@@SilverCymbal come on man or woman depending on whoever sent this last message. What about that video should have displeased somebody is the situation? You know, let's put it in a nutshell. That's why I said you can't fix stupid. You was simply explaining why there was and wasn't holes in the damn plug in. I thought I was pretty cool that you knew more about it than what I did. So what, someone did not like how you should have paused for a second before saying something or maybe they just didn't like how you knew something they didn't? That's why it's completely stupid. All right I'll get off my soapbox.
It might actually compared to a human nose with 2 holes use for breathing or maybe 2 balls on all males, so just leave it like that, it's more humane looking for all of us.
I've seen in a couple of factories, when these plugs are being mass-produced, the machinery that puts the prongs in place does have bumps or rods that use those holes to help keep the prongs aligned correctly, even length, etc.
Yours, as with others inform this is a part of the manufacturing process - which the video fails to surmise at the end - instead of a design feature for use. Thanks.
God bless you and God bless anyone reading this! Hope you have an awesome day! Seek him while you can! Jesus is the way and the only way and he is returning soon! Whenever you think you aren't loved... Remember the ultimate sacrifice was for love! ENDING YOUR LIFE IS NEVER THE ANSWER! For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:16 KJV The wages of sin is death (hell) but Jesus paid our wages on the cross, for our salvation! We must turn to God and away from our sinful ways, Confess Jesus is Lord and believe with our hearts that he was risen from the dead by God, and we must be baptized in the name of the Father, the Son and The Holy Spirit and live by His word and Commandments! Trust that God will help with the rest! Seek God today before it's too late! Today could be your last day on earth! Have a blessed day!
I have an exterior extension chord that uses the holes to lock the plug in. There’s a button to release the plug. It’s convenient for keeping power tools from coming unplugged in use.
At my company they are always reinventing the wheel, thinking it's going to change things for the better and it's usually for the worst. I'd say you got it good.
Yeah this sucked so bad. I hardly ever hit the dislike button. But seriously thinking about this one. The only thing that shocked me was how lame this video was. I'm also shocked that someone came up with the idea of producing such a thing. Such interesting content...........they should make a movie about it...
I'm an engineer and I now this much - The holes are still useful when electricians need to connect bare wires to plug in emergency, also to hang on a nail or hook close to outlet so you do not have to grope around for the plug.
Does having the holes take away from the flow of electricity? Or does it not matter? Would it be “better” to have a full prong with no holes? Does it give the full amount of flow “so to say”?
In Japan we actually have plug housing that locks the plugs in place using that hole. You plug-in the plug and twist it. There is a locking mechanism in the plug housing that uses that hole to keep it in place so it doesn't get un-plugged accidentally.
@@Rodrigo-jd2wg If you're relying on pulling a plug for safety of any kind, you're doing it horribly wrong. That should always be the task of some fuse, breaker, or emergency stop button. A device getting accidentally unplugged tho might actually be dangerous by arching in the outlet before you notice the issue (and thus possibly starting a fire), or whatever reason the device might have to NOT get unplugged by accident ever.
Yes, twist locks... Though the hole doesn't hold it. Also to the other guy saying a plug should not be relied on like that.... True but twist locks add protection of accedently unplugging a server's power distribution unit when your just trying to splice a fiber
@@Kalvinjj yes but how do you know there is a breaker, it may not be there, or it may be compromised. In an emergency case I would rather be able to unplug the thing
I live in Japan and this is the first time that I've even heard of this. It sounds like it may be useful in certain situations, but it's definitely not the home/consumer standard. Bathroom vanity units here often have spring-loaded rotating dust/steam covers to reduce corrosion and chance of electrocution, but they don't grip the plug in any meaningful way. Similar covers can also be seen on some high-end multi-plug adapters. Are you talking about special industrial or outdoor plugs?
"you might have wondered what they were there for." No, at no point in my life has that question even come close to crossing my mind... but now I'm curious...
We use the holes all the time.. you can buy extension cords that lock into them.. idk why they were left out of the video because that’s what the holes are for..
Exactly. No one ever asked that cos no one gives a damn. Thanks for pushing this stuff out to me youtube. My time is valuable and this is just what I need to spend it on.
I've always heard it was originally for a rod that suspends the plug blades and associated wiring in the rubber molds during the mass-production of the cord ends.
Yes, "Holey Plugs, Batman! But... what are they for?" by Technology Connections here on RUclips shows the NEMA documentation that says it's for manufacturing purposes, and includes a clip of it being used in manufacturing. Though it's certainly not required for manufacturing. Similar designs are made for other markets and purposes without them (there's a long list) and you can even find cords in America without them.
Well he did say "without a benefit benefit the company or customer" so a new design could always come around. Then again what's wrong with the headphone jack?
Your head phones must be broke lol. Wired is always better. I cant stand how new phones arnt coming with a headphone port now. It really is a deal breaker for me. I have yet to hear a wireless headphone sound better than wired.
Me, as someone who loves using old walkmans, radios and stuff, i am really thankfull that I can use my 10€ earphones from my mobile for them and havent have to buy specific ones.
Actually, my college professor told me that the Mayans first discovered practical use for them. when they raided villages, they would snip plugs from enemy villages electronics and loop them in a strimg and have them around their necks as trophies.
As electrician, I rest the tips of my meter test leads through the holes to check continuity. It’s quicker than using alligator clips. I also want to add by doing so, it gives me better and positive contact. Hope those amateur who suggested that I handed in my certificate would realize and understand the advantages.
While lockout wasn't the original reason for the holes, it seems to me a good enough reason to keep them (saying this as an Australian observer, our plugs don't have the feature so it looks very useful to me)
The holes replaced the indentations that Hubell had originally used in early outlets to hold the plug in position 1:00 - what they became later is explained further in the video. Hope this is helpful.
@@SilverCymbal could have stated that better in your summary. I thought it was funny too. You ended it with something like "the holes are there because people expect them to be there" 😆 Thanks for the vid by the way, don't believe I've seen your content before this one.
I work in a lot of CNC router cutting and some minor designs for solutions and a lot of times we remove the interior material to produce recyclable scrap, so long as it doesn’t hurt the structure of the design.
Hmmmm....Exactly what kind of troubleshooting does one perform by measuring across the unplugged 110V mains ? Surely not measuring if the device has shorted out ?? Because, you would already know that before the device was sent in for repair...
Simple Answer :- It is used for gripping purpose within the Socket to avoid loose connections, may result in sparking or heating of a Wire. (2) I think it will require compatible Socket having gripping mechanism inside otherwise "Holed Plug" shall be of no use. Good informative Video. Thanks
Someone pointed out that when he showed it taken apart that it does slow down when plugging it in or unplugging it. He pushed it in too far and it sped up after it went too far. He doesn't know what he's talking about
A newly married man asked his bride why she cut the end off of the pot roast. She responded "that's the way my mom did it." Curious as to why, He went to her mom and asked her, she responded the same as her daughter did. Since the Grandmother was still alive and living in a nursing home he went to her and posed the question. Her response was "because the roast was too big to fit in the pan."
In most videos that I watch the announcers talk and talk about useless information. Your videos definitely have a lot of talking, but all interesting and useful information. Keep up the good work.
The holes actually help 'clean' the outlet fins every time they are plugged in/out. Older outlets also used to have indents on the fins to hold the plug in more securely - but the spacing was never 100% and you could risk getting sparks & a bad connection. I'm super annoyed this wasn't answered in the video.
The holes are there in modern times because of the manufacturing process uses the holes , they were used for a short time for holding the plug in to the socket , but at the time the socket Manufacturing was not nearly as precise or standard and many plugs were very lose within early sockets , today most manufacturers use the holes during the manufacturing process , that would be the real reason the holes are still there , there would be no reason to spend the time or money to put the holes there if they were not of some use somewhere along the line .
@@excep7 Yes I saw it too I believe it was a " How it's made " video from the show . People really want there to be some end user use for the holes but there isn't it's just for manufacturing . I worked in manufacturing Truth be told I always thought the holes were for manufacturing .
@@dickard8275 If you want to compare apples to oranges , you will never get your answer . The plugs shown are not 240v plugs , so your comment seems to be a mute topic . You are free to do your own research (well in your country you may not be free at all to do research ) or you are free to simply troll the comments , nice being free huh ?
the hole is for the old-style outlets that turn and a pin goes into them to lock the plug in place. My house was wired in 1939 and we still have one in use. I believed this was stopped quite a few years later as it was considered unsafe. if you trip on the cord you could get hurt or start a fire if the wire fails. These old outlets are no longer legal to purchase and install.
He’s definitely right about the customer noticing if they’re missing. I’ve bought some sketchy cheap products (soldering iron) and those holes missing and lack of any grounding really made me raise my eyebrow. It’s just uncomfortable when it doesn’t look the way it’s “supposed” to.
If there's a lack of an earth (grounding) and there's a good reason for the appliance to have one, (220V or exposed metal parts etc), that would definitely be cause for concern. As far as I can remember, could be wrong, US plugs were 2 pin for 110V or 3 pin for 220V (and designed so neither one could be plugged into the wrong outlet). Never personally saw any plugs without holes when I went to the US. Here in the UK pretty much all plugs are 3 pin - but we're not immune from dodgy Chinese tat either.
