For those pesky heavy power cables that want...

[P.I.]

to fall out of the wall, try this: invert the wall receptacle so the ground pin is on the top.  That way the strongest grip is at the top of the plug doing the most good.  Even if the weight of the cable is trying to work with gravity (there is that physics thing again) the blade contacts will retain more of the blade in the receptacle.

I keep forgetting to post simple things like this.  Hopefullly you are all ahead of me here.

[richidoo]

Good idea!

Electricians often install switched outlets upside down, so you don't have to search for it the hard way. But without guidance they often put the switched outlet in the worst possible location. 

[P.I.]

Good idea!

Electricians often install switched outlets upside down, so you don't have to search for it the hard way. But without guidance they often put the switched outlet in the worst possible location. 

Yeah, having the ground pin on top is the way all commercial wiring used to be done.  I don't know why they went away from that standard.  Learned that from my Dad.

Without guidance Sparky will do many things to confound mere mortals.

[StereoNut]

Good idea!

Electricians often install switched outlets upside down, so you don't have to search for it the hard way. But without guidance they often put the switched outlet in the worst possible location. 

Yeah, having the ground pin on top is the way all commercial wiring used to be done.  I don't know why they went away from that standard.  Learned that from my Dad.

Without guidance Sparky will do many things to confound mere mortals.

It was (and still should be) done with pin on top for safety. If anything metal happens to fall or slide down a wall and miraculously fits itself between the plug and the wall plate, it would hit the pin, rather than short everything out across the two spades.

SN

[tmazz]

Good idea!

Electricians often install switched outlets upside down, so you don't have to search for it the hard way. But without guidance they often put the switched outlet in the worst possible location. 

Yeah, having the ground pin on top is the way all commercial wiring used to be done.  I don't know why they went away from that standard.  Learned that from my Dad.

Without guidance Sparky will do many things to confound mere mortals.

It was (and still should be) done with pin on top for safety. If anything metal happens to fall or slide down a wall and miraculously fits itself between the plug and the wall plate, it would hit the pin, rather than short everything out across the two spades.

SN

Wow Bill, you are starting to sound like an engineer. 

[dBe]

Good idea!

Electricians often install switched outlets upside down, so you don't have to search for it the hard way. But without guidance they often put the switched outlet in the worst possible location. 

Yeah, having the ground pin on top is the way all commercial wiring used to be done.  I don't know why they went away from that standard.  Learned that from my Dad.

Without guidance Sparky will do many things to confound mere mortals.

It was (and still should be) done with pin on top for safety. If anything metal happens to fall or slide down a wall and miraculously fits itself between the plug and the wall plate, it would hit the pin, rather than short everything out across the two spades.

SN

I remember when my grandson Kyle dropped a dime down a plug.  Spectacular!

When I was about 3 I stuck a bobby pin in a socket.  That is the only memory I have from that age.

[rollo]

  Good advice Dave. The real question is why there is a falling out. Din ? Contact pressure ? Both ?


charles

[dBe]

  Good advice Dave. The real question is why there is a falling out. Din ? Contact pressure ? Both ?


charles

It is a combination of polished surfaces and gravity.

[rollo]

 Thanks. Powercon baby I'm beginning to dislike IECs as well. I want tight.


charles

[_Scotty_]

Contact resistance is a function of contact surface area available to conduct current. The more contact area you have the cooler the switch or receptacle will operate. When we upgrade to a high quality low resistance wall receptacle it seems that the design of the receptacle frequently has insufficient contact pressure to hold our over engineered power cords in place.
 Power cords and receptacles designed for higher current applications usually have a twist lock design which prevents inadvertent disconnection of the power cord from the receptacle and potential arcing problems.
 Contact pressure past a certain point does nothing to lower electrical resistance.
Scotty

[dBe]

Thanks. Powercon baby I'm beginning to dislike IECs as well. I want tight.


charles

Neutrik PowerCon connectors are great!  It is my personal opinion that the 250VAC/32A connector set is the best high current electrical connector made.

[rollo]

  Perfect connector that ALL components should have. While I'm at it a circuit breaker instead of current limiting fuse. 


charles

[dBe]

  Perfect connector that ALL components should have. While I'm at it a circuit breaker instead of current limiting fuse. 


charles

Only circuit breakers that I like are Carling magnetic ones like Gigawatt uses.  I've used many over the years and have only good things to say about them.  I'll have to check available ratings.

[rollo]

   Gigawatt has them designed to their specs and sell them. I would think being a non Engineer that a fuse would limit current flow and the breaker not. ???
charles