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Comment by esturk | Hacker News Reader

After the whole lightning to USB-C plug fiasco for the iPhone, I wonder if the EU will ever throw their weight to force certain smaller countries to adopt more popular socket standards. It might even be done in the name of "reducing e-waste".

Just looking over the list above, it seems like Type-J (Swiss & Liechtenstein only) and Type-K (Denmark & Greenland only) are prime candidates. I'm only looking at sockets within the EU border btw.

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You need to take Type-J from my cold dead hands. The image shows a quite important safety feature (and misses one):

The socket is recessed into the wall, and only the frontmost part of the plug is conducting. That means that while you are plugging it in, there is never any metal exposed. Contact can only be made when the plug is already quite far in the socket.

The second feature would be to mount the socket upside down, so the center hole (the ground contact) is on the top. Metal objects falling down on the plug are prevented from making contact with the two current-carrying contacts and usually bounce right off the center contact.

While the compact-ness of Type J is very convincing, I personally like Types E and F best. This is because the ground is exposed, so you can quickly touch it to remove any static charges from yourself. I do this f.e. before handling circuit boards.

Also only 10 amps

> The socket is recessed into the wall, and only the frontmost part of the plug is conducting. That means that while you are plugging it in, there is never any metal exposed. Contact can only be made when the plug is already quite far in the socket.

Same thing for E/F... the actual metal connectors for power are recessed in socket so when socket is in you can't touch anything before it even connects power, because plug itself covers the socket

But yeah, type J is more compact one, althought only 10 amps is laughable

I'd rather have C13/C14 than any of those tbh

What domestic device are you using that consumes more than 2.3kW? My vacuum cleaner with 900W is the most power hungry one I can think of. That is a pretty wide margin.

A 3kW kettle is the classic 13A appliance in the UK. I'm sure people would be keen to have a higher power version if possible, but lowering to 2.3kW would waste precious tea drinking time.

I've also got a 3kW plug-in electric radiator for emergency heat in the attic, but except for poor households in crap rented accommodation (lowest capital cost per kW and portable on moving) that's pretty niche these days.

Switzerland and Liechtenstein are outside the EU. As for the type K, type F sockets are already permissible in Denmark, and are not uncommon in newer installations. The page on type K mentions that the expectation is that type K will be phased out eventually, as newer installations use type F, but I haven't really seen a lot of type F sockets, and there are no mandates to change existing installations.

Malta and Ireland use type G.

and Cyprus

That's not how the EU works.

All rules and regulations are really optional. If a country flat out refuses to implement one of them nothing happens.

This is why all those complaining that "countries lost their sovereignty to the EU" are hilarious because no such thing happened.

This is just not true though.

https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/memo_1...

There are directives, and there are regulations. There is a difference.

Type J is a good design, the Danish one is quite unique. Too big. Schuko is too big as well. I installed Italian Type L/Type C sockets for 10 amp type C plugs where I had half a module left.

The EU has no jurisdiction over Switzerland and Lichtenstein.

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