Anyone have any probs with the round pin plugs?

[Kenny202]

I'm slowly converting any larger appliances with round pins to flat. Seem to have a lot of problems with them particularly on higher current draw appliances. Particularly in power boards. Just get hot and burn out the plug or the outlet. Anyone else have the same problem?

[Crossy]

It's probably the power board, the big Schuko plugs (2-pins with side earth) are good for 16A (a real Euro 16A).

The power boards with 'universal' outlets have a very small contact area and can get pretty warm.

Rule-1 of power boards - no high power appliances.

[flyingdoc]

I just find that the round pins are often loose here and need an extra specific plug to be more effective.

[lockman]

My biggest problem is the plug totally lacks a ground pin most of the time. An adapter to "add" that works, but makes the contact area even less. I wish they would always have a full 3 prong.

[KhunBENQ]

If you refer to these so called "europlugs" where the metal part is only half lenght:

then, yes there is problem with them im the usual Thai plug sockets.

To say it in simple words: they "slip through" the contact clamps.

Round pin adapters that you get in Thailand are always fully metallized (constant diameter), which is worse for safety but better for contact.

[NoshowJones]

Yes, sometimes in a hotel I cannot use the round pin plug on my laptop as it just falls back out.

Surely there must be some gadget that prevents this.

[IMHO]

The problem can be looked at two ways:

1. Your power outlets and power boards are low quality and need replacing

- or -

2. Accept the limits of #1 and replace the plug ends

[KhunBENQ]

1. Your power outlets and power boards are low quality and need replacing

And/or simply worn out.

If one fancys to do so (and knows what he does) he can bend the contact clips in the sockets.

Will last "for a while".

The europlugs shown in #5 can never have a good contact with the Thai sockets by design, while Schuko should have a reasonable fit.

[Kenny202]

I have really high quality power boards and bending the pins just breaks them. The round pin plugs in my opinion just make bad contact and tend to fall out of power boards and outlets. My solution replace with flat pin

[IMHO]

These sockets grip those small 2-pin EU plugs just fine:

The cost to upgrade a single gang to a new double socket with earth is 156 Baht each (for face plate + sockets - note that street prices are even cheaper), and means you don't need to forfeit the warranty on your new gadgets.

You'll probably spend that much on replacing the plug ends if you use decent quality NEMA plugs anyway

[KhunBENQ]

I have really high quality power boards and bending the pins just breaks them. The round pin plugs in my opinion just make bad contact and tend to fall out of power boards and outlets. My solution replace with flat pin

This is what happens if you fully plug in a europlug into a usual Thai socket:

You can see the metal part of the pin vanish in "open space".

The contact clips press on the plastic part.

The result will be no or very erratic small contact and the plug sliding/wiggling.

Fully metallized round pins should not be a problem!

[Pib]

If you refer to these so called "europlugs" where the metal part is only half lenght:

then, yes there is problem with them im the usual Thai plug sockets.

To say it in simple words: they "slip through" the contact clamps.

Round pin adapters that you get in Thailand are always fully metallized (constant diameter), which is worse for safety but better for contact.

It's more than the length, it's the prong/pins "diameter." They just fit "loosely" in outlets not specifically designed for them or in worn-out outlets...can be hard to get a good connection without a lot of wriggling and they can easily work themselves out if there is even slight movement of the plug like very low vibrations caused from a running fridge compressor or just anything that causes slight movement of cord/plug.

The other type of plug which looks basically identical to above "except" it has larger diameter prongs which work fine...fit snugly.

[Konini]

I am not at all knowledgeable in these areas, but I think I've solved it, or at least my problem. We were in Greece last week and I noticed how 'snug' the Thai/Indonesian/Vietnamese round plugs fitted into the wall socket, in exactly the same way that the EU plugs - on things I know have originated in EU countries - seem to rattle around in Thailand. Comparing a UK-EU adapter, the prongs on the EU plugs are noticeably thinner than the Thai ones.

That explains it all for me, your mileage may vary.

EDIT: Pib beat me to it posting pretty much the same thing whilst I was typing. At least I now know for definite that I'm not imagining it or making my solution fit the problem.

[Pib]

Yeap, the Europlug-type pin diameter is 4.0mm; the larger Schuko-type pin diameter is 4.8mm or 20% larger than the Europlug diameter. I just hate devices that come with Europlugs.

[Kenny202]

Probably shudve just bought some outlets and plugs from Australia. Leave the rest of the world for dead in domestic electrical accessories

[Crossy]

If you have pukka Shuko outlets the Euro plugs fit properly, that's how they are intended to be used.

[Kenny202]

I don't like the outlets in Europe either. Horrible big bulky things

[IMHO]

I don't like the outlets in Europe either. Horrible big bulky things

Sounds like what you really want to be doing is changing all your sockets to Australia/China standard ones, and retrofitting AU/CN plugs then

[Crossy]

I don't like the outlets in Europe either. Horrible big bulky things

Big - yup. Bulky - yup. Over engineered - probably.

