The Daily WTF: Curious Perversions in Information Technology

2011-10-30 Reply Admin

modern NZ/AUS plugs have a plastic section over the power carrying prongs that prevent electrocution if the plug is partly inserted.

if you do the maths, most humans are >500kohms to maybe 1 or 2 meg ohms (if your reeeallly dry) if V = I*R and I = V/R 230volts through a 500kOhm human (arm to arm) 0.46mA pass through 115 0.23mA pass through

HOWEVER if your skin is sweaty and/or salty (most likely) or you have wet fingers etc your net body resistance will be alot less and the current will increase, also your muscles will be involuntary gripping the wire harder as they run on electricity too increasing the current even further (if you are gripping a live wire in your hand). And to stop a heart can be only the order of mA. 6mA if i recall correct

as a seasoned electronics enthusiast i've had my share of electric shocks on 230 volt systems, its not pleasant.

also kudos to the UK plugs for having a badass plug design. you could hang a battleship off one of those things

2012-01-29 Reply Admin

It has probably already been said, but one major drawback to the Schuko plug is the following:

Older appliances, in no way requiring grounding, can't be plugged into a grounded outlet. Major annoyance for collectors of vintage stuff.
Appliances ABSOLUTELY requiring grounding, however, can easily be plugged into an ungrounded outlet.

This (kind of backwards) design "philosophy" is probably why, at least in the Netherlands, grounded outlets are nowhere to be seen, except for the kitchen and the bathroom (where they are mandatory for obvious reasons).

Every computer comes with lots and lots of warnings that they should absolutely be plugged into a GROUNDED outlet; almost nobody, however, gives a fr*k.

Why can't this world be a bit more... I dunno, more logical?

2012-10-18 Reply Admin

gobes:
Here, in France, our plug system is close to the German one. But we have one more thing they apaprently don't have: a child-proof system. Actually it's a kind of cover that prevents inserting a plug if both pins are not inserted at the same time. We have to use a hammer every time we plug something but he, try to put a screw in one of our "normal" plug!

Just bought a house 3 years ago, and they have outlets that do this. It's harder to insert a plug, but you can't put a fork in either. Which meant after having a kid, I didn't bother getting safety devices, as those would have made it easier for my kid to get hurt.

So we aren't as "behind" as many would like to think.

And as for inserting plugs either way, most of my power strips can rotate individual outlets. So I can plug in upside down and sideways, and have a sliding spring loaded cover for protection.

Captcha: Nisl: Not incredibly stealthy lions.

2014-03-12 Reply Admin

Well, if you compare UK wiring regs to US ones, you'll see that there is a much bigger call for RCD's (Residual Current Devices/Ground fault circuit interupters) in the UK than there is in America, and because of our wiring methords and different types of brakers and box set ups, it's actually cheaper to install. Since ALL cables, emmbeded in walls (including those that feed to and return from lightswitches) MUST be protected by a RCD, we protect things like lighting circuits (which you don't) and we also protect sockets that aren't near water. And because many sockets can be fed of one braker (thanks to the ring circuit), the entire floor of a house's sockets can be protected by one RCBO/GFCI braker, and the cost can be further reduced by using a type of braker that only has RCD fuctionality (does not stop overcurrent) and using that to protect multiple normal brakers. And regarding hair dryer plugs, we just don't allow sockets in bathrooms, simple as that!

Schuko Shucks

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