Why Different Countries Use Different Plugs

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Why do different countries all around the world use so many different plugs, and why can't we standardize them all?
MUSIC:
"Working It" by Jingle Punks
SOURCES:
www.iec.ch/worl...
gizmodo.com/53...
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videos.pexels.com
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[@juandiegoprado]

Good thing this didn’t happen with USB ports

[@Im-mv6bf]

Kinda has... Well, it will if we don't properly convert to usb-c and apple refuse to give up their monolopy on their lighting chargers.

[@xehP]

Im 12 monopoly on lightening chargers? lol wat

[@bedsheet11]

Im 12 new ipad just switched to usb-c

[@liorl8551]

@@Im-mv6bf but they already moved to type-c

[@erazure.]

That’s kinda what the ‘U’ stands for...

[@skulldragon9052]

Suddenly everyone in the comments is an electrical engineer

[@MrMundo3d]

SkullDragon the magic of internet

[@dashtesla]

Not everyone XD

[@NeonBeeCat]

I didn't even know other countries used different plugs, lmao

[@vaskedagame880]

Just as every atheist is a biologist and a physicist.

[@omgmico]

@@vaskedagame880 That's why they're an atheist

[@vwestlife]

Most of the time when you said "frequency", you meant "voltage". Voltage is far more important than frequency. Frequency only matters to appliances that contain an AC motor, and an incorrect frequency will just result in it running slightly too fast or too slow. But if the voltage is incorrect, the device either won't work at all, or will get damaged, sometimes with smoke and flames, although usually not as violently as your fake explosion.

[@apachehelocopto1779]

Hello VWestlife

[@icebox6240]

USUALLY?

[@ivankirola2707]

This is only correct on induction motors.

[@Saroku1000]

Important is also that incorrect voltage only means flames if the voltage is higher than what the device is made for. If its lower, it will only have troubles to work, but no flames or smoke.

[@Mixolixplosion]

​@@Saroku1000It can depending on the conductor size. Lower voltage means higher current is needed to power an appliance therefore a bigger conductor is needed.

[@berrybear-520]

Denmark is the happiest country. So they have a happy plug.

[@user-pe4hp5hv1x]

Happy Denmark

[@rarinth]

no it's finland

[@marcberger9385]

Even the plugs are happy in Denmark.

[@jn___livecast6449]

Putting faces on plugs makes toddlers want to put stuff in them

[@zanpekosak2383]

@@jn___livecast6449 If you teach the kid well they wont mess with plugs. Plus the worst that can happen is the kid gets tased.

[@vaskedagame880]

Yeah, so if you electrocute your self on accident, at least its whit a smile X)

[@philipauken5391]

ᴶᴼᴺ Comments Nope, you need to press the “mouth” in before it puts out power! Just like the britts.

[@PrincessAshley12]

@End boy How much of the Danish population is fluent in English? I'm very curious.

[@swiggynutmcgee2186]

What I learned: We have different plugs because hitler

[@constantiniasmith4231]

I don't understand

[@RED_RAG]

oahi net why the fuck would you report him?

[@DasPartyKammerl]

Du scheiß nazi

[@hotdogvonpaule2686]

Perfect Ron wo ist er mit der Aussage ein Nazi.. ? Denk nach bevor Du was schreibst

[@ROADHouse702]

@Baron Von Grijffenbourg they* or are you a NAZI?

[@Nico_911]

Plug test: UK>US Pain test: UK plug > Lego (only British understand)

[@genticles9981]

Drew Senna yeah they can literally pierce your feet if you step on them hard enough. If you just drop them on the floor, they will always land pins-up, so you have to be careful that way

[@alien-probeunit4649]

@@user-uq3um5nq7d I think with the us plugs the pins are next to each other so if you step on it by mistake the weight from your foot would cause it to go off balance but with UK plugs it's in a triangle design that wouldn't lose balance so if you step on it it's guaranteed pain

[@manoo9088]

They always land upwards and hurt like fuck (they peirce your feet)

[@Septiccatgaming]

How does one randomly step on said plug? Do you just leave them around your floors or something?

[@alien-probeunit4649]

@@Septiccatgaming well obviously we don't mean to it's just if one was just left around from an extension cable that was unplugged and didn't realize it was there

[@ihavetowait90daystochangem67]

Ah that’s is why we don’t have world peace

[@ineedabreak6063]

I have to wait 90 days to change my name no.

[@rionovaspark6038]

I saw you on another video!!!

[@IamINERT]

@@ineedabreak6063 omg wtf xD

[@ineedabreak6063]

ツAllanzo I just said his name.

[@Ricky911_]

I'm apparently already subbed to you. Wtf lmao

[@adlerzwei]

This is why the Aliens won't talk to us. They think we are so stupid that we can't even standardize our plugs. 😲

[@Engineer9736]

The plug difference is only a safety measure. The real problem to change it is behind it; The whole grid. It’s impossible to change the electrical standard of a whole country. They would have to replace every single transformer and cable. And swap all the sockets and appliances in all houses as well. Like all at the same time. Power down, swap everything, power on. Changing the trajectory of the moon might be easier.

[@luxembourger]

The aliens got killed by using their own hair dryer

[@Krahazik]

When I was in Iraq (Deployment) I inadvertantly pluged a US mini-vac directly into the wall with an adapter. Got about 5 min of use before I had to turn it off to avoid overheating. Also, it had a notecable kick when ever I turned it on. It did last the whole year I was over there, but thats ecasue I didn't use it long enough for it to cook itself when I did.

