British weatherproof socket with clever design. (bonus rant)
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- Опубликовано: 10 сен 2024
- In the past, outdoor electrical stuff involved either waterproof connectors or sheltered sockets. With the increasing amount of outdoor electrical stuff this style of weatherproof socket has become very common. Although intended for walls of buildings I've seen them used on lamp posts for Christmas lighting as an alternative to the traditional blue Ceeform connectors.
They allow the use of an ordinary non-waterproof plug for an outdoor application by shrouding it and its cable completely inside an enclosure with a sealed lid.
The first ones were quite expensive and used weird gels to make the seal, but this more recent model uses a clever multi layer cable seal with closed, small and large hole seals that adapt to the cable diameter or just block the hole completely if there is no cable.
One of the things I dislike about reading the guides for installation components is the repeated reminder of a racket that was passed off as being for electrical safety. Hence why I had a slight rant while making this video. I disapprove of protection rackets and firmly believe that people have a right to do electrical work in their own homes. The resultant cash-for-approval system and its shallow crash-training seems to put more emphasis on filling out paperwork than it does on proper electrical theory. A very high percentage of modern "electricians" are suffering badly from the Dunning Kruger effect where their confidence is inversely proportional to their skills.
But anyway. It's a nicely designed socket. I wonder how the different brands deal with the real life wear and tear of regular use in all seasons.
If you enjoy these videos you can help support the channel with a dollar for coffee, cookies and random gadgets for disassembly at:-
www.bigclive.co...
This also keeps the channel independent of RUclips's advertising algorithms allowing it to be a bit more dangerous and naughty.
I met the guy who designed this product about 9 months ago. He showed me the Solidworks model. He mentioned he gave the first prototypes to his children to see if they could open the latch. If they could then I suppose anyone can! He also spoke about how the plastic area above the cable seals needed to be reinforced as the prototypes often fractured from the force of the latch.
Who was the guy? I know the BG crew
It's an absolute beast to open up.... Mine is impossible to unclip... Any tips please?!!!
I think the British plug design would make an excellent design for an anchor for a boat, becaucse when you pulling any electric equipment out of a cubord or shed the plug catches on everything.
Or a grappling hook to draw ships closer to yours in order to board the ship. Can also be used to climb the walls of a castles in a siege.
It does indeed serve that purpose very well. You have to learn a special jiggly twisty pull to stop them snagging. UK plugs also make an excellent defensive measure. Leave a few plugs lying around and anyone in their bare feet will be guaranteed to suffer a painful foot injury, partially disabling any bare footed attackers.
Lego has nothing on the plug's ability to stop an intruder in their tracks.
Joshua Rosen - only in a pitch black room
Would also be good for jumping from an airplane when there are no more parachutes, those prongs look like they would cause enough friction with the air alone to stop you before the big splat...
To be honest, Clive rants are some of the best rants. Same with Dave jones rants, they're both intelligent rants on topics they both have thought long and hard about and their opinions are rather sound. Personally, I like them a lot.
Dave tends to repeat himself and waffle a bit too much for my taste.. not to mention how high his voice goes when he gets really agitated :D
Yeah Dave turned into an idiot over the past few years. His early stuff is fabulous though!
Dave is not in the same league. He‘s just annoying and arrogant in his rants. But I still like most of the other stuff from him
Dave is annoying and arrogant. Clive is neither.
@@jasonmichaeljones Dave is brash and Australian, Clive is a typically more reserved Scot. Aussie brashness and outspokenness can be taken as arrogance, it really isnt, we just speak our minds - it doesnt mean we think our minds are better.
Clive is also from the entertainment industry and has thus spent a great deal of his life shutting up and nodding as some self important utter numpty with no clue fed him bullshit, so his words are quite considered.
British plugs are a thing of beauty, and anybody who disagrees has obviously never trodden on one
I know that pain far to well
Make one out of lego - you will want to saw off the foot from the pain :)
Safest one in the world electrically speaking, least safe for feet.
@@TheCormTube if the tops were domed or had a small handle on them, they would not be able to lie flat and present three brass towers to the fleshy skin, maybe I need to make some plugs up
I suspect the kind of person who leaves one prongs-up on the floor is also the sort of person who does the same with rakes in the garden, or leaves combustables too close to a source of ignition. Its a lesson you should learn at most once!
UK plugs are also designed to fall with the pins face up to make them easy to find in the dark (just walk around barefoot)
made by Lego engineers?
Someone needs to make a solution to that. I'll think of it and become a millionaire
@@encalica853 shoes ;)
Reminds me of the time I step on it when I was 7 15 and now 18
xyvyx honestly I would rather shit out Lego block every day for the rest of my life than stand on a UK plug it is really fucking painful
UK plugs are best for stepping on prongs up
not as bad as stepping on lego in the middle of the night
@@webrosc oh no, i can speak from very painful experience. They are definitely worse than lego.
@@webrosc nah i one stood on a UK iphone charger and it plugged itself into my foot, unplugging was bloody and painful and i bet clive could hear the screaming and swearing on the isle of man. Thats without mentioning the tetanus jag in the arse after.
@@webrosc From experience I'd rather line the floors with lego than step on a UK plug again.
I have wired many a building and am no-longer surprised at the stupidity of the majority! I bet most of these foot stampers still have the paper advice card on their plug! You can not protect the thick from the consequences of their condition!
Not only are the safety covers not needed, they provide a useful earth-pin-shaped tool to help open the shutters for the determined kid
aye i have removed so many broken ones from primary schools idiot adult people.
Your lack of explanation leaves me wondering what you are talking about!
@@mrsillywalk the safety covers tend to be made of flexible plastic, so manipulating them so that you can push the earth pin in without pushing the neutral and live in is reasonably easy.
Similar to how badly designed power strips can allow you to plug just the earth pin by plugging a plug in upsidedown.
@@mrsillywalk Stupid plastic caps with three prongs shaped like the pins on a plug, see them in just about all public places. Talk about idiot ideas.
But to be fair, many great electrical careers started with the insertion of knitting needles into sockets. Perhaps we are destroying future careers by protecting kids from "the force".
I would love a rant video about stuff like that. Snarky Clive is my preferred Clive. Beats out even ASMR building stuff Clive.
All Clive is ASMR Clive. 😉
One question, this vid came out today. How the hell can you have a comment that is 2 days old!!
@@SqualidsargeStudios because youtube and .GOV have to check the vid before posting
I'd be in for a rant too, but I'm actually here to decompress.
ASMR Clive 🤗
> I would love a rant video about stuff like that.
Perhaps sponsored (and fueled) by Jägermeister?
I have to agree 100% with the part P nonsense. There is similar nonsense for boilers. I worked for a company that made the boiler controls for Glow Worm, Worcester Bosch, and several others. So in effect I was qualified to design and validate the design of the electrical control system (which is safety critical), write the manual on how to install and test it, run it in a lab, including wiring it up and attaching the gas and wet rig, but not actually wire it up in a house. I can understand plumbing certification as there is an art to that as well as some science. But electrical safety is down to purely science/engineering.
My area of expertise Clive here in America.
From digging the hole to wiring the box on the pole.
