2 prong power plugs - difficulty in power boards

Tech, TV, Mobile, Internet and Geek Corner
1
Hi guys,

Ive been in CH for some time and I have regularly faced this problem.

A 2 prong plug (such as a USB power adapter or such) not going into power boards.

Seems there is some safety mechanism that tries to prevents 2 prong, and even some 3 prong plugs going in. Using force sometimes works, but I have also broken plugs doing this.

Do any of you have the same problems, and do any of you have tips to work around them?

2
Buy a power board that doesn't have this feature, they do exist.

You can also buy some 3:1 adapters that don't have this feature.

Otherwise, simply defeat it by inserting a slug into the ground pin hole.

Tom

3

The socket group here https://www.doitgarden.ch/de/p/61316…t-garden-6xt13 appears to protect the live an neutral poles with (red) plate which is not dependent on having anything in the earth pole. I’ve just tried a similar one and it is extremely difficult to defeat even with two screw drivers. It allows a 2 pin plug to be inserted but it is easier if you rock the plug to vary the pressure on the pins. I’d open mine up to see how it works but it has special tamper proof screws.

4
Yes, same problems. I try and plug things in and leave them. It's mainly USB power adaptors and I have enough of those.

For me, it happens when camping and are trying to charge phones or cameras.

It's infuriating and really shouldn't need to happen.

5
So curiosity got the better of me. I have opened up a protected socket. I found a flat screw driver with a notched blade to get in. The red plate, covering the contacts, is spring loaded in two directions; one towards the front of the socket and one at the side in line with the live and neutral poles. Even pressure has to be applied simultaneously to both exposed surfaces of the red plastic plate. If this happens, the plate slides away, under pressure from the plug being inserted, exposing the electrical contacts behind it. If even pressure is not applied, one end of the plate seesaws up and prevents it from sliding in the direction necessary to expose the contacts. It is ingenious but the advice to rock the plug gently, in line with the two main poles, while applying downward pressure on it, still stands.

6
Thanks guys for confirming I am not going a bit nuts.

I especially thankful to @me.anon

I am usually also the guy who will tear something apart to see whats inside, but I didnt want to trash a powerboard for my curiosity, but gotta say, I was drifting in that direction.

Interesting that there are powerboards that have some other kind of system that is more friendly to non earthed plugs. This means these boards are really not designed properly to handle non earthed plugs.

Further to this, I noticed that in CH there are 2 kinds of plug pins. One time are smoothly domed and others are chamfered. I wonder if this makes a difference in defeating these powerboards. What do you think @me.anon

7

Smooth are round and called T13 used with 10A

Chamfered or more like square pins are called T23 and used with 16A