A look inside a (crap) double gang socket with USB outlets.

This socket was sent to me for analysis when it failed to charge the original users devices. I think it's probably a good idea the original owner got rid of it, since it has a rather unique earthing arrangement.
The only major departures from the chip manufacturers sample design was a missing capacitor in series with the primary snubber network capacitor and some slightly adjusted component values. Track layout may have played a part in the odd circuit instability at moderate current loads.
If you enjoy my videos you can support the channel with a dollar for coffee, cookies and dodgy USB devices at / bigclive

[@thatwolffe3802]

You know you are tired when you misread the title as "I took a crap inside a double gang socket"

[@bigclivedotcom]

+ThatWolffe Now there's an idea for a video.

[@thatwolffe3802]

bigclivedotcom haha that it is.

+ThatWolffe This is the best thing I've read today :'D

[@thatwolffe3802]

Toni Lähdekorpi XD glad you like it

[@leisergeist]

I'm sure there's a side of KZbin for that

[@berntolovhellstrom8891]

About the USBs. The technology is a primary side buck converter. They can be designed cheap or good but it will be either or and not both. The best is with a isolated feedback circuit, measuring the output voltage which controls the switcher but it needs a opto isolator and an external voltage reference and that more expensive but not a lot!. Here they are using a third coil in the transformer which reflects the consumption on the output and it is fed in the controller. It works, but not good. At low loads the phase between voltage and current are causing issues to predict what is going on at the output and therefor a flickering is seen. It is basically the same phenomena with old wall-dimmers with low power LEDs. The switcher are not properly understanding when to switch. When the current increases, this third coil is giving a better "image" of the output and the voltage is suddenly more stable. It is not a bad idea as such but it is definitely a bad choice for a USB charger with a very limited voltage range. The stability can't be achieved with this design and a lot more is needed to make reliable USB charging. The three coil design works with consistent current and not in dynamic chargers.

[@Sonbo0525]

I have no idea why I'm watching this but I like it.

[@chrisl9620]

just heard that the bloke who invented usb died recently. ...aparantly when they were lowering his body into the grave, they had to lift it back up , turn it around then place it back in.

[@themadhammer3305]

Chris knows every god damn time even if you bloody check you have to do that, cudos to the man for inventing such a useful device but my god would it have killed him to make the bloody thing symmetrical

[@steenystuff1075]

@@themadhammer3305 Lololol! Agreed!

[@jed-henrywitkowski6470]

Lol!

[@stfuplsok]

Chris *apparently

[@robertsmylie6633]

That was the most amusing thing I’ve seen on here all night😂😂😂😂

[@chrisengland5523]

Whenever I install a double gang socket, I always plug my tester into both outlets - more by habit than anything else. Sometimes I've wondered whether that's really necessary, but clearly it is.

[@NeXMeta]

You narrate your videos in a way that makes this easier for me to understand.

[@Spiderelectron]

I touble shot (shooted?) a whole bunch of similar units which had been fitted in a hotel chain. About 50% died with similar unstable output as yours. Turned out every one that had failed had a knock-off chinese diode in it. All the ones that worked perfectly had a genuine make diode in.

[@ColHogan-le5yk]

Trouble shooted is correct

[@emandes4307]

SpiderElectron m

[@uckfayooglegay9982]

trouble shat

[@markgilder9990]

What really frightened me Clive was the no earth continuity. I will now check the ones I have on the van. Not the same make but you can't be too careful.

[@DavidRLocke]

Thanks for the in-depth analytical presentation. We have our own version of these USB/convenience outlets, and I have regarded them from the get-go with a jaundiced eye. But I'm a chronic non-believer in combination anything. For instance I would not have a combination telly/VCR or DVD device. Too much chance of a dead appendage situation. And in every combo device I've seen I've noticed a consistent cutting of corners quality-wise. Better to have separate components for each purpose, where quality can be addressed more thoroughly. After seeing this my attitude toward this kind of outlet remains the same as before.

[@souroddity8344]

youtube, recommend some weird stuff which i'm kinda glad for actually. I've always been the sort of person who likes to figure out how things work and what's inside them. I guess youtube did something right for once!

[@RnO7579n7578]

yep, exactly. i enjoy watching electronics and gaming videos, but idk why youtube recommends me to earwax removal and frozen shit. youtube is just stupid.

[@somethingsomething404]

Sour Oddity awe, the algorithm is finally getting to know you :)

[@somethingsomething404]

Ron - New Channel OPGuyK your phone probably detected wax in your ear on a recent phone call, and maybe thought you were weird enough to freeze poop

[@oc2phish07]

A VERY informative little video. Certainly made me think about these multi-purpose sockets. Thanks.

[@jamesgilbart148]

I have often wondered if it's a good idea to have these built in transformers in power sockets running constantly. Even with better quality, safer sockets than your example, this uses small amounts of electricity that over the millions of the things out there must add up to a lot of power wastage. I think it would be better to make the USB sockets separately switched.

[@TechyBen]

A usb charger can be upgraded... these sockets, less so. :/

[@MrSammotube]

This is really useful - I had the same behaviour on my Android phones using a 4-gang mains extension with USB. I assumed the USB lead was dodgy but I have tested and realise that it is just the 4-gang USB "feature" that is not great. It was not a cheap one either so I think we consumers really need to know the low-down on good mains USB options!

