** Take a careful look at the damage to this mains plug.

A very specific but not so rare event caused it.

It is also a potentially lethal event.




....... Phil

"Phil Allison" wrote in message
...



** Take a careful look at the damage to this mains plug.

A very specific but not so rare event caused it.

It is also a potentially lethal event.


piece of wire/conductor fell on it... Can't happen in the UK...

"TT_Man"
"Phil Allison"


** Take a careful look at the damage to this mains plug.

A very specific but not so rare event caused it.

It is also a potentially lethal event.


piece of wire/conductor fell on it...


** Can you be more specific ?

Why is the event lethal ?


Can't happen in the UK...


** Oh yes it can.




....... Phil

"Phil Allison" wrote in message
...

"TT_Man"
"Phil Allison"


** Take a careful look at the damage to this mains plug.

A very specific but not so rare event caused it.

It is also a potentially lethal event.


piece of wire/conductor fell on it...


** Can you be more specific ?

Why is the event lethal ?

Cos little Jhonny was holding onto the knife when he did it



Can't happen in the UK...


** Oh yes it can.




...... Phil


Oh no it Can't.....unless you have 'illegal' old style plugs.

Phil Allison wrote:

"TT_Man"

Can't happen in the UK...

** Oh yes it can.

Not with the modern sheathed pins. Plus we have ground at the top which
may help somewhat.

Graham

"Eeyore" wrote in message
...


Phil Allison wrote:

"TT_Man"

Can't happen in the UK...

** Oh yes it can.

Not with the modern sheathed pins. Plus we have ground at the top which
may help somewhat.

Graham


Interesting point. In the USA, we have a three prong plug which is earth,
Neutral and Line. There is no code that specifies whether the earth terminal
should be at the top or at the botom. Phil's picture leads me to think that
the Earth terminal should be top to divert any debris that might land upon
the circuits.

I have a lathe plugged into an outlet that at least once had been shorted
out by flying debris. As a work-arround, I put a seam of caulk arround the
plug and socket to keep anything from falling within the connections. One of
these days, will have to convert to twist-lock connectors that seal much
better.

Oppie

"Eeysore"

Phil Allison wrote:

Can't happen in the UK...

** Oh yes it can.

Not with the modern sheathed pins.


** Ergo it can happen.



........ Phil

"TT_Man"
"Phil Allison"
Can't happen in the UK...


** Oh yes it can.


Oh no it Can't.....unless you have 'illegal' old style plugs.


** Yawn.


. ... Phil

"Phil Allison" wrote in message
...

"Eeysore"

Phil Allison wrote:

Can't happen in the UK...

** Oh yes it can.

Not with the modern sheathed pins.


** Ergo it can happen.



....... Phil

Yawn.......

On Wed, 26 Mar 2008 14:09:50 GMT, "Oppie" wrote:


"Eeyore" wrote in message
...


Phil Allison wrote:

"TT_Man"

Can't happen in the UK...

** Oh yes it can.

Not with the modern sheathed pins. Plus we have ground at the top which
may help somewhat.

Graham


Interesting point. In the USA, we have a three prong plug which is earth,
Neutral and Line. There is no code that specifies whether the earth terminal
should be at the top or at the botom.

In San Francisco, it's convention to have the ground up in commercial
installations, and down in residential. Unless they're sideways.

John

" Can't happen in the UK...

** Oh yes it can.

Not with the modern sheathed pins. Plus we have ground at the top which
may help somewhat.

Graham


Interesting point. In the USA, we have a three prong plug which is earth,
Neutral and Line. There is no code that specifies whether the earth
terminal
should be at the top or at the botom.

In San Francisco, it's convention to have the ground up in commercial
installations, and down in residential. Unless they're sideways.

John


LOL that'll equate to any way round you like then

"Oppie" wrote in message
news:OOsGj.2355$rb6.245@trnddc01...
Phil's picture leads me to think that the Earth terminal should be top to
divert any debris that might land upon the circuits.

The physics electronics shop where I worked as a student hourly in college
years ago was done this way. It is a good idea, although I'd admit to be too
"bothered" by having just one or a few outlets "upside down" that I've never
done it when I've replaced an outlet or two in a house.

"John Larkin" wrote in message
...
In San Francisco, it's convention to have the ground up in commercial
installations, and down in residential. Unless they're sideways.

....in which case ground is supposed to point towards the west since, due to
the earth's counter-clockwise rotation as viewed from the north pole, it makes
it a little easier for the electrons to flow.

In Oz of course they should point towards the east.

On Wed, 26 Mar 2008 13:11:59 -0400, Meat Plow
wrote:

On Wed, 26 Mar 2008 09:17:22 -0700, John Larkin wrote:

On Wed, 26 Mar 2008 14:09:50 GMT, "Oppie" wrote:


"Eeyore" wrote in message
...


Phil Allison wrote:

"TT_Man"

Can't happen in the UK...

** Oh yes it can.

Not with the modern sheathed pins. Plus we have ground at the top which
may help somewhat.

Graham


Interesting point. In the USA, we have a three prong plug which is earth,
Neutral and Line. There is no code that specifies whether the earth
terminal should be at the top or at the botom.

In San Francisco, it's convention to have the ground up in commercial
installations, and down in residential. Unless they're sideways.


I think I read in the NEC they now demand that new installation of any
kind orient the ground lug at the top.

My old NEC code (late 90s) book only suggested ground-pin up. Most
installations put ground-pin down because it looks better.

Oppie wrote:

"Eeyore" wrote
Phil Allison wrote:
"TT_Man"

Can't happen in the UK...

** Oh yes it can.

Not with the modern sheathed pins. Plus we have ground at the top which
may help somewhat.