I have done it all over here and wanted to say great coverage and video on the type you have over there.
Keep up the great work and hope you only prosper in your future good sir.
100% agree with your rant Clive. I started off as an electrician in 1985, but as I'm no longer up to date with the regs, I also can't (yeah right) carry out more than the very basic electrical work at home. I relinquished my membership of the IET last year, because I believe that many of the changes made are nit picking and designed to create money.
These days you can instantly be back up to date with a one day regulation refresher slideshow complete with "test" that is hard to fail. Exactly the same route many companies are using to falsely certify laborers as electricians without the inconvenience of those pesky apprenticeships and proper training.
@@BigClive Yes, it makes a farce of the whole thing. I'm not sure if it's still the case, but the same used to apply to Gas Safe (and previously Corgi). British Gas etc would blanket cover their employees.
British gas is just a brand now. The"technicians" that come out are salesmen with minimal technical training to try and push for sales of things like new boilers and magnetic water conditioners.
The NICEIC has always offered blanket approval to facilities management type companies. As long as they yield one person to take responsibility/blame and a sum of cash based on their turnover then all the vans and clothes can be printed with the logo even if the person doing "electrical repairs" is completely electrically unskilled. It's been like that from the beginning.
And if the Gvt get their way the NICEIC will be the only player in town and you will have to be a member to do ANY electrical work. All in the name of consumer protection.
That has to be a nightmare, working with clashing color codes in a multi-phase environment. But it does lend credence to an old industrial electronics maxim I've learned: never take anything for granted OR correctness. Especially previous repair work. lol
Never change, Clive. A man who's capable of hard clamping pressure and moisture ingress into the best of us.
Had the exact model fitted outside for approx 3 years now, My garden backs on to a huge bit of farm land and clips are still as tight as the day it was bought, still provides excellent water resistance, Ide recommend to anyone.
Totally agree with you Clive, I have City and Guilds and also HNC certificates in Electrical Engineering having completed 8 years of college courses to gain said qualifications. It makes my blood boil when we are not allowed to do electrical work in our own homes because we are registered for part P approval which I believe has to be renewed annually. Anybody can acquire part P certification if they are prepared to stump the fee for it, all it takes is a few thousand pounds and about 5 or 6 week intensive training course and a test at the end of it. How can anyone muster as much information and skills in a few weeks that others have taken years to acquire both at college and on the job training by way of an apprenticeship? It was a way of overcoming the skill shortage we had a few years back when apprenticeships where frowned upon by those in power as they didn't raise any revenue. While these part P people may in some cases be capable of of installing the odd socket or water heater for example, stick them in front of control panel / switchboard etc with problems and see how they fare then and yet these people are allowed to do the jobs that you and I aren't because we can see that its a scam designed to raise revenue be it taxes to HMG or increased profits to the bosses because they can pay them less and has nothing to do with safety.
There are one week courses available and also "trainers" who will visit facilities management and kitchen/bathroom companies and do a one-day slideshow presentation with "certification". Sadly the "certified" electrical experts suffer badly from the Dunning Kruger effect and genuinely believe they can now work on anything electrical including industrial equipment.
@@BigCliveI used to work for a company where the owner put his son through one of those courses and then a short while later I was out of a job and I think you can guess why.
Be careful fixing to brickwork, as unless the mounting surface is quite flat, the back box twists and the front plate/box seal gets tweaked, allowing rain in. Could do with a separate back plate to stop this.
That applies to most panels. You have to find a suitably flat area and use spacers if the box shows any sign of distorting as the screws are tightened.
On pebbledash in particular I often use offcuts of cushion flooring. Saves a lot of cracked plastic. And for marking through fixing holes, especially on pebbledash, those 'Marksman' markers are the cats whiskers (or dogs whatsits).
pmailkeey 😃 Sorry, spelt it wrong. Wotsits. 😃
The "child proof" inserts were considered a possible danger a few years back, as the thing could be snapped off, leaving the earth pin stuck in holding the pos+neg open.
Rant on, good sir! :) Some of the worst work I've ever seen has been done by "qualified, licensed" people.
Buying qualifications rather than getting them on merit.
Same could be said of my psychiatrist. Scary sometimes.
@@SigEpBlue - Anyone who sees a psychiatrist needs his head examined - attributed to Sam Goldwyn
PART P @$*& PART FECKING P - I completed a bachelor's degree over 20 years ago (BSc) for my work as an electrical engineer in the Royal Navy, In that time I have terminated 12kv cables, 3 phase motors, contactors and everything in between. Then suddenly I cannot fit mains devices in my bathroom or on the outside of my house.......
Then along comes a spotty teenager who has spent 1 day watching a power point slide show and I have to pay him to install the kit ! Then a building inspector complete with his single digit IQ to sighn of on a piece of paper !
I am obviously not competent enough to perform this work unless I pay several hundreds of pounds to watch the benevolent slide show. SOD that... I am going to do the work myself so I know its done correctly and to my standard. I would love to be taken to court and ask them to prove that I do not have the requisite skills to perform the job !!!!!!!!!!!
They F***ING cant show that. Its about time that all electricians and electrical engineers stand up to these stupid regulations. If you cant be bothered with that run a 13A flex to the socket and put a plug on the other end, that way it is not a fixed wire installation any longer. I have taken account of diversity and the spur is of an RCD protected circuit ! As Clive said... What the hell was wrong with red and black. I think it went to blue and brown so colour blind people could perform installations.
Its a money making con and its about time it was stamped on, grab who ever thought this up and connect Blue phase to left testical, Red phase to right testical and yellow to the end of his little wee man ! Oooo Im sorry I meant Brown, Black and Grey ! ! ! !
As someone that’s colour blind and has done some electrics in the entertainment industry (dim/dark lighting or random flashing colours in the dark), I can say that the harmonised colour code has led to more cock-ups than any of the kit I’ve opened up that has still had Red, Black & Green.
It does get a little saucy once you start mixing kit wired up to the US spec on the same job though 😂
Those kidproof covers are bad for use in the UK since they can be broken off and leave the earth pin in the socket, leaving the shutters unlocked
yup as featured in many schools and nurserys around the uk
They are no longer recommended for use. If I can find the reference I'll post it below (I was only reading it a few days ago).
@@Raysnature Please do so, as i ran a business electrical testing buildings and portable devices. My experience is that British standard plug and socket is superior to any continental equivalent.
In Germany you need those, either replace the top cover of the socket with integrated kid proof thingys or use kidproof inserts. Or don't bother at all with it. That's also a solution.
When I was a child, we didn't have those for the most part...
@@mrsillywalk I've tried to get back to source and/or something from HSE without much luck. However NHS has mandated against their use here: www.cas.mhra.gov.uk/ViewandAcknowledgment/ViewAlert.aspx?AlertID=102494 the linked pdf is worth a look at. Also RoSPA say they are unnecessary here: www.rospa.com/home-safety/resources/policy-statements/electricity/
We learn so much about you in these videos clives your shadowy past, your flashy earrings, and now how you prefer side and back entry to top entry.
Please, please do a separate video rant about the BS that is Part P and the idiocy behind having inexperienced people becoming qualified electricians after what amounts to a few hours worth of training.