[@ThatHPIGUY]

Ah Bollox I have 2 of these. I fitted them myself. Not had any issues so far. I will have to check for the earthing. Thanks

[@preytec]

Hi HP, are they still working? i got 4 of these and only 1 is left working

[@PelDaddy]

I was in Scotland last week, and was impressed with the switches on each socket. I also love the beefy UK plug and outlet vs. the wimpy US stuff. The Scotch was quite good too! I kept thinking of you, Clive when I heard people talk. Keep up the great vids, even the wee ones.

[@BIGBOICOMBO]

Even with my limited knowledge about electronics , i find your channel a joy to watch . If you were my math teacher i'd be a genius

[@mauriceorris8374]

Bought a dual socket with 2xusb 2.1a from Wilkinsons the other week. Like you, i don't care for electronics screwed into the wall. Fitted mine into a white plastic flush mount patress, with a rubber grommet for the cable. A cable that has a plug on the end. Excellent desktop mains/usb power extension outlet.

[@afivey]

Yikes. Used to think these USB-in-power-sockets were the future. This video set me straight. Thanks for taking the time to show this Clive!

[@luminousfractal420]

A standard size could be useful. Perhaps they should just make them with a little square socket for apple cubes. That way it could be easily replaced (defeats the purpose almost but it would work)

[@chems]

couldnt you slap on a 10v 3300uF cap on the output as a crude fix?

[@raypitts4880]

DONT BOTHER CHUCK IT IN THE BIN A BUY A BS STANDARD ONE.

[@trueriver1950]

Some years ago the UK govt ran ads encouraging us to unplug phone chargers when no phone was on charge. This was to save power--tiny for each charger but in aggregate over the whole country a significant amount. These permanently wired in USB chargers defeat that good advice, even if you get a high quality one. I have never seen one with a switch in the mains supply to the charger.

[@mysterioussquirrel4456]

Isn't KZbin wonderful. In just one hour, I have gone from porn to double gang sockets via boats and rope making.

[@iamdarkyoshi]

Welcome to google's BRILLIANT suggested videos...

[@mysterioussquirrel4456]

***** I wouldn't say they are all 'brilliant' but it's a great place to start surfin'.

[@interestingspagetti]

Would love to know how you got from porn to here hehe???

[@nswinoz3302]

Mysterious Squirrel Normally you go from this to porn not the other way around? Interesting

[@ricardomontalban6004]

With practise you’ll get that all in one vid.efficiwank

[@tOSdude]

Shorted data pins on USB means it's broadcasting the he-man code "I have the power!"

[@johnfrancisdoe1563]

tosdude More specifically, it says "I have 900mA PER SOCKET", which it doesn't as it only has 1000mA total.

[@BulletmanDoom]

The trouble with the shutter system is that kids like me when I was about 9 years old, saw them as a challenge and worked out how to get them to open. Thankfully my aunty was there to stop me getting the piece of cutlery into the live side.

[@GrahamHoughton12]

I presume the 4800mA rating you question would be total capacity for two x 2400mA outputs which is becoming standard now

[@Mrvideosandgames]

Ah, yes, that could be it. Modern tablets are probably using fast-charging stuff which will no doubt drain at least 1.5A.

[@Strider9655]

These things are all over the place at the moment, my parents even bought one (and I refused to fit it). I said "you wouldn't leave a cheap Chinese USB adaptor plugged in 24/7 would you? Well that's exactly what's inside those things!!"

[@thelol1759]

+Strider9655 Do you think anyone makes a good one? I really like the idea, but the implementations seem to be too dodgy for me to put the money down on one.

[@cam231]

+thelol1759 MK do a decent one, not the cheapest at £25, but then its not cheap Chinese crap!

[@thelol1759]

cam231 I'll have to look for a US equivalent then. Hopefully one exists! I've been looking for one of these so I can plug my phone into my outlet with my bed pushed up against the wall properly.

[@Madness832]

+thelol1759 Yeah, they exist; check some place like Home Depot.

[@gavincarstens6497]

I have 5 installed at my place. Only top quality thou, HPM or Click

[@jk844100]

"And the iPad just said 'give me the power!'" Well that does sound a lot like Apple

[@worawatli8952]

It is planned self-sabotage. No matter how crap the charger is, it charge, so it will broke down faster to make you buy a new one. lol

[@kduhtdkzrt]

Uhm, okay. Or maybe the iPads charging circuicy just comes with smoothing caps that are worth a fucking shit?

[@KnowledgePerformance7]

Yeah apple does a lot of filtering and power conditioning in the device

[@girlsdrinkfeck]

it proves apple products are shit and are happy to get fried with a bad supply ,android is smarter and more secure

[@somethingsomething404]

girlsdrinkfeck Apple takes what it gets and makes the best of it(requests full power, accepts what it gets then smooths it out) android tries to pull as much power as it can without lighting fire.. I think I know which id rather sleep next to.

[@steveeldridge5400]

Very interesting video. I've steered clear of these potential fire starters because like you, I am not keen on the idea of having cheap, crappy electronics permanently connected across the mains supply. To be acceptable, there needs to be physical isolation from the mains so that the USB ports can be switched off when not in use; i.e USB sockets enabled through a proper switch. I've not seen one that works this way, even from reputable firms like MK. The earthing issue on this one is also quite nasty and could be missed by a DIYer and might even be missed by an electrician.

