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2-pin and 3-pin plugs
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Dedicated MacNNer
Join Date: Jun 2003
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Alright not sure what my point is here, but I am a little frustrated due to trouble connecting different 2-pin and 3-pin plugs in my apartment right now.
Why is it that the UK is using one standard (3-pin), Europe uses another standard (2-pin), but the US is using a mix (2-pin and 3-pin) and creates additional difficulties when wiring electrical appliances.
I noticed that 3-pin plugs are more prevalent on devices that use more energy (air conditioner) and most wall plugs tend to be 3-pin. My new apartment has some plugs that are 2-pin and it creates difficulties as I have to use a bunch of 3-pin to 2-pin bridges.
Any thoughts on why this mix exists? I read somewhere that 2-pin plugs were initially used and 3-pin was introduced later to make safer installations. The 3-pin was used to blow a fuse in case of a short circuit. The way todays stuff is wired is there still a need for the third pin?
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Moderator  Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: inside 128, north of 90
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I thought the 3rd pin was ground, but what do I know. I know Home Depot sells adapters to turn 3 pins back into 2 pins. Yay!
(Yes, it is dangerous to subvert the safety features... yes yes. )
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Clinically Insane
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Vacation.
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Been inclined to wander... off the beaten track.
That's where there's thunder... and the wind shouts back.
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Professional Poster
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Chicago, Illinois
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So if you don't have the grounding pin, does that mean you're more likely to get an electrical shock when something "bad" happens?
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Addicted to MacNN
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: FFM
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The ground doesn't have to be a pin. In some countries it's a contact on the side of the plug. Yes, if the plug doesn't have grounding, you are more likely to get shocked in case something goes wrong.
Your apartment has 2-pin plugs or 2-pin outlets? It shouldn't be a problem to use a 2-pin plug in a 3-pin outlet. All outlet should support grounding though. I would never use a plug with grounding in an outlet that has no grounding. This assumes that grounding is on the plug for a reason.
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Clinically Insane
Join Date: Nov 1999
Location: 888500128, C3, 2nd soft.
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All central European sockets are (required by law to be) recessed three-pin, with the ground connecting at the side of the plug if you're using a grounded plug.
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Clinically Insane
Join Date: Jul 2005
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Originally Posted by Spheric Harlot 
All central European German sockets are (required by law to be) recessed three-pin, with the ground connecting at the side of the plug if you're using a grounded plug.
Fixed.
Yer French type E ain't grounded on the side of the plug, no?
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Been inclined to wander... off the beaten track.
That's where there's thunder... and the wind shouts back.
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Dedicated MacNNer
Join Date: Jun 2003
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Half of my outlets are 2-pin, and half of my outlets are 3-pin. The outlet by the air conditioner is 2-pin. So, would it be dangerous to plug the air conditioner in the 2-pin outlet using a 2-pin to 3-pin converter?
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Admin Emeritus  Join Date: Oct 1999
Location: Zurich, Switzerland
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Yes, if you can’t ground it. (That’s why the adapter has the little wire, but even it only works if the screw you connect it to is actually grounded.)
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Addicted to MacNN
Join Date: Aug 2004
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Originally Posted by blackstar
Half of my outlets are 2-pin, and half of my outlets are 3-pin. The outlet by the air conditioner is 2-pin. So, would it be dangerous to plug the air conditioner in the 2-pin outlet using a 2-pin to 3-pin converter?
If the plug of the device requires grounding, assume this is for a reason. A thousand times this is a non-issue, but once in a million, this can be a life-threatening experience. Especially if the device has a metal casing. In case of doubt ask an electrician.
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Mac Elite
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Edmonton, AB
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You may be able to replace your two prong outlets with GFCI outlets, check the codes in your area. The only other alternative would be rewiring. The third pin is generally ground. If you have a device that is not double insulated, generally with a metal case, and there is an electrical problem with it, and it is not grounded, and you touch it. You are the ground!
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Clinically Insane
Join Date: Nov 1999
Location: 888500128, C3, 2nd soft.
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Originally Posted by Doofy
Fixed.
Yer French type E ain't grounded on the side of the plug, no?
True.
The regular side-contact-grounded Type F is only "used in Austria, Bulgaria, Chile, Croatia, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Indonesia, Latvia, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Pakistan, Portugal, Romania, Russia[16], Serbia, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden and Turkey." (quoth wikipedia)
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