Just Wondering

[Chippie]

How is it that electric plugs with the cable coming out of the top are on the increase I think they are not ergonomically sound the "normal" ones were certainly easier to handle. They also somehow look untidy hanging in a "loop" and puts the cable under increased strain?


I have a theory, but was wondering if there are others who have similar moans, as it appears that a large proportion of the Forum are elderly, and whether there is an ulterior motive for it?

[Gordon Bartlett]

Having one of each allows you to put two of them into one duplex outlet.

[Peerie Maa]

Having one of each allows you to put two of them into one duplex outlet.

US outlets and plugs differ from UK standard

[Ron Williamson]

The upper pic of Peerie's is a 20A receptacle and not common.
Most have 2 vertical spades.

I would say that lots of plugs are flat so that the cord won't get pinched or strained when something is pushed up against it.
There is also less of a tendency for the cord to unplug due to gravity,leaving live terminals exposed.
R

[Chippie]

OK let's start again.

How is it that electric plugs with the cable coming out of the top are on the increase I think they are not ergonomically sound the "normal" ones were certainly easier to handle. They also somehow look untidy hanging in a "loop" and puts the cable under increased strain?


I have a THEORY but was wondering if there are others who have similar moans, as it appears that a large proportion of the Forum are elderly, and whether there IS THERE AN ULTERIOR MOTIVE for it?

[Chippie]

Photo failed.

[Gordon Bartlett]

If the backward plug is on a stationary tool or appliance, you could just flip the corresponding receptical over to suit the plug.

[Chippie]

True.
My questions however are why have they swiched them around anyway?
Does it annoy anyone else?
Could there be an ulterior motive behind them doing so?

I suspect there is.
There are many things similar to this, that give rise to my thinking that way.

[Peerie Maa]

I was introduced to a clever idea this weekend.

No 1 son is a joiner. He has a shop vacuum that you can connect to a sander. The sander power cable plugs into the vacuum, and if you select the correct switch position, the vacuum only runs when you turn the sander on.

[Chippie]

And my questions Nick??

[JayInOz]

These are standard here- We can get the plug with the cord in any direction but straight out is normal. And the switch at the wall is compulsory.
https://www.google.com/search?q=aust...client=gws-wiz Click "view all" under the image. JayInOz

[Torna]

I think that the answer is that newer guidance on installing wall receptacles is that the ground lug should go on top and the two spades on the bottom. Imagine a partly pulled out plug and someone drops a pin, nail, or coin such that it falls onto the exposed contacts: you want it to hit the ground lug first - and not fall across the two live contacts. So new installs should have the ground lug on top.
And with that method, the new right angle plugs will have the cord emerge from the bottom as you would expect.

-Leif LaWhite

[Peerie Maa]

And my questions Nick??

I have not yet seen the plug that you describe (except for phone chargers), and I don't tend to moan about what I cannot change.

[Ron Williamson]

I was introduced to a clever idea this weekend.

No 1 son is a joiner. He has a shop vacuum that you can connect to a sander. The sander power cable plugs into the vacuum, and if you select the correct switch position, the vacuum only runs when you turn the sander on.

We use a Makita,a couple of Bosch,and a few Festools with that feature.
Very nice.



Chippie
What is your alterior motive theory?

R

[Chippie]

What I am referring to may we'll be a phone charger Nick so I'll ask you again.

Why have they to changed from the usual cable entering in through the bottom (as in your photo) to ones where they go through the top?
i am wondering which photo host do the Forum recommend?

[AnalogKid]

For anyone out there that thinks standing on Lego (note, the plural and singular form are the same, no 's' required) is painful, try standing on a UK 240V plug that is lying on it's flat back, prongs up.

NZ plugs are sort of halfway between the UK and US. Three pins are usual, but they are insubstantial compared to the UK ones, and just to be different, the live and neutral blades are angled. Still, they can still hurt, but rarely lie flat on their backs, partly because the body is small so that is not a stable orientation, but mainly because most moulded-on OEM cables have the cable coming out of the back of the plug, and only DIY replaceable plugs have an entry on the bottom edge, as is normal with a UK plug. If UK plugs were like this, many a bruised foot could be prevented.



As to why this orientation of plug and cable is becoming prevalent, my guess is that it's a combination. This style is particularly suited to mass production moulding techniques to form the plug body, and the expectation is that a multi-socket extension cable will be employed more often than not, and this style allows all the sockets to be used without the cable from one blocking access to another, regardless of the orientation of the sockets.

But that just introduces the topic of power adapters and the lazy, space hungry design of many of those does block adjacent sockets.

[J.Madison]

Having the ground on top means a dropped tape measure or whatever on a loose plug will hit the ground rather than connecting the hots. I complained to the electrician on a new factory build where every outlet was installed upside-down. After the explanation I always install them that way now too. Our plugs in the us are a bit different.

Edit, I see torna beat me to it.

[Chippie]

I have not yet seen the plug that you describe (except for phone chargers), and I don't tend to moan about what I cannot change.

My questions are multiple Nick so I'll make it simple.
Are there any little things that you find irritating that when you were younger you just shrugged off or perhaps didn't even notice.
Me excluded mind.

[Peerie Maa]

What I am referring to may we'll be a phone charger Nick so I'll ask you again.

Why have they to changed from the usual cable entering in through the bottom (as in your photo) to ones where they go through the top?

No eyed deer.

i am wondering which photo host do the Forum recommend?

You do find that the owner of an image makes it impossible to cut and paste. If I really want that image, I save it to my 'puter memory, use a photo editor to ensure that it shows and is a JPEG. Then I upload it from my 'putor

My questions are multiple Nick so I'll make it simple.
Are there any little things that you find irritating that when you were younger you just shrugged off or perhaps didn't even notice.
Me excluded mind.

Nope.

[Chip-skiff]

That sort of 90° plug is good if you have furniture that needs to be close to a wall.

[Gordon Bartlett]

Chippie,
I guess I have nothing helpful to add, but I do wish you would share your notion of "ulterior motives" with us.

[Osborne Russell]

Right angle plugs are good for leading power strips to the wall. Straight plugs are better for plugging into the power strip. Often a power strip can only accomodate one right angle plug, which has to go on the far end or it will block the others.

[Chippie]

See "Still Wonderingly"