[@sgt.davideswigerusmc5113]

Living in the US but still enjoy watching and finding good info for other projects. Thanks, Semper Fi

[@michael-lt2lf]

Thanks so much for this - I was just about to fit these all over the house!

[@MGlBlaze]

The way the two earth connections aren't actually linked in the socket itself seems more than a bit dodgy.

[@frankiesparkes3947]

It is, it's inherently dangerous given the way wiring is done. In ring circuits this isn't a great problem but in Radial Circuits (Google them) that could leave an open earth downstream because there's only 2 earth cables in a terminal at any one time and in Radial Circuits it only meets with the consumer unit (fuse board, distribution unit) once, and since the 2 cables don't allow for continuity, the earth in class 1 (earthed) appliances is completely defeated, persevering a shock risk to any earthed appliance on that 'circuit' (halfway down the outlet)

[@MGlBlaze]

Frankie Sparkes Googled it; it seems to be basically what I assumed it was. Essentially in a radial circuit, all the sockets are connected in a single series as opposed to looping back to the distribution board at the end? Yeah in that case I can see how, if it wasn't wired around that design shortcoming, it would basically defeat the ground connection of any socket after this one. Which is potentially a rather major risk to health and safety.

[@JimWebber73]

+Frankie Sparkes Hi Frankie, Personally, I wouldn't even be happy on a ring main. Yes, you 'could' connect each leg of the ring to one of the sockets, but then you would technically have a break in the ring. In Clive's words, "Unnice", or in the words of George Orwell's Newspeak, "Ungood"....

[@havenview]

+Frankie Sparkes You're right it is dangerous but the scenario on a ring final you describe would fail the ring continuity test and the earth continuity test on the radial circuit so the faults would be picked up on testing. Any O/C ring is a very bad idea as the whole circuit capacity design is based on 2 current paths, with only one path it is running on an underrated cable size. I've never seen this scenario in a twin socket before either and I can't say I have *always* checked two outlets on every socket during testing.....mmmmm....that might change now! The two earth terminals are a requirement for "High Integrity Earthing" where a circuit is used for lots of IT equipment with EMI filters that cause a high earth leakage

[@richardsandwell2285]

+MGlBlaze Yes that was bloody terrible, the only way to have made it safer would have been for the electrician or end installer to fit a link wire between the two.

[@KP-kd4kp]

Oh my god. A Brit knows the legend himself John Ward. Love from Australia and love the videos, Clive!

[@googletitsfost]

A friend bought a few of these this year as he thought it was "untidy" having power bricks hanging out of sockets all around the place. He's since bought a couple of new phones recently that come with chargers that give out 9V @ 1.5A (but will charge from a PC, but obviously much much slower). The phones don't charge at all from the USB sockets in the wall. So they still have power bricks hanging out of the wall !

[@tonyknight9912]

The lack of earth continuity is appalling and dangerous.

[@jamesclarke5331]

Sounds like he bought it from Wish.

[@619guy202]

Shocking!!

[@laus9953]

it's a violation of most fundamental requirements. if anyone distributed this product in UK or EU, they should be liable to severe legal repercussion (including liability for negligent manslaughter if someone died as a result)

[@chriswhite5601]

@@laus9953 As we know under conformity, it is the importers responsibility to ensure compliance. So the nasty work around for this is, if a user imports it themselves from abroad, or the supplier is a middle man without any knowledge, conformity assessment won't happen and thats how you end up with non-compliant equipment bypassing the law. I do CE marking as part of my living, and TUV SUD have some interesting stories about products.

[@danielelise7348]

You COULD install it in an old English pub & perhaps install it in the beer garden & kill a few more children!!😡😡😡See David Savery's video about "Electrician found not guilty over childs death" at pub.

[@spokehedz]

I would be interested to see the waveform of the 'unloaded' 5v output... I suspect that it has some kind of 'load detect' to put the circuit into some kind of sleep state to save power/wear on the circuit. I think you should get an o-scope of some kind. Even a cheap DSO from China would give some kind of idea what is going on in there. Love the videos!

[@smeezekitty]

+Alexander Borsi I'm really surprised he doesn't have a scope. They aren't even that expensive anymore

[@DarkLinkAD]

+smeezekitty link??

[@spokehedz]

DarkLinkAD How much are you looking to spend?

[@smeezekitty]

DarkLinkAD 100 MHz DSOs are about $200 now www.ebay.com/itm/Hantek-DSO5102P-Digital-Oscilloscope-100MHz-1Gs-2CH-7-TFT-/351594172446 Or you could buy used in the $100-200 range

[@MarkJT1000]

Alexander Borsi - if he did get a cheap scope from China he would probably dismantle it as soon as he got it. LOL

[@stephenwabaxter]

I'm pleased to see that coffee chains like Starbucks and Cafe Nero are fitting 13A plus 5V USB outlets in their new builds starting last year. I've been using Masterplug Extension leads with USB outlets for about three years and have encountered no problems at all. I recently fitted two in my kitchen which is a harsher environment. If anyone is considering buying this type of wall socket I would go for MK or other well known brands who will be built to the British standards and throughly tested for reliability. We should expect these products to last at least 10 years.

[@whiplash7400]

+Stephen Baxter 40 YEARS**

[@bigclivedotcom]

+Stephen Baxter Now I've got the urge to go to Starbucks and surreptitiously swap one of their USB sockets for one with the mains connected directly to the USB socket.