@L Cam Molds don't last a terribly long time. Next time you'd need a new one, the guy milling the tooling/mold could just leave out that feature. Also I think the hole is stamped out. They probably stamp the (w)hole thing in one go.
@L Cam assuming they’re molds, and not stamps, which is far more likely, they will wear out. All machinery wears out. There are specs to determine when they’re worn enough so that they need to be replaced. Do you actually think the molds, or stamps from 75 years ago are still being used?
@L Cam you can tell just from the surface finish that they aren't molded. It would be way more expensive to mold them and they would turn out more shitty. The plastic part of the plug is however injection molded right over the top of the prongs after they are soldered to the cable. Eh, this video sucks.
I don't know where you got the "dozens" of receptacles you took apart, but you clearly haven't looked too hard. I've also taken apart plenty of them, and I've seen many that have small dimple detents for the holes. I would wager they aren't seen as strictly necessary anymore since the tolerances and quality control on the manufacturing has improved to the point where the mechanism is reliable without them.
Yep. And at around 1:40 to 1:46 you can see it in action. When he inserts the plug when the contacts get to the hole the insertion slows down and once past gets fast. Reverse the action then a plug if it were to fall out when the contacts touch those holes it will to an extent hold it. So it does very much hold it in place by making it harder for the plug to fall out.
@@bichela You are, of course, absolutely correct. The guy doing this video is just an arrogant big head who actually does not know what the hell he is talking about. Well done for highlighting his ignorance of the subject he tries to pass himself off as being an expert in.
I’d wager that their evolution away from usefulness to help hold a plug into the outlet to these days bring a vestigial design is *not* attributable to increased QC in production (and increased automation), though this has definitely occurred, but rather the universal inclusion of a third prong in virtually every household plug other that wall warts and cheap consumer extension cords.
They're still in use. Usually in commercial grade receptacles and GFCI outlets. The 99cent receptacles he probably opened are basic residential units and do not have them. Any commercial, industrial, and hospital grade units do, (the $5+ each ones) to prevent loose plugs & connections both for safety and durability since they're in rough use areas.
I always heard that before the plug was invented, appliances had to be hard wired, so selling something with a plug to people who didn't own outlets yet didn't make sense, hence the prominence of holes in plugs, which would allow you to hard wire the appliance without cutting the cord in case you ever do get outlets.
where did you hear this ridiculous story? before plugs were standardized people just screwed their electric appliances on normal light-bulb sockets , those were the power outlets,and the "plugs" were just edison screws, after that they even made adapters that you screw on light-bulb sockets and then you can use the same plug we use today. about the holes in modern plugs..it's for a rod to be through both of those holes and keep them level until the plastic solidifies, they made no research and made a stupid video! oh and here is a photo of a toaster with an edison screw "plug" : en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:D12cord.jpg
No one else going to point out that one of the photos showing off the lockout mechanism was on the plug of a vibrator? Great video, as others pointed out there are other uses for the holes in manufacturing and electrical work!
I have an extension cord that has a "lock" lever on it. It actually takes advantages of those holes and positively locks a pin in to those holes. That way when I am roofing or pulling the cord on my tool the extension cord doesn't come unplugged on me.
What they should be doing is standardizing all outlets, extension cords, etc, to take advantage of the holes. How many times have you plugged something in and the plug doesn't want to stay in or is very loose. Especially on plugs that have a transformer at the end that has substantial weight. Since just about every plug has the holes already then all the receptacles of any type should utilize the retention feature of the holes on the plugs.
The only explanation I’ve ever seen or heard of about the holes are they are used to lock the blades into a form or jig during manufacturing. To make sure they are properly aligned when to plug end is being produced. Other than that, they serve no purpose.
When I used to work as an electrician, I used those holes a number of times to hack a temporary extension when I didn't have any other options. Used romex or stranded wires to loop through holes (obviously insulated) but like I said, it's just too get by for a day so I wouldn't recommend this to home owners for sure
@@garandman8114 LOL that is definitely some sketchy shit to leave permanently. It doesn’t take much time to remove the plug and properly splice the wires together, it eliminates all chance of someone getting killed.
I've done that too but it's not really for permanent fix. Only sensible people, like you and me, will use those holes, every now and then, if its necessary.
@Tenebris Lupus Thinking more and rethinking is never a waste of time unless you're out of time. When a genius comes along and innovates a better plug, you'll realize what was wrong with it. Good thing the world isn't counting on you to engineer us out of problems...
@@thebludster okay...monkeys in a cage. ladder in cage to bananas. first monkey climbs, fire hose blasts other monkeys. Rinse, repeat. Soon monkeys learn to beat down any monkey climbs the ladder so they don't get sprayed. slowly they switch out each monkey one by one. gets to the point its all new monkeys that have never seen the hose even spray, but they still beat any monkey climbing ladder, cause that's the way they've seen it always done. Forgive me for rushed answer. Hope I've included enough of the basic point to not have botched it.
The holes work to Lock the plug in a outlet called a “kept plug” a pin slides into the holes and locks the outlet in. They are hard to find. Home Depot used to have them check out EBay cobra plug
You can find them on vending machine supply sites to prevent people unplugging your machine, there are power bars that use the holes in this way too. Now i will watch the video.
@@TheDieselndust Outlets in hospitals are also upside down so the plug's ground prong is facing up to prevent arcing by something leaning on a slightly unplugged plug. I wonder why this isn't standard practice in all outlets.
I have a pull down cord reel that has an outlet on the end, It has a locking outlet, so that it can't come unplugged. you have to press a button on the outlet for it to release what is plugged into it. ( If the plug has the holes in it )
That is right. Some companies have this locking device in their outlets. But it is rather a few that do. These are usually used in manufacturing or industrial settings. This is so if some one trips over a cord, they don't unplug something that can not be turned back on real quickly. Some things have to go thru a cool down period before being turned back on. This takes time and they don't want to waste that time.
@@jefferyfarr6017 Another reason is to guarantee that the plug itself is not used as a switch. I've seen some industrial sites that do that too. The outlet has a switch next to it that mechanically interlocks with the plug, so that the *switch* interrupts the current before the plug is allowed free. And the switch cannot be turned on unless there's a plug present. The switch may or may not be lockable, but the point is to never use the plug itself as a switching device. That both prolongs the life of the plug and outlet, and prevents exposed sparks in what might be an explosive environment.
Some cord caps actually use these holes to lock the plug into the receptacle. Requiring you to press down on both sides simultaneously to release the plug inserted in them. So to eliminate the need for tying knots with cords so they don't come undone. Ive used them and can say that its pretty brilliant not to have knots in your extention cords or get them tangled/caught on things when pulling more slack. So, they do serve a purpose other than manufacturing. Not sure when that cord cap was designed but good to see they use these holes to our benefit.
Where I work, we have this old extension cord which has a lever you can flip which locks the plug into the cord so it can't fall out. I'm sure it utilizes those holes for that purpose. I wish this feature were present on more extension cords!
My sister married one of the great great grandkids of Harvey hubbell . Harvey Hubbell amazing inventor . The pull cord light switch . The twist lock (hubbell lock) plug used in hospitals around world to keep life support machines plugged in!
@@anthonynelson9136 Hubble and Hubbell are not related, and the telescope was invented by Hans Lippershey, patented in 1608. Galileo Galilei made improvements and pointed it at the stars. Harvey Hubbell II was an electrical engineer in the late 1800's and early 1900's, not known for astronomy. Edwin Hubble was an astronomer (early 1900's, mostly after Hubbell) who proved nebulae were not just space clouds, but galaxies and clusters of stars. The telescope launched into space in 1990 is named after him.
Holy shit! You just gave me a brilliant idea. I live with people and I don’t want them using my appliances or electronics. What it is, is that I paid for those things out of my own pocket and no one pitched in to help me. I’m entitled to make the rules on property that is fully owned by me. I’m sick and tired of everything breaking down very quickly because it’s being used everyday by multiple people who do not have the right to use my property. If it’s only me using it, than it will take a very long time to break down on me. Small locks through the plug holes it is. Thank you so much! Lock on! 🔐 🔌
@@lostcause1206 Update, DANGER HIGH VOLTAGE, I will explain the real reason. It started with, I believe it was Benjamin Franklin, anyway he got zapped, you know after flying his kite in a thunderstorm of course, it wasn't long after that that they invented the electric chair. Purpose to share the zap, yeah well this led to smoke and it was at that moment that they understood the need for holes in the helmet, so yes it does have to do with carbon buildup, but the real question I need to ask is, is this a good use of electricity, sure it satisfies the immediate thrill seeing someone squirm and perhaps adds a little Heat to the room on a cold night, and it does get cold in those cells, so very cold and lonely too. But you should see the thrill on the other inmates faces when the lights go out and they smell the carbon, because they know dinner is coming soon and before you know it the whole place is up in a riot, and all because we discovered electricity. But again is this the best use of electricity?
The holes are there for manufacturing purposes when bonding the plug together. It’s a place for the machine to hold it as it is being molded. Answered questions.
Every time I see a plug with no holes I think its cheaply made, so that part about being used to it is pretty true. The engineer in me though knows it works all the same.
I’d always thought they were there to lightly scrape the contact surface and give a place for residue to collect. Could be wrong but I have seen heavy verdigris on old sockets. Bad connections = potential fire.
