UK vs. US | British Plugs are Better than American Plugs

After living in the UK for over a year I am developing a pretty good understanding of how some systems work. In this case, I take a close look at the UK electric plug and socket and I compare it to the American plug and socket. I will save the suspense, the UK plug is much safer and is better designed.It is always fun to point out the similarities and differences between the United States and the United Kingdom. It is all fun and simply cultural observations.
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[@Kevin-mx1vi]

The British 13 amp plug is a brilliant example of design. Just don't step on one in bare feet or you will learn more about pain than you ever wanted to. 😉

[@daveash9572]

People say that, and I don't want to tempt fate, but I've never come close to standing on a plug, and I'm not sure I know anyone who has.

[@HighlandMike325]

Last part of that post was like something Darth Vader might have said. Chilling.

[@tomriley5790]

@@daveash9572 I have - it really hurts (but not the end of the world)

[@billmmckelvie5188]

A lot worse than Lego bricks.

[@billw7000]

@@daveash9572 You don't know me Dave, but I have! It bloody hurts particularly if your feet are cold.

[@williamgreen5575]

Also don't forget, the UK plug was designed back in the late 40's and is still essentially the same. The designers and engineers got it right first time and we've been safer for it ever since.

[@jas20per]

Not quite right. Wylex developed a UK ring main plug with a center round earth having the live and neutral pins staggered each side of the earth pin one above the center line with the other below this was also capable of fuse changes to a maximum of 13 Amp.

[@williamgreen5575]

@@jas20per the Wylex plug you reference was rated upto 15A, but was not BS1363 compliant, and was not widely used throughout the country and hence couldn't really be called a standard UK plug. The square 3 pin plug we use today (and the subject of this video), was designed from the start with safety in mind and was mandated nation wide via BS1363. Hence my comment.

[@jas20per]

@@williamgreen5575 The Wylex plug was not just 15 amp they made the whole range from 5 to 15 amp. I suggest that you take a look at John Wards offering here on Wylex plugs on u tube you will be able to see the whole plug range. As for the BSI 1363 Wilex patented and introduced them before the standard came in to force and I am sure you know that British Laws are not retrospective so they where produced and used in tandem with the 13 amp plug we know today. And as I said the square pin 13 Amp plug in the beginning was not the only ring main plug in use and I will stick by that.

[@williamgreen5575]

@@jas20per I suggest you read my comments again, I never said Wylex was 'just' a 15A plug I said 'upto' 15A. I also never said the BS1363 plug was the ONLY plug available. What I did say was that the plug we use today (UK standard 3 pin square plug, and the subject of this video) was designed right from day one and has barely changed since the late 1940's Yes Wylex existed, as did a couple of others, but none were used UK wide or 'standard' and neither did they have the safety features we have today. So my original comment of the standard UK plug being designed right from day one, is still right.

[@Peasmouldia]

When I was a kid in the 50/60s, two pin plugs were still really common. I received shocks a few times as a consequence.. It wasn't till the mid 60s' that the vast majority of homes were converted to three pin and ring main in the UK.. Ta.

[@olliejk9283]

Who'd have thought a man comparing us and uk plugs is worthy of a 50 thousand plus audience? It like an entire football stadium has come to watch you plug in different plugs. Absolutely sensational 👏

[@MacandBlair]

🤷🏾‍♂️👍🏾

[@hoorooblu]

"The plug" tells you a lot about british values. Engineering is a bit of an historic and current passion in UK (no pun intended). Safety law is considered essential to protecting freedom under the rest of the law (when you are dead your legal rights are of little use to you thus the british legal system invented many liabilities for people who could physically harm you. Thus engineers and inventors and food producers and employers and all risk-handlers have evolved to become safety-conscious for civilians. On the other hand, the Brits were also inventive for how to make things unsafe for enemies.. this dual mindset seems normal to Brits. But then they take it that step further: military power is strongly tied to softpower diplomacy in UK - the main softpower diplomat is the monarch who is also head of the armed forces but who is not involved in politics nor in government policy decisions.....a genius division of state powers that lets the monarch be insulated from current problems. Electrical power plugs and soft power.. all comes from the same British mindset about how to problem-solve or problem-prevent.

[@davecatlett1255]

you missed soo many other safety features of the UK plugs.... 1. The cord always comes out at right angle to the pins, so plugs are very difficult to pull out of the socket by pulling on the cord. 2. They have individual fuses in every plug, rated for the equipment being used, not the outlets maximum. 3. The internal wiring within the plug it's self (if wired correctly!) Will leave the earth/ground as the last wire to be broken if the cord is pulled out of the plug.

[@lumpyfishgravy]

The fuse is there to protect the cord - not the appliance which should have its own fuse. One big benefit of this is with extension leads and power strips you get extra protection in the case of a live-earth fault because your little 1" fuse will blow faster than your 32A breaker.

[@kcb8130]

Where I live in Canada, most sockets have built in breakers that trip and can be reset with one touch 3 prong plugs are also designed so the neutral/ ground prong is the last to make contact.

[@stephanweinberger]

@@kcb8130 But the socket does not know what's plugged into it, so it always has to have the highest possible Ampere rating, which will not protect appliances or cables that are only rated for less current. With the fuse in the *plug* you can actually put in the correct value for the individual appliance or its cable. E.g. a small phone charger will only have a 0.5A fuse in it, a lamp with a cord rated for 6A will only have a 6A fuse in its plug, a space heater rated for 13A will have a 13A fuse.

[@davidhunt240]

@@kcb8130 don't you mean first? Any sensible design would ensure protective ground is present before any other connection is made.

[@martinconnelly1473]

@@kcb8130 Last to break contact surely?

[@fossy4321]

Only you missed out one other safety feature of this plug. When it is wired correctly inside the plug the earth wire has a slack loop in it so if anyone pulls the cable really hard the live wires are disconnected fractionally before the earth wire. Love your videos keep them coming buddy.

[@arky3000]

i was about to mention this also but just saw your post lol

[@andysutcliffe3915]

Also, the wires come out of the bottom, not the back, you can’t pull the plug out by the wire, damaging it over time, you have to grip the plug. Tripping over the wire doesn’t pull it halfway out either.

[@new_ale]

I also watched Tom Scott's video

[@ianmelonie6440]

Also there’s a independent fuse in the plug to

[@glastonbury4304]

Also don't forget the fuse inside the plug

[@davetdowell]

You missed out one other key safety feature. It's designed to teach you not to leave electrical cables lying around where you walk, stand on a UK plug laying on the floor once, and you'll never leave a plug laying around on the floor again.

[@robertwilloughby8050]

An interesting thing is that if you do the right thing and put the UK plug down the right way so the prongs point down.... You still nearly rupture the arch of your foot when you step on it!

[@TheRealBoroNut]

Another great feature is that the plug will always fall prong side up, which is fantastic, as the government advise you to unplug all your devices before you go to bed to protect your property from burglars now that mantraps are illegal. It's alleged that this feature inspired an unfortunate Danish tourist to invent the Lego brick, a valiant effort, but which ultimately pales in comparison.

[@MacandBlair]

🤣

[@typnigerrer]

Domestic caltrops. Consequently the BSI standard for slippers now requires kevlar soles.

[@LivingWithTheCoopers]

Kevin McCallister was on the board of home protection, after he finally got permanently lost in London before the documentary Home Alone 3 was made. Genuinely though, I've had so many plugs in my foot over time!

[@CrunchyTire]

I know you guys are big fans of daddy gubmit keeping you safe. Praise be to daddy gubmit, pray to him every night

[@dynamicworlds1]

@@CrunchyTire ...you sound like someone saying this who, like me, is sitting behind the most powerful military in human history...might want to cut down on the projection. It just makes us look even more pathetic.

[@catherinerobilliard7662]

Time to thank the inventor of the British safety electrical plug, someone who has saved countless lives, Dame Caroline Haslett DBE

[@cms9902]

You need to to do way more research. She was an Electrical Engineer. The 3pin plug and socket evolved over time with various patents from the likes of MEM and so on.

[@pintpullinggeek]

@@cms9902 I would recommend you look into BS1363, the standards for British plug design. Dame Haslett was part of the group that laid out those standards. She didn't do it alone but she was the only person to come from a background specifically concerned with safety, especially in the home. Other people did indeed design and patent three pin plugs all over the world but the reason the British plug looks and acts like it does today is because of the group's work.

