American style flat sockets. Types, design and markings of modern household electrical outlets

Most often, electrical appliances are supplied with a ready-made system for connecting them to the network. However, there are situations when it is necessary to replace an element such as an electrical plug. Choosing the right option is very important, as is connecting it correctly. In order to avoid unpleasant situations in the future, you should study the technology of equipment repair.

Types of electrical plugs

There are only three types of electrical plugs. These are collapsible and non-dismountable (cast) types of equipment.

Each of them performs the same function. An electrical plug of any type serves as a connection between the network and the current conductor.

Molded plugs have gained great popularity in the world of modern household appliances. They are reliable, aesthetic and also comfortable. The wire is attached to the pins by spot welding. The system in this case resembles a single wire. In this case there is no contact. This method of fastening ensures that there is no oxidation or weakening at the junction of the wire with the pins of the plug.

The cause of failure of a cast plug is a fracture of the conductor at the base. Typically, such devices are not repaired.

A removable plug will help bring the device back to life. The electrical cord and plug are connected very tightly. The better the contact, the better the equipment works.

World fork markings

Depending on the state that produces the equipment presented, there are 13 types of gifts and plugs for them. They are marked with Latin letters.

Types A and B of electrical plugs are assigned to American plugs. Type A does not have a ground connection, and Type B already contains a place for its connection. Their pins are flat.

Type C belongs to European plugs with round pins without grounding. English sockets are marked D. The pins are round, two thin and one thick.

French electrical plugs with a grounding point have two round prongs. The third is in the socket.

An F type grounding plug is similar to a C. It only has two grounding plates.

English plugs include types M and G. Other European varieties include sockets J, K, L. Australian plugs for electrical cords are marked with the letter I, and Israeli ones - H.

Adapters are used to connect the plug to incompatible sockets.

Electric plugs in our country

In our country there are 4 types of trailed and cast forks.

Type C is a non-separable plug. They most often come with household appliances and are connected to a cord.

Type C5 has round pins with a diameter of 4 mm, without ground contacts. The power of the equipment connected to such a plug does not exceed 1.3 kW (6 A).

Type C6 belongs to equipment such as an electrical plug, which may not have a grounding connection. In some versions they have a grounding pin. The diameter of the pins is 4.8 mm. The plug is designed for power up to 2 kW (10 A).

Type C1-b includes collapsible varieties designed for a power of 1.3 kW (6 A).

Which fork is better?

There is an opinion among professional electricians that a cast plug is still more reliable. This applies to quality products from well-known manufacturers.

The connection of the wire to the pins occurs in production by soldering or, in very rare cases, crimping. Subsequent hermetic casting of the housing reliably protects the connection point and also prevents oxidation processes in this section.

The only weak point of such a product is the connection of the conductor to the plug. If a break occurs, it is better not to try to disassemble the cast version of the product. If you decide to repair the device, you should connect a detachable plug to the wire.

Rules for connecting plug C1-b

Different types of electrical plugs will require certain installation rules to be followed for each one.

For dismountable plugs C1-b, ensure good contact of the wire with the pins. The ends of the conductors should be tinned.

The insulation from the cable is removed by 20-25 mm without touching the cores. Rings should be formed around the crimp screws of the fork. The remaining overlap is wound around the stripped base.

The finished ring is removed and carefully tinned so as not to put pressure on the insulation. Then they are put back on the screws and clamped until they stop. You need to be careful not to break the thread.

The pins with wires are inserted into the mounting recesses. The outgoing wire is pressed with an insulating strip without damaging the outer sheath of the cable. Next, the plug halves are tightened with a bolt and nut.

Connecting the wire to plug C5 and C6

Here the process of connecting the wire is even simpler. The electric plug of type C5 and C6 already includes special pads. There is no need to form rings. Wire with a cross section of 2.5 mm square. envy up to 10 mm, and from 1.5 mm sq. - up to 20 mm. This is due to the connection technology.

Thin wires will need to be folded in half before fastening. The core is twisted and inserted into the terminal.

From time to time it is better to tighten the pads in order to ensure good quality of contact. It is quite good in such devices.

If the electrical network does not provide grounding, you should not connect an extra contact anywhere. The third conductor is left unstripped as a reserve. It can be useful if one of the wires breaks.

If you install a plug with a higher power rating on an electrical appliance, this will increase its safety margin. However, when installing a fork that is less capable of withstanding the load on equipment, one should expect it to overheat, fail and create an emergency situation. Be sure to pay attention to the marking of the plug and the power of the household appliance.