Agreed, I always assumed they were meant to scrape the oxide layer off the contacts during insertion in order to prevent hot spots and poor connection. I've seen some plugs from China that don't have the holes, but they work just as well in US receptacles as any of the ones that do have holes, as far as I can tell.
Dave Johnson...I think you got a good point there...and the holes act as an air gap to prevent chaffing residue that would cause burn thru on the copper receptacle contacts which would melt the rubber insulation off the wiring and ignite a fire..
Receptacles do not last forever. Really old ones likely should be replaced. And don't use the absolute cheapest ones either. The ones that cost twice as much are substantially higher quality.
That iron/cord/molded plug looks more like mid 1970s. It appears to be original 16 ga HPN rubber heater cord, notice the fold kink. This cord was standard waffle iron/roaster/coffee pot type used in 1960s and 70s
@@thomasmcewen5493 highly doubtful this was a 220v unit. This is a regular 120v pizzelle iron made for the American market. They did (and do) sell them in department and specialty stores all across the country... and all ready for us to use without any "rewiring." My mom and aunt had one...they're plug n play.
"The company is not making any more money if they start filling those holes" and those holes aren't actually drilled or punched through, using machinery time? It does look like they were. But considering the quantity in manufacturing, it's likely that removing that step wouldn't make it cheaper. They would've considered it ages ago to make the profit.
That was exactly my thought, too. Six Sigma: remove a step in manufacturing. But I guess if everything's already all set, they'd have to balance the savings against the downtime to retool.
There's the cost of changing the process, but there is also the cost of material. The amount of material saved from those holes would certainly add up over time. Plus, don't ignore the fact that the product is moved through trade as it's being manufactured. The people designing appliances aren't necessarily the ones building the plugs too, they are buying them. Less material = less cost.
@@R3_dacted0 That's implying the parts are molded and the holes reflect less material poured into the mold. Metal parts like this are most likely machined, and the holes are drilled out of solid strips of metal, at which point the material was already there, and in order for the excess to be utilized, it would need to be salvaged from the scrap bin and melted into a new batch of raw material.
The holes are definitely not drilled, they're punched the same time the blade is punched. What this video leaves out is that the holes were likely kept for compatibility when they decided to simplify (cheapen) outlets. Even for new die tools, the difference in the tool price would be very small and recycling the chads with the other leftover metal probably comes out even with whatever time is spent cleaning them up. The blades and pegs for other countries' plug standards look like they're often molded, but almost all American designs I've come across, including most (round) ground plugs, are made from punched and press-formed sheet metal. The original designs required thinner metal that was doubled over, but material science has gotten better and punching can be done on thicker sheets without much deformation. You can still usually find the old thin folded style for lamp plug replacements at the home improvement store, however.
@@goodbonezz1289 Its supposed to be a massager, but it's well known what they're really used for. Just not inserted. Well, maybe in certain circles it might be inserted, but that's a story for another time.
The holes are for the manufacturers who make the prongs and cords. This allows a rod to be pushed through many prongs so they can moved and held in place. That's it. Its optional, as not all manufacturers use this method. However, if you do use holes, they have to be in a specific depth, as to keep a connection with the metal in the socket. There are videos on RUclips showing manufacturers using the holes this way. No big mystery.
@@dakotaj5646 Hi Dakota - you sussed that too, eh?! I caught this (and TC's) video whilst searching on IdiotTube for something interesting (pretty sad, eh?). What I can't understand is why you Yanks still haven't included the simple safety feature of insulating the prongs sufficiently (close to the insulated plug body) to prevent accidental touching of the prongs during insertion/removal of the plug. I guess it might be something to do with the number of outlets in USA homes that might have to be changed to accommodate such a safety feature. I think this two-prong approach is the most dangerous system in the world, especially for such an advanced nation as the U.S. So much for the incorrect Googled answer that the outlets have bumps on them! Just shows the InterNerd is full of Idiot BS. Take care - from a Limey in the UK !!
@@iainmeteorscan1555 we use only 110v and it's so rare that finger can get in touch and still have contact with power.. I'm 60, a craftman & I've done that like twice ever.. ya'll use 220v everywhere which blows me away,, many use 50hz which is causes flicker issues w less etc...
@@francom6230 Hi Franco - thanks for your reply. Here in Limey-land (Brexitistan) (and the rest of Europe I believe) we use 230v and, yes, we can receive quite a tingly jolt when touching a live wire, which is where your 110v is invariably safer! I haven’t noticed our 50Hz causing any problems with wireless/wifi though.
in france, our outlets and plugs are strange... to this day, we use two plug types : type 1 which is a 2-pin non-grounded plug and the pins are round (some use a special casing around the plug so they can only fit in type 2 outlets but you can see how it dosen't have the hole so it is not grounded which means it is a type 1) and type 2 which is a 2-pin and 1-hole grounded plug and the pins are again, round (and the hole is round too, mind you) and for the outlets... we used to have 2 types too but one of them was forgotten type 1 which was a 2-hole non grounded outlet that could only fit the type 1 plugs and used most of the times betwheen 210 and 240 volts, but we stopped using those because type 2 outlets were better (tho if you go in very old houses, you might see these rare type 1 outlets) and type 2 which is still used to this day is a 2-hole and 1-pin grounded outlet that could fit both type 1 and type 2 plugs and most of the times betwheen 210 and 240 volts and the holes are round to fit in the plugs (and the pin is round too) thats all, folks
I could make a head or tail of that. There are two types of sockets. Grounded (CEE 7/5) and ungrounded (CEE 7/1). Ungrounded have been banned from new installations since 1991. Ungrounded outlets accept any type of plug while grounded do not accept the obsolete ungrounded plug (CEE 7/2) as one has to ground where they are used. They do accept grounded plugs (CEE 7/6 and CEE 7/7) and double insulated plugs, either the flat europlug (CEE 7/16 Alternative II) or the contour plug (CEE 7/17). The difference between CEE 7/6 and CEE 7/7 is that the former is just for French sockets while the latter works also on Schuko sockets and therefore is the standard provided with devices.
@@okaro6595 most often you see CEE 7/7 today, but i do have maybe one or two things with a CEE 7/6, but since i live in france, this is not a problem, also at my grandparents, there are ungrounded outlets all over the house and very little grounded outlets, even some of them were made for the flat europlug only and did not recess. this is because my grandparents live n a very old house.
@@TheOfficialDorianelevator They are not made for the Europlug as it came in the 60s or in practice in the 70s. If hey are really old they could still have holes for 4 mm prongs. In principle one can use grounded sockets with them if they fit. The prongs form ungroudned plugs were increased from 4 mm to 4.8 mm around 1960. Only Switzerland and Italy did not do it.
I have lived in South Asia and Europe for years and never saw flat pins or those holes in my life. Normally, the pins are cylindrical in all the 15 to 20 countries I got chance to visit so far. Thanks to youtube algorithm for telling me about this interesting oddity!
@Tech Priestess Micaela the UK, Ireland, China, Japan, Taiwan, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore and I'm sure I'm missing some others, but they all use flat pin designs. Especially Japan and Taiwan which are identical to the US.
@Tech Priestess Micaela Type A plugs (U.S. style) are used in over a dozen countries. The UK doesn’t use European style plugs Japan is on another standard entirely that looks like the US type A, but isn’t (they use type Q). I love it when foreigners think they know things 😢 It’s so cute! 😅 BTW, how many times has Brazil gone to the moon?
When you need to hook into a electrical panel for temporary power you can take a black wire and a white wire strip a half inch of insulation and put it through the holes and bend the wire over and tape so you can hook the white to the nut-bar and the black to a breaker for temporary power on a job.
That’s exactly what I use it for. It’s just a little quicker than making a pigtail with a female plug on the end… there’s nothing wrong with Tying into the electrical panel for temporary power when working on jobs. Disaster waiting to happen… I think not - sounds like too much of a Karen!
Its very interesting. I didn't realise that the holes in the pins were redundant. I also thought that they served to grip the plug in the socket. The UK threw out its early developed plugs in the fifties and came up with a standard that was much better. A safe plug that is grounded, has fixed polarity, a built in replaceable fuse and later, insulating sleeves to prevent fingers etc. touching live pins. See Wikipedia British plug types.
They are not quite redundant, as there is no fuse, US plugs are often sealed with the wires connected to the blades then the whole thing molded around them. That molding was cheaply done for 2 pin plugs by putting the rod through the blades to hang them off of and holding them in place while the plastic mold clamps around and fills the plastic, that way the pins automatically are both the right length out of the plug. Now obviously, for the 3 pin plugs and stuff they can't do that, but no point making separate blades so they just reuse the ones with holes in.
I had to LOL when I saw the massager/vibrator with a padlock through one of the holes. That one cracked me up. So that's how you keep the old lady from using it by herself when you're away from home, eh? Not a bad idea! Thanks!
Like the picture after with the games console blocked. Imagine doing that to a teenager! The screaming! The crying! The sulking! And worse of all - - - - The door slamming
@@robertwillis4061 Well, considering how many modern video game consoles use detachable power cords that are interchangeable with many household electronics, that teenager doesn't deserve it if he/she isn't able to figure out how to get around it.
