What Is a Wall Socket?

What Is a Wall Socket?

A wall socket is an electrical socket that accepts power plugs and provides a means of connecting appliances to an electric circuit.wall socket It may be a socket-outlet in its own right or it can be a socket that is attached to another object, such as a cabinet or cupboard, to form a junction box.

In general, an electric wall socket is used for the connection of electricity-powered devices to the mains supply.wall socket There are many different types of wall socket, and they differ in their dimensions, the number of contacts, and their current and voltage ratings.

There are also different types of power plugs, which connect electrically to holes or slots in the corresponding socket. Two-pronged plugs have a hot pin connected to one slot and a neutral pin connected to the other, each of which can draw and return current to the receptacle. Three-pronged plugs have a neutral and hot pin, but also a grounding pin to prevent short circuits from happening.

The hot and neutral pins are often separated by a gap of some distance to allow the device being plugged in to fit. This is to reduce the possibility of electrical shock or fire when a plug is inserted into the wrong socket.

Some plugs and sockets have bumps on the prongs to improve contact with the corresponding outlet. This can be particularly useful for Type A and B plugs, which have flat prongs that can sometimes be flimsy. The socket will grip the prongs more firmly, which will make it less likely for the plug to slip out of the socket or be pulled out by the cord.

Other types of sockets are designed to accept a specific type of plug or a combination of plugs, and may be marked accordingly. They are commonly labelled for example with the manufacturer’s name or model number and can usually be identified by a symbol, such as an icon or letter, on them.

In the United Kingdom, plugs are rated according to their maximum allowable current and can be divided into five basic categories: C, D, E, F and G. The first three categories are rated for low-current applications, such as lamps; the other two categories are rated for higher-current applications, such as fridges and freezers.

These classifications are defined by BS 1363, the British Standard for domestic electrical plugs. This is the most common standard in use, but there are a few other standards that also exist.

The German and French plugs CEE 7/7 and CEE 7/16 are commonly found in appliances sold in Italy, but most Italian sockets do not accept these plugs. They have 4.8 mm thick pins that are not sheathed, and forcing them into an Italian plug could lead to a shock. The same plugs can be made to work in a linear Italian socket using an adaptor, but they may be difficult to insert.

The Europlug is a relatively new type of plug, introduced in 1989. Its pins are 4.5 mm long and 19 mm wide. They are insulated to cover 10 mm of their length and are rated at 2.5 A.