[@cms9902]

@@pintpullinggeek meaning she didn't invent the thing!

[@pintpullinggeek]

@@cms9902 She didn't invent a plug but was instrumental in designing the standards for what would constitute a "British plug". No-one would be allowed to invent a plug for the UK that didn't meet those standards.

[@cms9902]

@@pintpullinggeek I quote the OP "Time to thank the inventor of the British safety electrical plug, someone who has saved countless lives, Dame Caroline Haslett DBE". To me that's plain English. The quote that is plain wrong.

[@penname5766]

This is the best review I’ve seen of our plugs and why they’re so good. I’ve seen lots of US reaction channels attempting this when they don’t understand electrics, and mostly they complain about how unnecessarily bulky our plugs are. They don’t realise that it’s because it houses a fuse, as we have individual fuses for each appliance, meaning that the current doesn’t have to reach a dangerous level before a faulty appliance cuts out. It’ll cut out as soon as it’s at the limit that is safe for that particular device.

[@kenbrown2808]

part of that is that in the US, we have about 7 different plug designs that your one plug design replaces. our plugs that can carry the maximum current your plugs can carry are actually slightly bigger than yours, and our plugs that can't carry that much current can't be plugged into a receptacle that provides that much power. it bears mentioning that our "standard" power outlet is a slightly higher powered equivalent to one of your shaver outlets in a bathroom.

[@penname5766]

@@kenbrown2808 OK I didn’t know that. That’s interesting. However, our mains electricity is double the voltage of yours but therefore a much lower current.

[@kenbrown2808]

@@penname5766 it is a lower current in the load. for example a lamp with 2 60 watt bulbs will draw 1 amp in the US, and half an amp in the UK. but in an older house in the UK, the ring circuit can be fused at 30 amps, which is why your plugs are fused, and why the plug is built so solidly. (the only common appliance we have which would plug into a 240V 30A socket is an electric clothes dryer) of course, it is also why our electric kettles are so weak and puny compared to a UK electric kettle.

[@penname5766]

@@kenbrown2808 Ah I see. Thanks for explaining.

[@cuckingfunt9353]

@@kenbrown2808 Quite handy trick if you are only using high power for a short time ( ie welding ) is to have a plug with the fuse shorted out with a heavy lead to a 32A socket... 7.6KW without having to wire up a supply. Very handy when you are on site and the customer doesn't have such an outlet. ( Unless for the car charger.)

[@rickremco6275]

Another feature is the internal fuse. This normally comes supplied with a 13A fuse, but for lower powered devices this can be changed to a lower rating for safety if neccessary.

[@Biffo1262]

The fuse supplied with each appliance now has to have a fuse correctly rated for the appliance. However, if you buy a new plug it always has a 13 amp fuse supplied with it and it is down to the consumer to fit the correctly rated fuse.

[@davidpar2]

The reason for the fuse is necessity, because of the ~37 amp ring wiring system used with the current standard British plugs. US plugs don’t need them, because their power circuits are protected by breakers as the same amperage as the configuration of the receptacle

[@tomriley5790]

@@davidpar2 UK plugs also had fuses/breakers on the power circuits - the individual appliance fuses are an additional appliance specific safety feature (unless of course the appliance is double insulated)

[@fivish]

You can buy new plugs with a 3A or 13A fuse fitted. Other values like 5A and 10A are available.

[@TheByard]

British school kids were taught at school on the correct way to wire a 13amp plug and what size fuse was needed for each appliance, fuse could be bought in variety packs of just 3, 5, 13amd etc. packs. Not all wall sockets had switches, those that did have them should be switched off prior to removing the plug. The sockets are wired in a ring main system with both end return to a fuse board, the old system had rewireable fuse insert this changed to the 13 amp type fuses. or trip switches. that's

[@Larry]

They do hurt like all hell if you tread on one bare foot though :D

[@MacandBlair]

🥴

[@fastasfox]

British plug v lego bricks...hard to split on the pain scale 😁

[@samsowden]

No reason whatsoever to leave anything unplugged, what with the switch on the socket. If you tread on a plug you deserve the pain

[@richardschofield2201]

@@samsowden no one deserves the pain of standing on a 3 pin plug. Well, maybe Hitler.

[@mac148]

@@samsowden they used to tell you in safety vids years ago to pull the plug out my mum and dad still do it lol

[@gustavmeyrink_2.0]

Another long term safety feature is that with the UK plug the cable exits at a right angle to the prongs which makes it practically impossible to pull the plug by tugging at the cable. You must deliberately pull the plug. No internal fraying over longer misuse and no accidental unplugging.

[@orangew3988]

Okay, so at work we have equipment on wheels, which sometimes is plugged, but sometimes is running on the battery. I have unplugged the (UK) plug by wheeling away the equipment and yanking suddenly on the plug countless times. It does work if you pull hard enough (or sometimes wiggle the cable if you can't reach the plug). But what it does do is start to break the sockets by pulling at them suddenly at a wonky angle. Please don't tell my bosses that it's me breaking all the sockets.

[@RAndrewNeal]

Isn't that plug for his Christmas light straight? Right angled plugs aren't exclusive to England.

[@benwood4416]

@@RAndrewNeal many usb wall plugs can be straight but hard wired plugs are always at 90° angle

[@RAndrewNeal]

@@benwood4416 Oh, that was a USB power supply? At a glance, I thought it was a power supply with a threaded barrel connector/DC jack on it.

[@mistarizla]

I spin my laptop cable till it pops out.. lol

[@apacherider7110]

The UK has some of the best standards in the world. This is because of the BSI. The British Standards Institute, which guides and assist other countries. Some of you may remember the BSI kite mark..years and years before the EU mark. You saw the kite mark and you knew it is quality.

[@Ingens_Scherz]

Oooo, I member the kite mark!

[@steveneltringham1478]

This is governerned by the Institute of Electrical Engineers (I.E.E.). BSI doesn't apply.

[@richardhall206]

Many of the EU standards that some of a particular political persuasion complained so much about were lifted straight from their British equivalents, either from the BSI or National Physical Laboratory. The UK has even more bureaucracy than the EU in metrology. For example, all British-made water & gas meters are 100% tested by the Trading Standards agency, who also check pint glass volumes and test petrol pumps.

[@TK-ec5bv]

UK standards are great, yes. However, your consumer units with the plastic enclosures are not as robust nor as safe as US breaker panels. US breaker panel enclosures can only be made of metal, which is a superior design for safety reasons.

[@StarWarsJay]

I’m from the UK and lived in Belgium for a few years. While there, one of my Belgian friends see one of my British plugs and laughed at it. He said it looked like something from the 1930’s. That prompted me to take a closer look at our plugs and I was surprised how many safety features it has and that I took for granted. I’m not saying this out of some weird pride of the UK at all, but I think our plugs should be standard across the world for safety reasons.

[@Nat3ski]

Close, I believe it's actually a 1940 design, so they weren't far off.

[@StarWarsJay]

@@Nat3ski Old design, but it’s a “if it’s not broke, don’t fix it” one.

[@prawny12009]

Some old appliances had a screw or bayonet fitting to plug into the ceiling light, you could even get y splitters so that you didn't need to remove the bulb. It was from back when houses started getting electric lighting and new build were only getting one socket per room.

[@kcb8130]

@@StarWarsJay I've lived on both the UK (Scotland) and Canada UK electrical setup is dumb and over engineered. Same with door locks. UK is backwards on these two

[@fmjkevlar]

@@kcb8130 explain your knowledge on the UK electrical and it's safety features system to back up your comment? And explain why it's dumb. I've been fortunate to work around the world on other electrical systems and I could rip and pull your comment to shreds within seconds!

[@davidrowlands441]

I've been in America and several other countries and found their plugs to be more flimsy than ours but never gave it much thought. Now I am grateful for our plugs. Good post.

[@lovejetfuel4071]

Have you ever been to the Phillipines? they have the same plug design as the U.S. and get this , in the Phillipines the hot water heater for the shower (same as what we have here in the UK) the power outlet is not built through the wall of the shower, but there is an actually plug outlet IN THE SHOWER

[@davidrowlands441]

@@lovejetfuel4071 Sounds shocking. 😂😂

[@albertclarke2826]

@@lovejetfuel4071 Natural selection at work.

