AC power plugs and sockets

File:F plug.jpg CEE 7/7 plug and socket This article covers only plugs and sockets intended for common domestic use. For plugs and sockets used for industrial applications, or with more than two current carrying conductors, see Industrial & multiphase power plugs & sockets. For less common plugs and sockets see unusual and obsolete plugs and sockets. Domestic power plugs and sockets are devices that connect the home appliances and portable light fixtures commonly used in homes to the commercial power supply so that electric power can flow to them. Power plugs are male electrical connectors that fit into female electrical sockets. They have contacts that are pins or blades which connect mechanically and electrically to holes or slots in the socket. Plugs usually have a live or hot contact, a neutral contact, and an optional earth or ground contact. Many plugs make no distinction between the live and neutral contacts, and in some cases they have two live contacts. The contacts may be brass, tin or nickel plated. Power sockets are female electrical connectors that have slots or holes which accept the pins or blades of power plugs inserted into them and deliver electricity to the plugs. Sockets are usually designed to reject any plug which is not built to the same electrical standard. Some sockets have one or more pins that connect to holes in the plug.

Standard wire colours for flexible cable
Region	Live	Neutral	Protective earth/ground
EU, Australia & South Africa (IEC 60446)	brown	blue	green & yellow
Australia & New Zealand (AS/NZS 3000:2000 3.8.1)	red	black	green/yellow
United States and Canada	black (brass)	white (silver)	green (green)
Standard wire colours for fixed cable
Region	Live	Neutral	Protective earth/ground
EU (IEC 60446) including UK from 31 March 2004	black, brown and grey (respectively to phases order)	blue	green & yellow
Australia	red	black	green & yellow (core is usually bare and should be sleeved at terminations)
United States and Canada	black, red, blue(brass)	white (silver)	green or bare (green)
Note: the colours in this table represent the most common and preferred standard colours however others may be in use, especially in older installations.

The three contacts

In most countries, household power is single-phase electric power, in which a single live conductor brings alternating current into a house, and a neutral returns it to the power supply. Many plugs and sockets include a third contact used for a protective earth ground, which only carries current in case of a fault in the connected equipment.

Live or Phase

The live contact (also known as phase, hot or active), along with the neutral contact, carries power from the power source to the equipment. The voltage between them varies by country, as set by national standards. In some installations, there may be two live conductors, either being two phases from a three-phase system or being both phases from a split phase system. Some plug/socket combinations are designed in a way that a plug can be inserted only one possible way — this is referred to as a polarized plug (not to be confused with positive and negative polarity). Others allow the plug to be inserted with live and neutral either way round — this is referred to as an unpolarized plug. Furthermore even if live and neutral can only connect one way, in some countries it is common to wire them without regard for which is which. This will be hazardous with equipment that connects the neutral to the case.

Neutral

The neutral contact, along with a live contact, completes the circuit between the power source and equipment. It is chosen as the zero voltage reference point, with the live contact's voltage measured with respect to it. In many cases local electrical regulations require the neutral to be connected to earth ground. In such systems even though the neutral conductor is at a very low voltage with respect to ground, it is insulated for the full supply voltage in case of a fault such as a break in the wiring between netural and source. Another possibility is that the live and neutral may be reversed or crossed by improper installation.

Neutral and earth (ground) are closely related and are usually connected at some point. However, extra connections between the neutral and the earth should be avoided unless the relevant jurisdiction's regulations allow it. Connecting neutral and earth at more than one point can sometimes create a dangerous ground loop in the system.

Earth/Ground

Further information: Earthing system

The earth contact (known as ground in American English) is only intended to carry electric current when connected to equipment that has developed an insulation fault (except for EMI/RFI filters which do cause a small current down the earth). The earth connection was added to modern plugs because, if a live wire or other component in a device touches the metal casing, anybody touching the device may receive a dangerous electric shock. In many countries devices with metal cases must have the case connected to the earth contact. This reduces but does not eliminate the possibility of the case developing a high voltage relative to the earth and grounded metalwork.

The primary purpose of the earthing system is to cut power when a device or cable develops a wiring fault. The secondary purpose is to hold all touchable metal in a house to the same voltage to prevent electrical shocks when touching two metal objects at the same time. Additionally, some equipment such as line filters and surge protectors bypass current to the earth.

There are two main approaches to the problem of how to disconnect power when a live wire comes into contact with metalwork attached to the earthing system. One way is to get the resistance through the fault path and back to the supply very low by having a metallic connection from the earth back to the supply transformer (a TN system). Then when a fault happens a very high current will flow rapidly blowing a fuse (or tripping a circuit breaker).

In the second approach, where such a direct connection is not used (a TT system), the resistance of the fault path back to the supply is too high for the branch circuit overcurrent protection to operate (blow a fuse or trip a circuit breaker). In such case a residual current detector is installed to detect the current leaking to ground and interrupt the circuit.