[@ThePyrogenica]

Nicely put Clive. The killer has to be the absence of common earth rail, which I would think would make it incompatible with IEEE regs. I am not an electrical engineer, but I am an RF engineer, and I suspect that induced noise is at the root of the instability of (what passes for) an SMPS. I wholeheartedly agree with your sensible comments regarding the use of installed PSUs over the conventional "bricks" - if nothing else, the "always on" issue is environmentally unsound and the risk of fire from such shoddily made crap. Nice upload, though, thank you very much for sharing

[@System0Error0Message]

sometimes the problem of stability is either with the capacitors or the chips used. Every power chip has its own specs even for switching and they have various different efficiencies and profiles for different voltages and loads. It could also be the components used with the switching chip might not be the correct type. The chip used could also just be crappy.

[@MegaWayneD]

I actually lol'd at the JW impression! Wonder if he'll ever say "I'm not 100% sure" in one of his videos?

[@ianharrison6597]

+MegaWayneD Or will Clive start saying 'destroy' and 'killed or seriously injured' with great abundance.

[@ChumpusRex]

Just a correction about the lamp holders. The Buildings regulations Part L actually specified that at least one lamp holder in each "living area" must be designed so that they cannot accept an incandescent lamp. One way of doing that was to integrate a CFL ballast into the lamp fitting, so that a compact tube (e.g. PL style) could be plugged in. In practice, the vendors tended to go for proprietary connectors which would lock the householder into their specific brand of bulb. In a further attempt to reduce costs for builders/contractors, most vendors then moved from integrated ballasts in the fitting to simply using proprietary connectors for their own brand of CFL.

[@gsmitchell]

Funny you mention JW! I watch exactly two people take apart electonics: you, and JW. But I am always waiting for him to read me the BBC Headlines when I listen. I'm JW, and here are tonight's top stories.... he would be perfect for that.

[@iaadsi]

Wow, UK shutters are neat! Those that we have in the continental Europe are just angled pieces of plastic that you have to push out of the way with the plug. Some take way too much force to operate.

[@kp-qr6hy]

That's brexit for you🇬🇧♥️👍

[@okaro6595]

The European shutters are far better as one cannot defeat them with a single action. You need to push them side at the same time. Sure some UK sockets also have similar ones.

[@iaadsi]

@@okaro6595 I guess that varies between models? I have Legrand sockets and you can definitely defeat it with a single action. Just push at a proper angle and you'll be making contact with live voltage :) The UK plug can't be opened by pressing into the L receptacle at all. You need to go through the ground pin.

[@Martin-uf4ut]

hello I'm j w, and in today's video we have bigclive, and until next time, thanks for watching

[@shauntbarry]

I have no idea why I watch all his videos.. I have no idea on what he's going on about but they're fascinating!

[@boblordylordyhowie]

Dual earths are usually for continuation of the earth so as one may break that would disconnect the earth to the next socket. We would put one cable into one and the other cable into the other because we would notice if you overtightened the screw you could damage one of the strands and with voltage vibration it would eventually snap. By folding the wire over to form a "U" which when you tighten the screw it will tend to lie flat and one in each terminal will ensure a good connection, as long as you check the earth connection is continuous through the socket. On this socket it would seem to rely on a metal box to transmit the earth or a loop.

[@MizunoIronMan]

J W here, classic !

[@gordonlawrence3537]

I was under the impression that a double gang socket had to by law have both earth sockets bonded together in such a way as they could not by accident come apart? I could be wrong. Any Electricians know that part of the regs?

[@PBMS123]

Yeah I think it is, but I think the point is this isn't a legal/up to code socket

[@johncsuti6118]

The earthing system must contain a “hard to remove” link on such sockets

[@DarthAwar]

Ones sold at Hardware or Electrical stores should ones of ebay or aliexpress fair chance they are not upto code and this applies to pound/dollar shops as legally they do not have to make sure the electronics meet UK/US codes as long as it is not sold under their name (or a brand name they own!) all responsibility laws with the manufacturer and/or importer! So basically do not trust electronics from cheap shops or Ebay/Aliexpress only buy electronics from Hardware Stores, Electronic and/or Electrical Shops!!!

[@125brat]

In the UK which is where these sockets are made for, I am pretty certain it is the seller not the manufacturer who is legally responsible for the quality and compliance of products they sell irrespective whether they are own branded or not. It is up to the retailer to demonstrate due diligence to show they have taken all reasonable steps when they sell something. When you buy something, your legal contract is with the supplier, not the manufacturer. It's the supplier you pay your money to.

[@MegaWeebles]

@@125brat They use the type G socket (UK style 3 pin) in Hong Kong too.

[@garyhart6421]

When I was young (in the days of Round Pin Un-Shuttered Sockets) I once stuck a fork in a socket --- I was more shocked by the blowing fuse than by the electricity. Re: Eco-Houses and light fittings: Ours were originally fitted with horrid 3 pin sockets which required expensive (2-3 times the cost of the 2 pin versions) fluorescent bulbs. Needless to say, when they went --- I put in normal sockets. Had a couple of electric failures recently (both items about 3 months old) : a 4W --- 9 LED lamp and a USB (AA & AAA) battery charger. The lamp just stopped working and the Charger just started putting out 4.5 Volts instead of the 1.4 it should, and the blue resistors in it are nearly black !

[@caveman123ization]

I love you man. I've spent so much time watching your videos and they just make me very happy for some reason. Never stop!

