On Thu, 26 Apr 2018 01:10:31 -0400, wrote:

On Wed, 25 Apr 2018 20:23:56 +0100, "Jimmy Wilkinson Knife"
wrote:

On Tue, 24 Apr 2018 23:53:00 +0100, wrote:

On Tue, 24 Apr 2018 20:03:41 +0100, "Jimmy Wilkinson Knife"
wrote:

On Tue, 24 Apr 2018 05:07:21 +0100, Clare Snyder wrote:

On Mon, 23 Apr 2018 20:14:47 -0600, rbowman
wrote:

On 04/23/2018 08:51 AM, Jimmy Wilkinson Knife wrote:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NEMA_c...ified_pins.svg


I see 25 of them. 25!!!

Most of which aren't in common use.
In residential use you only see Nema 5-15 and 5-20, with a 14-30
for the drier and 14-50 for the kitchen range.
The 5-15 and 5-20 are downward compatible

So you have 4 and we have 1. We win.

Hang on, you can connect a 15A device into a 20A receptacle, thereby having it fused incorrectly?

All of our 15a 120v equipment is listed to plug into 15 or 20 a
circuits. The only reason they have a separate 20a plug is for things
that draw more than 15a. They are actually pretty rare, virtually
everything has a 15a plug on it.

But you're plugging a 15A plug into a 20A socket, with 20A protection....

So what - the fuse is to protect the WIRING - NOT the device.
The device generally carries it's own protection if required.

Unlike inbred scotsmen, most of us know enough to release the switch
if we overload a hand tool like a saw or grinder to prevent letting
the magic smoke out.

So? The equipment is designed to run on either ... less complication,
not more

And what about all the 2pin and 3pin options? I thought you could have either, or is that France?

Double Insulated devices use 2 pin polarized non grounded cords.
Other devices use 3 wire grounded cords.

2 wire plugs fit 3 wire outlets.
2 wire outlets are basically history - only used in very specific
applications - usually on devices - - or things like "isolated"
shaver outlets in bathrooms - no longer allowed for regular
residential wiring.


You can obviously plug a 2 pin plug into a 3 pin outlet.

Yet more complications.

I call that "simplification" - nor "complication"

The L versions are used in industrial and some commercial use.

All the rest are specialty and industrial. By specialty I mean things
like connecting travel trailers to power at travel parks etc.

If the sword man got out much he would understand once you get into
industrial locations there are lots of different plugs. Computer
equipment in Europe uses all the same plugs as we do these days. The
IEC 309 (big stuff) and IEC 13/14 (small stuff) has become pretty much
standard. Once you get away from the line cord, there are lots of
different plugs used on individual pieces of equipment. When IBM ships
overseas the only thing we change is the plug on wall end of the line
cord.

I wasn't talking about industry.

Then stop pointing to industrial plug catalogs. Virtually every socket
in a dwelling will be a NEMA 5-15 and virtually everything will plug
into it.