[@Remsster]

Also I am sure most people who visit get the worst of our plugs. Hotels and airports always have the worst quality where every plug falls out by looking at it wrong. Most home sockets atleast keep it in place decently well.

[@davidrowlands441]

@@Remsster When you say 'our plugs' is that American?

[@BM-jy6cb]

Four more things: Each appliance is individually fused at the plug, protecting the appliance cable from overload (particularly relevant for extension leads). Secondly, the standard (BS1363) specifies a minimum distance from the pins to the edge of the plug, further reducing any risk of little fingers touching the pins on a half-inserted plug. Thirdly, in a correctly specified socket, you cannot simply push the shutters aside manually - they are interlocked with the earth pin and finally, your extension lead doesn't meet the spec as it allows a plug to be inserted upside down, opening the shutters without a properly inserted plug - there should be sufficient bulk above the hole for the earth pin so that the remaining pins on the plug prevent you from doing this. BS1363 is a superb standard. Unfortunately it is regularly undermined by the cheap crap, both plugs and sockets, being imported from China.

[@treblebass6721]

True what you say about cheap, rubbish extensions. I don't understand how suppliers (many on ebay/amazon) can get away with it! Just for a couple more £ buy a decent one and be safe!

[@chrisbrace2204]

nowadays plugs come as moulded single pieces to the cable, but previously when seperate cable and plug the internal wires were different lengths so that if you pulled the cable from the plug while it was inserted into a socket, the live wire disconnects from the associated pin first then the neutral pin, and finally the earth (ground) so you couldn't run a plug with wires connected and the current running through live and ground.

[@owensmith7530]

I came hear to point all these things out, and found you had got here first.

[@MacandBlair]

Great points 👍🏾

[@jonobrow]

" your extension lead doesn't meet the spec as it allows a plug to be inserted upside down, opening the shutters without a properly inserted plug - there should be sufficient bulk above the hole for the earth pin so that the remaining pins on the plug prevent you from doing this" Hmm. Well it's all well and good to say his lead "doesn't meet the spec" but I don't think I've ever seen a single-row extension cable with the bulk you talk about to stop someone doing this, even from reputable suppliers like B&Q and Wickes (you can check their websites right now). You can say the bad ones are those imported from China, but the thing is, they're all imported from China!

[@cyberleaderandy1]

I've always wondered why American plugs seem so flimsy and small compared with UK plugs. It seems really strange that these plugs have not been replaced with something sturdier and safer.

[@7Cedira]

Imagine trying to get everyone and everything to use a new standard, the cost and effort is huge. Things like USB can keep moving forward because they are mostly backwards compatible.

[@alanreid3063]

@@7Cedira We moved from 15Amp round plugs to 13Amp square in the 50's/60's, with no significant problems just all new builds alteration used new system, although granted it would be more difficult now with huge increase in electrical equipment,

[@paddy1144]

@@7Cedira lol when was the last time you bought a device? USB C is not reverse compatible, and is becoming the new standard. There are literally 100’s of connectors when it comes to power. Changing a plug and the outlet is really not a difficult job at all.

[@psilocybe8135]

A lot of it has to do with the fact that American 120VAC power supply is centre tapped to earth. This means that the shock you receive from bridging one conductor to earth is not greater than 60V. If they used 240 Uk system with those plugs, annual fatalities from shock would be much higher. This is why outdoor power tools use 120v for safety. The transformer is center tapped to earth.

[@StupStups]

@@psilocybe8135 was going to say this. British plugs probably look comically over-engineered to Yanks but the domestic voltage is significantly more dangerous.

[@astroranger5528]

It's so funny to me as someone who was born in the UK to see how much you love the UK and are amazed by the simplest of things that we take for granted.

[@robharris8844U]

Your ignorance is your bliss. There is a lot to be thankful for in UK.

[@astroranger5528]

@@robharris8844U I think you're ignorant to my actual point, as you have clearly misunderstood my comment if you feel I was saying there was nothing to be thankful for in the UK. I was just genuinely pleased for him, and found it nice to see how much he likes the UK.

[@robharris8844U]

@@astroranger5528 okay fair enough, but there appears a lot of ignorance in the UK of how much there is to be pleased about and other countries envy.

[@yarkmates3409]

@@robharris8844U the uk is good isn’t that bad , but doesn’t mean it can’t be better , have you seen the clown in Downing Street for a start ?

[@robharris8844U]

@@yarkmates3409 Have you seen the 🤡French president? And 🤡US president?

[@tracy3364]

Well Im shocked ...I'm british and I didn't realised how good and well thought out british plugs are I think I just took it for granted ..fantastic

[@ShR33k]

I'm from the UK, and I was going to skip over this video thinking I knew it all anyway (being electrical minded) and having wired many UK plugs & plug sockets in my time, but even I learnt something about our own plugs! I didn't realise the black section on the neutral/live pins were insulation to prevent accidents. 3:22 I assumed it was coloured/painted for some reason, but never knew it was actually insulation! Great video!

[@juststeve5542]

You missed some features... I'll skip the fuse, as others have mentioned it. The cable on the UK plug exits via the bottom of the plug. Not only does this keep the cable down and reduce the risk of tripping you over, but it discourages pulling the plug out of the socket by the cable (because it just don't work!). They also work fantastically as burglar alarms, just leave unplugged and left on the floor. The pins will automatically point upwards and impale the nearest foot.

[@DavidLee-vi8ds]

I've often heard of people complaining about stepping on plugs that have fallen out of the socket. they don't fall out. You've unplugged it and left it on the floor with the pointy bits sticking up.

[@daviniarobbins9298]

It takes a lot of effort to pull out a UK plug cord by yanking it. It can be done though if you are hoovering and try to hoover too far from the socket. Takes a lot of effort mind you.

[@BazColne]

Guilty.

[@richardschofield2201]

We store out vacuum cleaner in the corridor. Sometimes the cord unravels. We have kids. So things tend to move on their own.

[@byakurenhoujuu]

I've definitely see them fall out. Especially when travelling.

[@alicehargest]

Aw my charger falls out but usually after I've been yanking on in :(

[@owensmith7530]

As a UK person with electrical knowledge, I conclude the UK is the only place in the world where we decided house electrical fires are a bad thing and should be eliminated by design. Everywhere else, certainly US and European electrical systems, seem to accept a certain number of house electrical fires as inevitable. But they're not! The trouble is they've left it too late, there is too much installed base to change plug designs.

[@daviniarobbins9298]

I don't think it would take much to change it. The only hurdle is probably money and will. However from watching Technology Connections videos on this subject there are some US plugs that do have a fuse built in(namely Christmas fairy lights presumable to prevent electrical shock if one of the lamps fell out of their socket exposing the electrical connection). It wouldn't take much to have a fuse built in to US plugs. Am surprised they aren't already purely as a safety feature.

[@fivish]

The USA plug/socket is as it is for cheapness. Profit over safety is an American thing.

[@CrazyInWeston]

@@daviniarobbins9298 Well yes, but Technology Connections also had a video about the fairy lights that had an adaptor built in, so you could plug in another appliance whilst using said plug for the fairy lights. I think he deemed them dangerous if I remember correctly. No fuse and a whole host of safety problems. I might be remembering wrong but I aint gonna trawl through his vids to see what was actually said, however I do remember Technology Connections saying that they were a bad idea.

[@raydring5760]

@@daviniarobbins9298 That fuse, in fact, No fuse, will give no protection against electric shock. For that you need a GFCI or ELCB which monitors for current leaking from the circuit.

[@David-bi6lf]

@@raydring5760 In the UK it's called RCD or residual current device and is used in the main fuse box to protect the circuits.

[@billb207]

One other safety feature: the power cord on a UK plug comes out at a right angle. When the lead feeds directly out the back of the plug as in some national designs, it is common to tug on the lead to unplug the appliance, putting strain on the connections and wires. It also won't come out if accidentally kicked.

[@BlackEpyon]

I'm Canadian. I've gotten into the habit of always removing it by the plug, rather than the cord. I've had to rewire too many plugs that people have wrecked the cord by yanking on it. Not to mention the ground prong, which for some reason is really fragile on the US style plug.

[@RAndrewNeal]

Nobody who's learned proper electrical safety will tug on a cord to unplug it; the thought makes me cringe internally.