TLDR: The purpose was to have detents in the outlet to "soft lock" the plug into place, but was never fully utilized. In order to stop cutting the holes, the manufacturer has to make some changes to the manufacturing process which would cost more than it would save. If your plug doesn't have holes, than it was made by a "new" manufacturer.
Unfortunately, those holes might get a plug stuck in a socket in rare occasions. Learned this the hard way. I ended up yanking the plug out by force (and deform a fair bit of the copper contact inside the socket) and had to replace the power strip to prevent a possible fire down the road.
@Horacio Spinelli So, someone making joke (one others obviously enjoyed) but that YOU didn't get (twice) is trolling? I'm sorry you were embarrassed that you didn't get it. I really am, since the point of telling them is for people TO get it. But that is no reason for you to get even more immature and attack me for your mistake.
Thank you for watching please *LIKE & SUBSCRIBE* 👍 If you need more outlets with built in USB Ports: amzn.to/3oX0rdK shown in the video
I'll never understand why anybody would dislike this video. It's actually pretty entertaining and thoughtful. You can't fix stupid.
@@DonaldAJr I really appreciate that, you can't always please everyone but I will still try.
@@SilverCymbal come on man or woman depending on whoever sent this last message.
What about that video should have displeased somebody is the situation? You know, let's put it in a nutshell.
That's why I said you can't fix stupid. You was simply explaining why there was and wasn't holes in the damn plug in. I thought I was pretty cool that you knew more about it than what I did. So what, someone did not like how you should have paused for a second before saying something or maybe they just didn't like how you knew something they didn't? That's why it's completely stupid.
All right I'll get off my soapbox.
@@DonaldAJr because it's wrong...
@@Kyle17206 What is wrong about it?
Short answer: "That's how we've always done it and we're not gonna stop!"
This describes modern policing in a nutshell.
Imperial system go brrrr
Just wish this was an official company policy applied to more things so the outrage mobs couldn't change things that are fine.
Id say short answer is: they could still serve a purpose but oultet manufacturers are too cheap to but in a little bump.
Ok Boomer
Short answer: “Just cuz”
How typical American answer:)
It might actually compared to a human nose with 2 holes use for breathing or maybe 2 balls on all males, so just leave it like that, it's more humane looking for all of us.
it's for a rod to be through both of those holes and keep them level until the plastic solidifies,
they made no research and made a stupid video!
Saved me a few minutes
Yeah this didn't answer shit lol
Short answer: It was like that before I got here.
I know right. What a waste of my time !!!!
@@rudyferrell I know. And he sucked us into this garbage with false promises of shock and awe.......most boring crap I ever saw
When you answer a question by literally not answering the question: SPEACH 100
Thanks for saving me 3 minutes.
Indentation. Indention, refers to margin space when writing. ?
I've seen in a couple of factories, when these plugs are being mass-produced, the machinery that puts the prongs in place does have bumps or rods that use those holes to help keep the prongs aligned correctly, even length, etc.
Yours, as with others inform this is a part of the manufacturing process - which the video fails to surmise at the end - instead of a design feature for use. Thanks.
What about it?
You are right. Their hypothesis is mostly wrong.
2:04 Ah, yes. The classic rechargable microphone.
Hmm... this one only makes a low rumble.
...even if you put your lips right on it
The only reason I looked at the comments was to see if anyone noticed and would comment on this!
🤣🤣🤣
@@OurNewestMember That rumble is how professionals achieve vibrato
God bless you and God bless anyone reading this! Hope you have an awesome day! Seek him while you can! Jesus is the way and the only way and he is returning soon! Whenever you think you aren't loved... Remember the ultimate sacrifice was for love! ENDING YOUR LIFE IS NEVER THE ANSWER!
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
John 3:16 KJV
The wages of sin is death (hell) but Jesus paid our wages on the cross, for our salvation! We must turn to God and away from our sinful ways, Confess Jesus is Lord and believe with our hearts that he was risen from the dead by God, and we must be baptized in the name of the Father, the Son and The Holy Spirit and live by His word and Commandments! Trust that God will help with the rest!
Seek God today before it's too late! Today could be your last day on earth!
Have a blessed day!
Q: Why do plugs have holes?
A: Literally no reason.
The fuck? Might be useless now but they were made with holes for a reason originally.
To save metal dude
@@melofrost nope...a hole to peep thru
@@redflowers2611 Yeah! I was expecting to see the old female plug that actually used the hole on the video.
I’m your 666th like 😳
At 4am it seemed important to watch.
For avoiding nightmares
I felt the same way!
Yeah. Until it didn’t answer the question of why they are there. They just are for no reason at all.
Ha! I’m watching this at 3:14am!
@@thehawk5141 yeah, it was like a long ass click bate 😒
I have an exterior extension chord that uses the holes to lock the plug in. There’s a button to release the plug. It’s convenient for keeping power tools from coming unplugged in use.
Exactly
yup. truth is this is the dumbest video i've seen on youtube
Beats the old 'knot'.
Reminds me of half of the procedures at my job. We do it because we’ve always done it.
If it ain’t broken don’t fix it
At my company they are always reinventing the wheel, thinking it's going to change things for the better and it's usually for the worst. I'd say you got it good.
Oh my god, so true man.
The argument Americans use whenever the metric system is brought up. 🤦🏽♂️
@@danielwggudan2 LoL he coulda saved us 3 min. Ive got tons of other videos to watch.
“Answer may shock you.”
I see what you did there.
Answer? What Answer?
lol
(No pun intended)
@@miguelferreiramoutajunior2475 the thumbnail bro
Everything today requires a hole, how else would it get screwed?
The was so underwhelming and disappointing.
I didn't get a satisfactory answer to the question either
Yeah this sucked so bad. I hardly ever hit the dislike button. But seriously thinking about this one. The only thing that shocked me was how lame this video was. I'm also shocked that someone came up with the idea of producing such a thing. Such interesting content...........they should make a movie about it...
@@arcrides6841 I totally agree...but I DID hit the dislike button. Three minutes to tell us he doesn't have a fckn clue. Nice!!
just like your love life lol jk
@@EGODINGO32 Ba rrum pumm...I got a million of 'em !! lolol
I'm an engineer and I now this much - The holes are still useful when electricians need to connect bare wires to plug in emergency, also to hang on a nail or hook close to outlet so you do not have to grope around for the plug.
There it is!
Does having the holes take away from the flow of electricity? Or does it not matter? Would it be “better” to have a full prong with no holes? Does it give the full amount of flow “so to say”?
Yeah, based on your spelling, I am going to have to call B.S. on you being an engineer.
Grope
@@goodcitizen2895 you know there are engineers that don't speak English right?
In Japan we actually have plug housing that locks the plugs in place using that hole. You plug-in the plug and twist it. There is a locking mechanism in the plug housing that uses that hole to keep it in place so it doesn't get un-plugged accidentally.
Isn't that dangerous?
@@Rodrigo-jd2wg If you're relying on pulling a plug for safety of any kind, you're doing it horribly wrong. That should always be the task of some fuse, breaker, or emergency stop button. A device getting accidentally unplugged tho might actually be dangerous by arching in the outlet before you notice the issue (and thus possibly starting a fire), or whatever reason the device might have to NOT get unplugged by accident ever.
Yes, twist locks... Though the hole doesn't hold it. Also to the other guy saying a plug should not be relied on like that.... True but twist locks add protection of accedently unplugging a server's power distribution unit when your just trying to splice a fiber
@@Kalvinjj yes but how do you know there is a breaker, it may not be there, or it may be compromised. In an emergency case I would rather be able to unplug the thing
I live in Japan and this is the first time that I've even heard of this. It sounds like it may be useful in certain situations, but it's definitely not the home/consumer standard.
Bathroom vanity units here often have spring-loaded rotating dust/steam covers to reduce corrosion and chance of electrocution, but they don't grip the plug in any meaningful way. Similar covers can also be seen on some high-end multi-plug adapters.
Are you talking about special industrial or outdoor plugs?
"you might have wondered what they were there for."
No, at no point in my life has that question even come close to crossing my mind... but now I'm curious...
I was thinking the same thing.
We use the holes all the time.. you can buy extension cords that lock into them.. idk why they were left out of the video because that’s what the holes are for..
same here.. 😂
Also the thumbnail is a pun
Exactly. No one ever asked that cos no one gives a damn. Thanks for pushing this stuff out to me youtube. My time is valuable and this is just what I need to spend it on.
I was an electrician for 32 years but I never wondered about the holes in those plugs until today.😂😆
Haha
What were you doing inside an electrician?
@@funkotron9198 ...and what could have possibly taken 32 years?
I'm with you on that, I never thought about that until watching this.
Well we do have dohickey's thingamabobs, and now holesinacords
FINALLY!
A 3 and a half minute video explaining holes in the tips of plugs!!!
I thought I was the only one.
and he never explained why. It's genius marketing.
Nobody:
Me awkwardly trying to start a conversation:
Did you know the holes in plugs are just there?
If nobody said nothing then everyone said something.
I would be looking at you in confusion, since plugs don't have holes at all around here, and are actually just two round rods.
Me: Joe Wallace ,you are as dumb as a box of dogschytte!....:>)
Joe Wallace: DADDY!!!!!
