PAT Question

[needasparks]

I have a commercial customer who i noticed is using some IT equipment which has a class 2 leads and a slide on 1363 plugs. I guess when the equipment came it may have had different ones for each country of use.
My question is, can they be used for commercial use as they have no fusing.
I've seen this for the plug in transformers but but they tend to have thermal trips but not on leaded equipment before.

 

[72-van]

Hi Guys A picture speaks a thousand words not quite sure what you mean with your description.

this is quite a good site for pics and indeed well worth a read

BS 1363 Plugs and Sockets

 

[needasparks]

Yeah sorry did not take a pic.
It was really just a figure 8 lead (class 2) 1.5m long without fusing. It had an interchangable plug on the end for each countries use and in this case was using a plastic 3 pin 1363 type. You must have seen these when you get a new phone charger.

Edit

This is the closest i can find http://www.sunpower-uk.com/products...erchangeable-Plug-/EA1015R-Series/default.htm
But it was not transformered and was 230 on the lead.

 

[72-van]

I know of a company which has a similar type thing a moulded psu for a small external hard disk drive ,the pins on the psu are the same as a uk shaver .

http://www.amazon.co.uk/1-Amp-Fused-Shaver-Adaptor/dp/B0012K2AK0

their solution was to get one of the above fused adapter and use that.

this type of item seems to be in another lovely grey area of the cop perhaps the powers that be might address this at the next rewrite which i believe is being talked about now.

i think cop 15.10.3 deals with multi adapters however this isnt multi i cannot see this type of device mentioned elsewhere in the cop .

perhaps its dealt with in detail in the BGB

maybe one off our napit / niceic guys could use there helpdesk to confirm what exactly is the case in this instance

72-van

 

[Silly Sausage]

I have a commercial customer who i noticed is using some IT equipment which has a class 2 leads and a slide on 1363 plugs.

Like this...



The ones I've seen are fused.

 

[gutterball]

do you mean something like this Wall (x4) Quad Charger uses TipExchange we have them for our phones/E readers etc. there's no mention on the plug of any fuse rating.

 

[needasparks]

Like this...

View attachment 11930

The ones I've seen are fused.

No, if you check out the picture i linked its the same. a moulded plug that takes different pinned adapters for each country and you slide it in place but no fusing at all. I have only seen this type for phone chargers which are transformed and never on the end of a mains lead

 

[72-van]

I might be stating the obvious could you just cut the end of and fit a regular plug ?

 

[needasparks]

I might be stating the obvious could you just cut the end of and fit a regular plug ?

I would if i had the job to do it. I just wanted thoughts from others before i made suggestions to the customer about using equipment not to BS.
It would appear from points mentioned that this type may be a grey area, wondered what the PAT testing brigade made of this first.

 

[Adam W]

If there is no fuse in the plug or the equipment the closest protective device would be in the DB, so in the event of a fault on one piece of equipment you'd lose all the power on that circuit, and the protective device (probably a 32A MCB or RCBO) may not adequately protect the size of cable used.

Does this plug arrangement comply with BS1363 as required by law (the plugs and sockets etc (safety) regulations 1994)?

 

[needasparks]

That was the whole point of the post fella. As i do not do PAT testing so wanted others views.

 

[72-van]

There is a decent amount of pat discussion takes place on linkedin ,including some good input from the guys at seaward and bapat .

you could try posting there for a better range of people more directly aimed at the pat side of things.

usually some excellent quick posts here

 

[Adam W]

Well what does it say on the plug? Does it have a BS number or kitemark?
Considering it doesn't contain a BS1361 fuse I would imagine it doesn't.

 

[Silly Sausage]

No, if you check out the picture i linked its the same. a moulded plug that takes different pinned adapters for each country and you slide it in place but no fusing at all. I have only seen this type for phone chargers which are transformed and never on the end of a mains lead

Ah, I think I know what you mean.
I suspect there will be protection in the bit that slides in or whatever it is powering, internal fuse, perhaps?

 

[FatallyFlawed]

Any adaptor which allows a non-fused plug to be connected to a BS 1363 socket must contain a fuse to BS 1362 (or 1A BS 646 fuse in the case of an adaptor specifically marked for shavers). If the device itself is a plug with interchangeable pins and is intended to fit into a BS 1363 socket, then it must meet BS 1363 and be approved, no plug without a fuse could have been approved and would therefore be illegal.