Having familiarized yourself with the types of electrical circuit element such as an electrical plug, you can choose the right option to replace the old plug. There are several types of such devices. Each is selected in accordance with the required load of the household appliance to which the wire and plug are connected. By making the connection in accordance with all the rules, you can have no doubt about the durability and safety of operation of the electrical plug.

Just 20 years ago we could travel almost light. Now our suitcase is filled with a bunch of electronics, which a modern tourist simply cannot do without. But when going to another country, you need to understand that not always and not everywhere you can find a native electrical connector for recharging your gadget. Knowledge about electrical networks and accepted electrical standards will certainly be useful to you on the other side.

So. There are two types of voltage and frequency most often found in the world. The first is the American standard 100-127 Volt/60 Hertz, together with plugs A and B. The other standard is the European standard, 220*240 Volt/50 Hertz, plugs types C - M.

There are a great variety of ways to connect to the electrical network, a huge number of types of plugs and sockets, as well as different voltages and frequencies. All this becomes a serious problem for tourists.
To connect electrical appliances to networks with sockets of inappropriate format, various adapters are used. Some of them can be purchased here in Russia, at the nearest electrical appliance store, or already locally, in the host country. When purchasing an adapter in a Russian store, you need to know the network voltage, frequency and type of socket of the country where you are traveling. We will talk about the types of sockets and voltage in the most popular tourist countries below.

In Russia, the network voltage is 220 volts, frequency 50 hertz. Socket types C and F are used

Great Britain

Mains voltage 230 volts, frequency 50 hertz. Sockets are type G, less often D and M. Russian electrical appliances require an adapter for all types of English sockets.

Greece

Mains voltage 220 volts, frequency 50 hertz. The type of sockets is European standard (or type C). That is, it would seem that you can safely forget the adapter at home. But in Crete you will still need an adapter, which can be bought at any local supermarket for only 2 euros. The fact is that sometimes there are sockets with three inputs (type D), so you won’t be able to use your electrical appliance directly.

Israel

Mains voltage 230 volts, frequency 50 hertz. Types of sockets C, H, M. Accordingly, an adapter for sockets of type H and M may be required.

India

Mains voltage 230 volts, frequency 50 hertz. The sockets are the same as in Greece, type C and D. That is, if you are lucky and find yourself in a hotel with European standard sockets (type C), then you won’t have to look for an adapter. But if the socket is type D, you will have to run to the reception or the nearest store.

Spain

Mains voltage 230 volts, frequency 50 hertz. Socket types are C and F. No adapter is needed.

Italy

Mains voltage 230 volts, frequency 50 hertz. Most often, Euro sockets are installed (type C and F), but you may also find a type L socket; an adapter will be needed for it.

Egypt

Mains voltage 230 volts, frequency 50 hertz. Socket types C (as in Russia) and D. An adapter is required.

Cuba

Mains voltage 110/220 volts, frequency 60 hertz. Types of sockets A, B, C, L, F. It is better to purchase the adapter on site, everything will depend on what type of socket will be installed in your hotel.

Mexico

Voltage 127 volts, frequency 60 hertz. Socket types A, B. Adapter required.

Voltage 120 volts, frequency 60 hertz. Types of sockets A, B. You can’t do without an adapter.

Switzerland

Voltage 230 volts, frequency 50 hertz. Types of sockets C and J. And here - depending on your luck. The adapter may not be useful if the hotel has type C sockets, but be careful: the second type of socket (J) is very similar to our Russian one, however, it will require an adapter.

Japan

Voltage 100 volts, frequency 50/60 hertz. Types of sockets A, B. You can’t do without an adapter.

Türkiye, Tunisia, Finland, France, Germany- no adapter required.

DA Info Pro - March 6. When connecting any household appliance to the electrical network, we do not think about what types of electrical outlets there may be. However, you can get into some confusion when repairing electrical wiring in a house abroad or in an apartment in which foreigners lived before you. In addition, you may encounter some problems when traveling to another country when trying to insert an electrical plug into the network.

Electrical plugs vary from country to country. Therefore, the US Department of Commerce (ITA) adopted a standard in 1998 according to which different types of electrical outlets and plugs were assigned their own designation. We will write in detail about each type of electrical outlets.