[@invisiblewizard2538]

British electrical safety engineer here - I'm loving to hear your comments on this! The British Standard plug and socket is certainly the electrically safest of all the international domestic plug and socket standards. The permitted tolerances are tight for that good fit, the pins being squared off is good for that too. Very old round pin standard plugs in the UK were phased out in the middle of the 20th century. In other countries, if you have an non-grounded (non-earthed, as we say in the UK) appliance, the plug still has three pins, because that long earth pin is still needed to open the live socket shutters. Yes, the plug is a bit big, clumsy, and has a tendency to lie on the floor with the prongs pointing straight up (bad for your bare feet, as others have said) - but that's just a housekeeping problem!

[@theborderer1302]

After its independence from Malaya (forming Singapore and Malaysia), Singapore decided it would not re-invent the wheel and sent its best technical experts around the world to establish best practise. It adopted exactly British road signage, British electrical specs, and British standards. If you go to Singapore you won't need any plug adaptors if your from the UK.

[@letsgetto1millwithoutvids]

Finally an American that understands how advanced our plugs are But he did miss the fact that every plug also has its own fuse

[@kcb8130]

It's actually not that advanced, it's cumbersome and dangerous if you don't make sure the fuses in the appliance and the plug are rated correctly, you're fucked. American plug have the option of a built in safety breaker that can be reset with one touch

[@figoeira]

@@kcb8130 Which is why the companies that sell the plugs make sure not to. What you just described isn’t a fault of the plug, but the potential fault of the manufacturer.

[@jameskee2412]

@@figoeira Honestly, US style plugs are a lot less of a problem than the rest of the world thinks they are. @kc b pointed out that we do have GFCI outlets which have their own trip mechanism. They can also be wired into a series of outlets so that if any one causes a fault, it interrupts the entire string and does not necessarily trip the breaker feeding it. Also, our circuit breakers are commonly 15 or 20A, not 32, as someone pointed out UK circuits apparently are. Honestly, before the US starts changing anything in our electric system, I'd like to see the rest of the world use 60Hz like they should be. It's cleaner power, less wear on both generating and load side equipment, and the higher frequency reduces current load. Move to 60Hz, then we'll see about maybe making some adjustments to our side.

[@davidhunt240]

@@jameskee2412 there's zero evidence for your frequency statement. As the frequency increases, the inductive and capacitative effects of the cables increase. US uses 60Hz simply because Westinghouse was selling arc lamps running on AC and they flickered too much at 50Hz so they moved to 60Hz. There's zero gain in any other metric from 50 or 60 Hz, it's marginal. Have a look at switch mode power supply design and see the 200kHz AC used to get transformer sizes down.

[@CryptoRoast_0]

@@kcb8130 then it trips the main fuse box, not a problem at all. Also, I'm in my 30's and I've only ever had a fuse blow twice.

[@catherinerobilliard7662]

You shouldn’t be able to insert the earth plug upside down; sadly imports from China are everywhere and they’re not up to spec. Buy from a reputable dealer and check it has the British kite mark. Stay safe everyone!

[@BlackEpyon]

In the US/Canada, all UL/CSA rated plugs are either three prong, or are polarized so they can only go in one way. Some of the more expensive ones will be polarized 3-prongs, so even if the ground prong gets ripped off, you can't stick them in upside-down. Of the few things I get from China that run on mains AC, I always disassemble them first to make sure they're wired to my satisfaction, and will re-wire them myself if they aren't. Also gotta watch for that copper-coated aluminium wire, that stuff is a fire hazard.

[@littlewickhamtrolleys]

That was the first thing I noticed. It should not be possible to use the earth pin from the plug to demonstrate the covers moving in the live and neutral...

[@gallahant]

@@littlewickhamtrolleys You can very easily stick a pen or pencil in and demonstrate it. Thats how i insert 2-pin plugs in my wall sockets.(We got UK sockets where i live) The bic pen cap is ideal for this purpose!

[@geekygirl01]

Gosh I don't think I really appreciated uk plugs and how safe they are until you've talked about them now

[@jonntischnabel]

Also, take a look inside the plug. The live wire is shorter, the neutral is medium, and the earth has a lot of loop, therefore, if it is pulled by the wire, or some kind of accident happens , the live will pull out of the terminal first, making it safe.

[@mrb.5610]

You missed the best feature. They're very easy to find in tbe dark with your bare feet.

[@MacandBlair]

🥴

[@damionlee7658]

Another feature to do with the safety shutters inside the socket that often goes unmentioned is that on a standards meeting socket, you cannot insert the plug upside down. This means you cannot use a plug turned upside down to open the shutters and expose the live and neutral mains connectors. Which brings me to the socket gang you have in the video, and the fact that you do this exact thing to demonstrate the shutters opening... These dangerous undersized socket gangs have been sold for many years, because the smaller size makes them cheaper to produce. You will often find them in "Bargain" shops and supermarkets (and frankly the buyers for those companies should be ashamed of themselves for stocking unnecessarily dangerous products). However, because they allow you to insert the plug upside down, they give children an easy way to bypass the socket safety features. Socket gangs are a great way to expand the number of plugs you can use, but I want to urge everybody in the UK to stop buying the "Dangerous" cheap ones (there are plenty of safe cheap socket gangs). You can buy inexpensive socket gangs, but strongly consider only buying ones that are built to the correct spec, and prevent you from inserting the plug upside down.

[@okaro6595]

He just did that with the power strip. In Europe one needs to push both the prongs at the same time to open the shutters. This is much safer, it is almost impossible for a kid to do that with some object. Some British sockets also operate that way.

[@damionlee7658]

@@okaro6595 I'm not sure if you missed the point of my comment, your first sentence "He just did that with the power strip" suggests you didn't understand what I was writing. The UK socket design is meant to completely prevent that from happening. The earth pin receiver should have enough material above it such that if you try to insert the plug upside down, the live and neutral pins will hit the casing of the socket and prevent the plug from entering the earth pin receiver enough to open the live and neutral shutter (ie it should not be possible to do what he did). There was a part of the BS1363 standard which meant that socket gangs (power strips) could be made too narrow (like the one in the video) which meant you could push the plug in upside down. They are generally the cheap, manufactured for budget/bargain shops power strips, and people should not buy them, because they are dangerous. My other point is that the people responsible for putting these on shelves in the UK should be shamed of themselves for selling dangerous product's like that.

[@sausege777]

As a UK sparky, I find this mental as this is allowed in a country like the US. This should of been reviewed years ago. You are not a third world country and safety should be paramount. I think that pride in design can get in the way. No one in the world has a plug like us. God bless 🇬🇧

[@ralphvelthuis2359]

Not just the US. We have the exact same plugs in Canada as they do.

[@richardschofield2201]

Pretty sure the European plugs are similar. If the plug was a little smaller, it would be perfect.

[@nathankessell8594]

@@richardschofield2201 I don't see that as a draw back. The plug is bigger because it makes it even harder to touch the live pins when poorly fitted and it has a fuse in it, also it give's the plug the room to have a longer earth wire than the live and neutral inside the plug so if someone pulls the cable out of the plug the earth is the last thing to fail.

[@RichWoods23]

"You are not a third world country and safety should be paramount." Ah, but you're forgetting about the true magic of capitalism. The invisible hand of the free market will ensure that Americans become better protected from death by electrocution, or from choking and burning in a house fire caused by an electrical short, making it completely unnecessary for the government to intervene. That's bound to happen; just you see. Any day now. Any day...

[@n_tas]

They use child safe 110V though so it's OK

[@grizzlygamer8891]

The fact you were able to plug that in upside down to demonstrate the safety gates means that the 4 gang extension you have doesn't meet UK safety standards.

[@johnnosiennek7066]

Made in the P R C most likely, as most stuff is these days!

[@jonobrow]

Yeh but that's something it shares with all single-row extension cables. :P

[@mrfocigaz4942]

Which BS standard number? And which rule number? I'll look it up.

[@ijabbott63]

Most branded extension leads bought from reputable retailers will open the shutters when the plug is inserted upside down. I believe this is only classed as misuse of equipment since it is not part of the electrical installation.

[@katrinabryce]

Another safety feature at the wall socket: If you try to put the plug in upside-down like you did on the extension socket, you won't be able to push it in far enough to open the live/neutral shutters.