Weatherproof, rainproof, raintite, water proof... It means different things to different people. Good British device. The American one used to have flip doors but was not "rain proof" when in use. They now came out with a big hooded door that sticks out about 4 inches from the wall when closed.
I have one of those I mounted about 10 years ago on an outside light pole that has an X-10 remote switch under the bulbous cover for a pair of floodlights on the pole. It has worked very well over that time, other than as usual getting infested with spider webs and dead spiders. All of my other outside plugs have the older and smaller flip covers, which are quite rain-tight as long as they are closed. As I'm not in the habit of using extension cords outdoors in the rain this works out well, but I can see where it would be a problem for people that want to trim trees with their electric chainsaw in the rain.
It's because the US plugs are inline, not at a 90 degree angle. They need to respect the minimum bend radius requirements. I've seen a few with the sockets vertical pointed down to reduce protrusion of the cover.
throw the sockets away,and you have a nice dry sandwich box.
has anybody ever informed the local council about an electrical change to a circuit ? PS what about the changes an amateur is allowed to make to his household circuitry( yes I and a qualified spark read it all when it came out !) Part P is such fun !
Exercise; Take twenty qualified sparks, ask them to explain the rules regarding earthing in the various parts of a domicile, compare the answers, take aspirin and lie down.
Second exercise. Ask them the exact purpose of the R1-R2 test and how it's affected by the presence of an RCD. None of then will know the exact reason the breaker has to trip magnetically under a live fault condition. They'll just make up an answer like "To protect the cable." (Which is not the correct answer.)
@@BigClive I tried for the Part P testing course twice when I was still working as a sparky. The requirements they placed on me didn't make much sense and was largely a (very expensive) exercise in futility, in the end. I still have my old megger that I bought for practice. Used it a few times to be sure I wasn't getting scammed by some cowboy when I had work done, but that's about it.
CrimeVid - That exercise would have the same effect here in the US! Ask a group of "qualified" electricians (sparks) to explain grounding conductors and grounded conductors! Take aspirin. Lie down. Indeed.
@pmailkeey: Pretty much.
Sod Almighty earth fault loop impedance? Type of earthing system? Etc etc etc etc
As a chartered electrical engineer with about 40 years experience Clive I agree with your comments on the part P scam and the organisations that profit from it. In my opinion a similar scam was also created in relation to the replacement window sector. As an aside I liked your video!
There is a long list of such professional accreditation scams.
Those issues also apply to Building Surveyors ( I am not one) when outside Surveyors with minimal hours of pseudo training were brought in by Thatcher and her demolition mob. They replaced time served LA surveyors who knew not just the appropriate measures but also the ground characteristics which can vary hugely across small areas. Result? Massively inadequate constructions “approved” even though some were never inspected. The insurance for approved work simply would not pay out and could result in Local Authority Surveyors having to come in and try to work out a solution. I know one in particular where the private BS simply ran away from a job which was on the verge of collapse with residents in the flats! Happily the funders for the work, Barclays Bank, nailed them but sadly it never made the media.
Who doesn't love a Clive rant? :D
John Carr gcik
so far, 5 arses...
One small thing you didn't mention was there is a facility to use a padlock into the hole between the two outlets, stops your neighbour using your power to run his lawn mower etc. while your away on holiday.
Gadgie, that sounds like it comes from a place of bitter experience.
A problem I don't need to worry about as the sockets are fed from s switch inside a garage and only turned on when I want power and lights on my decking.
When I was doing my loft conversion, I spoke to building control about the electrical side of things and as long as I could prove I was component they were happy. I ended up installing a new ring main, a new lighting circuit with mains detectors and everything. Sent them through pictures and they signed everything off.
I did get a sparky to come over and do all the resistance/continuity checks to be safe but the actual work was completely done by myself. Saved a small fortune.
I think if you get the councils building control officers on the job they are much more pedantic about who does what but seeing as building control is now a open sector you can get some common sense guys to help you out.
On another note, i think most work around the house is not notifiable so no problem doing jobs like adding a spur or moving a light fixture ect...
P.S i don't think there is a better definition of irony than spelling competent wrong lol
Got to love predictive text! I've made some good email stuff ups in my time. NSW in Oz
One feature you did not mention: the cover is not completely opaque so you can see the power-on LEDs even when the cover is closed.
Bought a house at the end of 2005 that had been certified by a fully qualified electrician (part of the house moving pack).
I may not be qualified but I checked one light switch and immediately turned the power off. I spent a good couple of hours inspecting every light switch and plug socket, tightening loose connectors and either replacing or installing insulating sleeves on the earth wires. Fully agree the certifications are not worth the paper they are printed on and would like to suggest the chap that did the inspection on my house should be contracted to replace the distribution boards of the people behind this and appliance testing.
Mum's house was built in 1988 and examining a few sockets that developed problems, we discovered one where they'd drilled too far into the wall, so the back box was mortared onto another back box sitting in the cavity, and a couple more sockets where they hadn't bothered tightening the grub screws on the back of the sockets, so the only thing holding the wires in position was friction.
Kris Sweeney - what happened when you pushed the switch? 🤨 I’m curious - what you said sounded like a broken sentence.
I'd just bought the place and because I have a memory of my brother getting a shock from a switch I like to do my own check on the quality of the wiring, I'd killed the power to the lighting ring and in the first switch i inspected the earth was not connected and the live was loose. I flipped the main breaker at that point. Edit I'm tired and keep adding random commas.
I can vaguely remember the style of plugs we had before the standard 3 pin we have today, my Nan had them in her house, they were much the same but had round posts and no shutters over the positive and negative holes. She also used to plug her electric iron into a bulb bayonet pendant in her front room ceiling.
We had the Round Pins in our Post War/50s (Asbestos) Pre-fab
The very sockets to give me my first nip :)
You can still buy the bayonet cap plugs on eBay.
@@BigClive useful if you need to change the lighting position, one would imagine - run a cable from the old light fitting to a mobile fitting, perhaps? For those in a rental and not allowed to rewire the building, obviously
We still have 2 of the 2 round pin sockets in our church to power the pulpit reading lights - the first in the main hall/chapel, under the pulpit, main platform/baptistry, a circular black/Bakelite without shutter, also powers tree clip fairy lights to illuminate the kids in the nativity scene. 2nd in the rear hall on the back wall (kitchen end) where the platform/baptistery used to be - after the platform was removed to create more space, the socket (originally mounted on art-deco painted panel - part of the platform/art-déco stying of the hall) the builder has left the socket high up on the wall fixed with silicon mastic/no-more-nails -🤨!? What was he thinking/laziness) branded MK, white, rectangular, with switch and horizontally positioned unshutterd pin holes. I intend to chisel it off the wall as I think it runs off the 5amp lighting circuit, 2-round pin plugs are no longer standard (I think the reading light was removed from the pulpit, long before the platform/baptistery was demolished) and when a wide screen is projected on the wall much too far to the left - the socket is an undesired artefact in the overspill.
If the sockets are that old, the wiring is a real fire-hazard I suggest.... Old rubber coated wiring hardens with age and goes brittle, then the insulation flakes off the wires.