[@lordmuntague]

I think we need a joint JW-Big Clive video. Batman vs Superman would have nothing on it! Love 'em both. 8o)

[@mbirth]

I just love those UK sockets with their integrated switches. I'd also love to see them getting more common in Germany, too. (With a Schuko socket, of course.)

[@Spexxos1]

+Markus Birth (mbirth) Why would you want a switch on your sockets? The ones clive is showing here are just bulky and ugly if you ask me. I like our slim ones here in germany better

[@mbirth]

Spexxos1​: With a switch you could turn off devices completely, instead of pulling the plug or adding a bulky switch adapter. E.g. for Christmas lights or the kettle.

[@Spexxos1]

Markus Birth I never usd a switch adapter. I use multi sockets with integrated switches. The nice thing about those is you can hide them most of the time behind something. You cant do that with a wall socket

[@mbirth]

Spexxos1: The wall socket is there anyways. A little switch would hardly be noticeable. In fact, there are even (German) sockets available with switches. But they're 4- or 5-times the price of a normal one. And I can't hide multi sockets on my kitchen worktop. Also I don't always want to switch multiple devices or use a multi socket for just one device.

[@Spexxos1]

Markus Birth I wouldnt mind a little switch on a socket but only as long as they dont get as bulky as the ones in the video. The thing is that nearly all of my sockets are in places where I just cant go that easily. I would have to move half of the furniture to get to them. Also most of them are single sockets. Thats why I like my multi sockets with their switches. Its the most comfortable way for me.

[@zaprodk]

I think the supply is unstable because it does "skipped cycles" to save on power losses. You should measure it on your power meter.

[@batmanlives6456]

Bottom line - don’t buy Chinese Earths not joined ... what a joke! I am an electrician in Australia and we get this cheap garbage here too Thanks for the breakdown video Very informative as usual

[@Filcho911TM]

I'm having a hangover and I'm watching this. why

[@drkastenbrot]

When impersonating John Ward, make sure to rise your voice at the end of every sentence.

[@awolmadandy]

annoying that. when trying to listen to a quiet vid. clive doesn't have the stiff upper lip.

[@DogsBAwesome]

+Andrew Watson JW can't help the way he speaks, what he shows is still interesting regardless.

[@steve87uk]

Jay Dubble-oo here. Standard piss-taking aside - seems like a nice bloke!

[@dogeeatskebabforbreakfast8252]

drkastenbrot helLO!!!

[@Babihrse]

Why is John ward liverpudlian

[@FlatBroke612]

Electronics were always something that didn't come naturally too me, as opposed to mechanical or math... now it's becoming more important to me in my employment situation... I want to thank Big Clive for allowing me to drink beer, enjoy myself, yet get smarter simultaneously. Why the fuck wasn't high school like this?🍻

[@bazjay38]

I don't have a clue what this guy was talking about but I found it fascinating just listening to him (his voice reminded me somewhat of David Coulthard the F1 driver) and enough to make me suspicious of such items which frequently appear in catalogues.

[@arfurfoxhaike]

Hi Clive, thanks for a very informative tutorial, highlighting the pitfalls of whats available today. Any info or brand name or other details on this unit. Place of manufacture etc. Maybe wise to stick to MK you cannot fault their gear, you gets what you pay for in this life!!

[@edwardcoe7293]

Absolutely - and it's not even like MK is that expensive!

[@LMTVVideos]

Currently playing the Big Clive Drinking Game. Take a drink each time he says "not 100% sure".

[@AL_O0]

I live in Italy and here we have shutters on every plug, but the opening mechanism is different and in my opinion more secure: You can plug only earth with no problem, but to open the shutters, you need both live and neutral to be plugged in! But at the same time you can plug a plug both ways, so no one knows which one is live and which one neutral...

[@ZXGuesser]

+AL_O0 ᶜᴼᴹᴹᴬᴺᴰ ᴮᴸᴼᶜᴷ ᴬᴺᴰ ᴿᴱᴰˢᵀᴼᴺᴱ a couple of manufacturers do have more advanced shutters which do require both live and neutral to be inserted simultaneously in addition to the earth pin already having been inserted to unlock them which is safer still. However that feature isn't mandatory in the standard which defines the sockets.

[@garrygadget]

Im no dunce and you are very concise but this pushed my meagre knowledge to its limits but you are seriously such an interesting chap and your accent just makes each video all the more enjoyable.

[@100SteveB]

That thing is a fire waiting to happen. You should send it on to JW, he would love it!

[@zaprodk]

+100SteveB He would set it on fire :D

[@kristina80ification]

+zaprodk now I am interested in who this JW is. :P

[@Autunite]

+Kandi Gloss It's John Ward on KZbin

[@kristina80ification]

Delightful Hardware kinda figured that out after the fact, he doesn't really seem for me but i can see how other people could enjoy his videos.

[@alsanova]

Jeeeeez! That is dodgy and I am sure its does not comply with wiring regulations we have here. I can tell from the look of it, I would not install this and more shockingly that it's not properly earthed. This can be dangerous and worse insurance may not cover this if house got burned down!

[@valrina]

My favourite is how the iPad said : "Who cares if this load will fuck up my battery that is not replaceable I'm not the idiot who will have to buy a new iPad..."

[@brendonvitasremix3053]

Twitch.tv/ NGDALI It won’t fuck up the battery though, iOS devices have a very sophisticated charging circuit with smoothing capacitors doing their job better than in the Android devices. Hence it can accept a dodgy charge.