[@peppa1492]

Damn, we have to DO something!

[@TremereTT]

@@Engineer9736 You can switch from a lower to a higher voltage by just changing the transformators and the fuses. If you would switch from a high voltage system down to lower voltage you would have to change all the transformators and fuses plus you would have to put every cable into the earth and walls and into the sea &c. a second time.

[@zaadbaad541]

European plugs > American plugs

[@Fooglmog]

British plugs are the best in the world. Unfortunately.

[@kantoros]

@@Fooglmog 'excesively big', 'unnecesairly complicated', and 'easy to step on and hurt yourself' are not considered positives.

[@maxb8043]

@@Fooglmog they're too big

[@silver4809]

Danish plugs > Everyone else Fight me >:(

[@victorselve8349]

@@Fooglmog I do have to say I do prefer being able to rotate the plug 180° and I don't really see the advantage of having a fuse in your plug. Apart from that it is way bigger than it needs to be since technology has come quite a long way since the plug was introduced (but that applies to basically every system) Also what is the reason for not using round pins? But I do think that we should update plug designs around the world anyway, they could easily be smaller, safer and with better compatibility and the longer we wait the more difficult it is going to become.

[@phoe8523]

The hair dryer was the most famous example of my teacher back in occupational school: "If a European brings a hair dryer to the US, there will be only slightly warm air. The other way around, imagine FLAMES coming out of it." In that case, it is not the frequency, but the voltage that causes this horrifying effect. The frequency also causes trouble, but normally on a smaller scale (horns sound different, etc.) but also the behavior of some appliances like motors tripping fuses, even if they are voltage-adjusted.

[@noahthenomad]

In Russia you no use plug, plug use you

[@pascalmerschaudio]

hahaahha

[@nextup91]

Fuck Russia

[@lucielsloml]

@@Reichsritter Agreed but won't other countries notice that a big chunk of Asia is missing?

[@erkinalp]

In Russia, they use plug Type S, but it looks the same as Type C (only the ones that can read Cyrillic can understand this).

[@thefistofshadow7392]

Nah, in Russia you just connect the Wires to the socket xD

[@s1lenttoad422]

No one mentioned how easy it is to step on a type G plug and how much it hurts? Although, it is one of the safest

[@callmememe1308]

F

[@ben.patrick]

@@callmememe1308 *G

[@aqimjulayhi8798]

Yeah. They have thick prongs and are quite big compared to other types of plugs. They are very reliable though, at least where I'm from.

[@cliveshotdave3856]

Aidan still the safest

[@Alucard-gt1zf]

S1lent Toad i would rather step on a plug than have myself electrocuted

[@BURNSLASH]

Is it just me or the plug represent the most common emotion in a country

[@bassam_salim]

Are Americans scared?! LOL

[@GodMaxDrinkerofTea]

@@bassam_salim nah surprised because their kids die of disease cuz they don't be vaxxin

[@flameMster]

Hmmmmmm

[@andymarte7673]

DARK FLAME MASTER lol i used to have the same name as you

[@BURNSLASH]

@@andymarte7673 really?!

[@LukeMettamGaming]

The UK plug is the best invention ever, because don't you just love it that every time you drop one it lands prong side up, and the feeling of 3 metal bars digging into your foot at 2am when walking to the toilet is the best feeling ever.

[@jjc5475]

now i get why brexit happened, you're just jealous.

[@carkawalakhatulistiwa]

is not europe

[@rettenthetetlen8759]

@@jjc5475 Jealous of what? Uk has the ugliest and most impractical socket ever 😂

[@TY-sx3jb]

Just doesn’t happen, never stepped on a UK plug once.

[@TY-sx3jb]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/i3bJgWSFgLCtlbM

[@sh3rid4n121]

Worse than stepping on Lego is stepping on a uk plug I know coz I have done it a lot

[@stevejohnson4637]

Luckily I don’t have the same type as the uk plugs here in Spain.

[@effyleven]

Secondary use as a burglar deterrent. Just don't chase him out of the house before putting on your wellies!

[@yusurkassem4174]

effyleven well that’s a good idea I’m just gonna put them all beside the windows 😂

[@alejandroojeda1572]

Those things are diabolic. They were almost banned un the geneva convenction 🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@masonanddylanrailway2911]

Benefits of UK plugs: 1. safest in the world, too many safety features for me to write here. 2. They have switches on sockets to easily turn on and off appliances 3. We don’t need socket covers as the sockets have shutters built in Cons of UK plugs: 1. They always land pins up. Go for a pee in the night? Worse than lego. 2. They are bigger than the average toddler. 3. They seem to be harder to unplug than European plugs sometimes.

[@supersejkaj3093]

It's nice that us danes have a plug that smiles, the only problem is that since we mostly use the EU plugs, whenever someone has a cable that is made for type K plugs, everyone in the house has to basically go around the house searching for a type K plug or type K extension cord.

[@supersejkaj3093]

Thanks KhAnubis, just a fun fact. In Denmark, we have our own versions of ''Love'' or ''Yours sincerely'' that we use when ending a letter. And the most used is probably ''Kærlig Hilsen'' meaning ''Lovely Greetings'', but most of the time people just write Kh instead, just like your name.

[@benoitbvg2888]

K is objectively the cutest plug type out there.

