MK Urgently Recalls Double Sockets Over ‘High Fire Risk’

[@anthonyjones5711]

MK once one of the best quality equipment manufacturers now obviously in a race to the bottom.

[@TestGearJunkie.]

Like everybody else, sadly.

[@WOFFY-qc9te]

Totally agree but when a double socket cost less than a pack of Pringles what do you expect. It is still no excuse to manufacture junk.

[@cassiomx88]

Pre 2011 it was decent. If you look at terminals and the quality of one from that period compared to ones since, there's quite a big difference. That's the 'premium' logic plus range. There's also a 'base range' which seem fairly shite and this doomed 'essentials range'

[@WOFFY-qc9te]

​@@cassiomx88 You are correct quality has dropped considerably but what do you expect from a Chinese made product for the 'Essential" line of domestic kit. You get what you pay for but that doesn't mean it should be sold. The report mentioned fire risk from the component overheating, this suggests a PVC based plastic when most are a rigid no deforming (brittle) plastic like Polyether Ether Ketone PEEK for high quality electrical insulated devices or Polyetherimide - PE - ULTEM amorphous thermoplastic which softens at 200 C but has fire retarding properties. Both the above are not as easy to mould as PVC so the set up cost are high and mould and die life short. I think someone has been cutting corners in manufacturing as I find it hard to believed MK would use a plastic that would sustain a fire from the design defect in the switch and its inability to quench an arc. This looks to me what I have already experienced with Chinese manufacture and that is the job was sub sub contracted and the specification was ignored. This however is no excuse for MK not to do batch sampling. Best

[@blow0me]

Let's face it, everything is Chinese shite these days

[@JimWhitaker]

Glad I specified the original Logic range.

[@efixx]

It's good kit. 💪

[@raychambers3646]

Logic for my installs .

[@GrahamWoodward-ww1zf]

So will MK pay contractors to attend sites and replace recalled products ?

[@cassiomx88]

Almost definitely. Trying to locate them all will be impossible. I'd imagine they would appeal to DIY people a lot. If someone brought them via a wholesaler, screwfix or somewhere they have an account, then it's tracable to a point. Sparks who know of places they installed them can make MK or whoever aware.

[@dieseldragon6756]

@@cassiomx88 I bought one of these for myself to use as an Economy-7 „On“ lamp (It was installed on a redundant storage heater spur) and I'm glad that's all I ever really intended to use it for. When I got it out the packet it felt cheap enough, and I could see it was something I'd never recommend for general consumer use. You need to _know_ to be gentle un/plugging stuff from these things... 😳 I bought mine from Screwfix in 2020 so it'll be interesting to see if there's any trace-back and a recall notification, but then again this is easy for me as a DIY'er who installed it on his own wiring. Could you imagine the thousands of DIY'ers and handypersons who've bought boxloads of these things and then installed them in random locations as favours for friends, family, and „The old lady down the road“?... 😳

[@AG-km6cl]

@@cassiomx88I doubt if any company has ever paid a contractor for time spent replacing equipment that has been recalled for safety reasons.

[@kennethausten]

This indicates poor quality control. Who is the manufacturer. In UK or overseas.

[@barryfrench2998]

@@AG-km6cl wylex did in 2007

[@BrightonandHoveActually]

I would have thought not catching fire ought to be one of MK's "essentials"!

[@dieseldragon6756]

You'd think the same thing about the fire extinguisher in that episode of _The I.T. Crowd,_ too... 🧯🇬🇧🔥😉

[@AdamWatson001]

I wish that you could do more than just 'thumbs up' on KZbin comments, like 😂 for example!

[@wulliest]

I remember watching John Ward doing a skit on the MK Essentials range about 4 years ago. Can't say the recall is all that surprising.

[@TestGearJunkie.]

I remember that as well, must go and rewatch it.

[@cassiomx88]

Same. He didn't seem especially convinced by them. 'Captive screws' - LIE...... that's obviously the least of the problems. JW is a legend❤

[@Graham_Langley]

I commented to that video that the CE mark on the sockets was a warning sign - it doesn't apply.

[@cassiomx88]

@@Graham_Langley CE is a European thing - Conformity Europe. id imagine that hasn't applied here for a while now. Did they lack a BS 1363 number? If so, how could that not be picked up on by MK/Honeywell?

[@Graham_Langley]

@@cassiomx88 CE marking doesn't apply to UK sockets as they comply with a national standard, not a European one.

[@daimonmt]

Should have kept manufacturing in the UK

[@mikeselectricstuff]

So who is going to be paying for those sockets to be replaced?

[@turboslag]

Guess?!

[@JG_DNB]

I would sue my electrician if they refused to eat the cost; They supplied me with a product that was not fit for service, and its up to them to recover the cost from their supplier

[@Graham_Langley]

So far they've only been removed from sale.