[@ke7eha]

Light load regulation is an issue for some switching supplies. For efficiency, they'll go into pulse skipping mode or burp-mode, and the noise on the output increases. If you sense at low current and then go into charging, I can see where this may be an issue.

[@demonkey123]

Oh my god, how bad is that! I'm an electrician, and I would consider one of the earth terminals to connect to the incoming earth connections (ring main X 2, radial X 1) the other terminal I would use to create a separate bond between the socket and the back box (if metal). I can't believe that they are not interconnected!!!

[@ConstantlyDamaged]

+demonkey123 The worst bit is, that if you wired it up as you described, in a metal box, the second socket would appear to be earthed. Just pray it will never need to sink much current.

[@rickyhall7514]

Darthane If you installed it in a grounded metal box, then it would be earthed, it just wouldn't be as reliable a connection. There's no way for it to 'appear' to be earthed.

[@demonkey123]

Ricky Hall Reliability is what Darthane is getting at I think. He's saying that under test the second socket would show continuity. But a 3.5mm brass socket bolt screwed into a galvanised back box is not an acceptable method of earthing 'anymore'. Natural electrolytic action and corrosion from a potentially humid environment could eventually lead to high resistance and failure under fault current.

[@ferrumignis]

Rick Hall: No, it would only "appear" to be earthed because it would be an inherently unreliable connection. It might test ok when first installed but if a mounting screw loosened off or corroded it would break the connection and you wouldn't know anything about it unless/until there is a fault condition. It's a horrible design.

[@cookiekoekje648]

The real question is: am I able to download songs from my wall? With the USB of course.

[@johnrichardson544]

+cookie koekje Err..... no. It's just a power source.

[@cookiekoekje648]

John Richardson Awwww.

[@xGxPhantomZzz]

+John Richardson then i would just use my phone charger or my pc..

[@johnrichardson544]

xGxPhantom Zzz Whatever works for you. It's just supposed to be an extra option I believe.

[@satibel]

+cookie koekje now I want to put a sneaky raspberry pi zero in one of those.

[@stu4203]

thanks Steve and Clive, i was thinking of these but after your review and the point raised about if it dies or goes wrong , you've saved me a few quid and probably a lot of headaches. ( maybe even a fire too.)

[@alfies98]

Wish i found your channel sooner, could have sent you my dremel and found a reason why it gave me a very nice electric shock whenever it was on...

[@GadgetAddict]

lmao I loved the JW impression. He has some awesome videos :D

[@ianharrison6597]

+Gadget Addict His dry sense of humour is getting dryer as each video goes by. Clive and John's video's compliment each other nicely.

[@stfuplsok]

@@ianharrison6597 *videos

[@simonatkinson5766]

I dont trust those mains/USB sockets either.

[@jcsjcs2]

For me it's not so much a trust issue. Instead I find it a really bad idea to connect any kind of electronics to mains 24/7, especially if it lights up the room at the same time. It's just an inherent waste of electric power.

[@robstrains8711]

The socket will be illegal to sell in the UK due to the earth being separated. I would recommend if you have these you bin them.

[@carlospulpo4205]

I 100% agree, the electronics should not be packaged into the sockets. The sockets should remain as that...a socket for mains. It is only a matter of time before these electronics cause fires and breakdowns in difficult to access areas. Furthermore it violates the safety integrity of being able to quickly disconnect and/or remove a fuse link to cut power in case of an issue. They are now depending on the switch mode converter to shutdown in an non-current drain state in case of over-current loading.

[@volvo09]

I really like the design of the UK wall sockets... The plugs look sturdy, and safe with the recessed connections, and the outlets have individual switches (is that a requirement? I see it all the time in videos with UK outlets). I can't tell you how many times I've shocked my index finger on a partially inserted US outlet, or even had something slip behind it and short it out.

[@add2k]

+volvo09 Our UK sockets are available without switches but are rare, especially in domestic environments

[@happyflea]

+volvo09 The uk type G socket system is generally considered pretty good. Not the cheapest to manufacture, but safe with earth making contact first and fuses as standard in plugs. Plus it's pretty hard to rip out the plugs and those pins never bend (short of running a car over them). This two separate earth connections on the back of a double gang socket are common now. Installed one today and as there were two earth wires in the metal enclosure I put one in each earth socket, but I don't like is as firstly it's an extra unnecessary step and it can with a sloppy installer leave one socket unearthed. Yes individual switches per socket are the norm. Why would you want a load of sockets on one switch in your house? Then you couldn't just turn one thing on.

[@frankiesparkes3947]

+add2k Unswitched outlets are most commonly used on the Fridge/Freezer and Washing Machine Circuits simply because it's impractical to have a switch you can't physically access without moving the bloody thing, generally there's a Fused Connection Unit (spur) near it, presumably no fuse in the plug because of convenience or something.

[@TheChipmunk2008]

+Frankie Sparkes There are still fuses in the plugs, which isn't as much of a disadvantage as you'd think at first, because usually if an appliance blows the fuse, you'd have to move the thing anyway to find out why :)

[@cjmillsnun]

+happyflea Two earth connectors are common, but both are normally linked together so that if only one is connected, both sockets are earthed. This socket is unusual and does not conform to BS1363.

[@brandonfesser1893]

"With that Earthing system it just seems un-nice." It's shit. Just say it!