The neutral core could in theory be used as a ground, but this would be dangerous if the core broke, so this is not normally used in building wiring or portable appliances. It is, however, used in some other situations with special precautions. For instance, in Switzerland, sockets in houses with the old two wire installation have the ground and neutral contacts connected together, probably supposing that the professionally maintained house installation is much more reliable than plugged-in device. Also using the neutral as a ground prevents the use of RCDs.

Differences in terminology

There are significant differences between American English and British English in talking about power plugs and sockets.

British English	American English	Meaning
mains power	line power	House electrical power supply
earth connection	ground connection	Safety connection to the earth or ground
flex/mains lead	cord	Flexible electric cable from plug to appliance
socket, power point	outlet, receptacle, socket	Female part of an electrical connection
pin	prong or plug	Male part of an electrical connector

In the United States, the live contact may be called live or hot. The neutral contact may be called cold, neutral, return, the grounded conductor, or (in the National Electrical Code), the identified conductor. The earth contact is called ground or the grounding conductor.

In the United Kingdom the word "line" is occasionally used to denote the live terminal or wire. This terminology derives from its being at the line voltage relative to neutral and ground, as distinct from the "phase" voltage, between lines on different phases of the supply.

Live conductors are called phases when there is more than a single phase in use. Pins are also known as prongs, contacts or terminals.

In Australia, the live contact is called active.

History of plugs and sockets

Light fitting plug with toaster

When electricity was first introduced into the household, it was primarily used for lighting. At that time, many electricity companies operated a split-tariff system where the cost of electricity for lighting was lower than that for other purposes. This led to portable appliances (such as vacuum cleaners, electric fans, and hair driers) being connected to the light fitting. The picture to the right shows a 1909 electric toaster with a light bulb socket plug.

U.S. patent 774,250. The first electric power plug and receptacle.

However, as electricity became a common method of lighting houses and operating labour-saving appliances, a means of connection to the electric system other than using a light socket was needed. The original two blade electrical plug and socket were invented by Harvey Hubbell and patented in 1904. Other manufacturers adopted the Hubbell pattern and by 1915 they were widespread, although even by the early 1920's in the United States, household and light commercial equipment was still powered through cables connected with Edison screw-base adapters to lampholders.

The three prong plug was invented in 1928 by Philip F. Labre, while he was going to school at the Milwaukee School of Engineering (MSOE). It is said that his landlady had a cat which would knock over her fan when it came in the window. When she plugged the fan back in, she would get an electric shock. Philip figured out that if the plug was grounded, the electricity would go to earth through the plug rather than his landlady. He applied for and was issued a patent for grounding receptacle and plug on June 5 1928. As the need for safer installations became apparent, earthed three-contact systems were made mandatory in most industrial countries.

Proliferation of standards

During the first fifty years of commercial use of electric power, standards developed rapidly based on growing experience. Technical, safety, economy, and economic factors influenced the development of all wiring devices and a number of different varieties were invented. Gradually, original concepts were dropped and the desire for trade between countries eliminated some standards that had been used only in a few countries. Former colonies of countries may retain the standards of the colonizing country, occasionally (as with the UK and a number of its former colonies) after the colonizing country has changed its standard. Sometimes offshore industrial plants or overseas military bases use the wiring practices of their controlling country instead of the surrounding country. In some countries there is no single national standard and multiple voltages, frequencies and plug designs are in use, creating extra complexity and potential safety problems for users.

In recent years many countries have settled on one of a few de facto standards, although there are legacy installations of obsolete wiring in most countries of the world. Some buildings have wiring that has been in use for almost a century and which pre-dates all modern standards.

File:PC flex with CEE 7-7 plug.png

IEC power cord with CEE 7/7 plug at left end.

To minimize the difficulty of designing for different national standards, many manufacturers of electrical devices like personal computers have adopted the practice of putting a single world-standard IEC connector on the device, and supplying for each country a power cord equipped with a standard IEC connector on one end and a national power plug at the other. The device itself is designed to adapt to a wide range of voltage and frequency standards. This has the practical benefit of reducing the amount of testing required for approval, and reduces the number of different product variations that must be produced to serve world markets.

World maps by plug/socket and voltage/frequency

See also: List of countries with mains power plugs, voltages and frequencies

Voltage/Frequency. Click for larger version.

Plugs. Click for larger version.

There are two basic standards for voltage and frequency in the world. One is the North American standard of 110-120 volts at 60 Hz, which uses plugs A and B, and the other is the European standard of 220-240 volts at 50 Hz, which uses plugs C through M. The differences arose for historical reasons as discussed in the article Mains electricity.

Countries on other continents have adopted one of these two voltage standards, although some countries use variations or a mixture of standards. The outline maps show the different plug types, voltages and frequencies used around the world, colour-coded for easy reference.

