Three-pin plug advice. Any 'Sparkies' out there please?'

[Eric The Viking]

Sorry - late to this:

The 13A plug+socket is the worst possible design for it's job - awkward, bulky and expensive to make, and p**spoor at actually mking a connection. Steve Maskery's right - the metal blades don't work at all well. They were introduced post war as it was thought that the ring circuits they enabled would save scarce copper over the earlier fused-spur systems. They probably did, but in terms of a low resistance, reliable connection, the old 15A round-pin ones are far better (as long as they're not Indian!).

Anyway, there are several reasons why stuff gets hot:

Firstly there's the poor connection between plug+socket, as Steve said. You can help this by either replacing the socket altogether, or carefully dismantling it , cleaning and re-bending the two brassed grips for each pin (yup - take the power off first!!!).

The other one is inside the plug itself. Run the kettle to boil a full load of water. Whip the plug out and feel which pin is hot. If it's the live pin, chances are it's either the fuse in the plug itself, or the contacts for the fuse making a bad connection. This is VERY common, especially with powerful kettles (3kW) and fan heaters (also usually 3kW). The obvious thing is to clean the fuseholder and fuse ends, and make sure the fuse is gripped well.

It may also help to change the fuse, even if that's still working. At 3kW power they do get quite hot, and the filament gets 'tired' like a light bulb filament does. A new one will have a lower resistance.

It's probably too late to be helpful but might yet be useful to someone.

E.

 

[Paul Hannaby]

I would be very wary of using a computer lead with a kettle. Although the socket looks the same as the one on the kettle lead, the ones used for computers are usually rated at 6 amps only. There are two (or more) identical looking types of these plugs but the internal conductors are of different thicknesses, giving different current ratings.

 

[Lons]

It may be new socket time, not just new kettle time.
The problem is that the contact between the pin and the socket is very poor. UK sockets are, apparently, not very well designed, despite being around for ever. That poor connection leads to overheating in the plug,, can cause melting, which damages the plug thus reducing the quality of the connection further.
I had one where the plug ended up literally being welded into the wall.
S

Steve may well be right.

I've seen a number of sockets fail (a couploe of them mine ), as they have been cheap, poor quality items.

You get what you pay for. Mine were crappos from Toolstation but you can buy them anywhere - even Aldi or Lidl sometimes for as little as a quid.

Any doubt and I'd spend a fiver and change it for a goodun - cheaper than a fire!

Bob

 

[knappers]

As Paul said, computer "kettle leads" are generally insufficiently rated for use with a kettle. There's a reason why the plug and socket for a kettle have a corresponding indent and "lump" in the long side - its supposed to prevent you being able to use a computer lead (which don't have the corresponding cutout).
There's no reason not to use a genuine kettle lead with a computer, however - apart from the fuse rating.
Si

 

[devonwoody]

Our property wiring is 48 years old and the socket in the kitchen which is solely connected to the kettle (MK) is never touched or switched.

I know its old so I rely on the kettle switch and carry water to the kettle to refill.

I think that's a safer way whatever the wiring/plug ages are.
( I have got a new ring main in the kitchen of course)

 

[RogerS]

There's nowt wrong with my set-up!

 

[devonwoody]

Roger, I suppose it no different from one of those 6 gang blocks on a lead.

 

[devonwoody]

Roger, I suppose it no different from one of those 6 gang blocks on a lead.

I used to use something similar to above before they arrived. :roll: