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Comment by deepsun | Hacker News Reader

It is genuinely the worst IMHO:

1. Too large and heavy to carry around.

2. Requires grounding (third pin), even when devices don't need it. Other standards let devices decide.

3. Doesn't allow the cord to go straight out of the plug, it always go sideways which makes it even clunkier, harder to plug (e.g. behind a nightstand at a hotel), and more prone to cord damage from bending.

CEE 7/3 and CEE 7/5 (known as "French" and "German") are way better IMHO. I doubt they have problems with "wiggling and sparking" -- that wouldn't pass certification. And it's easy to make a plug to fit both of them, with or without grounding. CEE 7/5 can even be plugged upside down.

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1. There is little size difference between your choices and BS1363 plugs/sockets. They are large, I concede, but that is in pursuit of the many safety features of the plug.

2. Better have it than not. Plus, it makes for a single uniform plug design and specification that is straightforwardly adhered to.

3. IMO this is a good thing as it allows furniture to be set up considerably closer to the walls.

Funny you mention hotels, because I was in one in France not two weeks ago and it had the worst sockets I've ever seen. My phones took forever to charge, half the sockets didn't even seem to have power, and they all had this unintuitive setup where there was a spring loaded panel in the socket that needed to be twisted to get the plug in.

Now, I've seen some odd BS1363 setups, but never one this strange.

> Funny you mention hotels, because I was in one in France not two weeks ago and it had the worst sockets I've ever seen.

My worst experience was in a hotel in the US, with the weight of my adapter and plug they just fell out of the socket. Luckily, for once Jesus saved me; the ubiquitous bible in the nightstand drawer was just the right size to prop up the adapter and I was able to charge my laptop!

Never had a problem with Schuko plugs falling out by themselves, FWIW, if anything the springs are often so tight you need two hands to pull it out so you don't wiggle the socket.

> there was a spring loaded panel in the socket that needed to be twisted to get the plug in.

Sounds like dust protection and/or "Kindersicherung"(Child safety/protection)

One can get them as an add on, to retrofit 'Schukos'.

That unintuitive setup is a common child safety measure. It's not part of the socket design, the construction is usually an inlay.

i really like Min-Kue Cho’s folding plug

https://www.dezeen.com/2012/02/20/folding-plug-by-min-kyu-ch...

1. Are we talking about the same plugs? Europlugs are significantly smaller and fit into both [1]. Grounded is larger but still way smaller than BS1363.

2. No, there's simply no point in having it for devices that don't need it.

3. My point is Europlugs give you choice, there are plugs that bend and ones that are not, your choice. BS1363 is always bent.

> My phones took forever to charge

Dude, that's not how chargers work. They either charge at full power your charger can, or do not charge at all. Well, unless your charger can supply 2000+ W to your phones, but I've yet to see a phone capable of more that 37 W. Which means one plug can charge _at least_ 50 phones at the same time, maybe even 100. Any plug is _way_ more powerful than USB can deliver.

[1] https://www.plugsocketmuseum.nl/Europlug1.html

On 2/ there is a safety point in having the grounding pin on all plugs, and it being longer than the live/neutral: in the socket side, the grounding pin opens up latches that block live/neutral, so kids can’t stick things into them..

I generally would agree it is the best plug standard for safety, but clunky and painful to step on..

My only issue with the plug is 3. sort of. I prefer the cable being perpendicular to the plug (prevents accidental removal), but I wish there was a standard dictating which way it should leave relative to the earth pin. Drives me mad when plugging in items to an extension lead and they all come off in different directions.

Agreed. If anything it's an icon of overengineering. The main advantage imo is that you dont need to worry about a kid sticking a fork into the wall socket. I grew up with it so i never really thought it strange that the plugs are 2 or 3 times bigger then necessary. It's an event every time you connect to the National Grid as the plug slots into the wall with a satisfying clunk, so there's that i guess.

Ironically the older BS546† had smaller plugs for lower powered appliances. But each different size of plug needed a different socket, because the fuse was in the socket. This system is still used in India, but I'm not sure how widespread it is.

† https://www.plugsocketmuseum.nl/OldBritish1.html

BS546 is very uncommon now, but can still be found in some relatively modern british homes and businesses where the sockets are used to "code" for connected appliances. For example, the 5A socket may be wired up to a switched lighting circuit to connect lamps but prevent connecting higher power appliances. I've also seen the 15A sockets being placed in communal areas of flats to provide cleaning and maintenance staff power while discouraging tenants from using them.

If a device doesn't require grounding the third pin is often just made of plastic so it opens the shutters.

There are newer design with foldable pins. Other than size I dont see anything you mentioned as downsides. Especially Earth Pin.

You're completely right. People love the British plug because it has lots of features but they're mostly obsolete features or required by the equally obsolete ring wiring. So in the end, it's just a pile of useless inconveniences. Don't Britons have RCDs?

4. Hurts when you step on it.

Understatement of the century. It legitimately makes stepping on legos seem like a spa day.

You forgot to add that when the fuse does go it can melt the plug and sometimes the wall socket.

Really? I haven't lived in UK so long to see it, but isn't the whole purpose of a fuse to prevent fires.

I've only seen this happen when the plug was fitted badly (pinched or damaged wires inside the plug) or someone use a nail in place of the fuse. People do stupid things like that all the time but it's not the fault of the standard, a fuse should blow if it's run over-current for too long.

Nobody else uses fuses.If someone does overload their circuit you have a fusebox for that exact reason.

It can happen if a high power device is used continually. This is against the regulations, but sometimes people do things like connect a 3kW weather heater with a 13A plug, or connect several devices adding up to that power through a power strip.

It can when you overload a socket, which i have done accidentally. And it just melts the socket it doesn't set it on fire.

If you run 13 amps through a cheap plug it will get very hot.

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