Types of plug and sockets

Electrical plugs and their sockets differ by country in shape, size and type of connectors. The type used in each country is set by national standards legislation. In this article each type is designated by a letter designation from a U.S. government publication [1], plus a short comment in parentheses giving its country of origin and number of contacts. Subsections then detail the subtypes of each type as used in different parts of the world.

Note that IEC Class I refers to earthed equipment. IEC Class II refers to unearthed equipment protected by double insulation. See Appliance classes.

Type A (North American/Japanese 2-pin)

Main article: NEMA connector

NEMA 1-15 (North American 15 A/125 V ungrounded)

Standardized by the U.S. National Electrical Manufacturers Association and adopted by 38 other countries, this simple plug with two flat parallel pins, or blades, is used in most of North America and on the east coast of South America on devices not requiring a ground connection, such as lamps and "double-insulated" small appliances. NEMA 1-15 sockets have been prohibited in new construction in the United States and Canada since 1962, but remain in many older homes and are still sold "for replacement use only". Type A plugs are still very common because they are compatible with type B sockets.

Early designs could be inserted either way, but some modern ones prevent the neutral pin from being inserted into the live socket by making it wider than the live one, referred to as a polarized plug. (Note that this is not the same as positive/negative polarization in a direct current system.) New polarized plugs will not fit in old type A sockets, but both old and new type A plugs will fit in new type A and type B sockets. Some devices that do not distinguish between neutral and live, such as sealed electronic power supplies, are still sold with both pins narrow. When attaching a new polarized plug to a cord, it is useful to remember that the most common type of two-conductor cord for low-power use in North America has smooth insulation on the "hot" side and ribbed insulation on the "neutral" side.

JIS C 8303, Class II (Japanese 15 A/100 V ungrounded)

The Japanese plug and socket are identical to NEMA 1-15. However, the Japanese system incorporates stricter dimensional requirements for the plug housing, different marking requirements, and mandatory testing and approval by MITI or JIS.

Some older Japanese outlets and multiplug adapters are non-polarized -- the slots in the sockets are the same size - and will only accept non-polarized plugs. Japanese plugs should be able to fit into modern North American outlets without trouble, but North American appliances with polarized plugs may require adapters or replacement non-polarized plugs to connect to older Japanese outlets; or even replacement of the wall socket itself.

Japanese standard wire sizes and the resulting current ratings are somewhat different from those used elsewhere in the world. Japanese voltage is only 100 volts - lower than American voltage - and the frequency in eastern Japan is only 50 hertz instead of 60, so even if a North American plug can be inserted into a Japanese socket, it does not always mean the device will work properly.

Type B (American 3-pin or U-ground)

Main article: NEMA connector

A North American grounded (earthed) plug. Note that the socket will also accept an ungrounded (two prong) plug whether polarized or unpolarized.

NEMA 5-15 (North American 15 A/125 V grounded)

File:P2050397.JPG

A more common style of NEMA 5-15 duplex outlet, with metal wallplate.

The type B plug has two flat parallel blades like type A, but has a round ground or earthing pin (American standard NEMA 5-15/Canadian standard CSA 22.2, N°42). It is rated for 15 amperes at 125 volts. The ground pin is longer than the live and neutral blades, so the device is grounded before the power is connected. The neutral blade in the type B socket is wider than the live one to prevent type A plugs being inserted upside-down, but type B plugs often have both pins narrow since the ground pin enforces polarity.

The 5-15 socket is standard in all of North America (Canada, the United States and Mexico). It is also used in Central America, the Caribbean, northern South America (Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela and part of Brazil), Japan, Taiwan and Saudi Arabia.

With type B outlets, if you look directly at the outlet with the ground at the bottom, the neutral slot is on the left, and the live slot is on the right. They may also be installed with the ground at the top or on either side, but the pinout going clockwise, starting with the ground, are always ground, neutral, live. If the plug is polarized, the widest pin is the neutral connector.

Due to the low power (1.8 kW) available from a 120 V 15A socket a number of other NEMA connectors for higher currents and 240 V supplies are also commonly encountered in North American homes.

In the theater, this connector is sometimes known as PBG for "Parallel Blade with Ground", or Hubble the name of a common manufacturer.

JIS C 8303, Class I (Japanese 15 A/100 V grounded)

Japan also uses a Type B plug similar to the North American one. However it is less common than its Type A equivalent.