[@raydring5760]

Some other facts about the UK plug. The 3 pin arrangement means it cannot be plugged in the wrong way around so the fuse is always in the live/hot side. Also the fuses are available in 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 10, & 13 amp ratings so your appliance can have the next size up from it’s rated load which really up’s the safety level. They are called BS1363 cartridge fuses and they are only used in this application and no other type of fuse fits in the plug. To find out what fuse you need, find the power consumption of your appliance, which will be labelled somewhere on it, read the Wattage size and divide it by 250 and you have the current or Ampage. So take a 3KW or 3 KiloWatt electric heater and divide it by 250 which is near enough to the UK’s actual voltage of 240volts. 3000 divided by 250 = 12 Amps so a 13 amp fuse will be correct. Another way is 1kW = 4Amps. So you can power a huge load from any socket up to a total load for the entire circuit of 32 Amps, but by putting a lower value fuse in you and your appliance are safer. And that is verywhere in the UK.

[@dougle03]

Fuses protect cables not appliances. The job of the fuse is to prevent the cable from overheating due to excessive current. Fuses should always be sized to be a capacity lower than the cable can handle (Also known as discrimination) (Calculated by the cross section of the cable and it's length by voltage) Fuses are not there to protect devices/appliances or people for that matter..

[@RichWoods23]

@@dougle03 Fuses protect both cables and appliances, both of which protect people.

[@dougle03]

@@RichWoods23 Appliance protection is very much a secondary benefit. The primary purpose of the fuse in a UK plug is to protect the cable/flex. If an appliance needs a fuse, it often has one built in.

[@daveayerstdavies]

That strip of sockets is not compliant with British code. The surrounding area of the socket should be large enough to prevent the ground/earth pin to be plugged in upside down.

[@namelesscynic1616]

Made in China

[@misterflibble9799]

This is one of the few "loopholes" in the safety standards, in that these are not (yet) illegal. Hopefully this will be fixed soon.

[@bobbod8069]

I'm sure you wouldn't be so keen on British plugs once you stood on one in your bare feet. It makes standing and Lego feel like nothing. Also another good feature of the plug over here, is the fact that the wire goes down. Therefore the plug is less likely to be pulled out from the socket if the cable is tripped over, pulled etc.

[@Kizron_Kizronson]

The biggest safety feature of the British plug is the effect it has when somebody stands on one. That person will make damned sure to be extra frikkin careful about where they leave those plugs in the future.

[@sawleyram7405]

Children are still taught how to wire a plug at schools, thankfully! I think it was only in about 1992 that it became a legal requirement for household appliances to have a plug fitted to them.

[@okaro6595]

In Finland it was illegal to wire a plug until mid 80s.

[@sawleyram7405]

@@okaro6595 Illegal to wire a plug?

[@Drobium77]

@@okaro6595 really? we were taught in school how to do it in the UK in 1992

[@jonnybravo3055]

As a Brit I've learnt something here 👍🏻

[@MacandBlair]

👍🏾

[@johnlovesyoko]

Me too

[@lord_scrubington]

some other features with the UK plug is that the cable is almost always put at 90 degrees to the direction that the plug is plugged in. If you pull on the wire of a US plug, in most cases the plug can come out, with a UK plug it is often much more difficult to pull a plug out. The earth/ground wire inside the plug is also noticeably longer than the live and negative wires, so that should the cable be pulled out of the plug itself, the earth will be the last cable to disconnect.

[@solsol1624]

Oh just remembered, showing my age here lol does any UK or Irish viewers remember the safety ad, or PSA for our American friends, where a tradesman was using a drill without a plug? He used 3 matches to hold the bare wires into the socket. As he was drilling the earth came undone and made contact with the live and his metal drill case became live and he was toast!!

[@fasteddie406]

Best feature is the at the wall switch, something like Xmas tree lights can be switched off as you go to bed with plug left in, rather than reaching over a tree to tug the plug out at an angle every night, which over time weakens the plugs screws.

[@djdeemz7651]

Secret hidden use - They make a surprisingly effective weapon in a pinch

[@julia2jules]

Brilliant explanation I am old enough to remember when electrical items were sold without a plug. You had to wire them yourself. I loved doing it, dad showed me, and we learned how to in science class. Fortunately for safety the moulded plug became a legal requirement for all electrical items sold. The only 🤦‍♀️ is the insistence of some places to use “child safety covers” essentially providing the child with a tool to insert upside down opening the live and neutral ready for fingers or other items.

[@kenbrown2808]

it is a funny thing. there was a while that US regulators trusted an electrician to make every wiring connection in a house - but did not trust him to replace the plug on an extension lead.

[@leejackson623]

I think it was an EU legislation that made it that every appliance sold in the UK had to have a moulded plug incorporated into it (with the correctly rated fuse) 🤔

[@Jtoothebbb]

Haha I'm just old enough to remember that and my dad wired the new kettle plug wrong and blew it up. I must of been about 6 when i learnt to wire a plug eager not to repeat my dads mistake.

[@danm1108]

It was one of the first things we were taught at high school. How to wire a plug. This was in the early 80s I'm sure it's no longer taught most kids these days wouldn't have a clue

[@rogerhargreaves2272]

We were taught in school how to wire a plug. It’s still a useful skill today.

[@richardmillican7733]

My Father, Robert Mark Millican, was the original designer of the UK plug! He designed it for a company called Ashley in Ulverston, he did it during his apprenticeship, and it was given an open patent. He went on to work on minature circuit breakers, and travelled the world attempting to get a global acceptance and standard in plugs. After the development of the plug for Ashley, he moved to Walsall and worked for crabtree and later MEM, I was born in Walsall in 1968, we then moved to holyhead in north Wales, where he continued to work with MEM in 1981 He worked until he was 72, and passed away in 2004 aged 79. He would certainly like this content! Thanks for a great video.

[@billydonaldson6483]

The power cord is also pointing downwards, as well as being neater this prevents water ingress into a live plug should there be a water leak.

[@someonebald2022]

It also reduces the trip hazard, and so reduces the chance of the plug being accidentally pulled out

[@martinconnelly1473]

UK plugs are classed as type G and are used in some other countries as well. The fuse in the plug is designed to protect the supply cable between the plug and the appliance. If a fault current flows the appliance is already not working correctly but the supply cable can get hot and cause a fire long before the house circuit fuse/breaker has cut the power.

[@MacandBlair]

Great points Martin 👍🏾

[@dancoulson6579]

Another few things to note. 1. Each plug has a replacable fuse built into it. It's either a 3, 5, or 13A fuse, depending on the appliance needs. 2. The earth/ground wire has more slack inside the plug. This means that if the cord is ever forcefully pulled out of the plug, the earth connection will be the last to fail. Don't get me wrong. The US beats us at a lot of things. But British will always win when it comes to Chocolate, Cheese, Roundabouts, and electrical outlets.

[@CrazyInWeston]

We also beat the US in freedom too! Believe it or not. US 15th on the 2021 Human Freedom Index, the UK is 14th! New Zealand is currently number one on the list and Australia is 5th. The US isnt the "Land of the free" as it pertains to be. Thats just US Propaganda. 14 countries are 'freer' than the US, the UK included.

[@alanrickett2537]

You forgot light bulb fittings as with everything with Edison's name on it the E fitter is very poor B fittings are much better.

[@BlackEpyon]

The Edison socket can be particularly unsafe if the hot and neutral are wired backwards. You're likely to zap yourself just changing the light bulb. They've been installing a lot more roundabouts here in BC, Canada. They help a lot with the flow of traffic, if you're just driving a car, but as somebody who pulls a landscaping trailer every day, I am constantly frustrated because most people here DON'T signal properly at roundabouts and turn circles. Because I take longer to clear it, and I can't rely on people signalling, I need to wait for traffic to abate before entering.

[@dynamicworlds1]

@@CrazyInWeston and that's a particularly _high_ ranking for the US. Most metrics put us significantly lower.

[@AndrewLumsden]

1, 2, 7 and 10 amp fuses are also available!

[@AndrewLumsden]

In the UK, we never refer to outlets or receptacles. They are only ever known as sockets. An outlet is a shop selling goods direct from the manufacturer and cutting out the retailer.

[@SG-1-GRC]

Thanks for this comparison I now more fully understand why a work colleague once told me that when he and his family visited his wife's relatives in the States they would not let their children plug anything in and insisted that either mum or dad did it for them. He did say that their caution related to him (years earlier) getting a shock from a plug that had worked loose from the plug holes and was partially sticking out. You're comments about connections becoming loose and seeing the actual design of both the plugs and plug sockets now makes it clear to me how that can happen and how he got that electric shock.