[@Theevilwizardslair]

@@JG_DNB that’s not the right cause of action, you go after the company selling the unsafe product, the poor guy installing can’t afford to go around replacing them all out of his pocket.

[@spamhead]

Hopefully, reputable sparks wouldn’t have touched them with a barge pole. Mainly DIY fitment from dating site(other suppliers are available).

[@bramcoteelectrical1088]

Mk used to be the best...

[@dieseldragon6756]

I think we need to consider what their brand might stand for in German. _„Mehr Krapp“_ comes to mind... 🔌💩😉

[@johnsommer9818]

Have never used MK Base. Since it's introduction to the "value" segment of the market it was obvious it was cheap and nasty. I do like the Logic Plus range and some of it hangs on being made in the UK.

[@tonyknight9912]

Why oh why does a respected name like MK get stuff made in China ?

[@TestGearJunkie.]

Same as everybody else, price. Money over safety, you couldn't make it up.

[@christophergallagher3845]

1 word , profit

[@Jamie-x4c]

The w**kshop of the world

[@FailedExpert6330]

It what you get when a company is run by been counters that are only interested in the profit and not the products, customers, workers or the company.

[@AG-km6cl]

Cost, plain and simple.

[@hypergolic8468]

We had the house rewired 15 years ago, our electrician put MK in, no other option: we had MK. They are sellar plugs and switches and are lasting the test of time - but they were made in the UK. Roll on two years ago and our new extension, the new electrician wished for something else, I said, MK. We now have four (out of five) failed 13 amp USB double gangs.

[@markrainford1219]

Every socket with USB will fail eventually.

[@hypergolic8468]

@@markrainford1219 Yes, absolutely: but these have failed well with in the time expected of even a cheap plug adapter with a USB outlet. MK were the best, I'm sorry to say, in my present experience, they are repeating what so many companies do: think the brand can survive a move to the Far East, report huge profits to the stock markets, and still have the same quality.

[@cassiomx88]

Pre 2010 / 2011 MK was decent and considered the industry standard. They only used to do a 'logic-plus' range back then. They now also do a 'basics range' which seem terrible and this doomed 'essentials range'. It's very unlucky for 4 out of 5 to fail so soon, despite them not being very good.

[@dieseldragon6756]

@@markrainford1219 My cheap one from T3mu with the 240v fast-charge USB ports seems to be working just fine... ⚡📲😇 (Though I can't understand for why, but none of my phones seem to last very long... 🔥🙃)

[@mfr58]

Yet again quality control left up to the Chinese who don't have that concept in their mind set. Shape up MK!

[@SuperCloneRanger]

Your xenophobia is showing, EVERYTHING is made in china, even the good stuff. Doesn't even make sense, bad arc mitigation is a design issue not a manufacturing one.

[@mfr58]

@@SuperCloneRanger Wondered how long it would take for a lame comment like that. I'm afraid I've had plenty of both professional and personal experience of this and my Chinese partner agrees with me that this sad state of affairs exists....The good stuff is generally when western companies make great efforts to ensure quality control as part of their business model.

[@SuperCloneRanger]

@@mfr58 Its funny when someone needs to double down they're ALWAYS an expert lmao. BS expert maybe.

[@mfr58]

@@SuperCloneRanger That's why I'm qualified to have an opinion on the matter, unlike those who just indulge in ignorant virtue signalling...

[@BillDavies-ej6ye]

@@mfr58 If outsourcing manufacturing, is it too much to expect the supplier to provide "good faith" quality control?

[@WOFFY-qc9te]

No name or pack drill but I did some work ten years ago for a major UK supplier of domestic electrical kit. They had reports of light pendants falling and asked me to investigate . Thermography located the problem to lack of sufficient brass plating on the push pins causing a high resistance and subsequent heating compromising the low temperature plastic material which did not meet specification given by the UK customer. Stock amounting to 700.000 units was recalled and the Chinese manufacture contract cancelled, later it was discovered that the original audited Chinese manufacturer had passed the contract on twice with no regard to the original specification being met. No compensation was ever recovered. Do not use Chinese electrical fittings . This socket failure has many similarities and comes as no surprise but disappointment especially as the base material appears flammable which steers me to conclude engineers are not doing their job by standing up to the bean counters who compromise safety by optimising product manufacture creating a substandard kit. Thousands of substandard devices are in service, what is the point of IEEE, BS, CE, TUV and other test agencies when they don't enforce standards.

[@johnwarwick4105]

So where is quality control at mk . They should bd testing so many out of every shipment. Sadly most companies products are made in China. But there is a big difference to "made in China" and "Chinese made"

[@AG-km6cl]

And channels like this one are often seen promoting products that are made in China. Unfortunately these days it’s very difficult to buy just about anything that isn’t made in China but one thing I will never buy and that’s a car manufactured in China.