Opened a nice weatherproof 240V relay box on a job once, cloudy brown water poured out everywhere and as soon as the thing got reasonably free of water it started sparking and caught on fire... supposed to be an unenergized circuit of course.
Had the porch flat felt-roof leak once, gradually soaking the chipboard inside, then after one summer thunderstorm the porch light fitting started spitting fire and water alternately for a while till the fuse eventually failed. Quite an impressive effect really. I later discovered that felt roof laying is a horrible job.
Always a good idea to drill a small hole in the bottom to let any water that creeps in to escape.
Good to see something that I have! Well I have the single version but basically identical. I installed about 5 years ago through the back using tec7 sealant to seal it up (I think that's polymer based). I opened it recently and it looks exactly like the day I closed it up. I didn't drill the drainage hole because I didn't want bugs getting in! The cover and latches are remarkably robust, still none broken despite being exposed to the weather and direct sun. Couldn't recommend these units highly enough! Also has a little locking loop if you want to keep the kids out of it.
I am an unlimited level electrician in NC USA, and I am always impressed with the bulk and capacity of foreign electric designs.
And trust us, techs from MEN countries are utterly mystified and horrified by your mishmash of systems XD
I was also surprised when I travelled from the UK to USA, I picked up a extension cable to charge a wheelchair in my car, I was taken back thinking that we use thin cable like this for our hifi speakers, not run mains equipment. However 110v is a lot safer than 220v. ATB nick
@A Gentleman the point I was trying to make was about the thickness of the cable, the charger was a 110v to 240v of course you are right, in the UK we have 32amp circuit with 13amp plugs. I don't know how many amps are used on USA plugs. As for the charger it took twice as long to charge.
@@nickbird7742 Most outlets in the USA are 15 amps. If the outlet has a T shaped slot then it is a 20 amp. 20 amp outlets are compatible with 15 amp or 20 amp style plugs. As you get into 30 amp plugs and outlets there isn't any backward compatibility.
@@TomZ23 why are your cables so thin, also the two pins on the plug was very thin. In the UK our cables are made using 2.5mm copper and our pins on the plug are quite thick as you would have seen in this video. ATB Nick
Excellent rant Clive and I totally agree with your points. I'm now retired but did a 4 year apprenticeship with day release etc. before being let loose. The last 'electrician' I had in wiring my new kitchen had a five day course at a local collage. He freely admitted he was actually a joiner. A very good joiner as it happens. My son, a real electrician, run some tests and found earth loop faults. This is worrying.
Replaced a socket upstairs and informef the local council, they said "why are you telling us". When i mentioned the regs they didnt know what I was talking about. They then said "you should only use one of our approved electricians", I hung up.
Hence the saying - "It's much easier to apologise later than it is to ask permission in the first place."
@@BigClive The trouble is with asking, they may say "No".
Had this exact socket fitted to the side of the house a couple of days ago. It's been fantastic as I don't have to now open the garage door to access a socket. Already proved it's worth
Sense in Scotland! 😜👍🏻🏴
We need Scots sense south of the border too!
@@truckerallikatuk At the moment, no one south of the border is listening to us.
But the main issue is not stopping them who knows how to do it. It's all about making it risky for those who think they can and knows "all about the regulations" but in fact are idiots. Denmark has a nice approach to this. Still illegal to fiddle around in the wires but when selling your property, you will have a hard time since an inspection is required to get a sellers insurance. The seller is responsible to hidden faults in the building for 10 years after the sale. If you are a pro electrician or you did you lessons well and connect according to all standards, you have a "free" approval. If you did a shitty job, you get poor.
We use at least 100 of these for supplying power in tents at festivals.
With *heavy* use (dragging them around fields, transporting them + customer abuse) I've found:
- The clips easily break, fall off and get lost first. (about 10%)
- Hinges snap esp if knocked sideways when open (about 7%)
- The hard plastic sockets inside get shattered. This is because you can't plug a larger 'wall wart' type power supply in properly due to the clearances so people push them too hard to get a connection. (about 7%)
- The RCD versions are ok, only 1 RCD failure in about 100.
- The snap-out 20mm covers around the holes don't look waterproof as there are no rubber seals, though they seem to keep most water out due to the tight fit. The one I have on my house has extra sealant applied on the inside....
- For 'portable' use (which they may not be designed for) extra cable restraint is needed (internal cable tie) along with the correct compression glands.
I'm not knocking the product though - it is by far the best on the market & our hire ones get abnormally abused. Our problems are human-related, not product related. Treated with care they will last for years. No problems with the external plastic either - my permanent ones have survived a few cold winters with no degradation.
Thats a great socket not for just outside .but also workshop plugs my wood workshop has lots of fine dust . And the metal work area gets metal fillings too im for ever cleanng these sockets. Rant on please its cost me a small fortune to get a 20 yearold snotty nosed colage kid to approve my Forty years in the trade thats why ive retired at 50 screw it thats my rant on electricians . Dont get me started on building regs or county councils
I like your rants Clive. I was brought up in the electrical & electronics trade. Back in 1965 I was taught how to put on a plug and the colour code was simple with RED for danger, meaning live. I also had to contend with serial sizes of plugs. 2amp three pin, 5 amp 2pin and 3pin, and the good old 15 amp 3 pins. I think there was also a type of plug where the live pin was the fuse. Yes I progressed on to 3 phase and much higher voltages and then the change in regulations came along and I was told I could no longer even fit a plug. How mad was that so rant all you like Clive. I'm with you.
Thumbs up for rants and use of the word arse. 😁
Arse biscuits!
Simon Tay Drink
Feck...
A rant isn't a rant without the word arse.
Have three of these exact sockets outside my home. Nice to see someone else noticing the clever design features. These ones even include small rubber grommets to cover the wall attachment screws.
Spot-on with your Part P rant too! Thankfully I'm in Scotland.
The big problem I see with the child safety covers on UK sockets is: A) They're a bit redundant. B) They're always flimsy and if broken offer a perfect earth pin to open the shutters. Our 3 have survived fine without them so far.
I survived round pin sockets with no shutters :)
@@GrahamDenison I feel young now, being in my 30's I only know the BS1363 setup (assuming you mean the British round pin plugs).
I fitted one of these on the outside of my house 2 years ago for my hot tub and it is still working perfectly. I am not a qualified electrician but I do use a lot of common sense. I will not be told by certain organisations what I can and cannot do in my own home
Great rant. For my part p is just likely to make people go against the rules and do the work anyway
Yeah we're having that problem now in Canada under use to be it just had to pass a code inspection and almost all work was inspected and safe now you need 3 licences and almost all residential is under the table uninspected and unsafe.
Yeah, of course. Part P can Piss off.
hehehehe, I always put excessive totalitarian application of the regs as a risk into risk assessments, as they cause widespread dissent for safety amongst the workforce, which they do
@@johnsalmons9222 Haha that's hilarious. Going to pinch that one if you don't mind :-p
I have been using four of those sockets on the outside of my house for over 10 years now and they still work perfectly. That's more than can be said for the much more expensive MK units they replaced who's plastic deteriorated within just 5 years or outdoor life.
