On Fri, 05 Dec 2008 23:23:35 +0000, Mike Clarke wrote:

If nothing else it saves damage to the sockets switching contacts by
the arc that you see.

I suppose that would be the case if the switch in the heater were more
durable than the one in the socket. On the other hand a 13A socket is
fairly cheap and easy to replace but sourcing a replacement switch for a
heater could be more difficult, or even impossible for some Chinese
imports.

True enough but I'd rather the switch in the appliance failed rather than
hidden damage in a socket that could go undetected for years until the
contact resistance goes up, a different heavy load is used, the contacts
overheat resulting in a fire... Small risk but still a risk.

--
Cheers
Dave.