[@WOFFY-qc9te]

@@johnwarwick4105 John you make a good point but how much supervision can you do with a subcontractor, unfortunately there is so much corruption in China the moment a company auditor leaves the product gets compromised. I can very much understand MK predicament ?. Regrettably from what I have found over the past decade you cannot trust Chinese manufactures to play a straight bat.

[@WOFFY-qc9te]

@@johnwarwick4105 John unless you have MK QA in the Chinese factory they will cut corners. Brown envelopes also complicate matters and they are prepared to stuff them full ?.

[@chorleycake7942]

Country of origin, China. The way western companies have outsourced their manufacturing base to maximise profits is shortsighted. Can contractors bill MK for their time in replacing the defective equipment?

[@jasonwatson9011]

That's MK's bargain bin range.- Avoided since its launch- Utter garbage

[@TestGearJunkie.]

Yep. I use the Logic Plus range exclusively, never had an issue.

[@AdamWatson001]

A Bargain Bin range on electrical accessories should be illegal? And who is paying at least 1/4 to 1/2 million pounds for a house and then skimping on a few pounds on the cost of the electrics...?

[@jasonwatson9011]

@@TestGearJunkie. That's what I have at home.

[@saltaireorangebicyclechopp8555]

Crazy, MK had the name & the reputation, l worked in the trade for 30 years. They threw it all away with a budget range and now there is no way back to the past, their USP has gone.

[@Benmiles__]

3 shocks in their whole career??! I’ve had 3 shocks in one week 😂

[@cassiomx88]

Sparks claiming to have never received a shock are probably lying or very new to the trade I reckon. If they only work on high voltage systems then i'd believe it. I think my worst was 3 or 4 in about a half hour when I was younger.

[@Benmiles__]

@ totally agree. High voltage is a different kettle of fish. Probably similar here tbf. Had 400v belt on a big underfloor heating system once that I thought sent me to the pearly gates for a second, that was bad 😂

[@coolmonkey619]

Maybe you shouldn't be an electrician

[@cassiomx88]

@@Benmiles__ I've only had 230v, but a few nasty ones. Was working in a 4th floor flat, my mate turned off isolator in basement switchroom, then turned it back on an hour later to charge his phone and forgot. I began stripping out the old CU with every circuit live and got a horrible wack.

[@Cornz38]

@@coolmonkey619 Wow, it must be SO cool being as utterly perfect and free of faults and experienced and qualified to the levels you clearly are.... Sir, we are in awe of you. Said no one, ever.

[@demonkey123]

6 years of installing dangerous sockets! Oh dear MK that’s a black mark against what was once regarded the Rolls-Royce product ☹️

[@goffthomas2554]

@demonkey123 Even Rolls Royce aren’t proper made in England any more, German owned company! I served my apprenticeship on Rolls Royce and Bentley cars back in the day. 😊😊

[@dougsaunders8109]

Regarding the MK recall. As the MK sockets are on the wall now how on earth do you get / find the product code?

[@GodmanchesterGoblin]

Good question! The range of pictures in the MK recall notice is limited to only two examples. I would expect front and rear pictures of each affected product.

[@dieseldragon6756]

I've only ever installed the one, hoping I still have the packet it came in. If not, I _might_ be able to pull the Screwfix order I bought it through. 🤞 For general cases where the packet was inevitably binned, I'd say treat it like a confirmed case of Covid-19 and *isolate* ASAP, then take a photo of the outlets and see if Google Lens can positively identify the model. If nothing else, Google Lens with „Find images like...“ will turf up results that'll speed up pairing product codes with visual appearance. 📸 If you have anybody with ASD/Autism to hand, they might be able to look at and reverse engineer the product codes to give you descriptions of product features from them e.g. „Two gang, double-pole switched, USB charger“ will pretty much ace it if you can visually discriminate between single and double pole switches! 👍

[@GodmanchesterGoblin]

@dieseldragon6756 Sorry, but that's not how ASD or Autism works, unless the person already has an encyclopedic knowledge of that type of electrical fittings.

[@andrewbriggs8984]

The affected ones all have the surrounds, i checked all the serial numbers here. buildings.honeywell.com/content/dam/hbtbt/en/documents/document-lists/mk-electric/brochures/Essentials_New%20Colour%20Range_ME.pdf the list is long as it accounts for all colours options

[@steve11211]

Never understood why MK stooped so low with those essentials range, the MK logic plus is a tried and tested range, this is surely going to hurt their reputation...

[@barryfrench2998]

Because they lost a large amount of turnover to cheaper competition

[@steve11211]

@@barryfrench2998 Well looks like it has backfired.