[@silver4809]

May the k plug rule supreme, even though no one uses it except us:(

[@aretorta]

The problem I see with a plug that smiles is toddlers. Although that can be worked around, I see no advantage on the Type K that counteracts the great disadvatange of being 'attractive'.

[@okaro6595]

You should not use an European grounded plug on that as it will not ground the equipment. It is dangerous if there are is a grounded equipment next to it. IMO that looks like a smile of death. In Finland the rule is simple: if it fits, it is OK.

[@robertkeefer7791]

I just stick my finger in the socket to dry my hair.

[@derrerrrr]

nice

[@davidpar2]

Different countries speak different languages, use different standards of measurement, sell different products, have different television programs, write different laws, have different holidays. It always amuses me when people are surprised to learn that they use different outlets/voltages/frequencies, too

[@kaengurus.sind.genossen]

All countries except the weird ones use SI measurements.

[@scootergrant8683]

@@kaengurus.sind.genossen But even then. Not all SI measurements are entirely metric. As in they may be shared in 10ths but they dont convert with multiple of 10 numbers.

[@kaengurus.sind.genossen]

@@scootergrant8683 Example?

[@Saroku1000]

Come on, there are a ton of worldwide standards out there, I find it amusing that you cant get your head wrapped around the worldwide standards, thinking that every country automatically does its own thing in every aspect. I guess that makes you surprised that all countries use the same USB and wireless charging standards. There is nothing amusing about people questioning why we didnt make a worldwide power outlet standard when we have managed to make worldwide standards for so many other things. HDMI, Wifi, NFC, Ethernet, Qi, Bluetooth, USB and more.

[@josephstalin8442]

I remember I was in Italy once and I saw the three pronged outlet and thought the normal eu plug would fit. I was wrong

[@daniel_960_]

Joseph Stalin the small ones do

[@stammyy2091]

wdym? just yank it in. works every time for me

[@jamesjohnston9195]

And why we're you in Italy???

[@stammyy2091]

James Johnston privacy my dude

[@hongwu3214]

@@stammyy2091 Sovjet meeting

[@substatikvideos]

One plug to rule 'em all

[@AverageAlien]

That would be the UK plug no doubt

[@thalesvondasos]

@@AverageAlien Until you step on it.

[@CarlosSanchez-en6mr]

Honestly, nowadays it doesn’t really matter. Many people say how unsafe American plug are and I agree, but now they gotten very safe. If you have a modern power grid in you home it has many safety features in the plugs now. Sometimes it’s hard plugging my own charger because it won’t let the plug pass through

[@h-hhh]

F

[@wyndhamcoffman8961]

Is this the quote you are thinking of? Three plugs for the Elven-kings under the sky, Seven for the Dwarf-lords in their halls of stone, Nine for Mortal Men doomed to die, One for the Dark Lord on his dark throne In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie. One Plug to rule them all, One Plug to find them, One Plug to bring them all and in the darkness crimp them In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie.

[@Monsuco]

There actually IS an international standard, USB power. Hotels in many countries provide USB outlets. USB-C is also growing as a scheme. In the future you might be able to just bring a single country specific USB-C laptop charger and also use that to charge your phone, your electric razor, your electric toothbrush, your tablet, etc. Wireless charging is also largely standardized so hopefully hotels in the future just have a wireless charging pad and you can charge your phone and smart watch on it.

[@moladiver6817]

Usb-c is a true standard though but it has nothing to do with what goes through the cable. It's a standard about a plug. What people often confuse it with is USB 3.0 or the newer 3.1, Power Delivery, Quick Charge, Dash Charge. Those define what signals and power go through the connector. So Monsuco was absolutely right to call usb-c a true international standard. Now that doesn't solve the problem. But if they could come up with a standardized USB 4.0 or something that makes Power Delivery support mandatory then things could change. At some point we might even be able to make the switch from AC to DC for all appliances. And that would make a lot of sense in the electronic age. AC is a pretty bad way to transfer power because it creates a relatively strong magnetic field and thus leaks energy. DC is more efficient and above all it's a super steady voltage. The only reason we have AC is generators. Those produce AC by nature. But I'm pretty sure engineers have a pretty good solution for that in this day and age.

[@mrcaptaindarkrex]

Sorry but you can't get much power out of a USB port. My laptop for example needs 380w to charge. Over the 5v lines of the USB. that would be over 76 amps, which is ridiculous.

[@hikaru-live]

sgtLogez If your laptop has USB-C, it can negotiate up to 100W using 20V 5A, while still carrying full Thunderbolt 3 speeds. Most laptops consumes less than 100W even when charging now.

[@hikaru-live]

mPky1 The USB Type-A with BC1.2 and USB Type-C with USB-PD and BC backwards compatibility are two very well defined and well supported standards. Also all USB charging nodes enforce a 5V 500mA ultimate fallback. Using different physical connector, there is no confusion possible.

[@yeahnoway111]

yeahhh well I think we will never see USB port with a voltage of 110 to 220 lmao, the actual international socket is the universal socket which has all the different types in one.

[@Courtney1992]

I learned absolutely nothing from this video.

[@DrachenKaiser]

@@FinnManusia Actual, it is WW1 that still effect us all, if you think about it. WW2 started because of WW1.

[@arvindsingh4555]

@cdude100 same and searching for the reason in comments

[@juhomantynen4638]

We also learned that Edison was even more of a dick than everyone thought he was.

[@patrickperry6945]

cdude100 You and me both.