[@Emin3m1986]

3 more safety features: 1. Plugs are fused, usually to 13A, but can be down fused if needed 2. The length of the wires inside the plug are intentionally different, so if you manage to pull the cable out of the plug, you disconnect first the Live wire (hot wire), then Neutral and Earthing wire the last. 3. The way cable comes out from the plug at 90 degree makes it very hard to pull it out accidentally. I’m not British too and I’m very amazed about their plugs and sockets too :)

[@pjeaton58]

Most adults don`t know which size (amp) fuse to use and some resort to a cut off bolt or cooking foil !

[@owensmith7530]

Historical note, the design work that resulted in the UK 13A plug started in the middle of WWII. Once things didn't look so desperate around 1942, a committee considered all the rebuilding work that would be required after the war. They realised with so many houses needing replacing there was a one off opportunity to change the design of house electrical wiring as a whole and introduce a new plug in particular. They co-existed with the older three pin 5A and 15A round pin sockets for decades, you still found those in older properties in the 1980s. My college at Cambridge University got rid of the last of them in student rooms some time in the 1990s I believe. And the UK 2 pin plug used in bathrooms for shavers and electric toothbrushes is actually the live and neutral from a 5A three pin socket.

[@MacandBlair]

So much detail. Thanks. 👍🏾

[@callyg54]

I stayed in a country hotel in Scotland with my family to celebrate my daughters 21's. Half the hotel still used the round pin sockets!! We couldn't believe it, especially for the price charged. It meant we couldn't use fans, charge phones, use hair dryers etc etc. When was this....2017!

[@owensmith7530]

@@callyg54 People used to take adaptors on holiday with them just in case, but that was 30 years ago. And all they were tying to use then was hairdryers.

[@fivish]

A shaver socket has an isolating transformer. It is NOT live and neutral which would be illegal in a bathroom.

[@owensmith7530]

@@fivish I know that thanks. I was talking about the physical two pin format, which is the two non earth pins of an old 5A socket. My grandma's house had some 2 pin sockets in various rooms, non of which were the bathroom. Maybe I elided too much detail?

[@abuladula]

Yes. The British plug and socket system is the best. Excellent culture of safety, including the road system. Seems crazy with all the signs and the road markings but it is genius if you look into it.

[@Augrills]

I will admit that British plugs are objectively better than American ones, but American roads have better signage. More simple and direct and I feel like people are more likely to follow that. Also I feel like signs in England when I went weren’t very eye catching. They were just sort of lacking in grabbing my attention as easily. Now English roads were much more well maintained but you also have a lot fewer roads to worry about.

[@doobiedootwo3517]

The fuse inside the plug protects the appliance from shorting - its useful to know, because if say your washing machine stops working the first thing you should do is change the fuse in your plug ….. it could save you a lot of money 😌

[@BlackEpyon]

Canadian here. If your fuse blows, the first thing you should do is assess WHY the fuse blew in the first place. Fix that first.

[@jamkutie]

Great video, I agree UK plugs seems to be much safer than the plugs used in the US

[@chrisshelley3027]

It is a wonderful piece of design, who would have thought that so many different safety features were built in to something that we use everyday and so many people never realise, UK plugs are one of the best designs in the world and with good reason as you have shown us :)

[@samanthaobertelle4966]

I'm British..I've lived in England all my life and I had no idea our plugs had all them safely features! You have taught me so much about the plug ...I'm now going to take that knowledge and look really cool when I'm in the company of friends and bring this up ...because I'm sure they won't no about the safety covers etc ...thank you...😊

[@sharri5412]

The most important safety feature is each plug has replaceable fuse... also the sockets and the electric box...

[@lorettasfiat500]

Good video. Another safety measure in the UK is to get a multi point extension socket like the one you have got, with a built in circuit breaker. (RCB). Doesn’t cost much more than the standard one shown here, and if anything happens to any of those individual sockets the power will be cut immediately, before it can do any damage.

[@kingofthegrabbermachines5730]

You've mangled RCD (residual current device), with MCB, (micro circuit board), electrical installation standards in the UK are very high, thankfully.

[@MrRawMonkey]

Great video but you missed the fact that the U.K. plug contains a correctly sized changeable fuse that is rated for the device. This means that a table lamp has a 3amp fuse while an electric fire will have a 13amp fuse.

[@chrisgodfrey6353]

I love your videos, I can't believe I've just watched all about UK plugs!! I've lived here most of my life and found it fascinating! 🤣😂🤣Also as a Scouser really enjoyed your visit to Liverpool. Great work hope you and yours have a lovely Christmas.

[@whalefsh]

I'm pleased you're a convert to the superiority of UK plugs lol. The safety shutter was included very early in the development of BS 1363, and we have Dame Caroline Haslett to thank for that. She was an electrical engineer who pushed for the safety shutter because children shouldn't risk electrocution. It's why you shouldn't use child safety covers in UK sockets, they only reduce the safety of our sockets, and don't meet BS 1363. If something doesn't meet that safety standard it shouldn't be plugged in to a UK socket.

[@davidrichardson2513]

I love your videos, but totally surprised you didn't also mention the fact that uk plugs have internal fuses which are rated 3 amp, 5 amp, 13 amp in weakness and are appropriate to the appliance attached. So Christmas fairy lights will have a much weaker fuse than an electric fire or kettle for example.

[@owensmith7530]

7A and 10A fuses are also available for UK plugs, though they're less common. My Dyson vacuum cleaner came with a 10A fuse fitted. The 7A and 10A fuses are coloured black as per the standard, same colour as 5A fuses which is a bit of a shame as it gives scope for confusion.

[@davidrichardson2513]

@@owensmith7530 Very interesting. Learn something new every day.

[@edrose5045]

We have 3A, 5A, 10A, and 13A fuses for plugs. I've never seen a 7A fuse, nor taken any notice of the colour! The rating is written very clearly on the fuse body anyway

[@owensmith7530]

@@edrose5045 The colours are Red 3A, Brown 13A, anything else is Black. Normally 5A, but also covers 7A and 10A.

[@dougle03]

All correct, apart from that 'Fuses protect cables', not devices. The job of the fuse is to be the weak link before the cable gets too hot through excessive current. The fuse should be selected not by the appliance, but by the max current capacity of the connected cable. Appliance designers should already have 'sized' the cable to suit the appliance current needs. Again, fuses protect cables, nothing else... ;)

[@drcl7429]

if you can insert the earth pin upside down like that, then the extension lead does no meet the British standard. The space between the hole and the edge should be greater than the gap between the earth and live pins.

[@misterflibble9799]

Actually, that's a loophole in the current standard. I don't have a copy of the standard to hand (and it costs nearly £300), so I'm not sure of the exact details, but I think it only applies to extension cables and not to "normal" wall sockets. Hopefully they will fix it at some point in the near future.

[@mickuljatheseagull]

@@misterflibble9799 Nothing is 100 percent safe but you would have to want to actively stick something in the Live or Neutral pins by depressing the latch on the Earth. Something that wouldn´t be in the mind of a small child (or most people).

[@misterflibble9799]

@@mickuljatheseagull except that the "curious child" is the exact reason why "normal" sockets are specified with minimum clearances to faceplate edges. If it's considered enough of a risk to require it on "normal" sockets, then IMHO it should apply to extension lead sockets too. I don't have access to the standard so can't confirm it, but from what I've been able to piece together from comments I've found, I think that the exemption on the earth pin socket clearance is supposed to be used in conjunction with another option in the standard where the live and neutral shutters only open when pins are pushed into both sockets simultaneously, in a similar way to European (Shuko) sockets. I don't think the clearance exemption is supposed to apply for earth-pin-opening shutters.

[@mrfocigaz4942]

Which standard and which rule number? I'll check.

[@misterflibble9799]

@@mrfocigaz4942 I posted a link to the issue being discussed in a forum, but it got auto-deleted. It's: BS 1363 Part 2, clause 13.10

[@simondaniels4176]

Not to forget the individual (rated) fuse inside each UK plug. 👍 And the fact that the ground/earth is first and last connected due to being longer than the other two pins. So many features!

[@jasonr5681]

It seems the love of the UK plug runs so deep, it may just be your most viewed video to date!