[@davidrayner4699]

MK owned by Honeywell, American corporation come in and 'take cost out'... The same happened when Eaton bought MEM, shipped manufacturing to 'low cost base', look at their products now? 😢

[@paulprescott7913]

That's exactly right.

[@WOFFY-qc9te]

David I will save you my long comment and say YOU NAILD IT

[@tonezoneuk]

This happened on the LAP sockets from Screwfix. I replaced over 30 sockets about two years ago, and I had a 1Kw load in the kitchen, on a 32A circuit. It flashed, or rather exploded, I felt the explosion on my hand. Upon opening the socket, I found that the switch contacts are right next to the L & N bus bars, so when the switch arced, it flashed the bus bars and bang. Dead short. I decided to keep the sockets in place due to the hassle of trying to get them changed. But seeing this video has made me think twice about leaving them. They are safe as long as I don't switch, with a load of around 1Kw or more.

[@blow0me]

LAP stuff really does seem like utter shite from what I've seen.

[@dieseldragon6756]

I've just isolated off my MK single gang essentials just to be on the safe side. Even if you're not switching it, the fault description (When being switched *or* under load) sounds to me like the switch makes very poor contact and so just a high current flow on its own could be enough to let the magic smoke out. With mine having a neon wired across L-N that's likely to be equally as cheap, I wasn't going to take any chances! 👍

[@Graham_Langley]

That's a similar issue to what can happen with the old Wylex metal consumer units populated with rewirable fuses when the big plastic fuse cover isn't fitted.

[@truefoa]

Shocking news this week about that poor man that fell. Should have never happened 😠,

[@michaelkaliski7651]

Getting a shock is the way you learn to double check and use voltage detectors where appropriate. But, if you can’t work on a live circuit safely, you should probably reconsider your career choice. Getting the occasional tingle is par for the course with domestic mains and cheap Chinese capacitive droppers installed in no end of connected equipment. Working on three phase industrial stuff is a whole different ballgame, you don’t usually get a second chance to make mistakes!

[@0skar9193]

Thank heavens this video randomly appeared in my recommended watching. I bought an MK uEssentials double USB socket early last year for my home office... I never installed it, it's been sat on my desk for 8 months

[@ascot4000]

Prefer to fit MK sockets but always the Logic Plus ones not the 'essentials' range. Just the feeling of the socket switches and the ability to leave it in a somewhat mid-position was enough to put me off before ever trying to fit one.

[@asherd101]

Any links on what to do next if these have been installed? As I’ve fitted these in domestic and commercial places. So will mk be paying to go have them replaced?

[@Philip---pip267]

Electricians get shocks by the nature of the job and always will, no matter how much health and safety B/S you throw at it. PPE and risk assessments will never totally eliminate the fact.

[@Ed.R]

How is a solar farm not designed to withstand storm force winds. Such a waste of good solar panels.

[@efixx]

It is a bit of a worry isn't it. Something's gone wrong somewhere. 😬

[@lawrencebrown3582]

Why are we allowing China to manufacture a British branded product? It's shameful.

[@simongreenidge6454]

The withdrawn MK sockets in the pictures appear to have a distinctive or unusual surround. Can anyone say whether this is this the case? Can a homeowner use this to help ID the socket?

[@andrewbriggs8984]

Yes it is, the affected ones all have the surrounds, i checked all the serial numbers here. buildings.honeywell.com/content/dam/hbtbt/en/documents/document-lists/mk-electric/brochures/Essentials_New%20Colour%20Range_ME.pdf

[@ConfidentialMeerkat]

I SAID ON ONE OF YOUR VIDEOS BACK IN 2018 THEM SOCKETS WERE BAD!! AND I WAS RIGHT!! If you have a good brand and product, do not cheapen it simply because else it will come to bite you on the ass!

[@christophergallagher3845]

What was your reason for saying its bad ? Did you say they'd be a fire hazard due to the arc when switched on ? If so you are the son of nostradamus

[@christophergallagher3845]

Their oldest video is 5 years old . 2018 was 6 years ago , you said it on their video before they even had a video 😂 amazing

[@odinnln5694]

So how many of the Efixx team have had shocks?

[@AG-km6cl]

Or should you be asking, how many of the eFIXX team have worked on the tools for any significant period? In my 47 years on the tools I can honestly say I always prefer to work with others who can provide a high standard of workmanship (which is always obvious to any tradesman) as opposed to the know it all Sparks who often quote regulations but have never quite mastered working with their hands to a high standard and who are better suited to teach at a College or move up the ladder to become engineers or develop channels such as eFIXX.

[@DT-dc4br]

​@@AG-km6cl Why are other sparks often quoting regs near you?