The comment you made fight after 11:50 almost made me spew my drink at the screen. It hit me as so funny. Love it.
Thank you for this video and your very beautiful calm voice. The two catches on my wall socket had seized up, they were so stiff I couldn't figure out how to open them. 26 seconds in, I just needed to know that opened that way. And brute force could do the rest!
I'm certain that we have Electrical Regulations in Greece but nobody seems to know who has the copy. However, the lackadaisical approach to safety does result in the Darwin effect. Yes, the stupid gene is being phased out in favor of the commonsense gene.
The Greek government is keeping the safety manual away from you in the hopes that you'll all kill yourselves.
Same in Croatia
Is the stupid gene being 3 phased out faster than the single phase option?🤔
@@chriscooper2496 maybe twice as fast, Chris....
I went to Austria for work a few years ago and the day before flying out, called the project manager who was already there to ask if I needed to bring building site required PPE (hi-viz vest, steel toe-cap shoes etc). As it happened, our installation work (security equipment) was in an already working office, so PPE would not have been required even in the UK. However, his response was that no one seemed to bother about health and safety in Austria, that someone on site had sustained an electric shock a few days before and apparently everyone just laughed.
What a coincidence! Delivered a couple of hours ago and I've just found your excellent film all about the product. Thank you for a helpful vlog. I share your feelings and your "rants" are justified. Best Wishes.
Came for the gang box. Stayed for the rants! :D
Gives Lego a run for their money
My husband and I had done some rewiring in the house about 15 years ago - it was a real amateur death-trap. With my family background and through reading and common sense, I'd learned quite a bit about electrical installations. I had the house completely rewired within the last year and I'm appalled by the shoddiness of the work. Yes, it passes safety tests, so it can be certified, but I don't feel as totally comfortable about it as I had with our own work. We have an identical outdoor socket to the one you show, but the installer hadn't drilled the drainage hole. He also left all the original wiring in place, so we have loads of unnecessary holes in joists. He even confessed that he'd been unable to reproduce the routing of the cables we'd made (with a mass of springy coiled net curtain holder fished through voids with a bent coat hanger). I was not impressed, but he seriously underquoted for the job and I wasn't going to be kind to him after I had to pay to fix next door's bedroom ceiling that he cracked. So, yes, the requirement for "qualified" people to do the work has not resulted in an improvement in standards.
I have that same socket by my pond. After a few years of use, no problems so far although the catches can be a bit stiff at times, maybe a good thing. I can't remember drilling a drain hole but then I shouldn't have installed it myself either. D'oh!
By installing it yourself you got a known result. It might be worth turning the power to it off and checking inside for water ingress if there's no drain hole at the bottom. If there is water in it then add the drain hole.
@@BigClive I will do that. Thanks.
I also installed one of these 3 years ago, a week ago I took the front plate off to check the connections etc in the back and apart from some insect shells it was spotlessly clean and everything was still tight, excellent piece of kit. Oh please do keep ranting away as you are the voice of common sense.
U.S. citizen here.. U.K. plugs and sockets seem very practical and well thought out. One thing though.. Those right-angle plugs.. If one gets dropped on the floor and happens to be kicked out into a walkway that can pose a risk. Especially to the weary night-time trip to the loo in low light. I can imagine the screams of pain as an unsuspecting person steps on one, getting impaled by three blunt pins. Some U.S. "Space-saver" plugs have this right-angle design, and for things meant to stay plugged in all the time, that's pretty good. (like the 6-outlet power strips used for when the TV stand is inevitably going to be blocking any access to the wall socket behind it) But most appliances here have the pins in-line with the cords. Granted they do tend to protrude a bit, but if laying on the floor, they are not half as bad as a lego..
I nearly forgot to mention that lately many things such as hair-dryers now have GFCI (ground-fault circuit interrupters) plugs on them. These are very large "Wall-wart" style plugs that usually cover the adjacent outlet, and are often at the foot-hating, 90 deg angle..
Somehow "British engineering" became synonymous to "something awkward" (for me, personally), but I have to say that on the electrical part, British plugs and sockets are pieces of absolutely brilliant and clever engineering.
You mean something like this? ruclips.net/video/1EBfxjSFAxQ/видео.html
There is a rough saying.
British engineering is let down by British manufacturing
Must have owned a british vehicle.
you mean Chinese manufacturing? @@zogworth
@@johnsalmons9222 believe me we were churning out low quality shite when the Chinese were running around in the fields trying to scare sparrows.
That's the danger of a perceived captive audience, lack of investment and complacency
Speaking of acid silicone, I replaced my sis-n-laws kitchen faucet last weekend. Getting the old one out without damaging the sink was a bitch, but installation of the new was a breeze. Getting back to the caulking 3 days for it to be not tacky on the tube said ready for water in 30 minutes will cure in 12 hours 3 days later when ya touch it no fingerprints. And she keeps her house at 68 Frankenstein and 45 ish humidity. Which is well within the recommended 30 min 12 hours full cure.
Sometimes you get a bad batch - or its out of date ?
Ive never had an issue with dow corning silicone, but have had this issue a few times when ive used cheaper brands.
You should take a look at the MK Masterseal Plus sockets - the cord seal on them is a nifty gel pack that neatly seals round any shape of cable. As for Part P - totally agree - total money making scheme. Take a look at the pupils on some of the RUclips'd course demos - I wouldn't let them cut my grass, let alone change my consumer unit.
Rant away Clive. We love it so much. Love from Canada!
I was pretty ingenious when I was 5, I worked out how to push the earth shutter down with a lego spacecraft antenna, then I cut the metal hanging loop on a paper chinese lantern and wedged it into the socket, I had seen how light bulbs worked and thought the lantern would light up..... it did. I may also have been the victim of some mild burns to my fingers an electric shock and a fire in my bedroom.
And that's when your fascination with electricity began.
I'm starting to think the shutters increase the risk for the brightest kids, not just reduce the overall risk... Time for an improved design (and one that doesn't sit prongs-up on the floor so readily)
I find the use of the drain hole on these and any other outdoor enclosure is the golden rule to follow. I have lost count of the amount of boxes i have opened FULL of water that you see someone has proudly caked in silicone thinking they have done a great job but not drain hole 🙈. I always say a great real world example of how drainage is designed in is the humble car headlight they always have downward facing drain holes/ small pipes on the back to allow the enclosure to breath.
Nice rant. Time to chill out and calm down with another Manx beard club. As some one with an old house with a whirly meter and Bakelite fuse box together with crumbling wiring as long as the lights turn on I'll take my chances. It's my choice.
Great rant, same for gas and, believe it or not, people like me who used to make new timber windows but now cannot do so legally as a result of lobbying by the uPVC window cowboys to bring in ridiculous regulations. Fortunately I still have a good stock of old colour cable for when I want to do any wiring in my house (which I wired myself pre-2000 and got it approved for connection by the local electricity board with no problem).
Nice socket, looks well designed to me. Perfect for me to wire in myself while giving idiotic regulatory bodies a two finger salute.
Honestly I wish Aussie sockets had the level of safety design as UK sockets. Having a fuse in each and every appliance would also be a nice touch
I've installed one of these just before Christmas on the wall facing the garden and it's brilliant. The socket is the same but branded Diall (B&Q) and it is brown to match the brickwork of the house.