CEE 7/16 plug and socket

Type C (European 2-pin)

(Not to be confused with the 3-blade C13 and C14 IEC connectors)

CEE 7/16 (Europlug 2.5 A/250 V unearthed)

Further information: Europlug

This two-pin plug is probably the single most widely used international plug, popularly known as the Europlug. The plug is unearthed and has two round, 4 mm pins, which usually converge slightly. It can be inserted into any socket that accepts 4 mm round contacts spaced 19 mm apart. It is described in CEE 7/16. and is also defined in Italian standard CEI 23-5 and Russian standard GOST 7396

The Europlug is used in Class II applications throughout continental Europe (Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, Greece, the Netherlands, Belgium, France, Spain, Portugal, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Iceland, Slovenia, Poland, The Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Turkey, Bulgaria). It is also used in Middle East, most of Africa, Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, Peru, Bolivia, Brazil, Bangladesh, Indonesia as well as the former Soviet republics, and many developing nations.

This plug is intended for use with devices that require 2.5 A or less. Because it can be inserted in either direction into the socket, live and neutral are connected at random.

The separation and length of the pins allow its safe insertion in most CEE 7/17, French type E, Type H (Israeli 3-pin), CEE 7/4 (Schuko), CEE 7/7 and Type L (Italian 3-pin) outlets.

CEE 7/17 plug

CEE 7/17 (German/French 16 A/250 V unearthed)

This plug also has two round pins but the pins are 4.8 mm in diameter like types E and F and the plug has a round plastic or rubber base that stops it being inserted into small sockets intended for the Europlug. Instead, it fits only into large round sockets intended for types E and F. The base has holes in it to accommodate both side contacts and socket earth pins. It is used for large Class II appliances. Used in South Korea for all domestic non-earthed appliances, it is also defined in Italian standard CEI 23-5.

BS 4573 socket

BS 4573 (UK shaver)

In the United Kingdom and Ireland, there is a special version of the type C plug for use with shavers (electric razors) in bath or shower rooms. It has 5 mm diameter pins 16.6 mm apart, and the sockets for this plug can often take CEE 7/16, US and/or Australian plugs as well. Sockets are often able to supply either 230 V or 115 V. In wet zones, they must contain an isolation transformer compliant with BS 3535.

Unearthed socket compatible with both Schuko and French plugs

Variations in sockets

Some Type C sockets can only take 4 mm pins or have plastic barriers in place to prevent Schuko or French plugs from entering. However, many can take 4.8 mm pins and have enough room for a 4.8 mm pin round Schuko or French plug to be inserted, with an unsafe result.

Type D (Old British 3-pin)

Further information: BS 546

BS 546 (Indian 5 A/250 V earthed)

D Plug

India has standardised on a plug which was originally defined in British standard BS 546. It has three large round pins in a triangular pattern. The BS 546 standard is also used in parts of Africa (Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria), the Middle East (Kuwait, Qatar), and parts of Asia and the Far East that were electrified by the British. This type was also previously used in South Africa, but has been phased out in favour of the 15 A version there. This 5 A plug, along with its 2 A cousin, is sometimes used in the UK for centrally switched domestic lighting circuits, in order to distinguish them from normal power circuits.

BS 546 (South African 15 A/250 V earthed)

M Plug

This plug is sometimes referred to as type M, but it is in fact merely the 15 A version of the plug above, though its pins are much larger at 7.05 mm × 21.1 mm. Live and neutral are spaced 25.4 mm apart, and earth is 28.6 mm away from each of them. Although the 5 A version is standard in India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, and Namibia, the 15 A version is also used in these countries for larger appliances. Some countries like South Africa use it as the main domestic plug and socket type, where sockets almost always have an on–off switch built into them. The Type M is almost universally used in the UK for indoor dimmable theatre and architectural lighting installations. It is also often used for non-dimmed but centrally controlled sockets within such installations. The main reason for doing this is that fused plugs, while convenient for domestic wiring (as they allow 32 A socket circuits to be used safely), are not convenient if the plugs and sockets are in hard-to-access locations (like lighting bars) or if using chains of extension leads (since it is hard to figure out which fuse has blown). Both of these situations are common in theatre wiring. This plug is also widely used in Israel, Singapore, and Malaysia for air conditioners and clothes dryers.

Type E (French 2-pin, female earth)

French socket

French plug

French type E

France, Belgium, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia (after 1 July 2008 also Denmark) and some other countries have standardised on a socket which is not compatible with the CEE 7/4 socket (type F) that is standard in Germany and other continental European countries. The reason for incompatibility is that earthing in the E socket is done by a round male pin permanently mounted in the socket. Sockets are installed with the earth pin upwards and wired with left as live and right as neutral. The plug itself is round with two round pins measuring 4.8 × 19 mm, spaced 19 mm apart and a hole for the socket's earth pin. It will accept Europlug and CEE 7/17 plugs.

As with the German plug below this plug will fit some other types of socket either easily or with force. However, there is no earth connection with such sockets. Also in some cases forcing the plug in may damage the socket.

