Grounding plug: one-piece or dismountable

There is a plug connection to connect all kinds of household appliances, lighting equipment and other devices that use electricity in its various forms. One of the components is an electrical outlet, the other is a plug. The rapid development of the market for household appliances and electronics has caused increased stress on home power networks. Various devices are available to protect against electric shock. Including grounding plug.

Plug types

The division is simple: collapsible or monolithic. Regardless of the form, the content and purpose are the same. Each plug is designed to connect the consumer with the electricity supplier - a socket.

Non-collapsible devices are more popular due to their convenience and reliability. Elasticity allows you not to worry about wire breakage in case of a jerk. The solidity of the structure protects against moisture penetration inside, and therefore from short circuit and oxidation. A common problem is kinking at the base of the connector. Unlike collapsible forks, such products are not repairable.

main parameters

Each device has individual features. But there are features that distinguish one plug from another. There are several such details:

• The number of contacts can be two or three. For example, a technique intended for use in Europe has two pins, the American one has three.
• Their shape is very diverse: from flat to polygonal.
• Connection standard.

Earthed plug and its design

The safety factor is decisive in the production of electrical equipment. All developments and improvements are aimed at this. One such implementation is the grounding plug. In Soviet times, residential buildings did not have grounding loops, so the average person had no idea about this voltage protection system. It was enough to disassemble the socket or plug and connect two wires.

Now all new equipment is equipped with connectors of a new standard with a third, grounding one. New buildings are leased in accordance with the requirements, with the arrangement of a separately connected land. The main part of any plug is contacts. They are available in steel or copper, as well as galvanized zinc, tin or nickel.

There are three of them in a grounded electrical plug:

• One is connected to a phase that directly supplies voltage to the consumer.
• In the ideal case, a current of the same rating should flow through the zero, or neutral, contact. When closed, its sharp increase occurs and protection is triggered. It is strictly forbidden to connect the neutral to the frame or ground loop due to its electrical connection to the phase.
• The third contact, grounding, has no direct connection with the phase wire. It is connected to non-live parts and protects against earth faults and leakage currents. In such cases, circuit breakers and RCDs are also triggered.

Major standards

Since there is no single standard for powering electrical appliances on the planet, there are also many types of plug connections.. All states use two different types of food:

• A voltage of 110-127 V and a frequency of 60 hertz is used in American countries.
• 220-240 V, 50 hertz - European model.

In most states, one type of tension is adopted, but there are exceptions when both are used. In total, there are 14 standard connection types, plus special plugs for some equipment to exclude household voltage from entering it, for example, a wired radio connector.

Type A connector

Similar compounds are used in the North and Central American states and in Japan. The opposing pins in the Japanese plug are identical, in the American one - one thicker, to maintain polarity. The second name of the state standard Class II. It is interesting that an Asian plug will fit into an American outlet without any problems, but it will not work to do the opposite without a special groove.

Class B standard

Powerful household devices with a current draw of up to 15 amperes in the same countries have this type of connection. Sometimes it is called Class I, and the international classifier gives the label NEMA 5-15. This is the same as the previous view, only with a grounding contact. In the American wilderness, type A connectors are still found, but in most of the entire territory goes exactly to the B standard.

Finding a device on sale with a plug in the outlet using the outdated method will not work. In the old buildings, new devices with a sawn-off grounding contact are not uncommon.

Connector class C

Most of Europe used connectors of this standard. International name CEE 7/16. In the republics of the Soviet Union, they used such plugs, which to this day are called so - Soviet. In accordance with the latest requirements in the field of electrical safety, Europeans have mastered new standards. For the convenience of using old household appliances, its plugs fit into new sockets, while modern plugs do not fit into old ones.

Plugs of other standards

The following connection systems are broken down into smaller groups. They follow their regional methodology, but many of them are partially compatible. Depending on the nationality, there is such a breakdown:

• Despite their newfound independence, some former colonies use the outdated United Kingdom standard. These are India, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Namibia. A similar sample has the letter D (BS 546).
• Connection standard E, or CEE 7/7, is the same as mark C. Such plugs are used by France, Belgium, Poland, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Tunisia and Morocco.
• Austrians, Germans, Spaniards, Norwegians, Swedes, Finns, Portuguese, as well as the population of Holland and Eastern European states came to the CEE 7/4 standard, or GOST 7396 in the USSR, designated as F. Many former Soviet republics are also starting to use it. It is partially compatible with the Soviet type C connector, but it is not safe to use it. The outdated sample has thinner pins, so the contact in the socket will be weak. As a consequence, at best, the plastic will melt, and at worst, a fire.
• After presenting the old standards to the colonies, the British switched to type G forks, or BS 1363. These are sockets rated for currents up to 32 amperes. In Cyprus, which uses the same system, tourists are offered adapters to connect the imported equipment. Hong Kong, Ireland, Malaysia, Singapore and Malta also use this type of socket.
• The standard H (SI 32) was developed only for themselves in Israel. It is important for guests to know: Soviet plugs will work here too.
• The appearance of type I products, according to the international code AS 3112, is similar to the previous one. But they are not interchangeable. Home devices with such plugs are used by the people of Australia, Argentina, China, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea.
• The general classifier denotes plugs for Switzerland and Liechtenstein SEC 1011 or type J. They coincide with Russian norms and difficulties with connection in trips to these states are not expected.
• The Danes and the population of Greenland use category K plugs and sockets (107-2 - D1). Unification with devices of brands C, E, F is noted.
• Italians use L-type products almost solely. Rarely are such forks found in North African states. They are CEI 23-16 / BII marked and are compatible with our instruments.
• Lesotho, Swaziland and South Africa all use home appliances with M. These sockets are the same as M.
• Brazil and South Africa use N-grade plugs, which come in two flavors: thinner pins for loads up to 10 amps, others up to 20 amps. Domestic plugs fit.

In order to avoid confusion in combinations, it is necessary to develop a unified standard and requirements for voltage and frequency of electric current. This is a matter of huge financial costs, because the energy systems of most states will have to be redrawn.

Domestic devices

All devices manufactured in our country and officially imported must be equipped with standard C plugs in accordance with GOST 7396. 1—89. All data is applied to its body. These are the limits for current, frequency and voltage. At the moment, such plugs are divided into two groups:

• Plug according to international classification CEE 7/16, or C 5. The diameter of the contacts is 4 mm. They are isolated from the case and rated for currents up to 6 amperes (total load 1.3 kilowatts). Grounding is not provided.
• Corresponding to the CEE 7/17 category, the plug belongs to the C 6 class. Its pins are thicker (4, 8 millimeters) and the current that it can withstand is higher - 10 amperes, which corresponds to 2, 2 kilowatts of load. There is a grounding contact.

You can take into account the devices in use with old, C1 - b standard plugs. They are not equipped with a ground and are equipped with 6 mm thick pins.

Such an important element of the electrical circuit cannot be connected without taking into account the characteristics of the connected device and the capabilities of the plug itself. In order to protect yourself and your loved ones, it is better to choose a product with the ability to connect grounding, since more and more objects with a ready-made circuit and a three-pole outlet.