[@AG-km6cl]

MK Essentials sockets made in China and sold over a six year period have a potential fire risk! Contractors might have records of where they installed these defective sockets but even if they were to replace them the cost to contractors to do this could put many out of business, and what about individuals who may have bought them in DIY stores, who is going to make them aware of the fire risk. Strangely enough, just yesterday I plugged in my socket plug in tester to a twin socket at work and switched it on, it went bang at the switch and immediately tripped the RCD at the DB. I’m not sure what make of socket it was but it was over ten years old so not connected to the MK Essentials recall.

[@Mark-xr4zt]

Everybody said that range of sockets were cheap rubbish when they were introduced, it would appear as if they were right!

[@dieseldragon6756]

You never forget taking one out of the packet for the first time and thinking „Are you *sure* this thing qualifies for a CE mark?...“ 🤔

[@Graham_Langley]

@dieseldragon6756 The CE mark on the sockets was a warning - it must not be put on items that only comply with national standards. Swiches yes, UK sockets no.

[@dieseldragon6756]

@@Graham_Langley Mine was made before the UK left the EU, and UK outlets _were_ often CE-marked; Hotels, guest houses and other use-cases in other countries might install UK outlets to benefit British/Saudi visitors (I can confirm seeing IEC-G outlets provided in at least two U.S. and several German hotel rooms) in much the same way it's not uncommon to see 115v NEMA outlets in some London hotels. I have a number of German bought appliances here, so my UK ring also has (Separately fused and switched) Shucko outlets installed for that purpose. 🔌🇩🇪👍

[@neillwalker5681]

The link to the MK recall does not work

[@richie7425]

Currently replacing the sockets in my house bit by bit. Had some old 2005 sockets arc and blow through age. Seen the mk ones and they felt cheap. Anything that's going in my house for a decade or more I'll pay a decent price. It's like people buying pap consumer units. Always buy something that's built to last

[@Sparky68M]

we used many MK accessories on a site of 20 flats some years back & I then noticed switch's & sockets made in Indonesia & malaysia some of the switches felt dodgy then I was told to fit them & if there was a problem later they would be changed in the maintainence period, the price of their sockets back in the late 60's compaired to the price today is about a quarter of the price they were back then so is the quality !

[@retrozmachine1189]

That solar farm is a bit of a worry. Properly clamped panels should be able to withstand pretty high wind loads, > 150km/h wind.

[@markrainford1219]

French. 🙄

[@efixx]

Yur, not a quick fix either. 😬

[@edc1569]

Maybe MK should have stuck with UK and Malaysian manufacturing. CORRECTION: Malaysian, not Singapore.

[@TestGearJunkie.]

They make some stuff in Malaysia, which is perfectly ok and identical to the UK made sockets. I have both here and I can't tell the difference.

[@tonyknight9912]

Yes and with their own QA Department doing tests of their own.

[@WOFFY-qc9te]

@@tonyknight9912 You nailed it, they were top notch 15 years ago.

[@Graham_Langley]

@@TestGearJunkie. Last time I could compare UK vs Malaysian was double unswitched sockets. The earth strap rivets at the fixing holes were noticeably rougher on the Malaysian ones.

[@TestGearJunkie.]

@@Graham_Langley Were they MK Logic Plus..?

[@andysims4906]

If you’re going to use MK why would you cut corners and use the cheep stuff in the first place . I used to use MK pull switches. But as soon as they started making them in China alarm bells started ringing . I probably installed about 10 lighting ,and a few shower ones . Only to find my suspicion was correct . Almost all failed within 4 years. My wholesalers said they are so bad we don’t stock them anymore.

[@WOFFY-qc9te]

The springs rust and the sound horrible.

[@smartchip]

My old pull cord was a MK, so obviously I used a new MK, first because just the snapper was changed, let's say it's playing up, admittedly two times in a few months, the old one was fine for 8 years when we moved it, it's anyone's guess how old it is, Crabtree, Tenby and M K, were the top draw, pricey, but you could depend on them, had one fail in twenty something years of installation, Made in China, is not the problem, made in China at a cost point is, unlike our government, who favours finance and banksters, China makes sense, manufacturing and raw materials to manufacture,

[@timhull8664]

Electricians having shocks isnt that shocking.. the public getting them is..😂

[@BobHannent]

In other news: plumbers know the smell of gas.

[@kennethausten]

MK was the top range in my early years back in the 1960s onwards along with Crabtree.

[@SirHackaL0t.]

How do we know if we have an affected socket?