[@MacandBlair]

LoL my most viewed video has over 250k. But I am shocked by the response to this video. Shocked. I didn't see this response at all. 🙃

[@peckelhaze6934]

The only downside of our UK plugs are when they fall on the ground pin up. In the dark they hurt like hell. Beware, appliances that come to the UK, namely China, often put a 13 amp (brown) fuse within the plug. The appliance might only require a 5 amp (black) or 3 amp (red) fuse. A device requiring a 3 amp fuse will not blow if it is 13 amp, it will probably catch fire. Also, products from China often use a fake BS 1363, best replace with a real BS 1363 from a reputable seller. Xmas is the worst time for fakes, especially lights.

[@sjr2471]

It would only catch fire if the device was faulty. The fuse does not regulate the current to the stated Amps, it will blow if the device draws more current than the fuse permits. If an electrical fault in an appliance such as a short circuit suddenly occurred causing it to draw too much current the fuse will pop. If a 3 or 5 amp rated device were fitted with a 13 amp fuse then yes in that case it could cause a fire, but if working normally it would not.

[@misterflibble9799]

And some cheap Chinese rubbish even puts a "fuse" in the plug but doesn't wire it in to the circuit, so the device is entirely unfused (and can therefore receive the full 32 A from the breaker on the ring final circuit). Highly illegal, but frequently sold on Amazon/eBay/etc.

[@rogerhargreaves2272]

Big Clive found a Chinese plug with a fake fuse inside.

[@glennperry2108]

And if you step on one of them, worst that standing on Lego.

[@misterflibble9799]

@@rogerhargreaves2272 that's what I was alluding to. The one I saw recently had both a fake fuse, and that fuse wasn't inline.

[@slimofbonar1978]

Great video, love that you love our country

[@ExiledCarebear]

I am surprised by the differences in safety has been quite alarming. We do have safety issues with products that are mass produced by China that don’t meet our current safety standards but there was a time we had pride in our BSB kite mark for safety on products you could buy over the counter

[@debbielough7754]

There's different amounts of slack built into the wiring of the plug as well. And most plugs have fuses that match the appliance they're attached to.

[@andyonions7864]

Really really really do not play with sticking wires in UK sockets. It's double the US voltage (at least) and will kill easily. That said, I've had a few shocks and survived... If the sockets are wired properly, the left prong/neutral is not 'hot' in a conventional sense. It's tied to ground back at the transformer, but floats when it's in your house. Live is properly 230V RMS (so goes to 325 volts).

[@cideryeti7957]

Man I haven't heard RMS since I covered it in collage when doing Audio Amp theory .707 Then there was the Peak to Peak con that advertisers made speakers appear louder .636 RMS (Root Mean Square. Lots of complicated maths involed that just boils down to timesing AC volt by .707) is the "true" power of a system.

[@angelaporter197]

I didn't know that the earth pin also opened the other bits in the sockets, really interesting video. Also the 3 prong plugs contain a fuse to protect the item being plugged in, I don't know if other countries' plugs have that.

[@kenbrown2808]

US christmas lights and other very low wattage things have a fuse in the plug, but typically everything sold in the US without a fuse is designed to be able to withstand a 20A fault current long enough for the breaker to trip. we also now require residential wiring to have arc fault protective breakers that will open at the first hint of a fault, even if it is below the amperage threshold of the breaker.

[@duncbee]

Ireland and Cyprus both have UK plug system.

[@IanDarley]

@@duncbee also for some reason Singapore

[@robertrich663]

@@duncbee So does Malta & Singapore

[@kingofthegrabbermachines5730]

@@IanDarley Because Singapore is an ex British colony.

[@2005Guyver02]

You forgot to add the other nice safety feature for the person, child and device: The 3A, 5A, 10A and or 13Amp quick blow fuse. which is fairly easily replaceable, even in molded plugs.

[@konradyearwood5845]

Additional features. Internal fuse with ratings of 3, 5, 11 (I think) and 13 amps. In many cases the fuse can be changed without opening the plug. An internal strap to secure the flex at the entry point. Shielding within the plug body so that if one of the wires were to come loose it could not short to the other. In some designs where the three wires protruding from the outer flex can be equal length to allow easier wiring up.

[@jillosler9353]

I really wish we applauded our wares more. Thank you for reminding us that to qualify for use in the UK it has to be really safe.

[@daffyduk77]

Took a lot of deaths and fires to get there

[@groomys67]

Thank you, I'm British and you taught me a few things about our plugs.

[@nottjohn9418]

Glad you like our plugs! They're very cool. Thanks for the positive review!

[@simonblackham4987]

Some people mention the round pin plugs used in lighting circuits ... they are in fact small 2 amp 3 pin plugs. Even they have the shuttering but don't have a fuse.I have a wall plate with one 13 amp and two 2 amp sockets ... there is a separate fuse on it for each of the 2 amp sockets. There are actually many more rated fuses ... the common ones are 3 and 13 amp ... but there are also at least 1, 2, 5 and 10 amp too. I have some devices with 5 amp fuses. Most hardware stores only carry 3 and 13 amp and the one failing is that the fuses are the same physical size so people put 13 amp fuses into everything negating one of the safety features. I feel there is still one design flaw ... the screws that trap the wire to the pin. Cables to devices are usually (always!?) flexible and are therefore multi-strand ... which do not work well with the standard screw terminals. Some plugs have a post and nut with a washer that squashes the wire that you wrap around the post so it is pulled tight around the post. This gives a better contact area and is less prone to heating. In my experience plugs on high wattage devices (eg 2 and 3kW space heaters) do get warm. Plugs sold over the counter will generally be used to replace damaged ones so putting ferrules on is not a solution that the 'public' is aware of, or have the necessary crimping tool and supply of ferrules.

[@bomberbinz]

It's funny, I always remember visiting friends many years ago in Miami and plugging in UK stuff with a two pin U.S adaptor..... just about every time I plugged anything in there would be a blue spark..... And I thought "well that's safe"....

[@allenabel3471]

The two-pin US adapters may not be widely available any more. They quit selling the two-pin outlets at least 40 years ago, maybe longer. If you manage to find one, it's either new old stock or a (probably unsafe) made-in-China copy. Also, US mains power is only 120 volts. If you need a 240 volt outlet (all UK stuff is 240V, afaik) you need to call an electrician and have one wired up. Still, it won't match UK plugs unless you brought a UK outlet with you. And let's not even get into the 50Hz-versus-60Hz mismatch.

[@plkrtn]

@@allenabel3471 Almost all products made now work at both 50/60Hz and can switch between both automatically. Globalisaton for you! 👍

[@Landie_Man]

Don’t forget, if you open the plug up, there is a user replaceable fuse inside it, and the live wire Is designed to be awkward, so it pulls out first.

[@billyhills9933]

With some plugs you don't even need to open them up to replace the fuse, you can access it from the outside of the plug. On the other hand I can't remember the last time I replaced a fuse anyway.

[@Landie_Man]

@@billyhills9933 I probably replace one once a year. Most plugs aren’t user serviceable. But if these go wrong, I cut them off and fit my own

[@billyhills9933]

@@Landie_Man The last device I had a problem with was a steam iron and that was blowing the ring main switch before the fuse.

[@Landie_Man]

@@billyhills9933 probably need to repair the iron

[@sij748]

On a cursory side note, a British plug socket has a supply voltage of 230V while an American plug socket has a supply voltage of 120V. A British plug socket is safer than an American plug socket even though it is supplied by almost twice the voltage - this highlights and underscores how well designed and engineered the British plug actually is

[@PeteCourtier]

I was going to say the same thing 👍

[@shadowflash705]

It actually got more to do with ring circuits and high current. Fuses are more about the fire safety. If your wiring can handle 40A and cable will get shorted - you can get your house on fire. That's why rest of the world uses smaller pins and no fuses in the plugs. Fuses, unless they are 0.1A or so can't prevent a person from getting electrocuted. That's why RCD/GFCI is a thing.

[@briainholmes1147]

On Irish plugs the live wire is the shortest so if the plug got pulled to hard the live would come off quickly to prevent an arck

[@TheEulerID]

The same as UK plugs, which is not surprising as Irish plugs were derived from the same standard. The Earth should always be the last to detach.