You rant away Clive, this is a typical problem in the UK where people who have no knowledge in a subject and to much time on their hands in a job that was handed to them from a mate they know from down the pub. Shit you've got me going now.
Same can be said here in the USA! They know better, Just aSK.....
The nice thing about this item is the socket can be removed (four screws) and any double fitment (switches etc) could be put in the same box. I agree entirely with your comments about wiring colours and the rules now imposed on us.
For house use only i still like the old colours red/black/green/bare, Red means Danger in the animal kingdom, we are animals.
Black is cold so no power there, Green well ok grass/earth.
I've never had any problem with wiring, just a matter of respecting it.
The old colours were a problem for people with red/green colour blindness. Although my dad, who is red/green colour blind, rewired a house and had no problems, lol ...
He said they were different shades of brown. It was no problem telling them apart, and black's still black :D
But yeah. The modern standards. Even if you're completely achromatic, one's light, one's dark and one's striped. Someone put some thought into that :)
@@macartm Colorblind people having difficulties with wires is a pathetic excuse. You can smell it in the air how people that decided to change colors are the types that studied "human studies" or some other useless shit and that never touched a bare wire in their life.
Fleksimir They wanted the same colors throughout Europe so they didn't have to make rolls of cable specific to each country. They also wanted to minimize situations where the old and new colors had opposite meanings in really dangerous ways. So they came up with the hitherto unused striped earth, light blue (not dark blue) for neutral and brown as the typical phase. Red, white and black were left unregulated so they could be avoided in places where they had old uses, yet useful for anything extra the electrician might need. Technically, brown live was not in all the regulations, but common enough to be in all the training and instructions.
One thing they missed was testing the dyes under bad lighting conditions such as a cheap LED torch or low grade fluorescent tube.
I really wonder what clause in the British regs requires red live, as I'll have to check if someone snuck that into a recent revision over here too.
@@johnfrancisdoe1563 Any change is bad, regardless of what's the reason. I know I now sound like some idiot that wants everything to stagnate, but that's not the case. The problem with wiring isn't that professionals that are smart enough won't manage this somewhat logical change, they of course will. The problem is that there is a lot of people who have no clue about electricity, that learned from their dad that "you connect xy wire to the left hole of the socket (etc) and it will work". Those are the people that are a real danger, and quite handily those are also the people that might not have proper fusing in the wall and might actually burn their house down if they mix up the wires. What should be top priority is avoiding confusing those idiots. Yes yes, they are illegally doing electrical work in their own house: that has zero relevance for this argument because they do exist and they also have kids that need that roof over their head.
I once almost killed my dad by wiring red and green the wrong way round in a plug. It was the only drum of cable that I ever had a problem with, but I am happier with brown, blue and stripe
This guys has a really good voice. I find myself drifting to blissful sleep even though he's not doing ASMR
DO THE RANT VIDEO
When I was a sixteen year old school boy my Father gave me a copy of the fifteenth edition regs and a mountain of materials and told me to wire the holiday house we were building. I remember that it was a rather daunting challenge but I thoroughly enjoyed it. I remember taking a long time to work out the 2 way switch in the corridor but otherwise it was all wonderfully logical.
We were perhaps not complete safety fools though as we needed it signed off by a professional. So after closing time I drove the slightly inebriated local barman who was also the local qualified electrician to the house to bless it with his megger! It passed after I remembered to connect the final countertop sockets! Oh the shame! We celebrated with another wee drink and the next day the Hydo Board connected us curtesy of the certificate we had written the night before!
Only problem I have had in the intervening 40 odd years was an intermittent tripping when turning on the cooker. After many hours heads scratching with a meter I pulled out the oven and took off the rear panel. To my surprise a pair of unfortunate mice in the process of clambering up to investigate food possibilities within, had between the two of them, managed to span the gap between the live and earth incoming connection posts! They had paid the ultimate price for their cheek and strangely had remained mummified in place such that occasionally they would supply sufficient of a path between them to trip the earth leakage trip if you turned on an element! Macabre.
In 2009 I decided to replace the old wire fused consumer unit with a lovely latest edition twin RCD circuit MCB protected panel that I had been lusting after. I did learn my lesson somewhat this time though as I got a healthy belt whilst disconnecting the main incoming fuse. I'm not so inclined to touch it now it has a supply connection.
Ps. I had enough leftover old style black red cable from that job to do my later English house with so there was no need to trouble a professional to sign off my work there either.
Hi Clive, yes let's have an international rant about these do gooder Burocrats that want to change the rules, so that their mates can get a hold of things they know nothing about. In Australia these idiots are rampant. I have been a sparkey for almost 50 yrs and I am sick of it!
Bought a couple of these from Screwfix, and delighted with the build quality and overall finish..from the practical side, it does the job perfect, and the price at the time was excellent value for money..would highly recommend!!!
What I wouldn't pay to see Sir Clive in a heated "debate" with John Ward. Don't get me wrong, I respect John but the Yin and Yang of their clashing personalities would be just marvellous! Thanks for the review too Clive, I currently use one of these to provide power to my outdoor water feature!
You provide power to the rain?
that would be good to see john comes across as very serious but with a little dark humour side to him as well he certainly knows what he is talking about though and rightly respected
They have different personalities, sure, but I don't think they would disagree much on electrical topics.
I agree on the yin yang personalities but I suspect on most things electrical at least they would have much in common.
Swap Shop or Tizwas?
Great vid as always Clive. We got two of these and they are weather proof BUT with a down side. If it's been raining (and of course it stops because you wouldn't want to play with plugs in the rain would you) and you pop the two locking clips then open the door up. Water drops down over the plug and face of the socket.... Great!. So the only ways around this is first wipe the top of the box dry or open slightly and shake the door so water runs off and not in. Other than that it is very good.
Anyone else find that with theirs. ps: you rant Clive I am with you 100% on wire colours, no need to change from the old ways and I pity the colour blind spark out there.
I'd love to see an electrical standards rant video, it pisses me off too that any idiot can get a certificate to say they know what they're doing, the change in wire colours (I far prefer the RED for DANGER, poo-brown for danger doesn't make sense!!), the fact that competent, if unqualified, people like myself aren't technically allowed to do home wiring (I ignore that, because I know what I'm doing unlike whoever wired up the 2x spurs, ring main and "mystery cable" to the back of the washing machine socket!! 5 wires in one terminal, no wonder it tripped every now and then!), it really annoys the hell out of me!!
Poo-brown for danger would make sense to you if you suffered from one particular type of colour-blindness. As would blue and yellow-green stripes if you had any of the the kinds of colour blindness that cause problems with red/black/green.
@@digitalk68
Yeah, but the EU wire colours for three phase *are* stupid. And that's after they changed them. Before that change, they were *fucking* stupid (two of the three phases used black wire, try to figure out which is which from the lay of the cable).
@@bdf2718 Hi, I am in UK and old enough to remember wiring as red-live green-earth black-neutral, so which set of twats decided to change that and why!!!