[@andrewbriggs8984]

The affected ones all have the surrounds, i checked all the serial numbers here. buildings.honeywell.com/content/dam/hbtbt/en/documents/document-lists/mk-electric/brochures/Essentials_New%20Colour%20Range_ME.pdf the list is long as it accounts for all colours options

[@michaeltb1358]

MK has probably ruined its reputation by marketing the Essentials range. I remember an early review of the double socket where it was apparent it barely met basic standards. Fortunately the Logic Plus range is still around.

[@cassiomx88]

Is MK 'base range' different to their 'essentials range'? I thought they must have changed the name slightly, but seems not. 'Essentials' are the accessories with the clip on flexible plastic surrounds.

[@nickjung7394]

How has this happened?

[@Graham_Langley]

So far it looks like they've just been removed from sale, not recalled. If they do recall installed items it could be as ruinous as the Takata airbag recall.

[@AdamWatson001]

Googling now... Interestingly, I had my driver's steering wheel airbag replaced on my Ford by way of a recall, after 10 years!!!

[@TeamSimpsonRacing]

Are MK going to pay all the electricians labour bills?! I never use MK and bloody glad I don't!

[@TestGearJunkie.]

The Logic Plus range is excellent, never use anything else.

[@IanFBNS]

they used to be a safe bet - I use Logic Plus, and nothing else.. never had a failure yet.

[@SmokeyExhaust]

MK recall link does not work.

[@TestGearJunkie.]

Ah, the cheap Chinese crap sockets. Why did MK ever put their name to these abominations..? I've used the Logic Plus range exclusively for years and I've never had a problem with any of them.

[@rickterry8148]

So I follow your channel, the MK problem could be massive, I have not heard anything on national media. If a customer asks for MK essentials range, who holds the blame, they have ordered knowing it BS approved, and its not. Thankfully I have stuck to MK logic, which seems to be unaffected. I would like your views on who pays for this problem. It could be housing estates worth of kit.

[@GodmanchesterGoblin]

Pedant here... Energy density is measured in Watt-hours per kilogram, not Watts per kilogram.

[@dieseldragon6756]

I wonder _watt_ that is in Colombs per Pound? ❇⚖💷😋

[@GodmanchesterGoblin]

@dieseldragon6756 Jokes like that fail when you get the units wrong. (Sorry). Coulombs are a measure of charge (current multiplied by time) and voltage is not considered. The voltage is significant because the same amount of charge (in coulombs) can result in different amounts of energy (in watt-hours) depending on the voltage that is driving the current.

[@Joe74854]

Does this apply to older MK sockets say 5 years ago

[@dg2908]

The document says 2018 to 2024 but only the Essentials 2 gang ones Never fitted that range myself, if Logic is too expensive then Scolmore Mode or Hager Sollysta are fine

[@Bibliotechno]

I bought a second MK 50Amp Shower Switch before i figured out that the earth is both large and so close to the live terminal screw that the slightest condensation triggers the trip.

[@daveculshaw5407]

The Mk Web link does not work ? When clicked.

[@DanRyan-v5y]

Looks like safety is being ignored for eco reasons yet again with the installation of EV chargers in petrol stations. Time and time again everyday safety is compromised on the altar of climate change. That conversion of the petrol station to a charger station is going to need some serious updates to its electricity supply. Do you have any information or analysis on what its requirements will actually be?

[@chubbychubs4636]

MK used to be everywhere when I went insane and left the trade

[@MrJim1260]

Does this also apply to the single switched socket I’ve never used these before always used Crabtree any info would be greatly appreciated thanks.

[@Jonathan_Doe_]

3/4 of shock incidents not reported to employers… I mean, everyone knows someone who checks if stuffs live by tapping it with the back of their hand.

[@curiouscrandall1]

47 250kW chargers? Where are they going to get ~12MW?

[@41istair]

It is an oversight by the OPSS that they don't make an 'X' post for every product that they recall, having just visited their actual government web page.

[@BillDavies-ej6ye]

Just visited. The images of the sockets don't link to larger versions, so are useless for identificaton purposes, although there is a list of model numbers. It's shocking (no pun intended) viewing this site, you don't expect gas appliances to have faults. However, I'm surprised that anyone grills with the door closed. Western countries seem to have thrown away their manufacturing expertise.

[@dennisphoenix1]

Constellation and manhandle for the two word challenge.

[@alunroberts1439]

I have a load of MK I picked up from different places as anyvtime am buying stock I just get random stuff as well how can I tell if mine are on the recall. As I buy extra stuff each time am at CEF toolstation Edmondson so if I get a call at 10PM I should have what I need. I don't have to say I need to go and buy I have it. Well when I did a quick look over I have 200 sockets light switches a mix of MCBs RCBs RCBOs and cable must be about £5k worth with cable drums

[@goffthomas2554]

I always turn off an appliance by its own own switch before isolating it by the socket switch, this must be the correct method to switch off any appliance. I have never experienced any problems! 😊

[@darrenglynn597]

Regarding the MK double gang socket with USB. Model number MB24345 WHT = (White) is that model of socket got to be changed. As so far they have no scorch marks or anything like Arching so far they are fine. So which model of socket. The socket what you are displaying . I don't have that model of socket. Please advise . Many thanks .

