BS 1363 British Plugs and Sockets

Summary

1 BS 1363 socket. The neutral and line slots are protected by shutters, which are opened by insertion of the longer earth pin. The BS 1363 plug and socket combination is considered a very safe system. It is mandatory that access to line and neutral contacts is protected by safety shutters (details are shown below). Most wall sockets have built-in switches, reducing the need for plug removal when power is not required. The switch is just for convenience, and is not a regulatory requirement. Manufacturer: MK Electric. 2 BS 1363 plug. From 1984 line and neutral pins must have insulating sleeves (black sheaths) to minimize the risk of a shock when pushing the plug in. Insulating sleeves are not allowed for earth pins. These plugs always have a side entry cable, rather than top entry. This feature makes it difficult to unplug it by tugging on the cable, which is an unsafe practice. Manufacturer: MK Electric. 3 Inside view of a typical BS 1363 plug. Because British circuits (see page on ring circuits) can deliver more current than many appliance power cords can safely handle, BS 1363 plugs are required to carry a BS 1362 cartridge fuse. Existing BS 1362 fuse ratings are: 13, 10, 7, 5, 3, 2 and 1A ampere. 13A is commonly used in BS 1363 plugs (hence also indicated as '13A plug' ). MK plugs have an automatic cordgrip. The angled cordgrips secures a cord when attempting to withdraw the cord. Note the position of screws to fix wires. The shortest wire is connected to the line terminal, the next longest to neutral and the longest wire to the earth pin (see image). Therefore, should the cord grip fail to do it's job., the first wire to come loose is the brown line, followed by blue-neutral and lastly earth. A safe procedure. 4 Usually you have to unscrew a BS 1363 plug for replacing the fuse. For moulded plugs and devices that cannot be unscrewed - such as adapter and (some) multi plugs - the fuse is accessible from the outside of the plug. The example shown is a 'shavers only'...