Type F (German 2-pin, side clip earth)

CEE 7/4 (German "Schuko" 16 A/250 V earthed)

Further information: Schuko

The type F plug, defined in CEE 7/4 and commonly called a "Schuko plug", is like type E except that it has two earthing clips on the sides of the plug instead of a female earth contact. The Schuko connection system is symmetrical and allows live and neutral to be reversed. The socket also accepts Europlugs and CEE 7/17 plugs. It supplies up to 16 amperes. Above that, equipment must either be wired permanently to the mains or connected via another higher power connector such as the IEC 309 system.

"Schuko" is an abbreviation for the German word Schutzkontakt, which means "Protective (that is, earthed) contact".

Although Schuko sockets are unpolarized, it is recommended to wire them the same way French sockets are wired (live on left and neutral on right, when looking at the socket) for consistency and to be able to plug universal CEE 7/7 plugs in polarized fashion when needed (observing that the female ground receptacle on the plug is on top). Unfortunately at least in Finland there is a long-standing installation tradition of wiring both this and the CEE 7/17 the opposite way, with live on the right and neutral on the left.

Gost 7396 (Russian 10 A/250 V earthed)

Further information: GOST 7396

The countries of the CIS use a standard plug and socket similar to the Schuko standard, defined in Russian Standard Gost 7396. The contacts are also 19 mm apart, but the diameter of the pins is 4.0 mm instead of 4.8 mm. And hence the connectors are rated at 10 rather than 16 amps. It is possible to insert Russian plugs into Schuko outlets, but Russian sockets will not accept type E or F plugs because the holes are too small. This socket also accepts Europlugs, but does not accept CEE 7/17 plugs because they use the larger pin size.

Many official standards in Eastern Europe are virtually identical to the Schuko standard. One of the protocols governing the reunification of Germany required that the DIN and VDE standards would prevail without exception, so the former East Germany had to conform to the Schuko standard. Most other Eastern European countries use the Schuko standard internally but, prior to its collapse, they exported large volumes of appliances to the Soviet Union with the Soviet standard plug installed. Because of that, many of the Russian plugs found their way into other Eastern European countries.

Type E and F hybrid

CEE 7/7 (French/German 16 A/250 V earthed)

CEE 7/7 plug

In order to bridge the differences between sockets E and F, the CEE 7/7 plug was developed. It has earthing clips on both sides to connect with the CEE 7/4 socket and a female contact to accept the earthing pin of the type E socket. Nowadays, when appliances are sold with type E/F plugs attached, the plugs are CEE 7/7 and non-rewirable. This means that the plugs are now identical between countries like France and Germany; only the sockets are different.

Type E and F plugs that are not compatible with both types of socket are only found if a cheap replacement plug has been attached to a cord that originally had another plug. Better-quality replacements are standard CEE 7/7 and are compatible with both Schuko and French standard sockets.

Note that the CEE 7/7 plug is polarized to prevent the live and neutral connections from being reversed when used with a type E outlet, but allows polarity reversal when inserted into a type F socket. The plug is rated at 16 A. Above that, equipment must either be wired permanently to the mains or connected via another higher power connector such as the IEC 309 system.

Type G (British 3-pin; also Ireland, Malta, Malaysia, Singapore and a number of other former British colonies)

BS 1363 (British 13 A/230-240 V 50 Hz earthed and fused)

File:G plug.png

BS 1363

Further information: BS 1363

The British Standards 1363 plug, commonly known as a "13-amp plug", is a large plug that has three rectangular prongs forming a triangle. Live and neutral are 4 × 6 × 18 mm spaced 22 mm apart. 9 mm of insulation over the base of the pins prevents people from touching a bare connector while the plug is partly inserted. Earth is 4 × 8 × 23 mm.

The plug is unusual in that it has a fuse inside, for protection, in addition to a circuit breaker in the distribution panel. The fuse is required to protect the cord, as British wiring standards allow very high-current circuits to the socket. Accepted practice is to choose the smallest standard fuse (3 A, 5 A, or 13 A) that will allow the appliance to function. Using a 13 A fuse on an appliance with thin cord is considered bad practice. The fuse is 1 inch long, conforming to standard BS 1362.

UK wiring regulations (BS 7671) require sockets in homes to have shutters over the live and neutral connections for safety reasons (e.g. to prevent children from inserting metal objects into them). These are incorporated into all BS 1363 sockets and are opened by the insertion of the (longer) earth pin. The shutters also help prevent the use of plugs made to other standards. On plugs for Class II appliances that do not require an earth, the pin is often plastic and serves only to open the shutters and to enforce the correct orientation of live and neutral. It is sometimes possible to open the shutters with a screwdriver to insert other plug types but this should be avoided as such plugs will not have a fuse.

Recently the UK standard specification has been altered from the old 240V AC to 230V AC to come into line with the rest of europe.

BS 1363 plugs and sockets started appearing in 1946 and BS 1363 was first published in 1947. By the end of the 1950s, it had replaced the earlier standard (type D) (BS 546) in new installations, and by the end of the 1960s, most earlier type D installations had been rewired to BS 1363 standards. Socket-outlets usually include switches on them for convenience. BS 1363 is considered a very safe system.

Type H (Israeli 3-pin)

Two Israeli plugs and one socket. The left plug is the old standard, the one on the right is the 1989 revision.

SI 32 (Israeli 16 A/250 V earthed)

This plug, defined in SI 32 (IS16A-R), is unique to Israel and is incompatible with all other sockets. It has three flat pins to form a Y-shape. "Live" and "Neutral" are spaced 19 mm apart. The Type H plug is rated at 16 A but in practice the thin flat pins cause the plug to overheat when connecting large appliances. In 1989, the SI 32 was revised to use three round 4 mm pins in the same locations as the older standard. Sockets made since 1989 accept both flat and round pins in order to be compatible with both old and new plugs. This also allows the Type H socket to accommodate type C plugs which are used in Israel for non-grounded appliances. Older sockets, from about the 1970s, have both flat and round holes for "Live" and "Neutral" in order to accept both Type C and Type H plugs. As of 2007, "pure" Type H sockets (which accept only old standard Type H plugs) are very rare in Israel.

This plug is also used in the areas controlled by the Palestinian National Authority in the West Bank and all of the Gaza Strip

Type I (Australian/New Zealand & Chinese/Argentine 2/3-pin)

Australian switched 3-pin dual power point (socket)

AS 3112 (Australian 10 A/240 V)

Further information: AS 3112

This plug, used in Australia, New Zealand, Fiji and Papua New Guinea, has an earthing pin, and two flat pins forming an upside down V-shape. The flat blades measure 6.5 × 1.6 mm and are set at 30° to the vertical at a nominal pitch of 13.7 mm. Australasian wall sockets almost always have switches on them for extra safety, as in the UK. An unearthed version of this plug with two angled power pins but no earthing pin is used with small double-insulated appliances, but the power (wall) outlets always have three pins, including an earth pin.

There are several AS/NZS 3112 plug variants, including one with a wider earth pin used for devices drawing up to 15 A; sockets supporting this pin will also accept 10 A plugs. There is also a 20 A variant, with all three pins oversized, and 25 and 32 A variants, with the 20 A larger pins and the earthing pin forming an inverted "L" for the 25 A and a horizontal "U" for the 32 A (the 5 variants {10; 15; 20; 25 & 32 ampere sockets} will accommodate all the plugs that are equal or of a lesser current carrying capacity, but not a higher value; i.e. a 10 A plug will be accommodated by all sockets but a 20 A plug will fit only 20, 25 and 32 A outlets).

Australia's standard plug/socket system was originally codified as standard C112 (floated provisionally in 1937, and adopted as a formal standard in 1938), which was superseded by AS 3112 in 1990. As of 2005, the latest major update is AS/NZS 3112:2004, which mandated insulated pins by 2005. However, equipment and cords made before 2003 can still be used.

CPCS-CCC (Chinese 10 A/250 V)

File:CCC (China Compulsory Certification) Mark.jpg

CCC Mark

Although the pins on the Chinese plug are 1 mm longer, the Australasian plug can be used with mainland Chinese socket. The standard for Chinese plugs and sockets is set out in GB 2099.1–1996 and GB 1002–1996. As part of China's commitment for entry into the WTO, the new CPCS (Compulsory Product Certification System) has been introduced, and compliant Chinese plugs have been awarded the CCC (China Compulsory Certification) Mark by this system. The plug is three wire, grounded, rated at 10 A, 250 V and used for Class 1 applications.

In China, the sockets are installed upside down relative to the Australian one shown in the picture.

China also uses American/Japanese "Type A" sockets and plugs for Class-II appliances. However, the voltage across the pins of a Chinese socket will always be 220, no matter what the plug type.

IRAM 2073 (Argentine 10 A/250 V)

The Argentine plug is a three-wire earthed plug rated at 10 A, 250 V defined by IRAM and used in Class 1 applications in Argentina and Uruguay.

This plug is similar in appearance to the Australasian and Chinese plugs. The pin length is same as the Chinese version. The most important difference from the Australasian plug is that the Argentine plug is wired with the live and neutral contacts reversed.

Type J (Swiss 3-pin)

D

D

SEV 1011 (Swiss 10 A/250 V)

Switzerland has its own standard which is described in SEV 1011. (ASE1011/1959 SW10A-R) This plug is similar to the type C europlug (CEE 7/16), except that it has an earth pin off to one side. Swiss sockets can take Swiss plugs or europlugs (CEE 7/16). This connector system is rated for up to 10 amperes. There is also a less common variant with 3 square pins rated for 16 A. Above 16 A, equipment must either be wired permanently to the electrical supply system with appropriate branch circuit protection, or connected to the mains with an appropriate high power industrial connector.