[@peterclarke7240]

As a Briton who lived in the US for a few years, I was frequently amused/horrified by the plugs in the states! No fuse, no earth, no wall switch, no guards, and plugs that could easily get knocked half out, and be still connected to the mains while clearly visible metal from the pins was on show. I remember asking my then -wife, an American, why a country would design a plug that way, and also make so many of their houses out of wood. Can't remember what her answer was, but I do remember she became a little more careful when it was her turn to do the vacuuming. 😂

[@goldenegg1063]

Maybe their electricity isn't as dangerous as ours ? . It's 110 volts for starters . But maybe the risk of death from electrocution is alot lot less so they don't need all the protection?

[@thwalesproductions]

@@goldenegg1063 It's not the voltage which kills it's the amps and US plugs have enough amps to kill several people

[@goldenegg1063]

@@thwalesproductions yeah I'm aware of how electricity works In all forms . But didn't know if maybe the amps were lower in the us too . I know the uk has the strongest grid In the world, my mates dad was a top man in the national grid so had a cool tour of the control center when I was a kid . I remember this huge room with the grid layout on the wall.. . And all the buttons where I could of literally turned the whole of the uk off ! . I've always wondered if sometimes one of them spills their coffee and accidently turns a whole town off 🤔

[@BlackEpyon]

Most wall outlets in the US/Canada are rated for 15 amps, as are the breakers. But the current you draw is still a function of voltage over resistance, and the resistance of your fingers is going to be the same regardless of which outlet you're stuffing your fingers into, so the US system is safer in THAT regard, but not much else.

[@EdU-od5ec]

maybe amercian plugs are just cheap.

[@graciegee6317]

Mac, I do believe you are slowly turning into a Brit! First an appreciation of Walkers crisps, hot dogs in a jar and the lack of artificial additives in food. And now a new found love of our electrical plugs! You've already incorporated discussing the weather into your day to day life, we've just got to get you to drink strong, hot tea as a go to and I think the conversion is complete. LOL Great video again!

[@MacandBlair]

🤔👍🏾

[@stonkr]

Strong & hot is a must! Nothing worse than warm tea. (of course there are worse things but you understand)

[@Jesus-Is-Lord--Romans-Ten-Nine]

Lack of artificial additives in our food? I don't think we are far off the US in that regard.

[@alikia1049]

Main thing you missed. Is each plug has a Fuse built in . ( 3 / 5 / 13 amp fuse. ) So really speaking each appliances pluged in to socket .has its own over load protection for additional saftey. Main Fuses in consumer units

[@firstlast7052]

Both US and British plugs and sockets use non-circular posts by design. The old British plugs were round as are many continental European plugs. The sockets tend go wear over time and round ones are more likely to arc than ones with an edged corner and arcing is a fire risk. The Australian New Zealand plugs and sockets (AS/NZS 3112) are a sort of halfway house between British and American plugs. They have many of the British features such as only one way to plug them in , but are closer in size to US plugs.

[@wrenb9281]

Hi Family Man, please note that the protrusions on the plugs, here in the UK are referred to as 'pins'. So the item is called a 3 pin plug.

[@MacandBlair]

Thanks.

[@alfresco8442]

The insulation on the live prongs is really useful when you are removing the plug too. The tendency can be to get a good grip by curling your finger tips over the business end of the plug, leading to you inadvertently making contact with the prongs. The insulation makes this practically impossible, no matter hard you try or how small your fingers.

[@safetyladysilver8988]

I was told years ago by electrical engineer that the shielding on N & L pins was not to protect fingers (no one has fingers that small) but because a 1p coin could just fit between all pins bridging them and causing an almighty bang, blowing fuses and nervous bystanders to blow. Often done in schools. Presumably it also protected from other metal items bridging, such as a screwdriver being used to prise a plug out. Sometimes the plug socket fit is a bit too snug.

[@ricardobranco7357]

From what I remember the specs require the earth pin to be engaged before the LN engage for safety ie appliance will be earthed until the point it's unplugged fully, the black insulation length is defined in spec so that the live parts are hidden at the point it connects to the LN to prevent accidents (unlike US), some cheep knockoffs do not have this.

[@TinyMaths]

It's amazing when someone points out the benefits of something you've used for most of your life but had completely taken for granted. Never really thought about the insulation on the live and neutral pins on a plug. In fact, I can distinctly remember feeling nervous when I wanted to remove a plug and noticed that my fingers were near those pins as I withdrew the plug; and I would adjust my fingers so as to grip the sides of the plug rather than risking a shock through touching the pins as I pulled the plug out. . Didn't even realize this safety feature was there to prevent contact with the pins.

[@FrankJCarver]

There was a time when the British plug didn't always have the black protective insulators. I never ever got a shock pulling out the non-insulator versions and I still have a lot of them in my house.

[@Blazerade13]

Good review. Another good thing about the UK plug is the amount of metal contact in the prongs. Here in Australia the prongs are thin like the US versions. The current flowing for an electric heater or any large appliance is enough to get the plug, socket and some of the cable very warm to the touch. We are talking, say, 10A at 220V. That has never happened to me in the UK as the contact surface area of the prongs is much bigger. Others have also mentioned the fuse. I could not believe that you simply cannot buy a fused plug in Australia. This means thát many appliances have a 5A or 10A cable ''protected by a 30A main trip!

[@MacandBlair]

👍🏾

[@davedickinson822]

The plugs in Oz are also 180° to the UK plug. This caused a death before the live and neutral prongs were modified. They used to be full metal. A plug was not completely home and a steel rule was dropped from a desk and landed in the gap bridging the live and neutral with inevitable results. I can’t remember if an RCD was fitted or defective.

[@ijabbott63]

@@davedickinson822 I guess they added partially insulated live and neutral pins to the plugs to fix it? The same feature of the UK plugs has been required on new plugs since 1984. (I still have some old plugs with bare live and neutral pins.)

[@Indigenousqueen56]

Afternoon everyone 🙋🏽‍♀️🌹

[@MacandBlair]

👋🏾

[@welshpete12]

Good afternoon to you toooo ! 😉

[@lesjames5191]

Hiya,

[@mkay6089]

The extension lead you have has a fuse built in like an adapter does. In the US most extension leads i used when living there were not fused. if you plugged a high load into one of these they would get very hot and could and did melt. Here they blow the fuse to protect the user. ( Just incase you do have a main board with MCB's)

[@thomas.alexander.]

The one thing you didn't mention is the fuse in each plug. If you short the wires in the plug, the fuse goes pop, so you can't continue getting current. It's the same sort of wire fuses you have in the US at the main power box, but we have them on the plugs as well. UK plugs normally come with 13amp fuses, but you can swap them for much lower ones. If you have a Hi-Fi you would want to put in a 5amp fuse on the plug, to protect the more delicate electronics. If you have a Kettle or Toaster, you would want the 13amp fuse... One reason for this is we have always had 240V power in the UK, and it's much more deadly than the 110V in North America.

[@BlackEpyon]

As a Canadian, I like the US-style plug for it's size and the convenience of smaller power strips, but the UK plug is better in all other aspects. It'd be nice to see at least the sleeves incorporated into the US design, but I know they won't.

[@jamesthurbin1026]

I have lived in the UK my entire life and I had no idea about the guards inside the plug socket. Also, you have excellent clear and concise voice for delivering information.

[@MacandBlair]

Thanks James.

[@banhammer7243]

Great video, in the UK when I was a kid when you bought an item that needed mains supply to power it, the items rarely came pre-fitted with a plug and you had to buy them and fit them yourself. In the end because to many people didn't know how too or wouldn't learn how to fit plugs and that would cause electrical fires or blew the fuse box they made it law that anything electrical comes fitted with a plug and the only thing on some items you will have access to is the fuse, so you can change it if on the rare occasion it blows and even then they made that as simple as they can, many times you don't even need to un-screw the plug, just pop out the adaptor pop new fuse in and push back in place.

[@forgetmenot957]

Wow! I’ve totally been taking my plugs for granted😱😔. Glad to see you back Buddy!

[@MacandBlair]

👍🏾

[@tmac160]

Try pulling a UK 3-pin plug out from a socket by the cable. It won't come. That's where the slack on the plug's internal earth wiring comes into play. It will break last so you are always protected. But I'm biased - I love British inventions. Sometimes improved but rarely bettered. Again Mac - big thumbs up - you'll be British in no time :)

[@MacandBlair]

👍🏾