[@Recarsonated]

cdude100 I learned more here then at school

[@DangerAngelous]

The burgers are better at Hungry Jack’s

[@buddyclem7328]

Better than Burger King? 👑 🍔

[@DangerAngelous]

@@buddyclem7328 probably cos we don't have burger king :D

[@serglian8558]

@@DangerAngelous we have hungry jacks here too except under a differnat nameuh,

[@cheesebugergurl]

And not Maccas

[@arvindsingh4555]

Thanks for the info

[@Jameswrightdavid]

Also 120 vs 240 volts! Kettles take waaay too long to boil in the usa! In England we need our tea! 😂

[@heathbauerle2787]

Does England have Gas Ranges? We have one and it is so much faster in boiling water than electric.

[@Jameswrightdavid]

Heath Bauerle of course but only my gran still uses one 😅with the whistle and all! English electric kettles are so quick compared to American 😂😂

[@brettknoss486]

Stovetop on an induction range!

[@Callsign_Prophet]

Wait my stove us gas...

[@Alucard-gt1zf]

Heath Bauerle electric kettles boil faster than gas rangers now

[@MrRedsjack]

Italian plugs, just pull out the ground pin in the middle and you get the standard EU plug ;)

[@okaro6595]

Do not do that. If the equipment gets failure the voltage can get to the case. If there then is an equipment that really is grounded and you touch both at the same time, it can be fatal. If there is no ground in the room them it is pretty safe though but still illegal.

[@ChristianJiang]

@@okaro6595 Im pretty sure that was a joke

[@tudor1257]

I live in Romania, we have the normal europe plug and when I went on holiday in italy I just used my normal charger and it fit well in 95% of the plugs and it could charge... the rest.. well.. they were too small

[@PunakiviAddikti]

Oh god no

[@okaro6595]

In the 70s in Finland many did these kind of modifications: www.mattikaki.fi/sahkoturvallisuus/pistoke_rikottu.jpg This was so that an old ungrounded plug would fit a grounded outlet. That is dangerous as one should not use ungrounded and grounded equipment in the same room (I am not talking about modern safety isolated ones). It is all or nothing. Some people read somewhere that a PC needs to be grounded so they bought the ground with a long extension cord from kitchen. That is another death trap. You should never bring ground into a room that has ungrounded outlets. The rules are counter-intuitive as anything can be used on ungrounded outlet but only grounded (or safety isolated) equipment can be used on a grounded outlet.

[@FlatSurfer]

At 4:15 it's not frequency that kills a fan but voltage since it's designed to operate on 110V and you feed it with 230V. Brushed motor and heater element really doesn't care if it's 50 or 60Hz since it hasn't have any inductors or transformer. Electrical engineer could never make a mistake like this. There are some adapters-transformers with switch for 110 and 220V and they work fine on both frequencies. No modifications are made for frequency just for voltage by making a 2 taps on a primary winding.

[@nunosousa2942]

If you design a transformer to work on 50hz it will work on 60hz grid with some minor differences on power losses

[@brndngutierrez4268]

Lol look at y’all electrical engineers

[@nunosousa2942]

@@brndngutierrez4268 hahahahha lol Gow havê you gessed xd

[@TryptychUK]

The main problem is many things use synchronous motors.

[@FlatSurfer]

You mean asynchronous motors in fans, pumps,etc. Under the load there wouldn't be much difference in rpm's between 50 and 60hz but unloaded 2 pole motor would have 3.000rpm at 50hz and 3.600 at 60hz which could affect bearings. These motors behave badly when connected to modified sine wave inverter

[@williamlee3572]

I'm from the US and I just moved to the UK. I swear to God the most mundane things like outlets are the biggest culture shocks, not really the architecture. That is what you know will be better.

[@Kedorlaomer100]

Culture shock? Don't you mean electrical shock?...

[@OmniversalInsect]

2:07 Oh no!!!!!! Let's fix that with flex tape shall we?

[@ShadowRaptor42]

I sawed this building in half

[@BM8C7]

Kids humor...

[@OmniversalInsect]

Shut up everyone likes that meme.

[@BM8C7]

SuperGamer Bro haHAA

[@Itscalistarodriguez]

_That's a lot of damage_

[@sohopedeco]

Brazilian plugs: a way to enforce protectionism in the most annoying way.

[@marcelosilveira8316]

well, not really. The Brazilian plug has a two plug version (which is the most common one) which is a type C plug and therefore compatible with types C D E F H J K and L sockets. www.worldstandards.eu/electricity/plugs-and-sockets/

[@emmettturner9452]

I got a Brazilian Neo Geo CD and a Japanese Neo Geo CD. Neither had the PSU so I didn’t have to deal with that, but making a custom one without hacking up the console proved to be really difficult. I found that the Japanese Sharp Famicom Title and some Japanese MSX2 computers used that connector but those were even more obscure than the Neo Geo CD and their original PSUs were even more valuable. All the component catalogs only had the receptacle. Ultimately, I found some HP PSU with the same connector so I smashed it open with a hammer, swapped two wires, and it seems to work. ;)

[@dashtesla]

Oh you mean the fact swiss plugs look almost identical and yet they're not compatible and the fact that you have 127/220/380v and they can all be using the same plug depending on where you are so you literally need a multimeter before plugging anything in (ok only a muppet would wire 380v to a normal looking plug but still) , oh did must i even bring up the fact that a lot of sockets the earth pin is just neglected and many times when they're not it's just a straight to neutral without RCD, or maybe the fact that no electrician can agree if the socket should be up or down, really I've never been to brazil...