Tell you what, we're gonna have a colour scheme where Live is the colour of soil (aka E A R T H) and neutral is the most commonly associated colour with graphic dipiction of "electricity". Sounds sensible. Oh yeah, and lets make the earth stripey and brightly coloured so it looks like a snake; you know, like danger. Brilliant. *FACEPALM*
Brown = Poo (or dirt)
Blue = Water (not to be used with electricity)
Green & Yellow = WTF were they smoking?
Hi Clive, you are so right about the standard having dropped. I few years ago I had a outside floodlight ring that tripped elcb sometimes. All in swa cable, most underground. Cause traced to 4x4 galv box in a rockery with missing earth screw. Supply cable had cut on incoming live by waterproof gland. The box was at an angle and any water ingress shorted out the supply, but cleared it'self right after. A complete pig to find.
PS. I like your comments on Eric O's SMA channel.
Yes the British plugs are very safe and after some time here in Ireland I got used to them but I still think, that the plug's we use in Germany are way more convenient with out loosing a lot of safeness.
The only thing that bothers me about Schuko is the earth contacts on the socket that often get bent by careless users and that it's not polarised. Otherwise it's a pretty compact and robust design.
in the netherlands we also use the schuko plug, it's very good, but it's not fused like the UK one. i do not understand it's allowed to sell a 0.75mm2 (if they are not lying about it, and is it even pure copper) multi-plug extention cord without a fuse in it.
@@adriaan9011 good point. Not being fused is also a big disadvantage. 3G0.75mm2 cable plugged into a 16A socket, quite dangerous but yet widely used all over Europe...
The Australian plug is imo better, it is cheaper to manufacture and has the same safety features (apart from the fuse), but the angled prongs provide polarisation with 2 pin use and hold up any plugged in item really well. (its isnt Australian btw - it is an update of IEC type 1, an early US plug)
The same safety features, except for the biggest one.. lol. No, it’s not as safe is it then.
Thank you for your experienced views and observations (including "rant"). I have now purchased this item
Please do the rant video, Clive. You could demystify what technical skill/knowledge is needed for young people to get certified - encouraging for many young Brits into the trade. Also - building regs aren't free do download (right?) - that seems like a scam.
Is this what you're looking for?
www.planningportal.co.uk/info/200135/approved_documents
Maybe you're thinking of the IET Wiring Regs, which will cost you £95 on paper. Last time I wanted to look at a copy in my local library I found it was locked up behind the counter because folk kept nicking it.
When I was but a lad and the pins on plug tops were not shrouded we used to get a length of multi core solder and wrap it around the live and neutral pins then insert the plug into a socket. Imagine the merth when someone switched on the supply causing a blue flash and the plug to be launched across the workshop. :) Happy days
The British plug maybe ugly but is very safe and the wiring is at 90 degrees to the direction of pulling the plug out so the plug remains in the socket. Unlike other plugs such as American that keep getting pulled out.
@@pmailkeey If you call that safety.
Using say an angle grinder on two extension leads here in a yard in Australia will result in at least 20 minutes wasted by constantly reconnecting one of the three plugs back in. The solution is to tie the ends of each lead together which definately will stress the cable. Aussie and US plugs are shite in this respect and the pins bend if you just look at them let alone tread on them.
A UK plug is designed so that a lead under tension will break at the live or active pin first, followed by the neutral and finally the earth. And you'll only step on a UK plug once.
@@sumpyman Oh Sumpy, you just described last week with constantly re-plugging the bloody grinder back into the cord. Thanks for the semi-annoyed at aussie standards chuckle . I really need to fix my laptop and get the bloody 3D printer going to make some extension cord clamps so they'll stay together without the knot
@@databanks thanks man, and that idea of yours sound great. Now if you could russle up something that enables a double gang plug socket NOT to be rendered 50% useless when you plug something like a phone charger in would be grand too!
@@sumpyman Oh yeah, know that pain. Generally I just slap a 90cm extension lead in for the plugpacks. Or a power board with the extra wide spacing if you can find them. Actually have one here I got from Cheap as Chips (discount store like Reject Shop) that has extra wide spacing and a switch for each socket. plus 4 USB ports (clive'd love to rip it apart, I bet)
My Dad does most of his own electrical work. Not least because if he hired people to run or replace wires they might not keep his data and power cables separate. Also this is in a listed building and because of the number of holes already drilled through or cut into the floor joists, all in the same areas and at different heights, he's very particular about how he routes cables.
I remember him doing so much work on the wiring when I was a kid.
Somewhere he's got a complete map of the wiring and the plumbing which he drew up.
Seriously, if its just odd jobs, who is even going to notice? The whole idea seems bonkers as is most of Englands choices these days tbh.
You would be surprised how much stuff was done before 2005!
@@beware_the_moose Indeed, the 2016 date on those cables was just a mistake, it was really purchased in 2004 honestly sir :D
Love those transparent plugtops. I have the exact same box providing power to my garden activities. Mine came with a rubber adaptor to allow using than un drilled back middle hole, the adaptor fits standard 20mm trunking The LEDs are great for telling me the power is out in our area is is frequently an issue. To get round the new regs I just made mine off to a plug and it just plugs into the double gang socket on the wall inside. Making it technically portable, like an extension lead.
Did my Part P when it first came out, gave me the knowledge to do but none of the permission. Learnt way more just working with the trades over the years. Just get all my work signed off by mates who are registered.
my level 3 ran out a few years ago will that stop me in my own home, nope..just because im not upto to date didn't turn me into a cowboy!
Will your insurance company agree?
@@Szlater If you know what you're doing, insurance will never become involved anyway.
Considering the state of the wiring in my house when I moved in I'm surprised it lasted that long, wires routed diagonally up walls and running under heating pipes in the same notch of the joists and some other non compliant work!
I know a guy who spent half his working life building high voltage substations. When he retired he had to get another sparks to rewire a house he bought. :(
@@gerrybvr it's mental! That guy is probably more cautious and careful than any electrician!
In the US, I don't think you need to have any kind of approval to do electrical work on your own house. Obviously, not knowing what you're doing is dangerous, but there's no regulation stopping us. The only time it would be an issue is if you did some work that wasn't up to Electrical Codes and then tried to sell the house. The home inspector would make note and then you'd then have to bring it up to code at that point.
In the US we still use the same dangerous sockets we've been using since they finally allowed the good old 2 blade Edison socket to have a ground. It allows us to poke it with screw drivers, small fingers, tongues, all sorts of stuff for your shocking pleasure, all at 110-120V and ~3A (or so) so it will grab and hold instead of knocking one across the room...
Haven't bought any lately, have you? They're shuttered now, or at least the 'residential' ones are. Of course, I use 'commercial' sockets if I'm replacing any, they're a bit more robust and don't have the annoying shutters - or at least didn't the last time I bought, they may have been added by now.
The shutter design is crap, the British design uses the ground pin to open them, but since US plugs aren't always grounded there had to be a different mechanism, it's supposed to only open if something is jammed in both hot and neutral at once. It typically doesn't work well.
I still say US plugs are better than British plugs, though. Less potential for severe foot injury.
I got one of these from an electrical supplier where my son works. I was originally buying the version with an RCD socket. They sent the plain socket version and standard dual gang 13A RCD socket. He said just swap them and it actually costs considerably less. i said great, thanks.
