable, intermateable or interchangeable”, which means that we have to look at three more definitions:

“intermountable”: “pertaining to each of two components when their overall dimensions, dimensions on printed board or panel cut-out, and cable termination are identical”

“intermateable”: “pertaining to each of two  components when they feature identical dimensions for electrical and dimensional interfaces”

“interchangeable”: “pertaining to a component when all elements guaranteeing compliance of electrical, mechanical and climatic performance of mated connectors when individual connector halves are from different sources”

It is quite clear that, using the above guidance, it is not possible to consider Europlug and BS 1363 as compatible, they are absolutely not. 81.174.148.238 (talk) 11:16, 20 October 2014 (UTC)
 * Referring to a technical document is deliberately misleading. Compatible means something quite specific whereas physically compatible means something quite different. A socket A CPU might not be compatible with another CPU socket but if they can be physically inserted, they are physically compatible (if not technically). Perhaps a definition of the word "physically" would help elucidate this point?  Tu rk ey ph an t 21:33, 20 October 2014 (UTC)
 * I also wanted to add that by your definitions, nothing could be "compatible"  Tu rk ey ph an t 21:41, 20 October 2014 (UTC)


 * I see that Turkeyphant claims at the head of this section that FF-UK has a history of edit-warring on this page. Examination of the history of the page clearly shows that to be untrue as the first edit which FF-UK has made here was his reversion of Turkeyphant's misleading edit promoting a particular PoV.  However, it will be appreciated that this is a rather obvious attempt to position FF-UK as the "bad guy" here.


 * Turkeyphant's claim that "Referring to a technical document is deliberately misleading" cannot stand up to reasonable scrutiny. Clearly what he is actually saying is "Anything which does not agree with my thinking is wrong", but he is unable to produce any references to support his opinion.  In my post above I drew attention to the definitions relating to compatibility all making specific reference to physical characteristics:  overall dimensions, identical dimensions for electrical and dimensional interfaces and guaranteeing compliance of electrical, mechanical and climatic performance of mated connectors.  However, Turkeyphant claims that "Compatible means something quite specific whereas physically compatible means something quite different." Says who?  Can Turkeyphant please provide an indication of what he believes to be the meaning of "physically compatible" if it is other than the compatibility of physical characteristics? 81.174.148.238 (talk) 08:44, 21 October 2014 (UTC)


 * 81.174.148.238, thank you for pointing out Turkeyphant's false claim, I did not mention it myself as it had already been dealt with by the administrator who rejected his edit warring report. Not sure where this is going to go as it seems we are dealing with an editor who wishes to redefine common English words!  FF-UK (talk) 10:39, 21 October 2014 (UTC)
 * It's common sense. Any average reader coming across this article checking the section in question will read "physically incompatible" to mean that there is no way to use Europlugs in BS 1363 sockets due to a physical mismatch (similarly to whether UK plugs can be used in North American sockets). This is demonstrably false as there is nothing about the physicality of Europlugs preventing this. Just because Europlugs don't meet the technical standards, doesn't mean they are not physically compatible. I'd suggest changing the wording to make it clear that they are in no way close to meeting the technical standards but, regardless, can physically be used in BS 1363 sockets sidestepping the ambigupous word "compatible".  Tu rk ey ph an t 16:36, 21 October 2014 (UTC)


 * Turkeyphant, please let me explain what common sense actually is in this regard. A Europlug may be not be inserted into a BS 1363 socket unless firstly the safety mechanism is defeated by tampering, and secondly the pins of the Europlug are forced apart to permit them to enter the socket apertures.  However, if the socket is one manufactured by MK then the shutters cannot be opened by inserting anything into the earth aperture, and the shutter mechanism cannot be opened by attempting to force a Europlug into the socket.  Common sense says that this makes a Europlug physically incompatible with any BS 1363 socket.  In addition, as I explained earlier, the socket contacts in any BS 1363 socket are not physically compatible with round pins.  The best thing that you can do is self revert your unwise edit and walk away from this with some semblance of dignity. 71.228.66.131 (talk) 17:14, 21 October 2014 (UTC)

Turkeyphant, once again you are resorting to distortion in an attempt to get your non-neutral POV accepted into this article. I and others have explained to you why the Europlug and BS 1363 socket are not compatible, you have provided no evidence to the contrary (because there is none) but you insist on redefining words to suit your distortions. Let's take a look at your latest sleight of hand: "Just because Europlugs don't meet the technical standards, doesn't mean they are not physically compatible." Well, Europlugs do meet a technical standard, which is called EN 50075, there is even a British adoption of that standard called BS EN 50075. The point is that EN 50075 and BS 1363 are NOT compatible, so therefore a compliant Europlug is incompatible with a compliant BS 1363 socket. Please desist. I have reverted your latest edit. FF-UK (talk) 06:57, 22 October 2014 (UTC)
 * As I already explained, you provided the evidence yourself. It's really as simple as that. What is so difficult for you to understand about the technical standards being incompatible (which they evidently are as you keep repeating over and over again) while the components are physically compatible (which has been demonstrated as fact countless times). I note you've now dropped your claim that they are physically incompatible (I assume because you now admit that it's false). I stepped back from this once with the compromise wording I proposed which you reverted without any discussion. This is far from appropriate.  Tu rk ey ph an t 22:18, 22 October 2014 (UTC)