[@Cube8]

@Marcelo Silveira As I see in the website, most sockets are compatible with plug type C and many with E & F, so we are in the right direction for standarization :P

[@yelloweyeball]

As someone who has lived in South Africa, Ghana, and the United states, I've used all three. I can say that the British are my favorite, simply because of how sturdy they are. Some of the American plugs are way to flimsy and I feel like they don't last as long as the British or European ones.

[@louicoleman2910]

The U.K. objectively has the best plugs. I wonder what will happen when we colonise other places. Will we choose the best option or will the winner just pick what they’re used to?

[@talideon]

Then on top of that, you have the differing wiring standards, which necessitate different kinds of plug, which is why the UK (and Ireland, but not always) uses a different kind of plug to the Schulko plugs used on the Continent, as they had to accommodate fuses. (Ireland originally used Schulko plugs, but switched to UK-style ones for the sake of convenience, but kept our Siemens-developed wiring standards, making _everything_ over-engineered.)

[@mickmickymick6927]

It's an understandable decision though I wish Ireland would switch back to the continental style

[@talideon]

@@mickmickymick6927, sometimes I wish the same thing! Though UK plugs do have a lot going for them, such as their inherent mechanical rigidity and their built-in guards.

[@mickmickymick6927]

Yes I actually like them too (though I know nothing of the mechanics of the issue, they just always seemed more sturdy and secure to me), perhaps the best would be for the continent to adopt the British system, but I imagine nothing will ever change cause it would be so hard.

[@qwertyTRiG]

I didn't know that Irish wiring was that over-engineered. That's a really cool fact.

[@brettknoss486]

Are UK outlets on a breaker? I knew that they have a big plug, to allow room for a fuse.

[@MrFreakzoidrj12]

a good case is here in brazil, in 2010 we switched from type B and C to type N, by the same period, we switched from 110V to 220V, so depending on the age of you building, you can have a 110V w/ B outlet(since type C can be plugged in a type B), a 110V w/ type N, 220V w/ type B and 220V w/ type N. Normally 220V outlets are found in commercial building, and 110V in residential ones, but due to the fact that electrical appliances are portable, usually commercial buildings have mostly 220V with a few 110V outlets, and residential the opposite, mostly 110V and a few 220V outlets; BUT thats not a rule, so you can live in place with no 220V outlets, and work in a place with no 110V outlets, so you have to buy a transformator of current in order to plug you stuff

[@crysomlm4642]

I'm so used to watching ElectroBoom to the point I was getting ready for sparks and fire the very moment he tried to plug the hairdryer in the wrong outlet

[@shottytheshotgun]

The US and Japan, the two most technologically advanced countries, use the same plug. You would think the lesser countries of the world would just follow their lead.

[@buddyclem7328]

Was "lead" an unintentional pun? Like power lead?

[@alakani]

@@buddyclem7328 No, Americans are terrible at puns, and say cord instead of lead

[@shottytheshotgun]

@@alakani What? I've never heard someone refer to lead as a cord.

[@VexillologyHub]

**cough** copycat **cough** (just kidding I love your videos)

[@TransportationONLY]

I bring an adaptor when I travel. I use the Type G plug.

[@connor4435]

Another reason different plugs are used is because Britain cares about safety

[@CO84trucker]

A family friend was a flight attendant who worked international routes between the states, Europe & Japan. While warming up her curling iron overseas, she forgot to adjust the voltage/hertz setting on her transformer and the curling iron melted!

[@pixelPlex]

New Zealand is missing from the "I" plug type (240V) slide. Many appliances/computers (especially laptops) in New Zealand come with a built in power switch (switching between 240/110V).

[@Johntheguitarist2003]

Chur

[@kiwitrainguy]

China uses the same plug as Aus-NZ but it is upside down.

[@stephenjanes2031]

with the uk plugs, the live openings have safety covers on the sockets and the earth pin on the plug opens the holes as its pushed in. also, the uk has what is known a ring main, which is basically one cable, on each floor, that goes around each room and the the sockets connect to it in series and each ring main will have its own fuse on the distribution board rated at 20-30 amps and each plug will have its own fuse rated at either 3-5-13 amp depending on its use EG. a kettle would have a 13 amp fuse and a table lamp would have a 3 amp and an electric cooker (stove) would have its own circuit rated at 40 amps

[@lotsofotherstuff]

Why do people always say the current war was between Tesla and Edison when it actually was between Westinghouse and Edison?

[@ariaserenaseebold272]

I think we can all agree British plugs are the best

[@Reda01Reda]

L plugs are the worst.

[@neutronalchemist3241]

16A L plugs are the best. They are flat, so the socket occupies half the space than any "round" plug, both on the wall or in power strips. They are 16A rated, like the type E and F (schuko), they are grounded, and they are bi-directional. The Type L is the only plug that has all those charateristics. If there should be an unified standard, it should be the type L.

[@arnoldhau1]

Wrong. Europe switched to 230 Volts long ago.

[@arnoldhau1]

And also, of course all European countries share the same frequency, and even a common, interconnected grid (at least most European countries). Actually, almost all of the World shares this same Frequency of 50 Hz, North America beeing the exception at 60 Hz.

[@cliffsofmoher4220]

arnoldhau1 in Ireland it's 250volt

[@arnoldhau1]

@@cliffsofmoher4220 Really? All sources I found including this one: www.electricireland.ie/residential/help/safety/what-is-the-standard-voltage-in-ireland say ireland has 230 Volts just like the rest of Europe.

