Electrical Plugs and Sockets

[chiangrai]

I have those very small sockets for 2 pin plugs in my house and the plugs I have on my appliances are all different and I sometimes have to use adapters.Even when I have the 2 pin plug for the 2 pin socket the plug sometimes falls out.

I want to standardize everything.Get sockets that fit all plugs and plugs that don't fall out.

What do you do or what would you do

[KhunBENQ]

You have two pin sockets, so you have no protective earth/ground (as is the norm in many Thai houses)?

On the other hand you might want to connect three pin plugs?

Give an honest answer

It's risky business but done about everywhere and you could use these "eat all" sockets e.g. from the "Haeco" brand.

(not found everywhere)

Be aware that even with earth connected at the socket there would still be certain Schuko type plugs that would fit but without earth.

For correctness:

Of course a rigorous refitting of protective earth is recommended (though probably complicated/costly).

The "Euro plugs" might still have problems to get proper connection.

See here what I mean with Euro plugs:

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/932751-safe-plugs/#entry10975302

Edited July 20, 2016 by KhunBENQ

[Crossy]

The plethora of plugs that come on Thai appliances is indeed annoying, the situation was supposed to be improved with the adoption of the TIS166-2549 (2006) plug, but the requirement to fit this on all new appliances seems to have fallen by the wayside although our new dryer and washer came with these fitted.

If you have appliances with UK or Aussie plugs, the multi-outlets shown by KhunBENQ are pretty good (Haco are a known decent brand) but I wouldn't use them where there are high power appliances.

The correct fix would be to fit local plugs, again Haco do 2 and 3 pin ones which allow the flex to hang parallel to the wall reducing the possibility of plugs being pulled out accidentally.

If your outlets are of the "cheap and cheerful" variety replace them with good quality ones from Panasonic, Schneider or Haco. These will accept the 2 pin "Euro" plugs without them dropping out.

If you use the Haco plugs you need to ensure your outlets are the right way up, with the ground pin on the left so the flex hangs down not up.

[chiangrai]

Thanks,

I will be going to Chaing Rai to look for plugs and sockets.

There is a Homepro and a Thai Wat SaDu I will look for

"Panasonic,Shnieder and Haco" wall sockets.

Do they have these brands.

I still want to change all the cheap Thai Flat 2 pin plugs to a type that stays firmly in the socket.

What's the steadiest type of plug for this.

Crossy,when you say don't use high power apliances with Haco sockets,are power tools and kettles high power.

[rawhod]

Whilst on the subject of plugs and sockets, I have never understood why the the orientation of the three hole sockets is such that the live and neutral are vertical and the earth is offset to the right. This configuration is OK if the plug has the cable emerging vertically out of the back, but makes it impossible to plug in two appliances which have plugs where the wire emerging at right-angles to the plug.

When we build our house two years ago, Panasonic had just introduced newly designed sockets, but retained the same "sideways triangular" configuration.

[lopburi3]

National/Panasonic sockets will hold the thin pin round plugs that often fall out of multi plug sockets.

[Crossy]

Whilst on the subject of plugs and sockets, I have never understood why the the orientation of the three hole sockets is such that the live and neutral are vertical and the earth is offset to the right. This configuration is OK if the plug has the cable emerging vertically out of the back, but makes it impossible to plug in two appliances which have plugs where the wire emerging at right-angles to the plug.

When we build our house two years ago, Panasonic had just introduced newly designed sockets, but retained the same "sideways triangular" configuration.

I agree, the TIS166-2549 (2006) plugs have the cable outlet 90^o out from where it should be.

If you use the Haco 2 or 3 pin plugs and put the outlets the other way up (putting the neutral at the top, a safer configuration anyway) you can get two 3-pin plugs in place.

To get two TIS166-2549 (2006) plugs in a double outlet I use a surge arrestor adaptor to raise one plug by about 1", enough to clear the other one

[fvw53]

I use since many years an electrical water cooker (brand name Philips Type HD 4391/B) / 220-240 V / 8.2 - 9.2 Amp

Recently I noticed for the first time that when the cooker reaches boiling point that the two pins plugged into the outlet are so hot that I can barely touch them - even the electrical cable gets very warm

Is this normal and if not what should I check?

[Crossy]

If you can touch them then they are not too hot.

Seriously, these things are rated at 70^oC which is too hot to touch, if it's not making odd smells or smoke then the chances are it is just fine.

The flex should be marked with a cable size along the length (like Blackpool rock), if you are worried post what it says or a photo and we can check the rating.

[lopburi3]

But key on years of service and not notice before and perhaps strands of wire are breaking inside and less copper to carry the current?

[chiangrai]

So what wall sockets(of a good brand name)have the configuration like in Europe where the leads all go down towards the floor and there are no issues with using large plugs side by side.

[lopburi3]

Perhaps easier to change plugs to American type where it does not matter as plug is small and feeds directly out of wall.

[rawhod]

Lopburi3...That is a possibility, but would mean cutting off the bonded plugs (as shown in the picture) in our case, perhaps not recommended.

Edited July 22, 2016 by rawhod

[lopburi3]

More than 300 baht but available on Ebay http://www.ebay.com/itm/1pc-5V-2-1-2-4A-AC-Wall-Power-Socket-with-USB-Charger-Port-2-Way-Panel-Global-/121857796984?var=&hash=item1c5f4a6b78:m:msbPUcvwlwmCSRsNwuL2rjg

[wayned]

I bought one of the flush mount receptacles pictured above as I wanted the usb power. I thought that I could just replace the existing receptacle in the box on the wall. Wrong!!! The receptacle in the picture is too big to fit in the normal Thai plastic boxes and I was unable to find a box that would work so I made my own out of 3/8" plywood. It looks like it might fit the metal box with the ears for mounting the fixture, similar to the US, but I couldn't, didn't look too hard, find one.

As far as plugs, the HACO ones are pretty rugged but they are plastic. They have a small led to indicate power, a strain relief for the pigtail and good connectors for the wires. They are rated at 16 amps. It is a chore getting anything larger than 1.5mm2 VCT into them. To my surprise I actually found them hanging in little plastic bags in the electrical section in Tesco the last time that I went. They had quite a variety of HACO products.

[bankruatsteve]

Sad to say, in Thailand no matter what "Home" place you go, you need to check that the receptacle/switch will work with the box that you have or intend to have. There are at least two different styles and very frustrating when you have one that need the other.