@@moehammadabrams9355 good one Did you think of that on your own or did someone help you??
nerdasious
I've always heard it was originally for a rod that suspends the plug blades and associated wiring in the rubber molds during the mass-production of the cord ends.
Exaclty
Makes cents.
Yes, "Holey Plugs, Batman! But... what are they for?" by Technology Connections here on RUclips shows the NEMA documentation that says it's for manufacturing purposes, and includes a clip of it being used in manufacturing. Though it's certainly not required for manufacturing. Similar designs are made for other markets and purposes without them (there's a long list) and you can even find cords in America without them.
@@UnblockMind lol
This makes way more sense
"They're not gonna change a design that's been there for almost a hundred years"
*sad headphone jack noises*
Well he did say "without a benefit benefit the company or customer" so a new design could always come around. Then again what's wrong with the headphone jack?
Your head phones must be broke lol.
Wired is always better.
I cant stand how new phones arnt coming with a headphone port now. It really is a deal breaker for me.
I have yet to hear a wireless headphone sound better than wired.
@@vperkv6554 or the fact that iphones headphone jack is also the charger port...
@@PatternLand im a android guy. N i dont like tht c port to headphone bs
Me, as someone who loves using old walkmans, radios and stuff, i am really thankfull that I can use my 10€ earphones from my mobile for them and havent have to buy specific ones.
Actually, my college professor told me that the Mayans first discovered practical use for them. when they raided villages, they would snip plugs from enemy villages electronics and loop them in a strimg and have them around their necks as trophies.
Wow, the Mayans, huh? I wonder how they made gas to put in their Honda generators?
Yuuuup
This…👆🏼👆🏼👆🏼
Cocaine dealers hide their stash in the holes. The cops never think to look.
Hey Krush, how ya doing! I'm stooked you remember.
college professor anchor
I just realized after watching this, that I really need to get a life.
More knowledge can't hurt
🤣🤣🤣
@@JustChillingNahhhhMean Unless you're "Kelly Bundy". One bit of info in... one bit of info out!
This hit hard
😬😔
As electrician, I rest the tips of my meter test leads through the holes to check continuity.
It’s quicker than using alligator clips. I also want to add by doing so, it gives me better and positive contact. Hope those amateur who suggested that I handed in my certificate would realize and understand the advantages.
You must have some girthy leads dude
I do the same 😅
Your meter tip must as thick as the day is long.
Okay that’s right i do apply some pressure to the leads in the holes but still better than alligators clips
@@beefchief626 The weight of the wires or meter is enough to "hang" the pins inside the clips. This is standard electrician practice.
Short answer: “For no reason whatsoever.”
No, he didnt say the reason... there actually is one
It's a fork holder.
Pretty much.
While lockout wasn't the original reason for the holes, it seems to me a good enough reason to keep them (saying this as an Australian observer, our plugs don't have the feature so it looks very useful to me)
Old school: holes made for easy manual twisting connection.
This is correct
That's precisely what I do with them.
Yep
Christmas light setup Clark Griswald style.. 300 ft telephone line powering my entire yard, it ran 50 sets with 10 volts voltage drop. Twist/tape :)
Bingo
That is the most unsatisfying answer I've ever heard. I love it!
ruclips.net/video/Srb67KyTOk0/видео.html
Same here-3 minutes wasted
Fun fact: Holes are fun and exciting , but can cost you lot of money if not used properly
Can cost more than $$
That’s why I stopped doing cum dumps
Truer word have never been written.
I know what you’re implying here, and I like that, keep up the good work.
Yeah....about that...
HVAC guy here, learning something new every day. Thank you!
A very educational and interesting way of saying "their purpose... They have none"
“Why are those holes there? What do they do?”
“Well son, that involves something in which we call the birds and the bees”
No dad. I know about the one in the pink and one in the stink. I hear mom and the mailman talk about them all the time....
Ok Boomer
@@theirishman8356 ya'll are getting too comfortable around here.
@@Alex-rl4uy Cringe
@@theirishman8356 wtf? lmao💀
This answers the question of why we still don't know the purpose of those holes.
The holes replaced the indentations that Hubell had originally used in early outlets to hold the plug in position 1:00 - what they became later is explained further in the video. Hope this is helpful.
@@SilverCymbal could have stated that better in your summary. I thought it was funny too. You ended it with something like "the holes are there because people expect them to be there" 😆
Thanks for the vid by the way, don't believe I've seen your content before this one.
@@nameless-og that's what I got out of it too.
"Now you would think that's the answer but unfortunately its not...". I think that's where the confusion comes in. Thanks for the vid.
I always thought they were to prevent electric carbonaceous arc soot from building up.
I work in a lot of CNC router cutting and some minor designs for solutions and a lot of times we remove the interior material to produce recyclable scrap, so long as it doesn’t hurt the structure of the design.
Ok, the lock on the vibrator made me chuckle
@Randall Swanson no that's a microphone
@Randall Swanson it's clearly an electric drumstick
@@christianjunegregorio3053 butt plug?
I looked for comments exactly like this lol
@@christianjunegregorio3053 thats no microphone my friend. It's a Vibrating Massager
“That’s how dad did it, that’s how America does it… and it’s worked out pretty well so far”
Ok Tony Stark
or has it?
I find the holes are nice to have to hook test leads to when troubleshooting a problem with the device.
I honestly thought that's exactly what they were for
I agree completely. They are also good to lock out.
And when they are used in interlocking extension cords. They have a small lever on the top of them that slides a prong through. To interlock.
Worst case scenario, attach the multi-meter leads to the alligator clips then attach it to what you are looking to test.
Hmmmm....Exactly what kind of troubleshooting does one perform by measuring across the unplugged 110V mains ? Surely not measuring if the device has shorted out ?? Because, you would already know that before the device was sent in for repair...
Simple Answer :-
It is used for gripping purpose within the Socket to avoid loose connections, may result in sparking or heating of a Wire.
(2) I think it will require compatible Socket having gripping mechanism inside otherwise "Holed Plug" shall be of no use.
Good informative Video. Thanks
A common but poor reason for doing anything: "Because it's always been done that way."
Why fuck with something that works?
@@brandonb390 Also a valid argument that I use often!
Someone pointed out that when he showed it taken apart that it does slow down when plugging it in or unplugging it. He pushed it in too far and it sped up after it went too far. He doesn't know what he's talking about
A newly married man asked his bride why she cut the end off of the pot roast. She responded "that's the way my mom did it." Curious as to why, He went to her mom and asked her, she responded the same as her daughter did. Since the Grandmother was still alive and living in a nursing home he went to her and posed the question. Her response was "because the roast was too big to fit in the pan."
@@alecamal I love it!
"Made you think about a topic you had never considered before" That describes this exactly.
Because the plugs I know never had holes in them.
Yeah. That's literally the exact reason for this video Captain Obvious.
Internet: Do you want to know what these holes are for?
Me: Not really.. but I guess so?
Internet: Too bad
Yeah I feel this doesn't really explain much.
@@BBC600 they go “maybe it was used for this purpose.. but probably not” lol
😂😂
In most videos that I watch the announcers talk and talk about useless information. Your videos definitely have a lot of talking, but all interesting and useful information. Keep up the good work.
Without the holes how could the electrons get through?
nice
Love it, have those electrons :)
holes are for reproductions 😄
Da
Ha, ha, yeah, just like in a transistor, right!?
This guy's story has holes in it. 😂
Love it
🤪🤪🤪🤪🤪
😤😂
🏆
No kidding. The holes are there to hang the plugs on racks while they are being electroplated during manufacturing.
“Answer may SHOCK you”.
🤢🤮
Nice Pun Plug.
Keyword may.
Also yes I got the joke
😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
I see you’re a man of culture as well
Thank you! Gave a concise explanation with good info without wasting a half hour of my time.
The holes actually help 'clean' the outlet fins every time they are plugged in/out. Older outlets also used to have indents on the fins to hold the plug in more securely - but the spacing was never 100% and you could risk getting sparks & a bad connection. I'm super annoyed this wasn't answered in the video.
What is there going to be left to clean off after the leading edge scraped it's way into the terminal?
@Cubby Tech
You could teach the guy in the video a thing or two! He gave us nothing!
We actually learned something from you! So, thanks man!
Correct
Conjecture lol
Glad I read comments (as in CubbyTech) so as not to waste my time with above listed video! Thank you CT
Haha, free the Hitachi wand!!!
Glad I wasn't the only one that noticed this
Of course it's Wonderhussy that noticed it.
Ya that's what I noticed also lol. This mom was serious about not letting her teenage daughter try her mom's " back massager"... Lol
My foot massager...
Yeah laughed when I saw that too.
Shows where our minds are picking that up right away eh girl
The holes are there in modern times because of the manufacturing process uses the holes , they were used for a short time for holding the plug in to the socket , but at the time the socket Manufacturing was not nearly as precise or standard and many plugs were very lose within early sockets , today most manufacturers use the holes during the manufacturing process , that would be the real reason the holes are still there , there would be no reason to spend the time or money to put the holes there if they were not of some use somewhere along the line .
Recall seeing another video that had this explanation
@@excep7 Yes I saw it too I believe it was a " How it's made " video from the show . People really want there to be some end user use for the holes but there isn't it's just for manufacturing . I worked in manufacturing Truth be told I always thought the holes were for manufacturing .
Thank you for an actual answer!
