16 Amp Plug & Socket.....How Tight?

[Distinterior]

I was using my Hammer A3 31 planer thicknesser quite a bit over the weekend ( hadnt used it for about 5 weeks) and decided to change to new knives.
Over the two days, I ended up plugging in and unplugging the 16amp plug a few times and it struck me as being far more difficult to do than I remember in the past.

Do these plug & sockets tighten up over time? If so, is there anything I can do to make insertion & removal easier...?.....or am I just getting weak in my old age...?

 

[Bingy man]

A lot of my power tools are 110 v . The plugs/ sockets are imo almost identical to 16 volt sockets/pluga plugs it’s not uncommon to have to give them a firm pull to engage/disengage . Can’t see why a little dab of silicone grease or petroleum jelly would do any harm ..happy to be corrected though..

 

[woodieallen]

I was using my Hammer A3 31 planer thicknesser quite a bit over the weekend ( hadnt used it for about 5 weeks) and decided to change to new knives.
Over the two days, I ended up plugging in and unplugging the 16amp plug a few times and it struck me as being far more difficult to do than I remember in the past.

Do these plug & sockets tighten up over time? If so, is there anything I can do to make insertion & removal easier...?.....or am I just getting weak in my old age...?

You've answered your own question, grandad, and I share your pin !

 

[Spectric]

or am I just getting weak in my old age...?

That is probably the reason, the same as why a 20Kg bag of cement feels a lot heavier than it once did. The better solution would be a 16 amp socket with isolator and in a one man workshop you are in total charge of the isolation. The other way would be to turn off your 16 amp supply at the main board rather than un plug it when changing the knives and if you do not have line of sight to that board then use a lockout device so it cannot be turned back on.

 

[Distinterior]

No type of lubricant or wax advisable then...?

 

[Spectric]

I have never thought of lubricating an electrical contact, if the lubricant created a film then that would be resistive and could cause overheating of the contact. Having worked before cordless became dominant then I am used to the 110 volt sockets whch are the same as a 16 amp one except the color and locating tab but they have always been tight and required a tug which is the same as my 16 amp plug on the P/T which is also tight but that has an isolator switch.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Silicone or PTFE sprays.

 

[Cozzer]

Many years ago I did some work with a team that did a lot of outdoor stuff, and it was common for them to have packed their 3 pin plugs with glazier putty (in an effort?) to make them waterproof...
Nothing to do with the OP's original question, of course - but I've a feeling they used to smear the same on the actual pins as well...