[@cliffsofmoher4220]

arnoldhau1 on plugs it says 250volts

[@cliffsofmoher4220]

arnoldhau1 how many volt it is where you live

[@Robbiewa-bg4lu]

The U.K. Type G plug is the safest.

[@luxwilliams1351]

British plugs: fused, standardised, high voltage plugs that are considered the best in the world. 230V, 50Hz. Hell yes.

[@bilalplayz62]

Yeah it's most safest plugs! But at bathroom is different, There EU plugs for shavers

[@TheLinkmaster001]

Or buy a converter. They’re pricy, but worth it if you’re gonna get a lot of use out of it.

[@DubsBrown]

Yup. I have one that has multiple outlets so you can have more than one device connected instead of getting an adapter for each device. It’s so handy that my other family member always borrow it but guess what they are getting for Christmas...

[@ashdsf_]

Me a British kid: steps on plug Also me: screams in the most amount of agony possible

[@derrerrrr]

us plugs are sharper tho

[@konny3423]

What I really like about the british plugs is that they each carry a replaceable fuse inside them. In Europe you can use type E/F plugs (which are mostly rated ~230-250V, 16A) or the C plug. The C plug is for ungrounded, low power applications (rated ~230-250V, 2,5A) and could have thinner wires inside. In the event of a higher power draw that the cable can handle (let‘s say 12A for whatever reasons), the usual 16A circuit breaker wouldn‘t notice the cable overload.

[@okaro6595]

You cannot use the Europlug on a device that uses 12 A. You must use the contour plug so what you described does not happen. Note at least on Finland you can never split the Europlug so an Europlug extension cord can have only one Europlug socket. This is to prevent the overload.

[@konny3423]

@@okaro6595 Yes, devices built to use the Europlug are not supposed to draw more than 2,5A. „Does not happen“ is not entirely correct, as some fault conditions may still lead to overloading the cable/plug without overloading the breaker. It should not happen, and is pretty much extremely rare, but not impossible.

[@okaro6595]

@@konny3423 If you get a fault you unplug it.

[@jimroberts3651]

Electricity first came into our homes for lighting and was supplied from a nearby power station. Voltages and plugs were standardised later. American appliances use a lower voltage and higher current compared to European appliances. That's because of the materials available in the early days of electricity. American cables were insulated with cotton and European cables were more heavily insulated using rubber and pitch. In laboratories electrical connections tended to be made using spade (flat) connectors or wander plugs (round). The first plugs in America were based on spade connectors and those in Europe were based on wander plugs. The individually fused square pin (actually they're rectanguar) plugs used in the UK and Ireland were brought in to be used with new wiring standards after WW2 when copper was scarce. They were designed specifically to be incompatible with the older round pin plugs.

[@redorange4748]

UK has switches while everyone else doesn’t Well, I know which plugs are safer!

[@notjosephstalin6391]

RedOrange12098 not only UK actually...

[@reddragon3132]

@crite spranberry Sorry what? There's only one type of plug in the UK. Sure it's big but I'd rather safer than smaller

[@TremereTT]

You know that the fuses in the UK plugs are actually a hack because of the poor old wiring? That's nothing you would ever do by design! It's the result of a change of the standards of the powergrid.

[@chuuisinsane]

I’m American, but because of Tom Scott, I know British plugs are the best ones.

[@benterry2681]

Chris the new European ones are just as good if not a little better. I say this as a Britt.

[@jonnydb58]

Yeah we know

[@chuuisinsane]

Is that how you are to others?

[@dustin10weering20]

oh no tom scott is on my next video thing....

[@zymagoras]

Safest, not the best

[@roachtoasties]

Most hotel rooms have a hair driver, so you don't need to worry about blowing up the city in case yours works on the wrong voltage. Switzerland is an island. Bring a special adapter if you're traveling there, although hotels may have a standard European outlet to use.

[@ivankirola2707]

And usually they don't work at all.

[@sgal5845]

Israel gets it's own plug. Alot of plugs (EU, Switzerland) side support the H-type plug.

[@tripman8168]

I use type I and I love how simple it is and how it has protection as well. It also is very simplistic which is why apart from it sometimes being confusing in which way you have it rotated, it is better than the American plug.

[@aa898246]

video starts at 2:16

[@sennlenscosplay]

In Malaysia use type C and G. Plug similar to UK 3 pin plug and 2 pin EU plug. If you bring wrong adapter confirm sure it won't fit. If you're from Thailand using 2 pin plug (similar to EU 2 pin plug), it still fit but need to push very hard to force that plug into Malaysia socket because Malaysia 2 pin plug is smaller than Thailand ones.

[@seanmcgh2487]

Who knew a video about plugs could be so controversial

[@dylanh333]

When the "hair dryer plug" is actually the charger for your shaver...

[@alakani]

Yup, gotta love those 12 volt 400 milliamp hair dryers. I don't think I'll be learning something new every Sunday from this channel.

[@peppa1492]

In Marocco, it's probably the best: just a few wires hanging out of the wall XDD Edit: actually, the best I have ever seen are nearly the same as the big european ones, but they have over 460V and 20Amps

[@ivankirola2707]

That is most probably perilex.