[@IIGrayfoxII]

+Brandon Fesser Fucking shit, we heard him say fuck in the video where he took a mouth full of metho

[@brandonfesser1893]

+IIGrayfoxII And in the Fanny Flambeaux video.

[@LasseHuhtala]

I was one of those kids who managed to circumvent window safety latches and also those wall socket safety latches. I'm still here though. :-)

[@jeremytheonlyone]

I just found your video, because mine just blown up (exploded) while charging my phone. Good thing my phone still okay. The small wiring were heated up and causing short circuit then exploded with a loud bang!.

[@nickgilbert1264]

"1000 Megafarad" Wow! Surprised it even needs to be connected to the mains ;)

[@IIGrayfoxII]

I would never buy a AC mains outlet that come from ebay china. It wont meet your countries safety standards. When it comes to AC mains power, dont fuck with it, pay the extra and get from a local hardware store that sells things that had to meet safety standards.

[@jpalm32]

+IIGrayfoxII ALL are from china

[@Comedean]

+IIGrayfoxII But even if you buy stuff at a local store you often get junk like that (thanks CE label) and payed far to much for it... I mean just because they are selling these things in local stores doesn't always guarantee that it meets all standards. (we all know it should but often they suck a label on it and sell it anyway)

[@bigbadjohn10]

Of course the local trader may have got their stock from a dodgy supplier in China .... Or is that me being paranoid again.

[@midnitehound]

+John Michael My next door neighbour gets all his dodgy dangerous electrics from China to sell in his General Store. :(

[@IIGrayfoxII]

+midnitehound Which is why you buy from a proper store or an electrical wholesaler, if they sell things they know dont meet the safety standards for that country it is jail time and loss of their license. This is not the same of selling things which you normally sold from a good company but had a bad batch that failed standards and had a recall on it.

[@kjamison5951]

Im fairly sure that despite what may be printed on the back of that socket, it does not properly meet the BS1363 standard for electrical sockets. I am a certified Portable Appliance Tester at my place of work. I check all electrical devices I buy for proper grounding or double insulation. Those two earth points should be connected with a visible connection. As for double earth connections, I thought they were a standard now in the UK. All the ones I've bought in recent years have two connections.The ring main earth cables I connect to one side and I connect a sheathed earth cable to the metal pattress and the second earth connection.

[@MarkShannonroad_videos]

I've been seeing these things popping up in the major home improvement stores over the last few years. While I like the concept of having a USB port always available the question I had was do I want something that's prong to failure and catching fire stuck in my wall. My answer was no, and this is my conformation.

[@OneBiOzZ]

it is NOT hard to design a proper 1A 5v SMPS thats stable and good for charging for under a couple of dollars ... shitty SMPSs really REALLY piss me off

[@kainhall]

+Alyx BioHaz hey man....if you can save 3 cents!

[@44R0Ndin]

+kain hall If you can save 3 cents, you can use it to add in the brass bussbar between the ground pins on the mains sockets! Because of that, this thing's crap even if the USB supply was of higher quality. I'm not a licensed electrician, but the separated ground pins seem to be a non-starter from a code compliance standpoint. Earthing/Grounding/Bonding is serious business, as it's supposed to be the path that fault currents flow thru. Without that path, fault currents follow the next easiest path to ground, which is usually thru somebody touching a faulty device. In other words, PROPER GROUNDING SAVES LIVES. It also prevents fires, because the low-resistance path provided by the grounding wires forms a "short circuit" that pops the circuit breaker or fuse, instead of a higher resistance path that could cause a hot-spot capable of starting a fire.

[@kduhtdkzrt]

44R0Ndin They left that out to save another cent.

[@DjResR]

That doesn't look safe at all.

[@teardowndan5364]

Many of those single-chip fully integrated off-line PWM regulators take power from the feedback winding or an auxiliary supply winding when using optical isolation. Either way, the bulk of the failed power supplies I have seen were caused by failed caps in that feedback/auxiliary supply for the PWM controller - the controller cannot operate normally if its own power supply is garbage. And those supplies with bad PWM supply caps did tend to operate more predictably when under significant load since it helps to clamp flyback voltage peaks and gets the flyback supply operating closer to continuous mode where the filter capacitors become less important.

[@johnjohn8740]

The reason that the andriod phone does not charge is that its not drawing a high enough current from the usb charger . The charging circuit assumes that the phone is fully charged. same goes for the LED lamp as its not drawing a high enough current.Thats why when the 1 amp load was plugged into the usb outlet everything run normal. The circuitry is designed to be charger rather than a power supply output. It actually monitor charging of the device. You will get this same situation when you plug in a phone into a Tablet charger that charges on higher current.

[@rbdogwood]

Damn, I'll be checking the earth continuity and running a heat test weekly until I can take mine out again. Especially annoying as it was quite difficult to put in on account of being on a ring main and there wasn't much room in the patress box.

[@Sabhail_ar_Alba]

There is no heat it's a SMPS ( 90% efficiency).

[@blind1337nedm]

do all sockets in the uk have switches? canadian here.

[@bigclivedotcom]

Most do.

[@mauriceje4388]

that's so luxe

[@AeRzD]

Tokinaboot Yamaddy the USB ports are low voltage. You don't need an isolation switch for them.

