Unfused 13A plugtop "kettle" lead (UK)

It would not be legal as the UK regulations are quite specific. I won't carve it open just yet - as the supplier may easily want it back.

Reply to
Palindr☻me
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You managed to phrase your question in a rather annoying fashion. You rudely ask, "What do you mean by a 'power brick'?" Do you mean a wall-wart? as if 'wall-wart' is some kind of proper English (which it is not) and 'power brick' were some kind of weird bumpkin usage from god-knows-where. I guess you are American. From my (UK) point of view, "wall-wart" is American slang for the type of low voltage power supply which has prongs to fit into an AC outlet. It often has a lead terminating in one of the standard DC connectors for attachment to a piece of low voltage equipment.

I have plenty of those, for a camera, a portable CD player, a cable modem, a printer etc.

I also have a power brick. I believe they are used a lot with laptops. It is a fanless DC power supply which supplies my Shuttle small-form-factor PC. It has a 12v DC lead which plugs into the back of the PC. It also has a male socket on it which I believe is called a CEE inlet. It mates with a CEE connector on the mains lead, which has a moulded plug (with a fuse) on the other end. OK? I expect Sue was talking about one of these.

Reply to
mike.j.harvey

Hi Sue

Take it straight to Trading Standards, it is totally illegal for use in the UK or Ireland. All 13A plugs in the UK should meet the requirements of BS 1363-1 and be fitted with a fuse meeting the requirements of BS 1362.

BillB

Reply to
billb

Palindr?me wrote: I will notify

Oooh you little grass sue!

Reply to
Accrington Stanley

According to the regulations, does this fuse have to be replaceable? I could imagine that there is a fuse inside the moulded plug, you just can't get at it.

Reply to
Gareth

Is there a 'kitemark' or 'CE' etc on the plug. If so it is most probably OK.

Look at the plug plastic very hard, there may be a cover pressed tightly in place containing a fuse. In such a case a 10A fuse would be quite OK since a device with a built in 'IEC' ('kettle') plug would have appropriate protection if it complies with usual standards (look for kitemark, 'CE' etc.

It you are still in doubt it is probably easier to buy or obtain another 'IEC' lead, there must be lots of them floating around from defunct computers and appliances - for a computer application, 'notched' or 'un-notched' IEC sockets on these leads are quite OK.

Assuming that Hong Kong does allow un-fused 13A plugs on these leads, this might be based on their own engineering studies which may very well show that the 30 amp cartridge fuse or MCB protecting a ring main would also quite adequately protect a 10A 'IEC' lead against short circuits.

Reply to
peterwn

No markings at all. No fuse cover. Much smaller than a normal one.

Unfortunately, whilst people will happily donate computer equipment to charities, they very often hang on to the power leads - so I am perpetually short of them. But this one won't be used.

Reply to
Palindr☻me

No way of telling - other than an Xray or sharp knife..

But, IIUC, the regulations reqire it to be replaceable.

Reply to
Palindr☻me

Eek,eek... giant coypu, actually...

Reply to
Palindr☻me

Plug are not allow to carry the domestic plugs are not allowed to have CE marks as they are excluded from the Low Voltage Directive. There use is controlled by Nation Legislation a each member country. In the UK and Ireland they are suppose to have an approval from a European Notified Body.

BillB

Reply to
billb

Is the plug like the one described in this thread?

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The OP's post hasn't been archived, but Martin Crossley quotes the post with the link to the photos.

Reply to
Simon Dobson

These unfused leads should not be supplied for the domestic market

unfused leads are used in industry but they are usally commando sockets

Three pin leads can be used in an industrial or office enviorement on circits that are protected by the correct fuse rating at the board these are usally round pin (3 5 15 amp ) or square pin with offset pins so that standard plugs will not fit into the sockets

Reply to
Steve Robinson

OK. I.m with you now. I think I may actually have one of these on my external HDD.

I'll have a good look at it & see what I can find.

Joe Lee

Reply to
Joe Lee

Yep. That's it.

Reply to
Palindr☻me

But you proposed cutting it off and replacing it in your original post.

Reply to
Paul Hovnanian P.E.

Whilst asking here whether or not the supply of it was legally permitted.

If the cable assembly had been quite legal, then I would have considered replacing the plug myself with a standard, fused, one.

As it is, the supplier has since apologised and is sending a replacement cable to myself and other purchasers of this unit. He has asked me to destroy the cable - which I will do on receipt of the replacement. Had he asked me to return the cable at his expense, I would have done so.

Reply to
Palindr☻me

Whilst I totally agree with you expecting a complying plug with a new appliance.

I think the whole thing is overplayed. The UK plug must have by now used up most of the worlds brass, it is so over designed. And no other country ,that I know of, has a fuse in the plug which is only to protect a metre (39.37 inches for those who havn't converted yet) of cable.

Reply to
John G

Did we determine what the law is wrt 'wall warts', which (as a rule) don't have fuses? If they have some kind of thermal cutout or non-replaceable fuse instead, what are the regulations on these?

And why would anyone make a mains lead with an unfused 13A plug?

(Much speculation on this thread, little fact.)

Reply to
Max

Palindr?me wrote: ...

...

Is that like the one at

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?? I've emailed the supplier to ask about it. No markings, no fuse on the mains connectors. (This one's off a USB/IDE disk housing).

Reply to
Mike Scott

That one, at least, appears to have partially shrouded pins. But yes - that sort of thing.

Reply to
Palindr☻me

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