No 56k: Experts on electrical sockets report! It's got holes in it!

AiR

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I've come across this weirdness pictured below

16h9pjq.jpg


What country uses those pins? Yes I know my glass table is dirty.
 
Some parts of Asia, seem to remember using an adapter like that in Singapore or Malaysia.
 
That's your standard North American plug... I'm not sure if any other places uses that plug, I think on a large basis it's just us folks.

Edit: Look at this page for more information. There's a few I didn't even know about, like the Israeli one.
 
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Japan do, as do the US.
 
I've come across this weirdness pictured below

16h9pjq.jpg


What country uses those pins? Yes I know my glass table is dirty.

Standard ungrounded US alternating current plug. The design dates to the first part of the century and is usually only used for lamps or other low-draw appliances. The majority of equipment here comes with three prong grounded plugs, though.

This is the current standard US wall plate outlet set, though this has a nightlight plugged into the top outlet:

nightlight.jpg


The grounding pin is on the bottom and is a recent (~25 years) addition. It is designed to use either two or three pin connectors.
 
yeah that's a US one. Though most things don't flip up like that.
 
nightlight.jpg


The grounding pin is on the bottom and is a recent (~25 years) addition. It is designed to use either two or three pin connectors.

Do all sockets look like this? If they do, I think I'd have to laugh every time I'd plug something in because of the hilarious sad-smiley look. :mrgreen:
 
Where are the on/off switches?:blink:

Those things stay on all the time, they only give off a very faint indigo light. They're good because they only use like 50 cents of electrcity per year, but on the other hand they offer pretty much no llumination. It's basically just so you can orientate yourself in the dark.

yeah that's a US one. Though most things don't flip up like that.

Yup, that's true. That one posted up top is an AC adapter with integrated plug. Normal appliances just have a normal cord.
 
Those things stay on all the time, they only give off a very faint indigo light. They're good because they only use like 50 cents of electrcity per year, but on the other hand they offer pretty much no llumination. It's basically just so you can orientate yourself in the dark.

I meant where are the switches for the sockets?

Don't American sockets have on/off switches?
 
I meant where are the switches for the sockets?

Don't American sockets have on/off switches?

Oh, I see. Some of them do but most don't, usually the ones located in bathrooms have them.

What purpose do they serve anyway? I never understood why you'd want to shut off power when nothing is plugged in.
 
It is so that you can shut off power to an appliance without having to unplug it. If not switched off at the wall, most of the things in your house are still using some power while they are turned off.
 
^ Hmm, well they are uncommon here. I don't even have one in my bathroom, but I do have this weird test mechanism thing on mine that I'd not seen until now. Hah, like my electrical outlets came with a instruction manual.

https://pic.armedcats.net/s/sh/shawn/2009/02/22/DSC_0521.JPG
 
Do all sockets look like this? If they do, I think I'd have to laugh every time I'd plug something in because of the hilarious sad-smiley look. :mrgreen:

Pretty much. The older American outlets look the same except they don't have the center grounding pin, so they're just two slots.

I meant where are the switches for the sockets?

Don't American sockets have on/off switches?

It is so that you can shut off power to an appliance without having to unplug it. If not switched off at the wall, most of the things in your house are still using some power while they are turned off.

American electricity rates are so cheap historically (relatively speaking) and such consumption so low that it doesn't matter. Those people that do care about it can have the outlet wired to a *far* more convenient wall switch, like a light switch.

The reason I say this is more convenient is because most American outlets, save in the bathroom, are low to the ground near the baseboards, instead of midway up the walls like some other countries place theirs.
^ Hmm, well they are uncommon here. I don't even have one in my bathroom, but I do have this weird test mechanism thing on mine that I'd not seen until now. Hah, like my electrical outlets came with a instruction manual.

https://pic.armedcats.net/s/sh/shawn/2009/02/22/DSC_0521.JPG

That's not an on-off switch, that's a GFCI - ground fault circuit interruptor - equipped outlet. Basically if you happen to be listening to a plug-in radio or your significant other is a klutz and drops her plugged in blowdryer into the bathtub while you are bathing in it, the GFCI will hopefully pop before you are electrocuted. It is not used on all outlets because the amount of power you can run through a GFCI is limited. The buttons are to allow you to test to make sure the GFCI is working (the test button) and the reset it after the test or if it trips (the reset button.)
 
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Do all sockets look like this? If they do, I think I'd have to laugh every time I'd plug something in because of the hilarious sad-smiley look. :mrgreen:
Danish people are the happiest in the world studies have shown. The indigenous danish power socket is the secret behind this.

https://pic.armedcats.net/a/an/anonymous/2009/02/22/84796_33170b4470.jpg

The MP3 MP4 POWER SUPPLY is to power my sunglasses, which I did not order, but the chinese gentleman who sent them don't want them back either.
They came with Britney Spears 1999 hit "Baby One More Time" and the manual tells me my new glasses can "safely hide your secrets."
 
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The best type is missing here! We did invent electricity after all...

Uk_13a_double_socket.jpg
 
That's interesting Spectre, good to know I have it as backup. The outlet is pretty far from the tub though.

As far as smiley face outlets go, I had never even realized ours looked so weird. If you look at my picture you'll see the two prongs aren't even the same size, so it really does look like a startled face.

The Danish one is great too, we should do some captions or something.

Edit:
https://pic.armedcats.net/s/sh/shawn/2009/02/22/DSC_0521_(2).JPG
 
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The best type is missing here! We did invent electricity after all...

Uk_13a_double_socket.jpg

No, the Brits invented darkness, not electricity.

(It's what happens when you use Lucas products to light anything.)


:D

Also - Brit outlets like those are really weird looking.
 
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