3 to 2 prong death-daptor

Any other panic you'd like to try and start?

absolutely shocking news but it's a 2 to 3 pin adapter and they will know when there is a problem and learn not to have damp shoes and then touch a metal appliance in humid weather.

THIS is a death-daptor.

Fortunately, I believe Amazon has been forced to stop selling them.

For The Popcorn said:

Any other panic you'd like to try and start?

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My wife tells me that the hoarding community in North Central Florida is focused on bottled water and iodine supplements this week. I don't think they are worried about another hurricane.

Athosworld said:

I purchased this in a country where people are very ignorant and use this without the ground attached to that screw, and they don’t even have breakers, RCDs of GFCIs on their electrical system. Also THERE IS NO GROUND anywhere and they have 3 prong outlets.
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And what country is this? Is there neutral (not hot) grounded?

Mike.

That's a US plug. Older homes often don't have grounded outlets. The center screw of the outlet may be grounded. One side of the outlet is at 120 volts, the other is neutral, but in old 2 prong outlets, there's no telling which is which. On more recent two prong outlets, the neutral leg is wider (taller) than the hot leg.

Is the American system a Star connected system with the neutral at the center point which is grounded? If so, won't any connection of live(hot) to ground cause something to trip? And the OP states that "the country" has no ground anywhere or any kind of breakers. Surely this can't be the USA.

Mike.

I can't speak for what country he's talking about, but that type of adapter is used in the US with older outlets that don't have the third ground pin.

In the US, homes are basically supplied from a center-tapped transformer. The center-tap is neutral, and is connected to earth ground at the entrance panel. Each side of the transformer supplies 120 volts to neutral, with high-current-draw appliances being connected cross the legs for 240 volts.

Here's a modern 120v outlet. Narrow pin is hot, wide pin is neutral and the round pin is ground.



Going back in time, polarized 2 pin outlets were used. Wide pin neutral, narrow pin hot, and possibly a ground connection to the outlet box, making the center cover plate screw ground.



Going further back, this is a non-polarized outlet with both prongs the same size. Chances are the center screw is not grounded.

The wiring for this type of outlet often was "knob and tube" which used two separate conductors with cotton insulation. The wires were run maybe 8" – 10" apart, secured periodically with knobs (ceramic insultators) and protected where they ran through studs (framing members), floors, etc. with ceramic tunes. It will be the worst day of your life if during a remodel, you open a wall and find knob and tube wiring! Your project justed turned into a total gut job.

Knob and tube wiring...

I've always assumed that the US system was three phase with 230 between phases and 110 (I know, math(s) is wrong) to neutral I guess the center tapped transformers are for individual premises and three phase is the distribution method. In the UK (and Australia) it's a three phase system with 250(now 230) to neutral and 440(now 400, I guess) between phases. From memory, in the UK every third house was connected to the same phase to even out load. I'm not sure how it works in rural area with pole transformers(pigs).
Industrial premises (almost) exclusively used three phase and fluorescent lighting was wired with every third row connected to the same phase so that flicker was reduced. Maybe I'm not old enough but I have never seen (or heard of) knob and tube wiring.

Mike.

I believe one transformer supplies a handful of houses, maybe more.

3-phase in houses is rare here, using used for commercial/industrial buildings. The apartment I used to live in had 3-phase, which provided 208 volts instead of 240 volts. My barely-adequate-at-240v resistance heaters couldn't keep up on really cold days with a 208v supply.

Three phase in houses is fairly common here especially in the last 30 years. The house we built when we arrived in Australia had a three phase supply. It ran the Air-Con and I had an outlet installed in the garage which I never got around to using.

Looks like all my assumptions about the US distribution system were wrong.

Mike.
BTW, why would three phase produce 208V when (I assume again) it's a 230V phase to phase system?

Pommie said:

BTW, why would three phase produce 208V when (I assume again) it's a 230V phase to phase system?

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I'm going to claim ignorance on that subject (since it's 12:30 am here). I don't recall what the incoming voltage was, and there's probably some magic to get it down to that. I recall seeing some explanation of what was going on and an explanation of how it got to 208v. I did measure it during one of those cold snaps to see why my heaters were running continuously.

Pommie said:

I've always assumed that the US system was three phase with 230 between phases and 110 (I know, math(s) is wrong) to neutral I guess the center tapped transformers are for individual premises and three phase is the distribution method. In the UK (and Australia) it's a three phase system with 250(now 230) to neutral and 440(now 400, I guess) between phases. From memory, in the UK every third house was connected to the same phase to even out load.

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I've always believed so - I was surprised to find out recently that my house, and the two immediately to my left, are all on the same phase - it's blindingly obvious when you look, but I'd never looked previously. But old houses, old supplies - using only thin cables.

But certainly, in general, alternate houses are connected to alternate phases.

Pommie said:

I'm not sure how it works in rural area with pole transformers(pigs).

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Pole transformers are relative rare in the UK, you don't see that many of them, even in rural areas - and most that you do are also larger three phase transformers anyway.

Pommie said:

Industrial premises (almost) exclusively used three phase and fluorescent lighting was wired with every third row connected to the same phase so that flicker was reduced. Maybe I'm not old enough but I have never seen (or heard of) knob and tube wiring.

Mike.

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It's a crude and horrible old American thing

The UK's 'suicide wiring' was lead covered wires - the outer lead sheath was used as earth, and the inner conductors were 'insulated' (and I use the term lightly) by linen - which rots away over the years, and if you touch the wires all the 'insulation' falls off.

Don't forget the green slime plastic insulation problem in the UK. Green slime oozing down the wall under a switch or outlet is bad news. I don't recall what material that insulation was.

And don't ask me why I watch British electricians on YouTube – I have no explanation

For The Popcorn said:

Don't forget the green slime plastic insulation problem in the UK. Green slime oozing down the wall under a switch or outlet is bad news. I don't recall what material that insulation was.

And don't ask me why I watch British electricians on YouTube – I have no explanation

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I've never heard of that?. Possibly the horrible rubber insulated wires that replace the lead ones?, as rubber breaks down.

I'd like to think that all lead and rubber wires have long since been replaced by PVC, but I suspect there's probably some still left.

I've never heard of the "green slime" either. However, the first house I bought (circa 1980) had the horrible rubber wiring. I rewired it.

Mike.

It may be rubber, but I thought it was something like PVC. Plasticizer migrating out, and attacking the copper in the process, which makes the green slime.

I'll see if I can find a reference tomorrow.

For The Popcorn said:

It may be rubber, but I thought it was something like PVC. Plasticizer migrating out, and attacking the copper in the process, which makes the green slime.

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I guess there could have been some manufacturer that produced inferior (rubbish) insulated wire that caused this problem. I doubt they stayed in business very long if that was the case.

Mike.