Interesting

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hardworkingstiff

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Apparantly in the UK, they have fuses installed in the plugs that come with the equipment.

From this site ( http://kropla.com/!g.htm )

This plug, commonly known as a "13-amp plug", is a large plug that has a fuse inside, for protection, in addition to whatever protection might be provided at 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.
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And in a lot of places the receptacles have switches next to them so you don't have to unplug things.
 
ItsHot said:
Notice the receptacle..the ground is up!:roll: :smile: :D
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What you're failing to note is that when the United States defeated Great Britain in the American Revolution, it was Opposite Day, thereby requiring that everything we ever did henceforth would be opposite of the British. Therefore in the U.S. the ground prong should go down.

There was even a clause concerning the topic in the Articles of Confederation.
 
Fuse to fit British plugs are manufactured in 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 10, and 13 amps.
However for general household use only the 3 amp and 13 amp ratings are normally used or recomended.

The other sizes are mainly for use in fused connection units. These are small double pole switches with a fuse in the live (hot) conductor, they are used mainly to connect fixed appliances to a power circuit, use of a fuse enables safe connection to a high current circuit.
Portable appliances such as lamps and TV sets are sometimes wired to a fused connection unit, as a precaution against theft in hotels etc, the fuse in the fused connection unit then serves the same purpose as the fuse in the plug that would otherwise have been used.

The manufacturers of some small fixed appliances such as bathroom fans specify a 1 amp fuse, in a fused connection unit.
Pressure boosting pumps for showers often specify a 2 amp fuse.

Lighting circuits in the UK are normally quite seperate from power circuits, often on a 5 amp or 6 amp fuse.
Sometimes if a single light is required in an area without a lighting circuit, then a switched fused connection unit is used to connect a light to the power circuit.

Use of the odd sized fuse in plugs can be helpfull in special cases, but normaly only 3 amp or 13 amp fuses are needed.
The 5 amp and 7 amp fuse are useful for protecting lightweight extension cords against overload.
I allways put 1 amp fuses in plugs for desk fans, since such fans often fail by the bearings going stiff, and the motor then burning out. This is allegedly non dangerous, but can let the smoke out. A 1 amp fuse opens before the smoke escapes.
 
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