On Sun, 02 Nov 2008 09:46:19 GMT someone who may be "The Medway
Handyman" wrote this:-

Not wishing to start a fight here, but could someone elaborate on why the
Shuko socket/plug is **** poor compared to ours?

Does not maintain polarity. Unfused. Primitive earth connection.
Versions without an earth connection were (perhaps still are)
available, which leads to equipment needing to be earthed being
plugged into sockets without an earth connection. Shuttering not
standard.

That doesn't mean everyone dies in places with this sort of
equipment, but it is less safe than the UK designs.

I've also heard it said that our overall domestic electrical system is far
better than the European system, which is why we haven't harmonised. Could
someone elaborate on that?

Well the UK is in Europe (both Europe and the EU, which are two
separate things). There is also no one type of electrical socket and
wiring in the rest of Europe. However, two excellent features of the
UK approach are ring final circuits and BC lampholders. The former
allows anything portable to be plugged into any socket without much
concern. It is far more flexible and just works. The latter is
diminishing with new types of lamp and a desire amongst some
manufacturers to reduce their costs, but not the prices they charge,
by using ES lampholders. The main poor features of ES lampholders
are the way the lamp unscrews (due to heat) and the possibility of
wiring the live to the threaded bit (which is bound to happen in a
system with unpolarised plugs and sockets).


--
David Hansen, Edinburgh
I will *always* explain revoked encryption keys, unless RIP prevents me
http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts2000/00023--e.htm#54