And yet no plugs in my 240v country have those holes? Its not due to manufacturing ease.
@@dickard8275 If you want to compare apples to oranges , you will never get your answer . The plugs shown are not 240v plugs , so your comment seems to be a mute topic . You are free to do your own research (well in your country you may not be free at all to do research ) or you are free to simply troll the comments , nice being free huh ?
the hole is for the old-style outlets that turn and a pin goes into them to lock the plug in place. My house was wired in 1939 and we still have one in use. I believed this was stopped quite a few years later as it was considered unsafe. if you trip on the cord you could get hurt or start a fire if the wire fails. These old outlets are no longer legal to purchase and install.
1am and I had to click on this. It actually got me asking more questions than it answered.
He’s definitely right about the customer noticing if they’re missing. I’ve bought some sketchy cheap products (soldering iron) and those holes missing and lack of any grounding really made me raise my eyebrow. It’s just uncomfortable when it doesn’t look the way it’s “supposed” to.
Same. Every time I come across one with the missing holes, I instantly subconsciously assume it's cheap chinese stuff designed to burn down my house.
yep famiclone
If there's a lack of an earth (grounding) and there's a good reason for the appliance to have one, (220V or exposed metal parts etc), that would definitely be cause for concern. As far as I can remember, could be wrong, US plugs were 2 pin for 110V or 3 pin for 220V (and designed so neither one could be plugged into the wrong outlet). Never personally saw any plugs without holes when I went to the US. Here in the UK pretty much all plugs are 3 pin - but we're not immune from dodgy Chinese tat either.
the holes are used to keep the plugs in place during the manufacturing process ruclips.net/video/Srb67KyTOk0/видео.html
The Rock style😕
"it's not going to save the money to fill those holes in"
I would think it would save them money to not dig them out in the first place
@L Cam Molds don't last a terribly long time. Next time you'd need a new one, the guy milling the tooling/mold could just leave out that feature. Also I think the hole is stamped out. They probably stamp the (w)hole thing in one go.
@L Cam assuming they’re molds, and not stamps, which is far more likely, they will wear out. All machinery wears out. There are specs to determine when they’re worn enough so that they need to be replaced.
Do you actually think the molds, or stamps from 75 years ago are still being used?
@L Cam you can tell just from the surface finish that they aren't molded. It would be way more expensive to mold them and they would turn out more shitty. The plastic part of the plug is however injection molded right over the top of the prongs after they are soldered to the cable. Eh, this video sucks.
The government helped us have a standardized plug. Why can't they do that for phone chargers?
I don't know where you got the "dozens" of receptacles you took apart, but you clearly haven't looked too hard. I've also taken apart plenty of them, and I've seen many that have small dimple detents for the holes.
I would wager they aren't seen as strictly necessary anymore since the tolerances and quality control on the manufacturing has improved to the point where the mechanism is reliable without them.
Yep. And at around 1:40 to 1:46 you can see it in action. When he inserts the plug when the contacts get to the hole the insertion slows down and once past gets fast.
Reverse the action then a plug if it were to fall out when the contacts touch those holes it will to an extent hold it.
So it does very much hold it in place by making it harder for the plug to fall out.
@@bichela You are, of course, absolutely correct. The guy doing this video is just an arrogant big head who actually does not know what the hell he is talking about.
Well done for highlighting his ignorance of the subject he tries to pass himself off as being an expert in.
Maybe the heavy-duty commercial grade have them, but the $5 you buy for your house just use friction.
I’d wager that their evolution away from usefulness to help hold a plug into the outlet to these days bring a vestigial design is *not* attributable to increased QC in production (and increased automation), though this has definitely occurred, but rather the universal inclusion of a third prong in virtually every household plug other that wall warts and cheap consumer extension cords.
They're still in use. Usually in commercial grade receptacles and GFCI outlets. The 99cent receptacles he probably opened are basic residential units and do not have them. Any commercial, industrial, and hospital grade units do, (the $5+ each ones) to prevent loose plugs & connections both for safety and durability since they're in rough use areas.
I always heard that before the plug was invented, appliances had to be hard wired, so selling something with a plug to people who didn't own outlets yet didn't make sense, hence the prominence of holes in plugs, which would allow you to hard wire the appliance without cutting the cord in case you ever do get outlets.
Good point, didn't think of that
Good nod for the homeless
I hardwire all my free electricity using this exact method but will still have the cord when I get my own outlets.
I gave used the holes for that purpose in the past.
where did you hear this ridiculous story?
before plugs were standardized people just screwed their electric appliances on normal light-bulb sockets , those were the power outlets,and the "plugs" were just edison screws,
after that they even made adapters that you screw on light-bulb sockets and then you can use the same plug we use today.
about the holes in modern plugs..it's for a rod to be through both of those holes and keep them level until the plastic solidifies,
they made no research and made a stupid video!
oh and here is a photo of a toaster with an edison screw "plug" :
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:D12cord.jpg
The holes makes it easier to atach wires and make the original connection longer
So, no purpose whatsoever. I have friends like that.
You're your own friend? Nice!
@@Jeff-gu6nb Ha! Pretty much ...during Covid.
lmao
Jamie smith: makes a comment
Max: "and I took that personally"
What if they saw this comment?
No one else going to point out that one of the photos showing off the lockout mechanism was on the plug of a vibrator? Great video, as others pointed out there are other uses for the holes in manufacturing and electrical work!
I have an extension cord that has a "lock" lever on it. It actually takes advantages of those holes and positively locks a pin in to those holes. That way when I am roofing or pulling the cord on my tool the extension cord doesn't come unplugged on me.
Awesome! 😃
Well la de da lol
This is the answer. There are also receptacles that do this
No u
You solved it to why there are two holes smart thinking
What they should be doing is standardizing all outlets, extension cords, etc, to take advantage of the holes.
How many times have you plugged something in and the plug doesn't want to stay in or is very loose. Especially on plugs that have a transformer at the end that has substantial weight.
Since just about every plug has the holes already then all the receptacles of any type should utilize the retention feature of the holes on the plugs.
yes, remember the times when all the early mobile phones had their own proprietary charging sockets (before micro-USB)?
Oh, I take advantage of the Holes, youknowwhatI’msayin’ ?!?!??!!!!!!
2:46 There I saved you some time.
Thank you.
You're a Saint.
Thank you 😌
Thanks man
this is one of the questions i had but never bothered to look for the answer, this video just got recommended to me lol
The only explanation I’ve ever seen or heard of about the holes are they are used to lock the blades into a form or jig during manufacturing. To make sure they are properly aligned when to plug end is being produced. Other than that, they serve no purpose.
This is it; this is exactly the answer.
Weird he couldn't give us the RIGHT answer in a 3 minute video.
I think manufacturing the product is a purpose......
When I used to work as an electrician, I used those holes a number of times to hack a temporary extension when I didn't have any other options.
Used romex or stranded wires to loop through holes (obviously insulated) but like I said, it's just too get by for a day so I wouldn't recommend this to home owners for sure
I have seen that method used as a permanent fix to make a line longer.
@@garandman8114 LOL that is definitely some sketchy shit to leave permanently. It doesn’t take much time to remove the plug and properly splice the wires together, it eliminates all chance of someone getting killed.
I've done that too but it's not really for permanent fix. Only sensible people, like you and me, will use those holes, every now and then, if its necessary.
The answer in one word: "vestigial".
Vestigial Artifact
Thank you, video was just a bunch of pointless rambling
your using that word completely wrong you know that right?
@@paolop8093 Okay, let me call you on that for a sec: what definition was I not using?
@@Stratelier the way your using it is wrong, it’s only used in biology
Tx for the video. My grandfather was 50 years in IBEW and even he couldn't explain this to me, along with other info about electrical gadgets.
"That's how we've always done it" the worst excuse ever
Look up the "wet monkey theory". It's terrifying.
@Tenebris Lupus that's just as bad an excuse
@Tenebris Lupus Thinking more and rethinking is never a waste of time unless you're out of time. When a genius comes along and innovates a better plug, you'll realize what was wrong with it. Good thing the world isn't counting on you to engineer us out of problems...
@@thebludster okay...monkeys in a cage. ladder in cage to bananas. first monkey climbs, fire hose blasts other monkeys. Rinse, repeat. Soon monkeys learn to beat down any monkey climbs the ladder so they don't get sprayed. slowly they switch out each monkey one by one. gets to the point its all new monkeys that have never seen the hose even spray, but they still beat any monkey climbing ladder, cause that's the way they've seen it always done. Forgive me for rushed answer. Hope I've included enough of the basic point to not have botched it.
@Tenebris Lupus it's not the plug guy, it's the mindset. It affects way too much in this world
The holes work to Lock the plug in a outlet called a “kept plug” a pin slides into the holes and locks the outlet in. They are hard to find. Home Depot used to have them check out EBay cobra plug
You can find them on vending machine supply sites to prevent people unplugging your machine, there are power bars that use the holes in this way too. Now i will watch the video.
Also fairly common on heavy duty extension cords
Medical grade plugs have them
thank you
@@TheDieselndust Outlets in hospitals are also upside down so the plug's ground prong is facing up to prevent arcing by something leaning on a slightly unplugged plug.
I wonder why this isn't standard practice in all outlets.
“The answer may _shock_ you.”