Here's a pic of the sheathed pins.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:G_plug.png


Interesting point. In the USA, we have a three prong plug which is earth,
Neutral and Line. There is no code that specifies whether the earth terminal
should be at the top or at the botom. Phil's picture leads me to think that
the Earth terminal should be top to divert any debris that might land upon
the circuits.

Well it seems they put it at the bottom.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:A...ower_point.jpg


I have a lathe plugged into an outlet that at least once had been shorted
out by flying debris. As a work-arround, I put a seam of caulk arround the
plug and socket to keep anything from falling within the connections. One of
these days, will have to convert to twist-lock connectors that seal much
better.

Check out the CEE (IEC 60309) connector widely used in Europe for industrial
circuits if you want a simple solution to that.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Industr...C_60309_system

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IEC_60309

Graham

On Wed, 26 Mar 2008 13:11:59 -0400, Meat Plow
wrote:

On Wed, 26 Mar 2008 09:17:22 -0700, John Larkin wrote:

On Wed, 26 Mar 2008 14:09:50 GMT, "Oppie" wrote:


"Eeyore" wrote in message
...


Phil Allison wrote:

"TT_Man"

Can't happen in the UK...

** Oh yes it can.

Not with the modern sheathed pins. Plus we have ground at the top which
may help somewhat.

Graham


Interesting point. In the USA, we have a three prong plug which is earth,
Neutral and Line. There is no code that specifies whether the earth
terminal should be at the top or at the botom.

In San Francisco, it's convention to have the ground up in commercial
installations, and down in residential. Unless they're sideways.


I think I read in the NEC they now demand that new installation of any
kind orient the ground lug at the top.

But we don't have to make sense!

John

Phil Allison wrote:
** Take a careful look at the damage to this mains plug.

A very specific but not so rare event caused it.

It is also a potentially lethal event.




...... Phil




Someone was using a tape measure on the wall and the tape fell against
the top of the plug. We had an intern do exactly that in a radio site
while helping measure the wall to install a new radio cabinet.

--
Joe Leikhim K4SAT
"The RFI-EMI-GUY"©

"Treason doth never prosper: what's the reason?
For if it prosper, none dare call it treason."

"Follow The Money" ;-P

Phil Allison wrote:
** Take a careful look at the damage to this mains plug.

A very specific but not so rare event caused it.

It is also a potentially lethal event.




...... Phil




Someone was using a tape measure on the wall and the tape fell against
the top of the plug. We had an intern do exactly that in a radio site
while helping measure the wall to install a new radio cabinet.

--
Joe Leikhim K4SAT
"The RFI-EMI-GUY"©

"Treason doth never prosper: what's the reason?
For if it prosper, none dare call it treason."

"Follow The Money" ;-P

RFI-EMI-GUY wrote:

Phil Allison wrote:
** Take a careful look at the damage to this mains plug.

A very specific but not so rare event caused it.

It is also a potentially lethal event.

Someone was using a tape measure on the wall and the tape fell against
the top of the plug. We had an intern do exactly that in a radio site
while helping measure the wall to install a new radio cabinet.

Sounds VERY plausible.

As I said, the ground pin at the top as in the UK helps.

Graham

Thanks. The 60309 style or something very similar is used in the USA on
temporary industrial hookups. I've seen it most commonly used in charging
stations for electric fork lifts and on occasion, on an outdoor utility
(telephone?) underground vault cover.
For my purposes, way to expensive and twist lock it most likely the way to
go. Most likely will put a dangle receptacle on a short cord and then a male
on the line from the lathe. Object is to keep the mating plane nearly
horizontal so that chips can not fall into the terminals. Then again, large
machines are required to be hard wired by semi-flexible conduit into a
disconnect box...
cheers - oppie

"Eeyore" wrote in message
...


Oppie wrote:

"Eeyore" wrote
Phil Allison wrote:
"TT_Man"

Can't happen in the UK...

** Oh yes it can.

Not with the modern sheathed pins. Plus we have ground at the top which
may help somewhat.

Here's a pic of the sheathed pins.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:G_plug.png


Interesting point. In the USA, we have a three prong plug which is earth,
Neutral and Line. There is no code that specifies whether the earth
terminal
should be at the top or at the botom. Phil's picture leads me to think
that
the Earth terminal should be top to divert any debris that might land
upon
the circuits.

Well it seems they put it at the bottom.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:A...ower_point.jpg


I have a lathe plugged into an outlet that at least once had been shorted
out by flying debris. As a work-arround, I put a seam of caulk arround
the
plug and socket to keep anything from falling within the connections. One
of
these days, will have to convert to twist-lock connectors that seal much
better.

Check out the CEE (IEC 60309) connector widely used in Europe for
industrial
circuits if you want a simple solution to that.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Industr...C_60309_system

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IEC_60309

Graham

"Oppie" wrote in message
news:OOsGj.2355$rb6.245@trnddc01...

snip

Interesting point. In the USA, we have a three prong plug which is earth,
Neutral and Line. There is no code that specifies whether the earth
terminal should be at the top or at the botom. Phil's picture leads me to
think that the Earth terminal should be top to divert any debris that
might land upon the circuits.

I have a lathe plugged into an outlet that at least once had been shorted
out by flying debris. As a work-arround, I put a seam of caulk arround the
plug and socket to keep anything from falling within the connections. One
of these days, will have to convert to twist-lock connectors that seal
much better.


The Home Depot and Lowe's hardware stores carry a weather enclosure
which would seem to be both cheap and an easy way to prevent debris
from falling onto the plug / socket. You might also move the outlet up
the wall.