Switzerland also has a two-pin plug, with the same pin shape, size and spacing as the SEV 1011's live and neutral pins, but with a more flattened hexagonal form. It fits into both Swiss sockets (round and hexagonal) and CEE 7/16 sockets, and is rated for up to 10 A.

IEC 60906-1 (Brazilian 16 A/250 V)

Further information: IEC 60906-1

In 1986, the International Electrotechnical Commission published IEC 60906-1, the specification for a plug that looks similar but is not identical to the Swiss plug. This plug was intended to become one day the common standard for all of Europe and other regions with 230 V mains but the effort to adopt it as a European Union standard was put on hold in the mid 1990s. Brazil — which uses a mix of Europlug and NEMA plugs — later adopted it as national standard NBR 14136 in 2001 and it will be the only plug permitted to be sold with domestic appliances in Brazil from 2009.

Type K (Danish 3-pin)

107-2-D1

DS Afsnit 107-2-D1 (Danish 10 A/250 V)

The Danish standard plug is described in DS section 107-2-D1 (SRAF1962/DB 16/87 DN10A-R). The plug is similar to the type F Schuko plug except that it has an earthing pin instead of earthing clips. The Danish socket will also accept the type C CEE 7/16 Europlug or type E/F CEE 7/17 Schuko-French hybrid plug. Type F CEE 7/4 (Schuko), type E/F CEE 7/7 (Schuko-French hybrid), and earthed type E French plugs will also fit in the socket but should not be used because the earth contact will not connect. A variation of this plug intended for use only on surge protected computer circuits has been introduced. The current rating on both plugs is 10 A.

Adapter plugs exist to allow connection of CEE 7/7 prongs to non-computer outlets. These usually are not sold at the local supermarket so visitors wishing to be safe should contact an electrician.

Since the early 1990s grounded outlets have been required in all new electric installations in Denmark.

After 1 July 2008 Type E (French 2-pin, female earth) will be permitted for installations in Denmark.

23-16/VII with socket

23-16/VII rewirable

Italian power strip showing both types of hybrid socket

Type L (Italian 3-pin)

The Italian earthed plug/socket standard, CEI 23-16/VII, includes two models rated at 10 A and 16 A that differ in contact diameter and spacing. Both are symmetrical, allowing the live and neutral contacts to be inserted in either direction. CEE 7/16 (type C) unearthed Europlugs are also in common use, and standardized in Italy as CEI 23-5. Appliances with CEE 7/7 Schuko-French plugs are often sold in Italy, but not every socket will accept them. Adapters are cheap and commonly used to connect CEE 7/7 plugs to CEI 23-16/VII sockets.

CEI 23-16/VII (Italian 10 A/250 V)

The 10 ampere style extends CEE 7/16 by adding a central earthing pin. Thus, CEI 23-16-VII 10 A sockets can accept CEE 7/16 Europlugs. This is the plug shown in the illustrations. Outside of Italy, this plug is found in Syria, Libya, Ethiopia, Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, various countries in North Africa, and occasionally in older buildings in Spain.

CEI 23-16/VII (Italian 16 A/250 V)

The 16 ampere style looks like a bigger version of the 10 A style. The pins are a couple of millimetres further apart, and all three are slightly thicker. The packaging on these plugs in Italy may claim they are a "North European" type. They were also referred to as industriale ("industrial") although this is not a correct definition.

Variations in sockets

Two types of sockets are in common use in modern installations in Italy. One type has a central round hole and two 8-shaped holes above and below. This design allows the connection of both styles of type L plugs (CEI 23-16/VII 10 A and 16 A) and the type C CEE 7/16 Europlug. The advantage of this socket type is its small face.

The other type looks like a type F socket, but adds a central grounding hole. This design accepts CEE 7/7 (type E/F) plugs, in addition to type C and type L 10 A plugs; its disadvantage is that it is twice as large as a normal type L socket. Some of these sockets also have extra holes to accept type L 16 A plugs.

Older installations often have sockets that are limited to either the 10 A or the 16 A style plug, requiring the use of an adapter if the other style needs to be connected.

Type M (see D)

BS 546 (South African 15 A/250 V)

Type M is sometimes used to describe the 15 A version of the old British type D, used in South Africa and elsewhere. See type D for details.

A standard grounded Thai outlet supporting European 2-pin plugs and earthed and unearthed American plugs

Multi standard sockets

Sockets that take a variety of incompatible plug types are often seen in developing countries where electrical standards are either lacking or unenforced. These sockets may accept both 120 V and 240 V plugs raising a significant risk of devices being damaged by the wrong voltage. Sometimes they have one or more earth holes to allow 3-pin plugs, but there is a good chance that the ground contact may not actually be connected to earth and the ground contact certainly will not mate with Schuko or French plugs. Great care should be taken to avoid incompatible voltage and grounding connections when using such outlets. Multi-standard devices designed to auto-adapt to different voltage and frequency standards, and devices which do not require a ground contact are best used with these sockets.