[@TheOfficialDorianelevator]

i live in france, there the most common plugs and outlets are the type E plugs and outlets. they are literally EVERYWHERE. even the freaking outlet my laptop that i am using to type this is a type E outlet. we also have type C outlets in very old houses but these are getting phased out for the type E outlets that have a ground pin. the good thing is that type E outlets are compatible with type C plugs, the only diffrence is that type E outlets have a ground pin to fit the ground hole on type E plugs. this is why i think type E plugs are the best.

[@joaoluiz1114]

Brazil does use 127v and 220v and that's a big problem because plugs are the same, so people often connect in the wrong voltage. Some cities runs just at 220v while others nearby runs at 127v sometimes. Even in cities mainly with 127v, some (mostly commercial) buildings such as malls and supermarkets runs just at 220v. I heard it has to do as some cities being eletrified (in the past) by American/Canadian companies and others by German companies. Hopefully the frequency (60 Hz) was unified in the whole country in the 70s, as many cities used to run at 50Hz

[@okaro6595]

Well if you have 127 V you can get 220 V between two phases. Finland used to be 127 V in the cities and 220 V in rural areas until the late 50s.

[@johnnyd1678]

First time on your channel. Good video.

[@SuperFredAZ]

Did you even do any research? There are 2 different frequencies 60 Hz and 50 Hz. This had nothing to do with Edison v. Tesla that was about AC. V. D.C. The U.S., Canada, Mexico, Japan, Taiwan, are primary countries with 60 Hz, 115 V. A.C. however Japan uses slightly lower voltage, but same frequency. The rest of the world is 230 V. A.C. 50 Hz. Almost all hair dryers have a switch from 115 V to 230 V and they don't care about frequency. This video is nonsense!

[@FrancisLitanofficialJAPINOY]

Fred Zlotnick Eastern Japan uses 100V at 50Hz, Jamaica uses 110V at 50Hz.

[@FrancisLitanofficialJAPINOY]

Fred Zlotnick 220V 60Hz are widely used in the Philippines, South Korea, Antigua and Barbuda, some states in Brazil, Peru, Saudi Arabia.

[@FrancisLitanofficialJAPINOY]

Fred Zlotnick Western Japan uses 60Hz.

[@SuperFredAZ]

@@FrancisLitanofficialJAPINOY thanks for the corrections, it sure is a "mish-mosh" that will never be changed.

[@allangibson8494]

And Malaysia used to use 240V 45Hz...

[@user-bz1od4yc5r]

Ironically I get an ad on this video for Chromebooks talking about how you don't need to charge them because they last all day

[@sgal5845]

at least us Israelis can share our plugs with Europe. I've been to Belarus on vacation, and we didn't have to use a different plug. Fits snuggly.

[@GRBtutorials]

If you’re traveling and need to use non-universal adapters, bring a transformer with you! Problem solved.

[@davenn7597]

It when germany invades brittain they cant charge their Iphone.

[@yelloweyeball]

underrated comment.

[@asdundab5581]

They actually can. Just use a screw drawer to open the shutters and just stick the Type C plug in. It should word.

[@Iglesias301]

Here in Brazil you don't have to travel to find different kinds of plugs. You can find them in your own house.

[@isaaccool3183]

Solution. Step 1. Cut off the power connector. Step 2. Mind the frequency Step 3. Shove exposed cable into power outlet. Step 4 (optional). Bring a plastic knife to by pass UK safety features. Pro tip if you can't or don't want to splice your power cable use alligator clips and spare solid core wire

[@Killerspieler0815]

@Isaac Cool - this is the Communist "Russian Method"

[@notjosephstalin6391]

The Danish one is smilling! It looks cute.

[@raleraly2599]

HOW MANY TIMES I HAVE TO SAY EU IS NOT SAME AS EUROPE

[@Engineer9736]

3 times

[@Tjalve70]

About as many times as I have to say that USA is not the same as America. But nobody cares.

[@justnoob8141]

Went to US during World Scout once, my teacher buy a specific plug head just to realize that plug head from my country(Thailand) doesn’t need another leg to plug it

[@nirutivan9811]

The only country I can travel to without an adapter is Liechtenstein 😂 But luckily many companies sell there devices with an type c plug, which is compatible with type j in Switzerland and type e/type f in europe.

[@buck6432]

Sorry, We(Ireland) use the plug outlet G aswell

[@daniel_960_]

Bucks 281201 england ireland britain all the same

[@joelmohan8817]

0:35 guess i can only move to UK or Tanzania

[@kalevi5814]

plug is ugly af tho

[@aqimjulayhi8798]

Lemme guess, you're Malaysian.

[@joelmohan8817]

@@aqimjulayhi8798 correct, kawan aku

[@joelmohan8817]

@@kalevi5814 not rly but mabye cos im used to this plugout more than the others

[@Alucard-gt1zf]

Somerset who the fuck is judging the pretty ness of plugs?

[@gubernamdamesse5643]

In Brazil, before the standartization we had every single plug in the world. It was a nightmare.

[@Jenkowelten]

Better safe than sorry lol

[@TnseWlms]

"Plug an American razor or hairdryer into an unadapted European plug and what do you get? A motor going twice as fast as it is supposed to, a burnt out appliance, a disgruntled tourist, and sometimes, an entire hotel blacked out." -a leading travel brochure

[@okaro6595]

If you use only the low setting it might work but if you se the high setting it will instantly overheat and likely break unless the thermal protection works fast enough. Essentially any heating element gets four times the rated power.

[@KrisMcCool]

Forget that , Thailand Uses Universal Plugs

[@okaro6595]

Universally dangerous plugs.

