Hey all, I recently discovered that I could actually insert my phone changer to these two spots, and it works!
I’m not sure if I could use it this way, so I stopped it immediately, does anyone can tell me can I really use it this way? will it cause any problem?
It’s not a three phase socket, if you know what I mean, so you can’t blow up the connected device. It’ll either work or not, but it’s really funny coincidence
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Thanks for reply, that’s exactly what I worry about, I have no idea of how it works ,
Internally all three positives and all three negatives are connected together, so this will not cause any problems. On some of those 3-way sockets one of them may be connected to a light switch - there’s usually a little symbol on the plate to show it - so depending on which way round you misconnect like this the switched one may be on one side or the other, if that makes sense. But it still won’t cause any problems.
So yeah, it’s fine,
It begs the question as to why you would want to plug it in like that when it’s just as easy to plug it in to the ‘correct’ two holes.
I’m guessing here but it may be the only way two larger size chargers/supplies will fit.
I’ve done it by accident on occasion and can well imagine if you’re plugging in bulky chargers you may be able to get two in this way which would otherwise block each other.
Note that you can only do this in older sockets, all plugs installed after 2017 have to be recessed and this crossing is no longer possible. For larger chargers you will need an extension cord to connect to a newer installation
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Not strictly true, you can still get the flat-fronted ones at places like Hornbach. Yes, you’re not supposed to fit new ones, so they’re supposed to be just to replace existing ones, but there’s nothing stopping a DIYer from fitting them in their own home.
I’m not recommending them, you understand, cos I do think them dangerous, I have actually had one short out when something metallic (laminate floor underlay that I was fitting) fell against a plug knocking it slightly out then touching the exposed pins, and I dread to think how easy it would be for baby fingers to do similar.
40+ years ago OH replaced all the flat-fronted sockets in our first swiss apartment after our 11-month old son did exactly that… he’d somehow managed to semi-unplugged the 'fridge and with his tiny fingers touch the pins of the plug.
Fortunately he only received a small shock but screamed the place down, really scary to think what might’ve happened.
When we moved several years later we took the expensive recessed sockets with us to use in our hew flat as the regie (building managers) insisted the original ones were put back!
Sometimes the plug from one device blocks other two sockets, so it’s not possible to plug in anything else. So this way could be the only way to plug in another device.
I wonder, whether it is really a coincidence. Because it’s unlikely that the designer of this socket didn’t think that there would be people who will try to use it that way.