Safe, rugged and difficult to damage - most definitely.

Applies equally to UK or Schuko plugs

[IMHO]

I don't like the outlets in Europe either. Horrible big bulky things

Big - yup. Bulky - yup. Over engineered - probably.

Safe, rugged and difficult to damage - most definitely.

Applies equally to UK or Schuko plugs

Big and bulky isn't always bad...sometimes it's bad-ass

[bankruatsteve]

Check IMHO post #10. There are lot's of quality receptacles that will fit just about anything - even the 2-pin partial clad - which I now have plugged in for a printer and no problem.

[IMHO]

I have really high quality power boards and bending the pins just breaks them. The round pin plugs in my opinion just make bad contact and tend to fall out of power boards and outlets. My solution replace with flat pin

This is what happens if you fully plug in a europlug into a usual Thai socket:

20150630_120351.jpg

You can see the metal part of the pin vanish in "open space".

The contact clips press on the plastic part.

The result will be no or very erratic small contact and the plug sliding/wiggling.

Fully metallized round pins should not be a problem!

Uh huh, your typical 30 Baht piece 'o crap

[IMHO]

Just as a follow-up to this, I had a Clipsal socket that got wet, so I needed to pull it apart to dry it out.. Here's what it looks like inside with those small 2-pin Euro plugs.. Note that the insertion depth is indeed accurate - i.e. this is what you'd get with the plug fully inserted:

[KhunBENQ]

Nicer pics, but exactly what I wrote all over the thread.

See post #11

Thai outlet socket are not constructed for Euro plugs!

[Kenny202]

The point for me with those big heavy euro plugs and adapters...yes they are solid and over engineered which means they tend to want to fall out of sockets from their shear bulkiness. Aussie Clipsal plugs and accessories the best and most efficient in the world imo

[Crossy]

The point for me with those big heavy euro plugs and adapters...yes they are solid and over engineered which means they tend to want to fall out of sockets from their shear bulkiness. Aussie Clipsal plugs and accessories the best and most efficient in the world imo

I have never, ever seen a UK or Euro (Schuko) or even the slim-pinned ones we're talking about 'fall' out of the correct socket, indeed most need a good pull to remove them.

Of course, if it's in an adaptor hanging off a local outlet then all bets are off.

You Aussie plug needs an adaptor too to use in a Thai outlet, it's going to suffer a similar fate (although rather lighter).

[Kenny202]

I brought Aussie adaptors with me which I use to plug in Aussie power boards for computers and low amp stuff. Never had a problem. The good quality European stuff maybe ok Crossy but I still don't like the two round pins. Have a small power adapter for the alarm plugged in the wall as well as others. Have to pop it back in everytime I walk past it. T hey just don't grip like a 3 pin Aussie plug

[Crossy]

How would you rate an Aussie plug against, say a Chinese plug?

Everyone believes that 'their' (insert something like a power outlet here) is 'best' of course they do it's only natural. In reality, there's nothing wrong with any of the plugs used around the world, when they are plugged into their mating outlet.

It's when we start attempting to mate thin-pinned Euro plugs with outlets that weren't designed for them that we get problems, the whole subject of this thread. We are not helped by the Thai authorities allowing pretty well any type of plug to be sold (one of our TVs came with a UK plug).

Your alarm adaptor, does it have thin round pins? Is it plugged into a Euro outlet?

[Pib]

It's when we start attempting to mate thin-pinned Euro plugs with outlets that weren't designed for them that we get problems, the whole subject of this thread. We are not helped by the Thai authorities allowing pretty well any type of plug to be sold (one of our TVs came with a UK plug).

So true. I just hate it when I get a device with the small diameter round pins because they fit loosely in any socket or power strip I have in my house...and if the outlet has some years under its belt from having large diameter plugs inserted it can take some wiggling to get the small diameter plug to even make descent electrical contact much less firmly stay in the socket.

When I bought my house I replaced almost all the wall sockets from one-plug type to two-plug type (quality Bitco) sockets just because I wanted two outlet sockets. Even the few one-outlet sockets that I didn't change hold small diameter plugs too loosely. And thanks goodness for the power strips that come with the spring loaded flaps that are closed with no plug insert because when plugging in a small diameter plug the spring loaded flap helps to hold them in especially when the strip is mounted vertically. Seems the great, great majority of outlets sold in Thailand are best suited for large diameter and flat prong plugs.

[Crossy]

The CEE 7/16 plug we are talking about and its matching outlet are here http://fam-oud.nl/~plugsocket/Europlug1.html I've never seen these outlets sold here.

They also fit in the Schuko CEE 7/3 and 7/4 outlets http://fam-oud.nl/~plugsocket/Schuko1.html which have guide slots to help stabilise big adaptors (green arrows in image 1 on the link). These I have seen for sale here, indeed we have several in the kitchen for the microwave and grill which came with Schuko plugs.