Far off, in the distance: ᴵ ᵍᵉᵗ ᶦᵗ
Dads everywhere: HA
ohhhhh... i was about to say something like, “i’m not very shocked” but then i saw your HILARIOUS COMMENT 😂😂😂
A good strong, straight to the point video
There are too many holes in his theory.
Just two 😂
Oh gee, now thats a joke worthy enough to end up on a candy wrapper.
I was shocked when I realized that the outlet isn't waterproof.
Hahaha
Haha
Haha
Ha
sneaky devil i see what you did there
I have a pull down cord reel that has an outlet on the end, It has a locking outlet, so that it can't come unplugged. you have to press a button on the outlet for it to release what is plugged into it. ( If the plug has the holes in it )
That is right. Some companies have this locking device in their outlets. But it is rather a few that do. These are usually used in manufacturing or industrial settings. This is so if some one trips over a cord, they don't unplug something that can not be turned back on real quickly. Some things have to go thru a cool down period before being turned back on. This takes time and they don't want to waste that time.
Real answer right here.
@@jefferyfarr6017 Another reason is to guarantee that the plug itself is not used as a switch. I've seen some industrial sites that do that too. The outlet has a switch next to it that mechanically interlocks with the plug, so that the *switch* interrupts the current before the plug is allowed free. And the switch cannot be turned on unless there's a plug present. The switch may or may not be lockable, but the point is to never use the plug itself as a switching device. That both prolongs the life of the plug and outlet, and prevents exposed sparks in what might be an explosive environment.
Some cord caps actually use these holes to lock the plug into the receptacle. Requiring you to press down on both sides simultaneously to release the plug inserted in them. So to eliminate the need for tying knots with cords so they don't come undone. Ive used them and can say that its pretty brilliant not to have knots in your extention cords or get them tangled/caught on things when pulling more slack. So, they do serve a purpose other than manufacturing. Not sure when that cord cap was designed but good to see they use these holes to our benefit.
Where I work, we have this old extension cord which has a lever you can flip which locks the plug into the cord so it can't fall out. I'm sure it utilizes those holes for that purpose. I wish this feature were present on more extension cords!
I wish I had one of those extention cords with lock levers
Yup that is why they are there they still are a retention feature
My sister married one of the great great grandkids of Harvey hubbell . Harvey Hubbell amazing inventor . The pull cord light switch . The twist lock (hubbell lock) plug used in hospitals around world to keep life support machines plugged in!
Don't forget the telescope.
@@anthonynelson9136 Hubble and Hubbell are not related, and the telescope was invented by Hans Lippershey, patented in 1608.
Galileo Galilei made improvements and pointed it at the stars.
Harvey Hubbell II was an electrical engineer in the late 1800's and early 1900's, not known for astronomy.
Edwin Hubble was an astronomer (early 1900's, mostly after Hubbell) who proved nebulae were not just space clouds, but galaxies and clusters of stars. The telescope launched into space in 1990 is named after him.
Takes a long time to avoid answering his own question.
Thank you for not dragging out the answer 45 minutes.
I hate that the answer is simply "because it was always like that"
Holy shit! You just gave me a brilliant idea. I live with people and I don’t want them using my appliances or electronics. What it is, is that I paid for those things out of my own pocket and no one pitched in to help me. I’m entitled to make the rules on property that is fully owned by me. I’m sick and tired of everything breaking down very quickly because it’s being used everyday by multiple people who do not have the right to use my property. If it’s only me using it, than it will take a very long time to break down on me. Small locks through the plug holes it is. Thank you so much! Lock on! 🔐 🔌
I thought the same thing.
RIGHT ON, SCREW THEM, IT'S MY PROPERTY. I'M GOING TO DO IT TOO.
Solder a small piece of wire between the prongs , it will help remind unauthorized users not to touch..
Loud buzz followed by a loud pop! LOL!
@@lostcause1206 Update, DANGER HIGH VOLTAGE, I will explain the real reason. It started with, I believe it was Benjamin Franklin, anyway he got zapped, you know after flying his kite in a thunderstorm of course, it wasn't long after that that they invented the electric chair. Purpose to share the zap, yeah well this led to smoke and it was at that moment that they understood the need for holes in the helmet, so yes it does have to do with carbon buildup, but the real question I need to ask is, is this a good use of electricity, sure it satisfies the immediate thrill seeing someone squirm and perhaps adds a little Heat to the room on a cold night, and it does get cold in those cells, so very cold and lonely too. But you should see the thrill on the other inmates faces when the lights go out and they smell the carbon, because they know dinner is coming soon and before you know it the whole place is up in a riot, and all because we discovered electricity. But again is this the best use of electricity?
The holes are there for manufacturing purposes when bonding the plug together. It’s a place for the machine to hold it as it is being molded. Answered questions.
👍🏼
Yep I saw this elsewhere too.
That's just a matter of convenience, not a real reason or a necessity. Again, because that's just how they do it.
Sure but that was after the design was made
@@ghostface477 You have to design it before you manufacture it.
Every time I see a plug with no holes I think its cheaply made, so that part about being used to it is pretty true. The engineer in me though knows it works all the same.
I’d always thought they were there to lightly scrape the contact surface and give a place for residue to collect. Could be wrong but I have seen heavy verdigris on old sockets. Bad connections = potential fire.
Agreed, I always assumed they were meant to scrape the oxide layer off the contacts during insertion in order to prevent hot spots and poor connection.
I've seen some plugs from China that don't have the holes, but they work just as well in US receptacles as any of the ones that do have holes, as far as I can tell.
Dave Johnson...I think you got a good point there...and the holes act as an air gap to prevent chaffing residue that would cause burn thru on the copper receptacle contacts which would melt the rubber insulation off the wiring and ignite a fire..
I'm old, i always thought that was the reason for the holes
Receptacles do not last forever. Really old ones likely should be replaced. And don't use the absolute cheapest ones either. The ones that cost twice as much are substantially higher quality.
Asks how long plugs have looked like this; shows 1960's pizzelle iron... fitted with modern plastic molded plug...
I noticed that to. Definitely not the original plug.
That iron/cord/molded plug looks more like mid 1970s. It appears to be original 16 ga HPN rubber heater cord, notice the fold kink.
This cord was standard waffle iron/roaster/coffee pot type used in 1960s and 70s
If Italian it was 220V 50hz and a different plug so new plugs for American market
@@thomasmcewen5493 highly doubtful this was a 220v unit. This is a regular 120v pizzelle iron made for the American market. They did (and do) sell them in department and specialty stores all across the country... and all ready for us to use without any "rewiring."
My mom and aunt had one...they're plug n play.
@@Syzygizing Poppy cock!
"The company is not making any more money if they start filling those holes" and those holes aren't actually drilled or punched through, using machinery time? It does look like they were. But considering the quantity in manufacturing, it's likely that removing that step wouldn't make it cheaper. They would've considered it ages ago to make the profit.
That was exactly my thought, too. Six Sigma: remove a step in manufacturing. But I guess if everything's already all set, they'd have to balance the savings against the downtime to retool.
There's the cost of changing the process, but there is also the cost of material. The amount of material saved from those holes would certainly add up over time. Plus, don't ignore the fact that the product is moved through trade as it's being manufactured. The people designing appliances aren't necessarily the ones building the plugs too, they are buying them. Less material = less cost.
@@R3_dacted0 That's implying the parts are molded and the holes reflect less material poured into the mold. Metal parts like this are most likely machined, and the holes are drilled out of solid strips of metal, at which point the material was already there, and in order for the excess to be utilized, it would need to be salvaged from the scrap bin and melted into a new batch of raw material.
The holes are definitely not drilled, they're punched the same time the blade is punched. What this video leaves out is that the holes were likely kept for compatibility when they decided to simplify (cheapen) outlets.
Even for new die tools, the difference in the tool price would be very small and recycling the chads with the other leftover metal probably comes out even with whatever time is spent cleaning them up.
The blades and pegs for other countries' plug standards look like they're often molded, but almost all American designs I've come across, including most (round) ground plugs, are made from punched and press-formed sheet metal. The original designs required thinner metal that was doubled over, but material science has gotten better and punching can be done on thicker sheets without much deformation. You can still usually find the old thin folded style for lamp plug replacements at the home improvement store, however.
The lock on the vibrator had me laughing
Prevent someone using a device that wasn't supposed to.
2:01 shows vibrator.
Ha
Did not go unnoticed.
lmao
That’s a vibrator?..how can you tell?
@@goodbonezz1289 Its supposed to be a massager, but it's well known what they're really used for. Just not inserted.
Well, maybe in certain circles it might be inserted, but that's a story for another time.
2:02 no one is going to talk about that 😂
The vibrator 🤣
The holes are for the manufacturers who make the prongs and cords. This allows a rod to be pushed through many prongs so they can moved and held in place. That's it. Its optional, as not all manufacturers use this method. However, if you do use holes, they have to be in a specific depth, as to keep a connection with the metal in the socket. There are videos on RUclips showing manufacturers using the holes this way. No big mystery.
You enjoy Technology Connections too eh?