Classification principle and main types

Total exists 15 types electrical outlets. The differences are in shape, size, maximum current, and the presence of a ground connection. All types of sockets are legally established in countries within the framework of standards and norms. Although the sockets in the image above may be similar in shape, they differ in the size of the sockets and prongs (plugs).

All types according to the American classification are designated as Type X.

In most countries, standards are determined by their history. For example, India, being a British colony until 1947, adopted its standard. The old standard can still be found in some hotels in the UK. Type D.

The image shows the types of electrical outlets in different countries around the world

Although polarity is not important for single-phase current connections, Type A and Type B sockets are polarized. This manifests itself in the fact that the plugs have different thicknesses - the position of the plug is important. In addition, in the USA, where they are widely used, alternating current with a frequency of 60 Hz and a voltage of 127 V is used.

Development of different types of sockets and plugs

The widespread use of electricity in everyday life required the introduction of standards in the field of connecting electrical appliances. This would make electricity safer, devices more reliable and more versatile.

And many manufacturers of electrical equipment and devices in practice provide replacement cords for their devices for different types and countries.

Electrical sockets and plugs have evolved, including due to stricter safety requirements. So from Type D Type G appeared - the maximum current increased, additional protective insulating coatings appeared at the base of the plugs.

Some connector types are already obsolete. This is how the American Type I, the Soviet Type I, the old Spanish sockets, and plugs with cut plugs went out of everyday use. In fact, many countries standardize sizes among themselves. And standardization committees are trying to make interstate standards official. The main such organization is the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC).

It turns out interesting when connecting electric stoves - the maximum power can reach 10 kW. Various countries have introduced rules and regulations to use a separate type of electrical outlet for such powerful devices. And in some places they are generally required to connect without an outlet in a fixed way.

To connect plugs of one type to a socket of another, adapters are usually sold. They are found both from one type of electrical outlet to another, and universal - from any to a specific one.

We purchase a lot of electrical household appliances of varying power, made in EU countries, whose power cords end with European-type electrical plugs. It is known that they differ not only in the diameter of the metal part from our domestic ones, but also in their shape, greater potential power and the presence of one or two grounding contacts. But we must not forget about the so-called “Soviet” type, which is still widely used in Russia and the CIS countries along with electrical appliances of past times; therefore, we will begin a brief review of European-type electrical plugs with them.

One of the most common plug designs in the USSR, designed for 220V, 6A

This type, called Soviet C1/B, is still produced in our homeland and in terms of its qualities it can be equated to the European type CEE 7/16 Europlug. Electrical plugs of this type are designed for a current of 6 A and 10 A at a voltage of 220 - 250 V and a frequency of 50 Hz. They do not have grounding terminals, but they have one advantage, which is that their design is collapsible, which means that if the cable is damaged, you can replace it, leaving the socket the same and without spending money on a new one. The diameter of the pins in the Soviet plug is 4 mm.

The next type of electrical plug, which also has pins with a diameter of 4 mm and which is widespread in European countries except England, Ireland and Malta, belongs to the CEE 7/16 Europlug class. It is used when operating low-power household electrical appliances, without grounding contacts and is designed for a current of up to 2.5 A at a voltage of 1100 - 220 V. Compatible with classes C, C1, E, F.

Type C6 (in Europe CEE 7/17) we have a “Euro plug”, with round pins (knives) with a diameter of 4.8 mm

But the French type of electrical plug has metal pins with a diameter of 4.8 mm and one grounding contact. Widely used in France, Poland and Belgium. Used for medium-power appliances such as vacuum cleaners, air conditioners, water heaters, etc. This type of plug can withstand current up to 16 A at a voltage of 220 - 250 V. Compatible with sockets of type C, E, F, but with Soviet type C1 /B are incompatible and can only be used with an adapter.

For electrical appliances of medium and high power consumption, the European German type of plugs “Schuko” CEE 7/4 is used, which is widespread in Germany, Sweden, Norway and Holland.

CEE 7/4 Schuko plug and Schuko socket

Designed for a current of up to 16 A, in some versions up to 25 A at a voltage of 220 - 250 V, has a pin diameter of 4.8 mm, one grounding pin and is compatible with sockets C and F. According to its characteristics, “Schuko” CEE 7/4 Suitable for French type E CEE 7/5 plugs.

There is also a hybrid type of E/F electrical plugs - CTT 7|7, which combines German and French quality. Very common in European Union countries when using medium and high power consumption devices. They have a grounding contact and are suitable for sockets of type C, E and F with a metal pin diameter of 4.8 mm.