 * Turkeyphant, please try to comprehend what others are writing, it should not be too difficult. You have been given full explanations as to the reasons for the physical incompatibility, and I see that you have not disputed that for a Europlug to be inserted into a BS 1363 socket requires both tampering and force.  Why can you not understand that by any common sense interpretation of these words the only possible conclusion is that they are not physically compatible?  Please stop your edit warring now.  The wording which you keep reverting is an unbiased and accurate description of the facts supported by references, let it stand.  71.228.66.131 (talk) 05:53, 23 October 2014 (UTC)
 * That's completely ignoring the meaning of the word as well as the various reasons I've offered above. I've already provided sources as has FF-UK in support of this and, as noted, have altered the wording to avoid controversy. Kindly engage or stop meddling to promote NPOV agenda.  Tu rk ey ph an t 14:12, 23 October 2014 (UTC)


 * Turkeyphant: As IP editor 71.228.66.131 has alreadysaid to you, please try to comprehend what others are writing. No one is ignoring the meaning of "physically not compatible" except you!  You have provided no sources whatsoever for your perverted ideas, why falsely clam that you have?  You have not "altered the wording to avoid controversy", what you have done is altered the wording and created controversy!  You keep insisting on using the phrase "However, it is possible to trivially bypass the safety mechanism ", none of this is trivial, it presents a significant safety hazard.  You refuse to accept that the method described applies only to earth pin operated shutters, and not to the mechanisms employed by MK and similar which do not rely on that method. You also, for some obscure reason, want to minimize the intent of the Electricity Safety Council's warning, as referenced, by implying it is only a claim, as opposed to a statement of fact.  As I have already pointed out to you, the ESC reference explicitly states "we have heard from Fire & Rescue Services up and down the country about fires resulting from foreign plugs, such as the 2-pin Europlug, being forced into 13 A socket-outlets".  It does NOT state, as you have falsely claimed above, that "many people are using these "physically incompatible" devices successfully together".  What is more, your edits to the article and comments here are riddled with nonsense, grammatical errors and spelling mistakes, get a grip and stop this ridiculous edit war! FF-UK (talk) 15:54, 23 October 2014 (UTC)
 * Have you read any of my comments on this talk page?
 * You have provided no sources whatsoever for your perverted ideas, why falsely clam that you have?
 * I object to your accusation of pervertedness. This is not appropriate on WP. And read what I've said: "you provided the evidence yourself". See the reference on the article.
 * You have not "altered the wording to avoid controversy"
 * Utter lies. We were in disagreement with "compatible" vs "physically compatible". I removed this source of contention. Clear misrepresentation of my edits.
 * none of this is trivial
 * Trivial is not the right word. Replace with simply. Again, given by your own admission 100,000s of people do this every day makes it clear it's possible and widely done.
 * You refuse to accept that the method described applies only to earth pin operated shutters, and not to the mechanisms employed by MK and similar which do not rely on that method
 * Again, read what I've said. I repeatedly accepted that. What I refused to accept what your false claim of impossibility.
 * You also, for some obscure reason, want to minimize the intent...
 * Nonsense. I want to report accurately. The fact there is a warning is a statement of fact. The basis is not; it is a claim. This is basic interpretation of language.
 * It does NOT state, as you have falsely claimed above
 * Yes it does. Read it again.
 * your edits to the article and comments here are riddled with nonsense, grammatical errors and spelling mistakes
 * If you believe this to be so, correct them. Don't change the meaning of the words to something that's false.
 * This is getting absurd now. Kindly either address my points or refrain from reverting. The simple faces of the matter are that a) it is possible to use Europlugs in most British sockets, b) there's nothing about the physical size or orientation of the pins that prevents this (unlike other plugs mentioned in this and other articles), c) many people do use these components together demonstrating the absurdity of claiming it's physically impossible. The article should have content covering all of these points instead of falsely writing it off in one incorrect sentence.  Tu rk ey ph an t 16:21, 23 October 2014 (UTC)