[@anthonyrose5224]

blind1337nedm

[@leexgx]

In UK it's quite normal to prevent arking on the plug pins/socket damage when plugging somthing in (the switch it self norm has ark arrester on the switch, if it's a UK branded one)

[@toadyw950]

Thanks for the warning. I hope you dobbed them in to Trading Standards so this dangerous junk can be taken off the market.

[@125brat]

It's another example of the cheap Chinese crap that people buy thinking they are saving money but could cost them their lives. I doubt these would meet the required electrical safety regulations even though it's probably CE marked. They are dangerous and should be taken off the market and recalled. I would love to put one to a proper compliance test as an ex electrical safety and test engineer.

[@sailfastshop1]

11:38 1000 mega Farad?

[@etmstMdg]

I have no idea why I'm watching this...

[@ISleepNoMore]

+Patrick li because electricity bro :D

[@brothyr]

+Patrick li Clive's voice is soothing. I can only understand 80% but it's such a nice voice.

[@EqualsThreeable]

Why is this video recommended to me? I still watched it all. Like.

[@EqualsThreeable]

Andy Merrett NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! Actually, I don't mind, I like learning.

[@TornTech1]

as soon as you opened up that socket i thought "WOW! there is loads of space to put a little spy bug, with its own 5V power too!!!"

[@bigclivedotcom]

+TornTech Or just tap off the 5V with some extra filtering. Screw using an FM bug though, an "A8" GSM bug would fit in there.

[@fabts4]

So the mystery remains. Why is it so unstable!?

[@FeasableOption]

+Kira Alteric Ha!

[@PuchMaxi]

"Rubbish!" is what JW might say.

[@tomnwoo]

Wife wanted these, i hate installed electronics for exactly the reasons you mention, glad someone agrees with me, glad i gave them a miss, great video, thanks.

[@one2nd1]

Glad you did this, I've been looking at getting some but because the packaging does not state if they cut out / overload protection, I have refrained from purchase, I know most USB devices have them built in, but Im also a fan of a 2nd backup, since you pointed out the earth flaw, non smoothness and more concerning no isolation switch, I'll give them a miss, don't think home insurance would cover a Chinese non isolating socket permantly wired to mains, and we all know that someone WILL be a victim of a faulty socket one day.

[@dedasdude]

just another point where android is better than apple devices.

[@kyoudaiken]

+sayan das Not really. You have to buy expensive cables when you want fast charging with cables longer than your thumbnail... They put less copper in cables today than you have in your body and sell it for fortunes! I had to buy cables from Volutz to overcome this issue. And now, they are switching to USB type C and I need new cables!!! Because these adapters are ALL dodgy and have copper thinner than your hair! There are 1000 other reasons for not buying apple products than this.

[@slawor4]

+BloodySword and when apple switched from the 30 pin connector to the lightening port it's no problem?

[@kyoudaiken]

Joyrider Please read: I am not defending Aplle, I do not own ANY overpriced hardware from them!! I just wanted to say that there are 1000 reasonst for not buying Apple hardware but this one is not in the list!

[@sebimoe]

+BloodySword I'm not sure where you're getting your USB cables from, but mine are reasonably priced (well below apple's cables price range) and are of decent quality. My cable measures around 0.2v of drop at 2A. I get them from ebay, and it's a bit of hit and miss - you never know what you're gonna get, but most of them are alright.

[@EeekiE]

It seems any mention of Android nets a whole host of pretty negative comments about Apple, and a lot of 'Likes' to go with it. Which ones are the irritating sheep again? It's hard to tell nowadays.

[@grimninja2004]

4200ma = 2.1amp x 2 ports

[@cnerde]

+bob g He said 4800ma, no?

[@harrison78]

Normally on these wall sockets the amp rating is shares between the 2 ports so when 2 devices are plugged in you get a drop and neither device charges. That's why i use good uk made 3.1A 5V sockets.

[@geraldmouse]

You know, this confirms my belief that 120v / 240v mains sockets have had their day. Modern electronics can run on 5/6/9/12 volts DC. The only plug-in appliances in my house that NEED 240V are floor heaters and the vacuum. They could be run from the odd 240v outlet; while the TV's, LED lights, sound system, computer could be run from a high quality 12v DC-transformer on the switchboard. My TV is only 240v AC input, but it is instantly downgraded to 9v DC and my computer is run on 6/9/12v DC after the built in AC transformer. Global society is surely on the fulcrum of change where houses are fed a low voltage DC current for modern appliances avoiding all the little black boxes we poke into the mains. I have solar panels (DC), they upgrade to 240v (AC) then my appliances downgrade to low voltage DC, wasting at least a 3rd of what I started with. I have always been living 20 years ahead of common technology, sadly; as I have never found someone who talks my language that doesn't own a Rolls Royce. That said, I occasionally find your revues which are interesting. Thanks John

[@m1geo]

You really need an oscilloscope to look further at these things. Secondly, There's no way at all I'd plug my phone into pieces of crap like that! You're a brave man! Shorted data pins means its a dedicated charging port.

[@RODALCO2007]

Great video Clive, that split Earth is very dangerous. That Earth should have been internally connected through. The problem is that this non-compliant stuff gets into the country via ebay, amazon and fleamarkets with no trace of origin. A proper plug in adaptor is the way to go. Don't like these internal charger designs.

[@okaro6595]

Yes, you should test the installation always but if you are careless, you might test just one of the sockets. Then if you plug two grounded devices and the one without earth fails you have a very good chance to get shocked phase to earth.