[@EdwardBretherton]

MK gone down the made in China route , Will deffo not be using that stuff

[@johnwarwick4105]

Anybody else find it strange that people would have time off after getting a shock? 40 years in industry and it was just considered the norm in your younger days. We did a lot of live working in control panels but it was never in there that would catch you out as you were concentrating it was the simple ones that catch you out. As you get older you get more cautious 🤣🤣

[@AG-km6cl]

Totally agree. I have been in the trade for 47 years and like you it was common practice to work live when I served my apprenticeship, you soon learnt to have respect for the dangers although it has never stopped me getting the odd belt from time to time. I would say that it shows just how out of touch and naive some people are if they are shocked to discover that Electricians get electric shocks, and to blame it on Electricians not following safe isolation procedures is just sheer ignorance, I have had two belts in recent months, both were as a result of other Electricians having not done their job to the correct safe standard.

[@islandpersuasion4690]

Is BG good? I’ve updated the house with BG black nickel.

[@AG-km6cl]

BG were made in the U.K. but I’m not sure if they too have moved production to China, they offer a 25 year guarantee on sockets but the country of manufacture is written on the packaging or the sockets themselves but good luck trying to find any electrical product that is still made in the U.K.

[@Bracey92]

‘Manhandle’ and ‘constellation’ surely?

[@efixx]

Surely right? 😉 We'll find out next Monday... 😃

[@athek7081]

Manhandle and Constellation?

[@efixx]

Excellent guesses! Make sure you dial in to next week's show to see if you're right. 😃

[@daveys]

So sad to see companies like MK producing stuff like this. When you make quality kit, your name is everything, so you need a second “budget” brand, not using the quality brand name.

[@jozefbubez6116]

"The sockets do not meet the requirements of Regulation 1994 etc." So, who checks these things out? How is it that such defective goods find themselves in the market-place? The real reason why manufacturing was moved to China quite some years ago is GREED! By moving manufacturing to China, Western industrialists are able to boost their profits by taking advantage of the ultra-cheap labour there and let us also keep in mind that China is a closed Communist society and quite possibly their labour-force contains a considerable proportion of political prisoners working for close to nothing. As for Western industrialists, "as ye sow, so shall ye reap!"

[@AG-km6cl]

These defective sockets got into the marketplace because of those who tell Electricians how to do their job, engineers, IEE, SELECT, Health & Safety, KZbin sites like eFIXX etc, you know, the people who don’t actually work as Electricians.

[@boblordylordyhowie]

MK sockets catching fire, not instantly I hope but after long exposure to arcs as the materials are supposed to be fire-resistant. If you haven't had a shock, you are doing it right, or you are a joiner.

[@G1ZQCArtwork]

Manhandle & Stonking.! How are MK going to track all these dodgy sockets down.?

[@WOFFY-qc9te]

To many middle men so no chance, thats why they have alerted the installers. I know one thing for certain the Chinese will be paying no compensation, the factory has probably closed already. Another will open next week slate clean.

[@G1ZQCArtwork]

Quite so. One of the last full rewires I did wanted Built in USB outlets. I persuaded them not to simply because there was no way to switch them off and were a potential Fire risk. Not only that, but they would constantly induce switching interference on all the cables throughout the property. I won.

[@Graham_Langley]

It's not (yet) a full recall - they've just been withdrawn from sale.

[@Graham_Langley]

@@G1ZQCArtwork I had to explain why a neighbour's newly fitted USB outlet was killing the Powerline signal on the same ring.

[@G1ZQCArtwork]

Me being a Full Licenced Radio Amateur. We have to make sure we don't induce RF into the power circuits that might cause indie Radio or Television interference. Now they fit random noise generators directly in the power cables.

[@AdamWatson001]

Are those @Quickwire #Quickwire rip-offs on the table in the background?

[@efixx]

Those are LED drivers from Robus. 😃

[@ffinybryn]

Groundbreaking & stonking

[@sparkey1958]

Mk,used nothing else years ago. But got increasingly got fed up with the design and terminal placement for ease of installation. (Hate there lightswitches) and gridswitches. Changed to click mode. never had a callback and easy to 2nd fix

[@travoltasbiplane1551]

Crikey. I only said that MK haven't been a well respected brand since the 90's and someone had my comment deleted... Thought police in full operation.

[@cassiomx88]

They were still good up until 2010/11.

[@JC-jv5xw]

You could see the decline when they started making consumer units with cases like tupperware. It's now just a badge to place on any rubbish they chose...