@@dakotaj5646 Hi Dakota - you sussed that too, eh?! I caught this (and TC's) video whilst searching on IdiotTube for something interesting (pretty sad, eh?). What I can't understand is why you Yanks still haven't included the simple safety feature of insulating the prongs sufficiently (close to the insulated plug body) to prevent accidental touching of the prongs during insertion/removal of the plug. I guess it might be something to do with the number of outlets in USA homes that might have to be changed to accommodate such a safety feature.
I think this two-prong approach is the most dangerous system in the world, especially for such an advanced nation as the U.S.
So much for the incorrect Googled answer that the outlets have bumps on them! Just shows the InterNerd is full of Idiot BS. Take care - from a Limey in the UK !!
@@iainmeteorscan1555 we use only 110v and it's so rare that finger can get in touch and still have contact with power.. I'm 60, a craftman & I've done that like twice ever.. ya'll use 220v everywhere which blows me away,, many use 50hz which is causes flicker issues w less etc...
@@francom6230 Hi Franco - thanks for your reply. Here in Limey-land (Brexitistan) (and the rest of Europe I believe) we use 230v and, yes, we can receive quite a tingly jolt when touching a live wire, which is where your 110v is invariably safer! I haven’t noticed our 50Hz causing any problems with wireless/wifi though.
@@francom6230 "like twice ever" 🤡
in france, our outlets and plugs are strange...
to this day, we use two plug types :
type 1 which is a 2-pin non-grounded plug and the pins are round (some use a special casing around the plug so they can only fit in type 2 outlets but you can see how it dosen't have the hole so it is not grounded which means it is a type 1)
and type 2 which is a 2-pin and 1-hole grounded plug and the pins are again, round (and the hole is round too, mind you)
and for the outlets...
we used to have 2 types too but one of them was forgotten
type 1 which was a 2-hole non grounded outlet that could only fit the type 1 plugs and used most of the times betwheen 210 and 240 volts, but we stopped using those because type 2 outlets were better (tho if you go in very old houses, you might see these rare type 1 outlets)
and type 2 which is still used to this day is a 2-hole and 1-pin grounded outlet that could fit both type 1 and type 2 plugs and most of the times betwheen 210 and 240 volts and the holes are round to fit in the plugs (and the pin is round too)
thats all, folks
I could make a head or tail of that. There are two types of sockets. Grounded (CEE 7/5) and ungrounded (CEE 7/1). Ungrounded have been banned from new installations since 1991. Ungrounded outlets accept any type of plug while grounded do not accept the obsolete ungrounded plug (CEE 7/2) as one has to ground where they are used. They do accept grounded plugs (CEE 7/6 and CEE 7/7) and double insulated plugs, either the flat europlug (CEE 7/16 Alternative II) or the contour plug (CEE 7/17).
The difference between CEE 7/6 and CEE 7/7 is that the former is just for French sockets while the latter works also on Schuko sockets and therefore is the standard provided with devices.
@@okaro6595 most often you see CEE 7/7 today, but i do have maybe one or two things with a CEE 7/6, but since i live in france, this is not a problem, also at my grandparents, there are ungrounded outlets all over the house and very little grounded outlets, even some of them were made for the flat europlug only and did not recess. this is because my grandparents live n a very old house.
@@TheOfficialDorianelevator They are not made for the Europlug as it came in the 60s or in practice in the 70s. If hey are really old they could still have holes for 4 mm prongs. In principle one can use grounded sockets with them if they fit.
The prongs form ungroudned plugs were increased from 4 mm to 4.8 mm around 1960. Only Switzerland and Italy did not do it.
@@okaro6595 that appears to not be the case, as modern phone chargers fit perfectly into these, and the house is from the 70s, so it is logical.
You don't find a French home without grounded outlets nowadays
I have lived in South Asia and Europe for years and never saw flat pins or those holes in my life.
Normally, the pins are cylindrical in all the 15 to 20 countries I got chance to visit so far.
Thanks to youtube algorithm for telling me about this interesting oddity!
meh it's to drive people in America crazy trying to figure out why they have holes in them🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
@Tech Priestess Micaela the UK, Ireland, China, Japan, Taiwan, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore and I'm sure I'm missing some others, but they all use flat pin designs. Especially Japan and Taiwan which are identical to the US.
@@qonra no shit american occupation zones use American style hardware
@Tech Priestess Micaela
Type A plugs (U.S. style) are used in over a dozen countries.
The UK doesn’t use European style plugs
Japan is on another standard entirely that looks like the US type A, but isn’t (they use type Q).
I love it when foreigners think they know things 😢
It’s so cute! 😅
BTW, how many times has Brazil gone to the moon?
How many countries in the world use Fahrenheit and 110V. It's wirst Country and technology- and nearly everything in this country is stolen
I love the Hitachi with a lock on the plug! Nice touch.
God bless pervs...
Lol disgruntled husband
I saw that too. Hilarious.
When you need to hook into a electrical panel for temporary power you can take a black wire and a white wire strip a half inch of insulation and put it through the holes and bend the wire over and tape so you can hook the white to the nut-bar and the black to a breaker for temporary power on a job.
Maybe true
But that’s a disaster waiting to happens
Not a good idea
That’s exactly what I use it for. It’s just a little quicker than making a pigtail with a female plug on the end… there’s nothing wrong with Tying into the electrical panel for temporary power when working on jobs.
Disaster waiting to happen… I think not - sounds like too much of a Karen!
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 strongly agreed
Sounds legit
Are you planning on living much longer?
Its very interesting. I didn't realise that the holes in the pins were redundant. I also thought that they served to grip the plug in the socket.
The UK threw out its early developed plugs in the fifties and came up with a standard that was much better. A safe plug that is grounded, has fixed polarity, a built in replaceable fuse and later, insulating sleeves to prevent fingers etc. touching live pins.
See Wikipedia British plug types.
They are not quite redundant, as there is no fuse, US plugs are often sealed with the wires connected to the blades then the whole thing molded around them. That molding was cheaply done for 2 pin plugs by putting the rod through the blades to hang them off of and holding them in place while the plastic mold clamps around and fills the plastic, that way the pins automatically are both the right length out of the plug. Now obviously, for the 3 pin plugs and stuff they can't do that, but no point making separate blades so they just reuse the ones with holes in.
"Indentions"? Do you mean "indentations"? The question isn't "why don't they fill the holes in", it's why are they made in the first place.
Indentions are the blank spaces left behind by indenting.
'Indenting': verb (used with object)
to form deep recesses in:
/The sea indents the coast./
Wow omg this guys a genius 😂
Are the holes "made" or just left out?
@@BongoBaggins No they're not, the word is 'indentations', as this guy said.
@@Stephen2846 Show me where I'm wrong. I'm telling the guy what the word means.
Locking out daughters from using moms stress reliever.
Why tough, don't daughters need some stress relief too? 🤷🏻♀️
@@TarnaBarTM stress relief from TikTok?
Sounds like a ph comment
@@PBJ2 Yeah, TikTok life is tough 🤣
I’m glad I wasn’t the only one that seen that lol
I had to LOL when I saw the massager/vibrator with a padlock through one of the holes. That one cracked me up. So that's how you keep the old lady from using it by herself when you're away from home, eh? Not a bad idea! Thanks!
she may use 'something' else...maybe a REAL man.......lol
@@forthefunofit3230 Or just a good small pair of bolt cutters. That shank isn't very thick ... do excuse the pun.
Like the picture after with the games console blocked. Imagine doing that to a teenager! The screaming! The crying! The sulking! And worse of all -
-
-
-
The door slamming
@@robertwillis4061 Well, considering how many modern video game consoles use detachable power cords that are interchangeable with many household electronics, that teenager doesn't deserve it if he/she isn't able to figure out how to get around it.
Don’t eat any of your produce when you get home.
TLDR: The purpose was to have detents in the outlet to "soft lock" the plug into place, but was never fully utilized. In order to stop cutting the holes, the manufacturer has to make some changes to the manufacturing process which would cost more than it would save.
If your plug doesn't have holes, than it was made by a "new" manufacturer.
My wife: "Give me the key to the Hitachi NOW!"
2:03 🤭🤭🤭🤫🤫🤫🤔🤔🤔😑😑😑
Sounds like you just called yourself out for having no skills.
@Zio Oren the Hitachi Magic Wand is a "personal massager"... meaning a female masturbation device.
This video recommended on Valentine's day? RUclips's algorithm gettin' wild
Just the kind of information one can really "plug into..."
🤣🤣🤣
This joke is shocking. I'll let myself outlet.....
Unfortunately, those holes might get a plug stuck in a socket in rare occasions. Learned this the hard way. I ended up yanking the plug out by force (and deform a fair bit of the copper contact inside the socket) and had to replace the power strip to prevent a possible fire down the road.
I'm curious. How does a power strip at your house cause a fire down the road? What should my neighbor be on the lookout for exactly?
@@armastat that's a good one, lol! 👍
@@sieevansetiawan4792 Do you know what the phrase 'That went right over your head' means?
[ED] I guess he does because he deleted his comment, lol.
@Horacio Spinelli Thanks. but you need to re-read my original comment. IE., Neighbor .. down the road.
@Horacio Spinelli So, someone making joke (one others obviously enjoyed) but that YOU didn't get (twice) is trolling?
I'm sorry you were embarrassed that you didn't get it. I really am, since the point of telling them is for people TO get it. But that is no reason for you to get even more immature and attack me for your mistake.