Safety notes

Connecting a plug or socket may seem simple, but if done improperly, can result in a working but highly dangerous installation. Portable electrical devices are designed and approved to work with a particular electrical system, so interchanging devices between systems requires knowledge of the basis of approval. The main issues are:

• Connecting a live wire to an ungrounded chassis contact. This is very dangerous because the conductive case is made live and the appliance may cause death at any time. It is insidious because the appliance may still work.

  

  A grounding adapter, which allows devices with a ground pin to be attached to an ungrounded receptacle (United States). These devices present a fire and electrocution hazard and are banned from sale in Canada.

• Not earthing an appliance that should be earthed. This is dangerous because the appliance case will remain live if there is a fault between the live wire and the conductive case. This can happen through the use of European plug types with non-pin earth connections, through the use of adaptors or through sockets which have earth contacts but not any connection from those earth contacts to earth. In some countries installing an RCD (GFCI) is considered an acceptable substitute for proper earthing when upgrading existing installations; however an RCD or GFCI is for protection against electrical shock only, and does not provide the control of electromagnetic noise provided by a true earth ground connection.
• Swapping live and neutral wires. In many countries this is not regarded as an error and it is perfectly feasible to design appliances such that they will be safe (e.g. by using double pole switches and protection devices) under this condition. However, if appliances are intended for use only in countries that take care to avoid live/neutral swaps then they may have only a single pole switch which on live-neutral reversal will end up in the neutral wire, leaving portions of the device live at all times. This does not pose immediate danger but increases the risk of shock if there is another fault or if someone tries to work on the appliance without disconnecting it. However, if the appliance is a light fixture with an Edison screw base, the threaded shell of the lamp base will be connected to the live wire instead of the neutral, greatly increasing the risk of electric shock when changing light bulbs.
• Swapping ground and neutral wires for an appliance. This can cause a number of issues. In a TT earthing system it will mean that significant current will go down the earth rod and may lead to significant voltages between the case of the faulty appliance and other correctly wired appliances. In a TN-S or TN-C-S system immediate danger is unlikely, but there is still the potential for danger if a neutral or earth wire also breaks. If this fault were combined with a live-neutral swap further back in the circuit, live current could be supplied to the earth pin.
• Not providing adequate overcurrent/short circuit protection which would result in a far greater possibility of fire in the event of a fault.

A type M (15 A version of type D) travel adapter

See also

• DC connector
• Double insulated
• IEC connector
• Electricity
• Electric power
• Extension cable
• Ground and neutral
• Industrial and multiphase power plugs and sockets
• List of countries with mains power plugs, voltages and frequencies
• Power connector
• Power cord
• Power strip
• Telephone plugs

References

General

• The original content for this article came from http://users.pandora.be/worldstandards/electricity.htm.
• IEC/TR 60083: Plugs and socket-outlets for domestic and similar general use standardized in member countries of IEC. International Electrotechnical Commission, May 2004. This 359-page technical report describes all national standards for domestic plugs and sockets. Its 1963 predecessor, CEE Publication 7, covered only the plugs and sockets of continental Europe.
• IEC 60884: Plugs and socket-outlets for household and similar purposes. International Electrotechnical Commission. This international standard defines general safety and test requirements for domestic plugs and sockets, but not any particular shapes.
• IEC 60906: IEC system of plugs and socket-outlets for household and similar purposes. International Electrotechnical Commission. This international standard defines the domestic plugs and sockets that the IEC suggests as a potential future common world-wide standard.
  • IEC 60906-1 defines standard 230 V plugs
  • IEC 60906-2 defines standard 115 V plugs
  • IEC 60906-3 defines standard 4-48 V low-voltage plugs
• Guidance Notes for the Electrical Products (Safety) Regulation (2001 Edition — with amendments), Electrical and Mechanical Services Department, Hong Kong [2]

External links

• Hubbell History - Invention of the power plug and outlet.
• Australian AS/NZS 3112 mains plug description and wiring
• Australian AS/NZS 3112 mains plug with insulated pins
• Australian AS/NZS 3112 mains plug variants
• IEC Zone: Plugs and sockets
• AC Power Cords
• Glossary of standards terms
• Steve Kropla's World Electric Guide
• http://www.starkelectronic.com/fzfv.htm
• Change to UK electrical wire colours 2004
• Household electrical safety handbook, Electrical and Mechanical Services Department, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government
• http://www.powerconnections.co.uk
• IEEE history of Australian power connectors (in MS Word format)
• Information on the electrical systems in use in most countries of the world
• International plug standards from travel-island.com
• Pictures and dimensions of various plug types
  • Ungrounded plugs
  • Grounded plugs
• IEC High temperature plugs
• South Africa Eskom - Wiring a Plug
• Diagrams of Adapter Plugs