[@Leo_125.]

My house is full of Deta plug sockets and light switches, they’re falling apart now at 12 years old.

[@AG-km6cl]

I started my apprenticeship in the late 70’s and in those days almost everything we installed was made in the U.K., it was over engineered but it was made to last and when I retire in just under two years it’s safe to say that almost everything will be made in China and not designed to last. This is why I will never buy a car made in China.

[@AdamWatson001]

7:02. No comment! Lol. Seriously though, if an electrician gets a shock because they didn't safely isolate, then surely that is just Natural Selection at work...?

[@lightend100]

Oh ffs, due to GDPR, surly no one should have details of who has what

[@AdamWatson001]

Man-handled and Province! (This week's two words...?)

[@AdamWatson001]

Damn, can I change my answer to Manhandle and Constellation...) ;-)

[@efixx]

Of course, no problem!

[@davidpatterson1980]

Im from northern Ireland, i wasnt asked about receiving an electric shock ! Could of made it 81% 😊

[@_eusty]

Manhandle & constellation 😊

[@efixx]

Nice guesses Eusty! 😃

[@raychambers3646]

Used to be Crabtree vs Mk . Crabtree was very good but MK had a bit more style .

[@boriss.861]

4:10 " Powers up to 9500 households! REALLY Has anyone bashed the figures? (7.5MW a day per household Government Figures) This will not happen. For 1 month around mid summer at midday the panels may give maximum output unless they get too hot. No one has mentioned the micro climate of all that reflective material create a thermal which could have an effect on airborne craft like gliders. 0.0049% is 4.9 fires per 100,000 installs .

[@VinoVeritas_]

You don't know what you're talking about.

[@zjzozn]

If you are an electrician who fitted these cheap MK…… silly billy😅

[@turboslag]

Even the concept of a basics range in something as safety critical as mains electrical fittings is totally wrong! I never even contemplated that one day, MK would produce cr4p, a truly depressing situation. Chinese companies just cannot be trusted, they will look you straight in the eye and say that they are making something in total accordance with spec, even putting it in writing with a cert of conformity, then just supply junk. Ask me how I know! I am more than willing to pay whatever price is necessary for MK to make everything in the UK, but unfortunately the reality is that everything in the UK is now sold to a price, not a standard. There are MK electricals all over the country, made in the UK, that are upto at least 50 years old, and still working perfectly and safely, that is something to think about. Almost everything modern is junk.

[@Graham_Langley]

I've been told the strategy is to slowly reduce quality until the customer complains then go back one step.

[@turboslag]

@Graham_Langley Which could mean a house fire!! They should meet a relevant standard though, despite the price.

[@andyouandme]

So if we can't trust MK any more, what's left?

[@davefrizelle3882]

Good evening and Merry Christmas :) This week my guess for the challenge words is "manhandle" and "constellation", though I was considering "stonking" for a while. All the best. Cheers, Dave.

[@efixx]

Great guesses Dave, stonking seems to be a favourite word of scriptwriter Ray! 😃

[@jamesclarke5331]

I'm honestly not suprised about the MK recall. I haven't used MK for years. The terminals screws alone are atrocious. They seize really easily and you can never be confident your conductors are tight and secure. And if I had a pound for every burnt out terminal I've found behind their accessories when I do EICRs I'd probably have about £30 and that's alot when consider the amout of EICRs I've done over the years.

[@Gazr965]

They have not factored in ever strengthening winds for solar and wind farms, which will be commonplace as the planet gets ever warmer.

[@lukethornicroft7464]

Its niglon/knightsbridge or nothing

[@vlogdotcom3543]

Keep me with you am electricain

[@merlin5476]

Personally i use Wessex brand , they look good and always work well.

[@AG-km6cl]

From 2018 up until now, many people will have said, I always use MK Essentials, they look good and always work well.

[@Gazr965]

Just how many of those sockets have been installed, MK could be in deep shit with labour costs as all will need changing. Gaz UK.

[@bill-2018]

They've been around for years so what's gone wrong? Made in China! I wanted a light fitting and went in Wilko and in the queue I saw it was made in China so I put it back on the shelf. I remember cheap Flying Bomb batteries where you were lucky to get a week out of one so I expected the screw threads to strip out of this light fitting. I got a Nettle one. Probably still made in China these days.

[@CLICKELECTRICAL-te3gm]

MANHANDLE AND CONSTELLATION The problem with getting electrical shocks is that there are too many steps to isolation. Tell The apprentice a story of somebody losing their face or limb make it graphic and then show them how to test live and dead lock off that is it the story will stay with every consumer unit I promise you

[@kennethausten]

They are not cheap. £7 plus for MK , same store does another make at £2.60 approx.