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why are there holes in electric plug prongs?
Not technically a home repair topic, but:
Do the holes in the prongs of an electric plug serve any purpose? If so, what is that purpose? Thanks for any information. -- alan (just curious) |
why are there holes in electric plug prongs?
"*alan*" wrote in message
et... Not technically a home repair topic, but: Do the holes in the prongs of an electric plug serve any purpose? If so, what is that purpose? Thanks for any information. -- alan (just curious) Why is there never a plug historian around when we need one? |
why are there holes in electric plug prongs?
"JoeSpareBedroom" wrote in message ... "*alan*" wrote in message et... Not technically a home repair topic, but: Do the holes in the prongs of an electric plug serve any purpose? If so, what is that purpose? Thanks for any information. -- alan (just curious) Why is there never a plug historian around when we need one? I'm confident that one will come to the rescue ;-) |
why are there holes in electric plug prongs?
On Mar 6, 10:14*pm, "*alan*" wrote:
Not technically a home repair topic, but: Do the holes in the prongs of an electric plug serve any purpose? *If so, what is that purpose? Thanks for any information. -- alan (just curious) http://home.howstuffworks.com/question301.htm |
why are there holes in electric plug prongs?
*alan* wrote:
Not technically a home repair topic, but: Do the holes in the prongs of an electric plug serve any purpose? If so, what is that purpose? Thanks for any information. -- alan (just curious) Hi, When you plug it in it mates with dimpled tab to make secure contacts. If in double break apart a receptacle(only couple dollars a piece) and see for yourself. |
why are there holes in electric plug prongs?
"jim" wrote in message ... On Mar 6, 10:14 pm, "*alan*" wrote: Not technically a home repair topic, but: Do the holes in the prongs of an electric plug serve any purpose? If so, what is that purpose? Thanks for any information. -- alan (just curious) http://home.howstuffworks.com/question301.htm Thanks Jim! |
why are there holes in electric plug prongs?
"Tony Hwang" wrote in message news:r%0Aj.53140$w94.18459@pd7urf2no... *alan* wrote: Not technically a home repair topic, but: Do the holes in the prongs of an electric plug serve any purpose? If so, what is that purpose? Thanks for any information. -- alan (just curious) Hi, When you plug it in it mates with dimpled tab to make secure contacts. If in double break apart a receptacle(only couple dollars a piece) and see for yourself. Thanks Tony! |
why are there holes in electric plug prongs?
come on now, lets tell alan the truth...it's so you can
snip off the grounding plug, and then its easier to snip through the blade, cause it's usually the larger one, then you can plug it into a 2 prong nongrounded plug........ your welcome "*alan*" wrote in message et... Not technically a home repair topic, but: Do the holes in the prongs of an electric plug serve any purpose? If so, what is that purpose? Thanks for any information. -- alan (just curious) |
why are there holes in electric plug prongs?
*alan* writes:
Do the holes in the prongs of an electric plug serve any purpose? Also if the device being powered is shorted, when you insert the plug into an outlet, the narrower conductor around the hole tends to melt off (pow!) before you can insert the plug all the way. I don't know that this is by design, but it is a beneficial aspect. |
why are there holes in electric plug prongs?
Do the holes in the prongs of an electric plug serve any purpose? If so, what is that purpose? Thanks for any information. When you plug it in it mates with dimpled tab to make secure contacts. If in double break apart a receptacle(only couple dollars a piece) and see for yourself. The Straight Dope addressed this question, and there seems to be no one simple answer: http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a2_389.html Just for the record, I just dismantled two outlets, one inexpensive one and the other a high end commercial quality Decora... no dimpled tab in either, just flat copper strips. -- Dennis |
why are there holes in electric plug prongs?
On Mar 6, 8:28*pm, jim wrote:
On Mar 6, 10:14*pm, "*alan*" wrote: Not technically a home repair topic, but: Do the holes in the prongs of an electric plug serve any purpose? *If so, what is that purpose? Thanks for any information. -- alan (just curious) http://home.howstuffworks.com/question301.htm i've taken a few outlets apart, although never on purpose, and never found any detents on the contacts inside, even though I always figured that's what the holes were for. |
why are there holes in electric plug prongs?
On Mar 7, 2:14*pm, (DT) wrote:
Just for the record, I just dismantled two outlets, one inexpensive one and the other a high end commercial quality Decora... no dimpled tab in either, just flat copper strips. -- Dennis right! that's what i just posted! and god knows we've all had problems with plugs falling out of old sockets, or coming loose from just a minor bump. or is that just me? |
why are there holes in electric plug prongs?
