BS1363 Socket Outlets

An old broken socket outlet with the line and neutral holes totally open, and a new one which has other problems.

[zedman]

Nice breakdown. Would be good to see a tear down of one of the new USB integrated 13a sockets. MK now do one too some hoping they have some integrity.

[Brik-in-the-sticks]

thank you John, these video's are a great help. I've been able to draw diagrams how I'm going to wire, and shown these to the sparky. he knew exactly what i've done and where the cables are running from and to.

[sbusweb]

I have some old Crabtree sockets (which have the unique feature of having 'flush' front (switches do not stick out when switched-off)... 1970s or 1980s maybe... These are also an example of how the switches (seemingly) start to fail after a while. Would be happy/interested to send these for teardown if you would be interested to do so!.

[GraingerElectrical]

That second socket is the typical rubbish that electrical companies install for new build homes! I decided to replace them all with MK sockets, far better!

[jovetj]

15:17 LOL - "...style that chips and breaks...when you... bang things... or, uh... drop it on a carpet."

[SproutyPottedPlant]

Ohh very nice video! Unfortunately my house has junk sockets like the second one you showed 😢 does not feel very nice inserting a plug!

[animarkzero]

British Sockets and plugs are one of the best engineering wise.
The line and neutral cannot be interchanged, the pins have a really large surface and the earth pin is the first to make contact.
Even this cheap UK socket looks massive when compared to sockets in other countrys !

[roberthorwat]

Many years ago my parents mid fifties built house had a cruddy old bakelite-ish socket with no shutters for the Live and Neutral and I always assumed that the guard system was an evolution of BS1363 but clearly not, as like the socket you took apart the shutter system had most likely failed. Interesting!

[Elvis_TheKing]

You’ve just answered a question I’ve been asking myself for years. About 15 years ago I noticed an MEM Bakelite socket in my mum’s kitchen had no shutters, the brass L&N contacts were visible (more so as the socket was almost at eye level). I always wondered if the design pre-dated a requirement for shutters, or if they had simply gone U/S. Both sides of a double socket were the same, both exposed. I quickly replaced it but have always wondered.

[shilks]

Would be interesting to carry out a magnet test on the metal to see if it was just electro plated steel. I see you've done the magnet test on some off your later videos.

[happymadison]

Excellent video as always, when you hinted in the back-box earthing video about a 3-letter brand which was poor quality I thought you were talking about LAP (Lousy and Problematic)

[AdeSwash]

Hi John, do you know if it is a 'requirement' that the 2 earth connecting terminals in a socket outlet should be interconnected? I have recently come across a smart wifi and usb socket where the 13A sockets are not internally earth connected, but instead have 2 separate terminals, which could easily cause the diy installer to leave one side un-earthed, or break the ring into two legs. Thankyou

[chompchompnomnom]

@Nicolas Cage which will still be made in China. I work for an import company and i know its the buyers who order the cheap crap. The sellers can make it as good as they want as long as they get paid for it. China produces a lot of the so-called best technology just as iPhones, TVs, and have you seen their military lately?

[Graham_Langley]

From the faceplate moulding around the earth screw terminal it does look as if it was designed to have a full earth frame from screw to screw.

While on the subject of duff earths in sockets, back in '99 when rewiring the garage here I found on one of the old double 13A outlets the earth of one socket wasn't connected - its copper rivet didn't go through the earthing frame. The name on a mould insert was 'MARBOURN' - could that have been Marbo?

[mr.bobcyndaquil]

Even though the inspection hole is no longer required, is it still permitted to make a plug with an inspection hole?

[leemcgowan]

Hi my on and off switch dosent press in, what’s happen ?

[MrFlint]

IF you are fitting a socket into a dry-wall box, there is no metal box for the screws to contact, so the absence of rivets in the screw holes is not a problem

[ChrisCowley]

Great video, thanks. I am curious to know your opinion of those moulded plastic 3-pin "safety covers" for 13A sockets. I've worked in a number of church halls and nurseries where they're extensively used in all unused sockets, ostensibly to stop children pushing things into the sockets.

They've always struck me as a terrible idea as they seem deliberately designed to circumvent the safety features designed into the sockets (thus actually creating the problem that they are trying to solve).

[MrSJT]

Hi John that crappy twin socket, did it have any manufacturers instructions to say that it is not suitable to be installed on plastic boxes as the screws will not be earthed?

[parkeerwacht]

is the switch on the socket also a requirement in the British BS1363 standard or not? would be useful here in Europe for electronics these days that are always on...
just flip the switch and there off. I have a system like that here but I have all my outlets for my equipment wired through a separate switch that I call the master switch.
I guess they didn't add it because most people would just leave it in the on position forever.