The socket that came out was on ~7.5mm deep face plate with rounded corners compared to the standard face plate which is ~12mm deep and has square corners. So wasn't a straight swap! As I did/do not intend to use it in extreme wet conditions and didn't have the time to get the original request and couldn't find a low profile faceplate dual gang 13A RCD sock i adapted ir.
No one fault you can't see that it has a low profile socket without disassembling it.
Hope I dont insult ya but the "BigClive" rants are kinda pleasant. Compared to most working on anything. I'd really like to know how many kids were getting shocked. Maybe I'll do the jazz hands routine on the gargaler see what misinformation pops up.
When the old style, non sleeved, plugs were in common use, a partially inserted plug could become a shock hazard without necessarily abusing them.
I recall once knocking a wire coat hanger off of a worktop for it to fall just so that it hung over a partially inserted (full length phase and neutral pins) plug behind a box. When moving the box to retrieve it, it swung causing it to short phase and earth. This was mid 70's.
What I do find staggering, and a common BigClive feature while "reviewing" odd imported devices, is the misinterpretation of the sleeved pins when applied to the earth pin. This often results in a NON-Earthed appliance - Madness!
I am British and quite surprised by some of the comments. I have similar external sockets which stay outside in the garden all year round. They were for Christmas external lights when my grandchildren were small. I have never had a problem with them. The 13-amp fused plug is an amazing thing, you can change the fuse from 3 amp up to 13 am so one can protect each individual piece of electrical equipment according to its rating. The shields for the live and neutral pins of the 13-amp socket are a great idea. Kids do tend to poke things into everything and these prevent them from doing so. OK if you have a child built like a brick s*it house then yes, maybe they could get inside. I have 5 children and 8 grandchildren all of whom have lived with us at some point as well as visiting. Over the years some of them have been told off for trying to place things into the socket but never once have they hurt themselves because I do believe the shields work. I have been all over the world as an engineer in the merchant navy. I actually believe we have the safest 13-amp ring main equipment in the world. It is sturdy and anyone who steps on the pins of the plug maybe needs to look where they are going or get their eyes tested. I agree with the part about only being able to have a qualified person to do electrical work in one’s home. As a marine engineer I was trained and believe myself qualified to do my own electrical work and my twin brother who lives with us is an apprentice trained electrician who was felt qualified enough to install and test wiring for nuclear submarines but according to our regs, not so for household wiring. Responsible people still do their own electrical work in their own houses, where this law really comes into focus is when you want to sell your house, then you must get one of these course trained rather than apprenticed trained electrical bods to certify that your electrical system is OK and I believe you need a certificate. I think this law was introduced to prevent cowboys from doing their own electrics but one can never police it. Another good video Clive, I really do enjoy your channel.
I complained to NAPIT about the atrocious quality of a "rewire" carried out by one of its members.
Did they care? Of course not. They'd rather take his money than piss him off, as another sparky told me
It's all cash driven.
Just what I wanted!!!! I had it on my eBay cart for over 3 months and couldn't decide!!! Thanks BigClive!!!
first thought ditch the sockets and one has a nice outdoor projectbox.
On the one hand, I admire the engineering and thoughtfulness that the UK plugs demonstrate so well. On the other hand, I'd hate to have these plugs on every item. I can't imagine trying to fit a dozen of these plugs behind AV cabinets and the like.
Many of the standard 2 pin plugs I have seen on the Continent and in the USA have the cable entering straight in which needs a very large clearance behind a cabinet etc. I know right angle ones are available but they appear less common. All UK plugs are rt angle entry. Also, don’t forget we are 230V rather than 110V hence the beefier pins.
Yes keep your part P down in Englandshire and leave Scotland alone. Nice Rant, more please.
Big Clive, even when you "rant" it seems so cheerful and polite.
It goes to show you that the folks in charge of creating regulations don't always listen to those in the know and I guess it doesn't matter where you live. Sometimes you have to wonder where they get their ideas from and whether it's motivated by greed or common sense.
I am sure I have seen somewhere that the shutters on some newer versions will not open unless the lower pins are pressing the shutters as well as the earth pin. So you can't open the shutters by pushing something into to the earth hole as you did with your screwdriver.
Yep. That's been a feature of MK sockets for a decade or two now. And some other makes.
In between the "earth pin to open shutter" and "all 3 pins to open shutter" MK had a "live and neutral pin to open shutter" design on the market for a couple of decades. Note that that design required *simultaneous* insertion of live and neutral pin to operate. You couldn't open the shutter with a screwdriver poked into just one hole. Well, you could, but you needed a bit of skill and luck to do it. That feature carried over into the "all 3 pins to open shutter" design. Earth and live won't do it. Earth and neutral won't do it.
@pmailkeey That'll be good for saving power :)
@@bdf2718 While most of MKs ranges have now been updated to use the "3 pin" shutter there are still a handful of current MK products that use the "2 pin" design. Specifically the metal hinged cover floor sockets, the panel mount sockets and the "mini logic" small surface mount double socket.
When uk flex colours changed from red black, I think in the late 70s, there was a public information film with the rhyme "brown is hot, blue is not, green and yellow earth the lot "
Yeah, part p. Where do I start ? Kitchen fitters doing a short course so the company doesn't have to employ qualified sparks, plumbers doing for the same reason. Nightmares I've seen by these guys is just astounding. Gave up domestic wiring when i got told that although i had upto date regs and testing qualifications, certified also to 65KV as well, I wasn't qualified to install an outside socket ! Should have been a proper license system with only qualified sparks allowed to purchase materials instead now we have anyone can buy off Amazon and wire houses etc with a leaflet from the 'net. Dangerous and ridiculous.
I gave up on domestic wiring after having 3 lock out locks cut off the rcd on the ring I was working on so painters and joiners could put on a kettle. I went back to fixing cars
The point about part P is that is unfairly disqualifies perfectly competent people like you and me and BG from doing electrical work that is by comparison to what we do professionally and absolute breeze and hands it over to people, some of whom could be a lot less skilled than we are.
I got a qualified electrician to wire an EV charging point recently. Sadly, although he put his details in the installer section of the form, he forgot to sign it so I had to put my name in as a joint installer so I could sign and date it before posting it to Western Power. The DNO then contacted me for additional info before approving the installation. Part P forced me to use a "qualified" electrician but I could have easily completed the install myself and it would have been every bit as safe and well done. In fact I practically did install it anyway, fitting the conduit, the appliance, surge protectors and MCB, leaving just the actual wiring run and tests to the electrician. I even selected and supplied the cable. Part P is nonsense dressed up as a safety scheme which it is not, it does generate a lot of income for the NICEIC however.
So no, I dont agree with a license system to access materials, that would be even worse than what we have now. What should have been introduced was mandatory standards instead, no wriggle room then for poor workmanship but it would have allowed people like us to carry on doing quality safe electrical work.
i have 3 of these outside in my garden they are like you said very well made. i've had no issues with water inside or any other issues with these sockets. one thing you did miss out clive is that one of the main safety features is that you can put a small padlock on to it to stop children trying to open it when it's in use.