 * Turkeyphant, please try to comprehend what others are writing, your arguments do not stand up to logical analysis and your desire to reinterpret English words to a meaning particular to yourself is not appropriate for an encyclopedia. A full explanation as to why this plug and this socket are not physically compatible has been stated.  The plug can only be forced into a socket, and that forcing is only possible following a deliberate and potentially damaging tampering action with the safety mechanism, it cannot therefore be considered compatible in any way.  Accept it and move on. 71.228.66.131 (talk) 05:34, 24 October 2014 (UTC)


 * Turkeyphant: It seem as though 'perverted' is another word which you do not understand.  The definition of 'pervert' is:  "Distort or corrupt the original course, meaning, or state of (something)" which describes precisely what you are doing.  After careful reading of your latest reply I can take a guess at the origin of your claim that the following statement is derived from the ESC reference.  You have written "many people are using these "physically incompatible" devices successfully together".  but there is no mention of "many people" or "successfully together" in the reference.  The ESC does state: "To help avoid such incidents, we are  supplying thousands of conversion plugs  free of charge to Fire & Rescue Services across the UK for them to give out when, during their home safety checks, they come  across cases of foreign plugs being misused." and that is the closest I can find.  Your claim is a total perversion of that statement.  FF-UK (talk) 09:21, 24 October 2014 (UTC)


 * 71.228.66.131 - please actually address the point I'm making, not some straw man. I don't think your claim holds up to any scrutiny.
 * FF-UK - read the reference again. It's an absurd lie to claim the reference does not back up my point. Also, please address the other points I have mentioned so we can come to a consensus.  Tu rk ey ph an t 17:54, 29 October 2014 (UTC)

Turkeyphant, please indicate exactly how you believe the reference states that "many people are using these "physically incompatible" devices successfully together". Also, as far as I can see, all your points have been properly refuted with reasons, if you believe that this is not the case state why, not play guessing games. FF-UK (talk) 18:21, 29 October 2014 (UTC)

Picture
I took a picture of a Europlug next to a NEMA connector. It might help readers understand the size of one.

I just want to know if it is appropriate to put it on this article, and if it is, where to put it.

thanks, TheSpaceFace C'mon talk to me. don't be a wimp 18:25, 14 June 2015 (UTC)


 * The picture actually compares what appears to be part of a charger or something similar fitted with pins suitable for a variety of European sockets (not a Europlug, or any other plug, because they would not be displaying the CE mark) with a charger fitted with pins designed to fit a NEMA socket. As such it is not appropriate to an article dealing solely with plugs, not chargers and power supplies. FF-UK (talk) 20:15, 14 June 2015 (UTC)
 * I guess that picture wasn't good enough. You were supposed to pay attention to the tips, not the body. Meh... I have another picture, See if that's any better


 * Thanks, TheSpaceFace C'mon talk to me. don't be a wimp 21:00, 14 June 2015 (UTC)
 * If you want to show a picture of two plugs, then take a picture of two plugs! A charger with pins can not be used to illustrate the properties of a plug which depend on the body as well as the pins. FF-UK (talk) 08:19, 15 June 2015 (UTC)
 * No Chargers? Done! I re-uploaded the photo (same file as the first retake). I still have the Euro Charger (that is the only thing I have with that pin) but it not really noticeable. Please tell me this is good enough this time.
 * Thanks, TheSpaceFace C'mon talk to me. don't be a wimp 13:14, 15 June 2015 (UTC)
 * yeah... never mind. I tried. TheSpaceFace C'mon talk to me. don't be a wimp 14:39, 15 June 2015 (UTC)


 * Is this what you wanted to show? FF-UK (talk) 16:56, 15 June 2015 (UTC)
 * Yes, and thanks for doing it for me
 * TheSpaceFace C'mon talk to me. don't be a wimp 16:59, 15 June 2015 (UTC)

Compatibility with British bathroom plug?
The article says "The Europlug is compatible with 2-pin shaver sockets used in British bathrooms, which have isolating transformers". Is it true? The pins on the British plug are closer to each other (5⁄8 in, 15.88 mm) than on the europlug (19 mm appart). If you really try you can push the British plug into some German/Czech/Polish/French/.. sockets, but it is then hard to take them out. This does not sound like compatibility to me. --Jirka6 (talk) 09:36, 22 April 2012 (UTC)


 * Modern UK shaver sockets are designed to accept both BS 4573 shaver plugs and Europlugs, and usually US 2 pin plugs as well. Not all UK shaver sockets have isolation transformers, but such transformers are required for shaver sockets fitted in bathrooms. Deucharman (talk) 21:47, 14 May 2013 (UTC)


 * The BS 4573 plug often wont go into Schuko or Europlug sockets in Europe though (or at least not without difficulty) so it is untrue to say they are totally compatible. Because there are SOME sockets which accept either plug does not make them compatible. Just like German (Side Earth) and French (Male earth pin) Sockets are not compatible despite the existence of plugs which will fit either. 2.123.240.251 (talk) 20:43, 16 January 2016 (UTC)