*alan* wrote:
Not technically a home repair topic, but: Do the holes in the prongs of an electric plug serve any purpose? If so, what is that purpose? Thanks for any information. -- alan (just curious) I always figgered those holes were there so that in a pinch you could make an erzatz extension cord out of a length of 14 gage Romex. The holes in the plug blades makes it easier to crimp the stripped solid wires onto them, and then you just make narrow U-bends in the stripped other ends, pound them flat, and jam them into the two slots of a receptical. Jeff (Never believe everything I say G) -- Jeffry Wisnia (W1BSV + Brass Rat '57 EE) The speed of light is 1.8*10^12 furlongs per fortnight. |
why are there holes in electric plug prongs?
On Fri, 07 Mar 2008 01:14:18 GMT, "*alan*"
wrote: Not technically a home repair topic, but: Do the holes in the prongs of an electric plug serve any purpose? If so, what is that purpose? Thanks for any information. I have one extension cord that uses those holes to lock the plug in place. -- Mark Lloyd http://notstupid.laughingsquid.comi "I have found Christian dogma unintelligible. Early in life I absented myself from Christian assemblies." -- Benjamin Franklin |
why are there holes in electric plug prongs?
On Fri, 07 Mar 2008 01:14:18 GMT, "*alan*"
wrote: Not technically a home repair topic, but: Do the holes in the prongs of an electric plug serve any purpose? If so, what is that purpose? Thanks for any information. They are there to help the roaches rappel down to lower floors. |
why are there holes in electric plug prongs?
On Fri, 07 Mar 2008 01:14:18 GMT, "*alan*"
wrote: Not technically a home repair topic, but: Do the holes in the prongs of an electric plug serve any purpose? If so, what is that purpose? Thanks for any information. Those are called Wonders. Ever wonder what they were for? Like scratching your ass, if your finger don't stink, it's a wonder! |
why are there holes in electric plug prongs?
In article ,
mm wrote: http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a2_389.html I can tell you this has been around a lot longer than the 20 years Cecil discussed. I have an old, big, tube radio for the 40s with the original equipment plug and it has the holes. |
why are there holes in electric plug prongs?
Saves copper.
|
why are there holes in electric plug prongs?
On Fri, 07 Mar 2008 17:26:27 -0600, GWB wrote:
Saves copper. Voted best answer. |
why are there holes in electric plug prongs?
GWB wrote:
Saves copper. Is there yellow copper? |
why are there holes in electric plug prongs?
On Sat, 08 Mar 2008 00:53:07 GMT, Tony Hwang wrote:
GWB wrote: Saves copper. Is there yellow copper? Sure. Haven't you seen all those teen movies from the 50's where the hoodlum yelss, Are you yellow, copper? |
why are there holes in electric plug prongs?
According to mm :
On Fri, 07 Mar 2008 13:14:33 -0600, (DT) wrote: When you plug it in it mates with dimpled tab to make secure contacts. If in double break apart a receptacle(only couple dollars a piece) and see for yourself. The Straight Dope addressed this question, and there seems to be no one simple answer: http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a2_389.html The straight dope piece seems to have gotten it right - about it _used_ to be necessary with old outlets that didn't grip so well, the pins could interlock into buttons on the tabs. So, it used to have a reason, and now it's probably they can't figure out why they're there, so it's easier to stay that way ;-) I think it's because putting holes in things make them stronger, like the guy said. Look at the George Washington Bridge in NYC. It has loads of holes and look at how strong it is. Nope. Punching holes in metal structures does not make them stronger. In fact, it makes them somewhat weaker than equivalently sized solid structures. The reason punching holes (or leaving it out altogether such as in trusses) it is to make it _lighter_. They're aiming for the rigidity implied by the larger cross-section, without some of the added weight. Just for the record, I just dismantled two outlets, one inexpensive one and the other a high end commercial quality Decora... no dimpled tab in either, just flat copper strips. I have a related question. Why are some prongs solid, others are folded over with each layer totally flat against the other, and still others are foled over but have one side freely attached and springy. The third kinds seems the best. The only ones of the third kind I've seen have been folded types that wore so badly that the join (at the tip) is gone. Or were clipped. The temptation for one to go sideways is too high. As to why some are folded and some are solid - different manufacturing processes. -- Chris Lewis, Age and Treachery will Triumph over Youth and Skill It's not just anyone who gets a Starship Cruiser class named after them. |
why are there holes in electric plug prongs?
z wrote:
On Mar 6, 8:28 pm, jim wrote: On Mar 6, 10:14 pm, "*alan*" wrote: Not technically a home repair topic, but: Do the holes in the prongs of an electric plug serve any purpose? If so, what is that purpose? Thanks for any information. -- alan (just curious) http://home.howstuffworks.com/question301.htm i've taken a few outlets apart, although never on purpose, and never found any detents on the contacts inside, even though I always figured that's what the holes were for. I just took apart an old 2 hole outlet that I had in my junk box (polarized but ungrounded). This one actually has screws to hold the thing together. This outlet DID have the detent 'nubs'. I don't know about newer outlets but this one only has contact strips on one side of each prong. Kevin |
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