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brand new electrical items what is the point of the plastic plug protectors for?
Germany bound
24-04-2011
question as in the header.

Also have they stopped putting those salt packets in new items

to stop dampness?
grahamlthompson
24-04-2011
I can only assume they stop the copper pins scratching anything, other than that they are pretty pointless .

The small packets are silica-gel not salt which can absorb a lot of moisture and yes they are still used. In fact the same chemical is used on the massive supergrid transformer breathers on the National Grid to remove moisture as the oil contents expand and contract when the transformers get warmer and cooler. Without these the oil would get water in it (not a good idea at 400,000 volts )
MartinPickering
26-04-2011
Electrical equipment usually has a final electrical safety check before being packed. This can result in mains filter capacitors holding a charge. Therefore, to make sure that nobody gets a tingle, the plug pins are insulated. By the time the equipment is unpacked by the customer, the voltage will have discharged.

Also, as Graham stated, it reduces the risk of damage from the sharp-edged pins.
grahamlthompson
26-04-2011
Originally Posted by MartinPickering:
“Electrical equipment usually has a final electrical safety check before being packed. This can result in mains filter capacitors holding a charge. Therefore, to make sure that nobody gets a tingle, the plug pins are insulated. By the time the equipment is unpacked by the customer, the voltage will have discharged.

Also, as Graham stated, it reduces the risk of damage from the sharp-edged pins.”

Still seems pretty pointless Martin as any residual charge will still be there when you pull off the plastic cover . Much easier to bridge the live and neutral pins to discharge any charge left.
spiney2
26-04-2011
Er ..... in fact, new items would be discharged before shipping, otherwise such covers wd be compulsory, including on second hand re-sold prodcuts, which are safety tested ....... I thought the plastic cover was to stop the plug's brass pins possibly scratching the item's metal or plastic outer case. Maybe not?
Nigel Goodwin
26-04-2011
Originally Posted by spiney2:
“Er ..... in fact, new items would be discharged before shipping, otherwise such covers wd be compulsory, including on second hand re-sold prodcuts, which are safety tested
”

Such safety testing doesn't cover checking for charged capacitors, which by design isn't a safety issue.

Quote:
“
I thought the plastic cover was to stop the plug's brass pins possibly scratching the item's metal or plastic outer case. Maybe not?”

It is - how could it prevent a slight 'tingle' from the plug anyway, because you have to remove it
Steve™
26-04-2011
You can use those packets of silica gel to dry a mobile phone out after its got moisture in it.
treefr0g
26-04-2011
Originally Posted by Germany bound:
“question as in the header.

Also have they stopped putting those salt packets in new items

to stop dampness?”

I hope you haven't been sprinkling them on your chips.
spiney2
26-04-2011
I can't remember ever getting a shock off a mains plug!

As for mobile phones, there's some sense in gel packets, since dampness inside wd affect r.f. performance. But not as much point with tvs or computers.
chrisjr
26-04-2011
We use shed loads of Dell kit at work. All the PCs and monitors have detachable mains leads that are put inside plastic bags which are themselves put inside separate cardboard boxes sat on top of the polystyrene foam packing round the PC/monitor. Yet they still have these plastic covers.

Why when there is no way the things could scratch any part of the PC/monitor?
stylo
26-04-2011
Originally Posted by spiney2:
“I can't remember ever getting a shock off a mains plug!”

I do!...

we've got an upright vacuum cleaner that cops me every bl**dy time when winding the flex back up, unless I happen to remember to short the plug on the metal door knob before hand!!
spiney2
26-04-2011
Originally Posted by stylo:
“I do!...

we've got an upright vacuum cleaner that cops me every bl**dy time when winding the flex back up, unless I happen to remember to short the plug on the metal door knob before hand!! ”

That's static, not residual charge on SMPS.

(there's a small cap across the induction motor, but it;s shorted out by the windings).
Steve™
26-04-2011
Originally Posted by stylo:
“I do!...

we've got an upright vacuum cleaner that cops me every bl**dy time when winding the flex back up, unless I happen to remember to short the plug on the metal door knob before hand!! ”


Thats bloody shocking
stylo
26-04-2011
Originally Posted by spiney2:
“That's static, not residual charge on SMPS.

(there's a small cap across the induction motor, but it;s shorted out by the windings).”

It doesn't feel like a typical static shock though, there's a definite prolonged 'tingle' to it!
spiney2
26-04-2011
In which case, bad insulation. Replace.

This will be a class 2 appliance, which means the safety is no longer good enough.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Appliance_classes#Class_II
stylo
26-04-2011
Originally Posted by spiney2:
“In which case, bad insulation. Replace.

This will be a class 2 appliance, which means the safety is no longer good enough.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Appliance_classes#Class_II”

It's a Dirt Devil 'cyclonic' type, and has done it from day one, straight out the box from new.

Apart from getting a belt from it at wind-up, it's a good cleaner!.
Winston_1
26-04-2011
If these plastic covers are really fitted to stop you getting a belt why are not similar covers fitted to europlugs in other countries?
spiney2
26-04-2011
Originally Posted by Winston_1:
“If these plastic covers are really fitted to stop you getting a belt why are not similar covers fitted to europlugs in other countries?”

That's what I thought too! The UK plug pins are square with fairly sharp edges, Euro version isn't.
Orbitalzone
26-04-2011
As Nigel has said, they won't protect you from any residual charge present in a device once you remove the plastic cover to plug it into the mains.....

Clearly these covers are for protection of physical damage not electrical, the UK moulded plugs are pretty heavy things to have floating around in a box next to delicate electronics, to cover the metal pins makes perfect sense, to protect the items.

The reason that companies that supply an IEC detachable mains lead in a seperate box and still cover the pins will no doubt be because the actual maker of the lead is another company that sells to the likes of Dell etc and so covers all their plugs as a matter of course to ensure damage limitation as they don't know how the end manufacturer will pack them along with the other goods.
loracan
26-04-2011
Originally Posted by Steve™:
“You can use those packets of silica gel to dry a mobile phone out after its got moisture in it.”

I've been perfectly happy binning these until I read this - now I'll end up keeping them 'just in case'.
call100
27-04-2011
The pin covers are to protect the components from damage caused to sensitive circuits by ESD (Electrostatic Discharge). that is also the reason for plastic bags being used to cover other components. The plugs have the caps on when sent to manufacturers and are required on all electrical items.
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