[@skitlsakcz4913]

1:51 greetings from Czechia

[@Ignisan_66]

Greetings from Slovakia.

[@guitarguy7847]

Type A: North America and Japan Type B: North America and Japan Type C: Europe Type D: India, Sri Lanka, Namibia, Nepal Type E: Europe and North Africa Type F: Europe and North Africa Type G: UK, Ireland, Malta, Cyprus Type H: Israel Type I: Oceania and Argentina Type J: Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Rwanda Type K: Denmark Type L: Italy and Chile Type M: South Africa,Lesotho,eSwatini Type N: Brasil and South Africa Type O: Thailand

[@ianmoseley9910]

Britain used to have round pin plugs with the same pin layout and two different sizes for 5amp and 15 amp. Changed sometime in the 60s I think.

[@SteinGauslaaStrindhaug]

If you were unable to focus on the adaptor from 30 cm away (which would be quite impressive for A non-macro lens anyway), why did you choose to use that photage in the video anyway, more than once even?

[@KhAnubis]

Bad camera. Got a new one for that reason.

[@deus_ex_machina_]

@@KhAnubis Doesn't answer the question.

[@jamesnewton5297]

Wrong about Australian power its AC not DC makeing dat clear dc is not used in main grids anymore only solar stations but its than put to 240v (or 110)

[@lztx]

That graphic was way back before WWII and before the grid. You would find lots of power stations putting out all sorts of voltages and frequencies, used only in their local area. DC was common as DC motors are simpler than AC motors: incandescent lights don't care. AC became more common as transformers could step up and down the voltage easily, as well as rectification (tubes and later silicon) could easily convert it to DC. DC is making a comeback because invertors to convert it back to AC, and it avoids having the entire grid synchronised. (Think Basslink)

[@lumpyfishgravy]

DC is still used for long haul HV power transmission, for example the 2GW link between France and England. It's more efficient.

[@Bonetrousle]

So then when Cats travel with us, they won’t set up a rocket to the nearest library...

[@LunaDragofelis]

Actually it's not the frequency, but the voltage that kills the hair dryer. If you use a adaptor with a voltage converter, you should be fine

[@kontra93]

1:16 Actually, it's 120V 60Hz for North America.

[@jzneter736]

Still to slow to use a kettle

[@cpufreak101]

The standard is actually 110V+-5%

[@kontra93]

Nope, both US and Canada have 120V as nominal. Tolerances may vary at different points in the system, but generally +/-5% at service point is considered standard as per NEC.

[@moladiver6817]

And Europe officially is 230 V, not 220 to 240 volt even though most appliances have a 220 to 240 tolerance.

[@hihaveaniceday9386]

@@jzneter736 Yeah that's why i use a natural gas stove way cheaper to use and faster to cook

[@Cyber_One]

Omg that a Busch-Jaeger power plug on the thumbnail!

[@DangerWrap]

Ah yes, the world is only North America and Europe.

[@chrisa7583]

Student:A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z Teacher(tests the knowledge of the student) :did you just tell me the alphabet? Student:No,I told you the types of plug

[@cpufreak101]

Surprised nobody is flipping out about "why does the US use 110V 220V is much superior!!" To answer this, we do have 220V coming into every home. It's two 110V leads that are combined for higher powered loads such as large air conditioners or electric dryers. So yes, we have 220V, it's just not the regular standard that you run your phone charger on.

[@jzneter736]

but you do not get 220v in house. so its still 110v ?

[@cpufreak101]

@@jzneter736 not quite. Like I said, every house has 220V that comes in off the lines, two hot leads and a neutral lead. The two hot leads usually go to separate sides of a circuit breaker box, which results in the 110V.

[@jzneter736]

@@cpufreak101 yes, but you still end up with 110 volts ?

[@cpufreak101]

@@jzneter736 yes, because 220/2=110. We get 220v in, and it's split off into separate 110V lines at the breaker box.

[@cpufreak101]

@@jzneter736 and also, as I did say for higher power equipment we do have special outlets for 220V power (usually found in laundry rooms or garages) that receive both the hot leads in. So it's more fair to say we typically have both 110V and 220V, but 110V is the most common for outlets (and 110V and 220V outlets are completely incompatible with each other without adapters)

[@antonhenneberg4714]

0:46 is wrong dude Denmark is like all other country in Europe we use C

[@notjosephstalin6391]

Dværg Far no, they use K

[@okaro6595]

@@notjosephstalin6391 Europlug is used in Denmark. There is no type C socket.

[@erupendragon7376]

I live in China. Most plugs are universal. Actually the sockets in the walls are universal, at least in newer buildings and houses.

[@georgequirke2442]

Uk plugs are actually the best and safest

[@LP_Andre]

Europ is 230V

[@tombkings6279]

I didn't know you were German

[@nichl474]

Umm that's not how that works. You can live in another country and not be a citizen of it

[@jzneter736]

@@nichl474 no you can not. Its a timeshare. If your a student and you passed checks your allowed

[@ParadoxNinja]

@@jzneter736 Riiiiight. He's an American in Germany. He likely doesn't have German citizenship.

[@jzneter736]

@@ParadoxNinja hence the checks

[@InTenZeGamingHD]

The happy easter at 3:15 made me chuckle.

[@Extra_Mental]

Another reason why us because of safety, reversable plugs and plugs that can be plugged in the wrong way can lead to deadly outcomes, im happy to live in a country with really safe plugs: Australia