Name that plug socket.
November 11, 2005 3:32 PM Subscribe
Name that plug socket!
Confused as to purpose of two plug sockets in my home. They are wall mounted and look like standard BS 1363 plug with two horizontal, rectangular pins for live and neutral, and above these pins, a larger, pin for an earth connection. But this pin is round rather then rectangular. The apartment is new and the sockets are situated in the lounge beside the standard sockets and telephone ports. What are they for?
Confused as to purpose of two plug sockets in my home. They are wall mounted and look like standard BS 1363 plug with two horizontal, rectangular pins for live and neutral, and above these pins, a larger, pin for an earth connection. But this pin is round rather then rectangular. The apartment is new and the sockets are situated in the lounge beside the standard sockets and telephone ports. What are they for?
Best answer: I think they're for lights and could be controlled by a main switch in the room
posted by patricio at 3:56 PM on November 11, 2005
posted by patricio at 3:56 PM on November 11, 2005
Response by poster: Yes Uk. Have an inkling they may be for some specific piece of industrial equipment like a floor buffer etc but it's a small modern apartment. My google-fu fails me.
posted by brautigan at 4:03 PM on November 11, 2005
posted by brautigan at 4:03 PM on November 11, 2005
Best answer: is it a wandsworth socket? seems to be used in health care facilities. are you in a home?!
posted by andrew cooke at 4:06 PM on November 11, 2005
posted by andrew cooke at 4:06 PM on November 11, 2005
Response by poster: Looks like EXACTLY like a Wandsworth socket! How odd. At last somewhere to plug in my Life Support machine. Wonder what else can I plug into this?
posted by brautigan at 4:14 PM on November 11, 2005
posted by brautigan at 4:14 PM on November 11, 2005
You can buy plugs to fit the socket, a bit of an anachronism in these days of moulded plugs, but if there's a piece of kit you particular want in that part of the room you could wire up a plug for it (remember blue = neutral, brown = live).
Or, because the apartment is new, you could contact the builders and explain that non-standard sockets have been used and ask them to change them for the standard 3-pin ones.
posted by essexjan at 12:47 AM on November 12, 2005
Or, because the apartment is new, you could contact the builders and explain that non-standard sockets have been used and ask them to change them for the standard 3-pin ones.
posted by essexjan at 12:47 AM on November 12, 2005
Best answer: patricio is on the right track - you'll find that those sockets are wired into one of the wall light switches and are for table and standing lamps. The non-standard plugs are to stop you putting other equipment in there which would be accidentally turned off when you turned off the lights.
posted by benzo8 at 2:23 AM on November 12, 2005
posted by benzo8 at 2:23 AM on November 12, 2005
it would be really foolish to plug you life support machine into the lighting circuit.
posted by andrew cooke at 4:07 AM on November 12, 2005
posted by andrew cooke at 4:07 AM on November 12, 2005
Response by poster: Hey, thanks very much for all replies. Indeed the sockets were Wandsworth sockets and yeah they were controlled by wall light switches on a 5 amp ambient lighting ring. Found another pair in the bedroom doing the same thing. Kudos to all who helped :)
posted by brautigan at 11:51 PM on November 12, 2005
posted by brautigan at 11:51 PM on November 12, 2005
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by 5MeoCMP at 3:35 PM on November 11, 2005