Right angle mains plugs in Australia

[Diver300]

In the UK, just about all mains plugs have the cable come out the bottom of the plug, so it runs down the wall.

European Shucko plugs are either straight, where the cable comes out the back, perpendicular to the wall, or they are angle down like the UK ones.

I've used Australian mains plugs where the cable comes out the back. Alibaba has some where the cable runs down the wall, but my question is how common are those? Are they everywhere, seen occasionally, or just about unheard of?

 

[Pommie]

Never seen one and I've been here over 20 years.

Mike.
Edit, just checked and I have one on an extension cable.

 

[Diver300]

Never seen one and I've been here over 20 years.

Mike.
Edit, just checked and I have one on an extension cable.

On that one, is the cable on the far side from the earth pin?

 

[Pommie]

No, it's like this,

So, if the earth pin is at 12 O'clock the cable is around 1:30.

Mike.

 

[augustinetez]

Never seen one and I've been here over 20 years.

Mike.

You need to go to Bunnings more often, plenty there around the $4 mark.

 

[Pommie]

You need to go to Bunnings more often, plenty there around the $4 mark.

I now realize that all (most?) Multiway extension cables have this type of plug. I've also noticed my kettle plug is the same but with an "easy grip" ring. I guess aimed at the infirm.

I've also seen "piggyback" plugs where the back of the plug is a socket to allow the original appliance to plugin.

To anyone wondering, the wall sockets here are upside down compared to UK. I.E. the Earth pin is in the 6 O'clock position.

Mike.

 

[augustinetez]

To anyone wondering, the wall sockets here are upside down compared to UK. I.E. the Earth pin is in the 6 O'clock position.

Mike.

Well, we are 'Downunder'

 

[granddad]

Ones wife found uk plugs seem to have got less shoulder to grip to pull out of the outlet , But the resident engineer found some plugs with a pull loop , problem solved, ( Not sure if I am allowed to change a mains plug ).

 

[Pommie]

( Not sure if I am allowed to change a mains plug ).

Here in Aus, I'm not allowed to change a plug. I'm not licensed, qualified yes but not paid the license fee. Seems the legalized mafia are in power.

Mike.

 

[JimB]

Here in Aus, I'm not allowed to change a plug.

On my first trip to Aus, I arrived with a load of gear with UK plugs and a couple of mains distribution blocks.
I asked my contact at the place I was working where I could get some local mains plugs to connect up my gear as appropriate.
The look of horror on her face was a sight to see. You would have thought that I was asking for a Quokka* to cook on the barbie. And was informed that I needed a license to do such things.
I ended up with a shonky "travel adapter". (Much safer than any mains plug that I could install - I don't think. ).

For future trips I was now wise to the problem.
In the UK I bought a couple of Aus mains leads from RS Components, wired them to multiway UK mains blocks, and never had to ask such an embarrassing question again.

JimB


*An endangered species, like a miniature kangaroo.

 

[Pommie]

Incredibly, being qualified doesn't count. You have to pay the legalized mafia or else.

BTW, I'm allowed to work on CRT colour TVs. I think - can't find the rules.

Mike.
Edit BTW, quokkas taste incredible .
Edit 2, to buy any electrical component, including plugs, go to Bunnings.

 

[For The Popcorn]

'm not allowed to change a plug.

Really? Wow. What if a table lamp needed rewiring?

And you follow the rules?

 

[Pommie]

I wired my daughter's new shed from distribution box to new lights. No I didn't, would never break the law.

Mike.

 

[For The Popcorn]

No I didn't, would never break the law.

I didn't think you would
(It doesn't like my wink face. Grrrrrr)

 

[Nigel Goodwin]

Incredibly, being qualified doesn't count. You have to pay the legalized mafia or else.

BTW, I'm allowed to work on CRT colour TVs. I think - can't find the rules.

I'm absolutely bemused by that

In the UK mains plugs are freely available (also obviously many less than they were before moulded plugs), and no qualifications (or brains) required to fit them - there are various restriction on what you can and can't do for house wiring, where you need to be a suitably qualified electrician. Repairing TV's, nothing needed at all.

We used to take work experience kids from school where I used to work, 14/15 year olds, for a week. Generally they had no interest in electronics at all, and the first thing I always did was try and teach them how to fit a mains plug - very few were able to achieve it in the week?. We only had one lad who was any good, and I'd happily have offered him a job

Funnily enough, where I work now, we're trying to find a young apprentice - but there seems a complete lack of kids interested in electronics. We've contacted the local college, and they are looking for suitable applicants - but the college no longer offers courses in electronics, best they can do is electrical or mechanical engineering.

We did have a young guy for a few months to try (not from the college), he was older and had just finished his Masters at University (in some sort of Music Tech, DSP etc.). He was absolutely useless - we taught him to solder, and he managed to take to that OK, but he was just incredibly slow and took no care in what he was doing.

 

[For The Popcorn]

In the UK mains plugs are freely available (also obviously many less than they were before moulded plugs), and no qualifications (or brains) required to fit them

Didn't the UK used to sell appliances with no cords – that was left up to the buyer?

 

[Pommie]

The incredible thing here (Aus) is replacement plugs come with a wire cutting diagram. Go figure.

Mike.
Edit when I was taught to wire a plug, the earth had to have lots of slack so it'd be the last to be pulled out. Not so in Australia.

 

[Pommie]

Didn't the UK used to sell appliances with no cords – that was left up to the buyer?

Not that I remember.

Mike.

 

[For The Popcorn]

I think BigClive said that in one (several?) of his videos.

 

[Nigel Goodwin]

Didn't the UK used to sell appliances with no cords – that was left up to the buyer?

Well they were never called 'cords' here anyway

But decades ago appliances just came with bare leads, and you fitted your own plugs - there were a good number of entirely different mains plugs in use, so pre-fitted ones would likely need chopping off anyway. Plug in mains leads were relatively uncommon, but if an appliance needed one, then it would come with one, again with bare ends.

Once the UK plug had finally been standardised, for enough years to make a good difference, then fitted plugs started to appear, and eventually legislation was introduced where all items had to have a fitted plug.

Interestingly, one of the very old UK plugs, the 15A round pin type, is still used today in South Africa.

My original boss where I used to work had different plugs upstairs and downstairs, 15A downstairs and 5A upstairs - so if he took the vacuum cleaner upstairs he had to change the plug. He was too tight to get the house rewired properly, and it stayed like that until he died, and the new owner had it all refurbished, and rewired properly.