So like me you thought it was OK to plug a 10amp device into a 15amp outlet.

[Franco Cozzo]

Originally Posted by SumoDog68

There was no safety issue - best to stick with proven brands (Clipsal, HPM, Legrand etc.) No electrician i know would install Bunnings Deta or similar. Their advice is in the same category as their product .

Even if you went to an electrical wholesaler like AWM I still wouldn't ask advice, at the end of the day they won't be qualified electricians behind the counter, it would be rare to find someone with experience in the industry working behind those counters unless its an old bloke who wants off the tools, but usually they'd become TAFE teachers as the money is way better.

The pay rate for A grades vs working the counter at electrical wholesalers is too huge of a gap to attract experience in those places I reckon.

[aussiblue]

No electrician i know would install Bunnings Deta or similar.

Well my electrician seemingly bought and installed Voltex. Admittedly at the time he had just started trialling a new FIFO job in the North West Mining Industry and was still sort of scaling his Perth business and stocks on hand down trying to decide if his family and he could cope with the long separations and related FIFO issues. His wife rang me a month or so later saying it had and he had closed the business. So perhaps this was old stock or for some reason all he could get hold of at the time.

[aussiblue]

BTW I am convinced the safety shutters are part of the sockets IP rating requirements to prevent water ingress. Noting the equivalent Clipsal version here https://www.clipsal.com/iconic-outdoor says:

The bevelled edges are made to deflect impacts and prevent the build-up of dirt, while integrated shutters seal the power outlet apertures to prevent water ingress, ensuring an IP54 protection rating. The switches are rated IP56.

Similar to my Voltex that claims:

These high current outlets are rated to 15A, and are shuttered, to ensure maximum protection against the weather.

But AS/NZS 3112:2017 Approval and test specification - Plugs and socket-outlets might tell us more. Per https://www.standards.org.au/news/sa...socket-outlets

AS/NZS 3112 provides the electrical industry, including manufacturers, test laboratories and regulators, with requirements and test methods for plugs and socket outlets.

The major changes to the standard include:

Specifications for detachable plug portions are now included
Dimension requirements for plugs and sockets clarified through revised and added diagrams
Plug and socket configurations have been clarified
Updated testing requirements for:
Ingress protection (IP)
Non-detachable parts
Insulation piercing terminals

Anyone got a copy to check?

Or maybe perhaps better Australian Standards AS60529 (I don't know I admit I am well out of my depth here) noting from https://www.amplex.com.au/blog/ip-ratings-explained :

The IP rating or code of a piece of equipment is an actual rating the equipment is tested to, in a laboratory certified by NATA or a MRA partner.

According to the international standard IEC 60529 (ensconced in Australian Standards AS60529) IP Code classifies and rates the degrees of protection provided against the intrusion of solid objects, dust, accidental contact, and water in electronic equipment or electrical enclosures.

[Itsme]

Originally Posted by Franco Cozzo

Even if you went to an electrical wholesaler like AWM I still wouldn't ask advice, at the end of the day they won't be qualified electricians behind the counter, it would be rare to find someone with experience in the industry working behind those counters unless its an old bloke who wants off the tools, but usually they'd become TAFE teachers as the money is way better.

The pay rate for A grades vs working the counter at electrical wholesalers is too huge of a gap to attract experience in those places I reckon.

Think you will find the salespeople at electrical wholesalers will be very knowledgeable with the electrical products compared to hardware stores staff, I have always found wholesalers staff very helpful from my experience in the trade.

[.:4:.]

Originally Posted by Itsme

Think you will find the salespeople at electrical wholesalers will be very knowledgeable with the electrical products compared to hardware stores staff, I have always found wholesalers staff very helpful from my experience in the trade.

With wholesalers it always helps to know your part numbers. If its a known obsolete item, they can usually cross reference suitable parts then you decide whats the best solution. I used to find it funny at one place on a saturday when weekend warriors would come in and bombard the desk with questions, the people at the desk would say nothing and point to the sign which read they are not electricians so cannot give advice.

[Citroënbender]

Much easier in plumbing

https://plumbingsales.com.au/20mm-x-...ducer-m-f.html

https://www.reece.com.au/product/bra...-x-15mm-207075

https://galvins.com.au/product/Ezipe...0-X16mm-335102

https://www.swanonline.com.au/Sharkb...0-x-15mm-RA058

[aussiblue]

Much easier in plumbing

But I have found that a lot of plumbers also forget or ignore the little bit about electricity they are supposed to know all about and often don't use when they are meant to or sometimes don't even seem to possess when I ask why they are not using a bonding strap like this when inserting bits like a HWS into the house water main and/or the gas line https://www.plumberschoice.com.au/pr...onding-straps/ . I guess it's extremely low risk but it only has to happen once. And in WA Perth Metro with our very dry non-conductive soil if a earth stake has been detached the risk might be higher.

In the low likelihood high risk rating severity range:

[aussiblue]

See attached if you don't know about plumbing bonding straps. I guess more likely a, or a bigger risk, in older properties that perhaps are more likely to have both faulty electrical equipment and broken earth stakes or wires but certainly not a risk unique to them.

In addition to the extremely low perceived risk, the cost to have them periodically checked and certified (or perhaps just as cheaply replaced) and that apprentices (who else would they blame) often bury, mislay or forget to retrieve them is the reasons some plumbers have said to me is why the don't have them or use them. And how many home DIY occasional plumbers even know about them?

[Itsme]

Originally Posted by .:4:.

With wholesalers it always helps to know your part numbers. If its a known obsolete item, they can usually cross reference suitable parts then you decide whats the best solution. I used to find it funny at one place on a saturday when weekend warriors would come in and bombard the desk with questions, the people at the desk would say nothing and point to the sign which read they are not electricians so cannot give advice.

I must admit I did see that back in the day and rightly so with some of the knuckle heads who should not be trying their hand at electrical work.

[aussiblue]

I also received this advice today from another Bunnings Workshop Forum member:

Shuttered power points in Australia are designed with safety in mind, particularly to protect children from electrical hazards. These shutters prevent direct access to the active components of the socket, making it harder for objects, such as fingers or metal tools, to be inserted into the plug holes. When a plug is inserted correctly, the shutters are designed to open and allow the plug to make contact with the electrical contacts safely.

The introduction of shuttered power points aligns with Australian standards for electrical safety (AS/NZS 3112), which aim to reduce accidents and injuries related to electrical outlets. This is part of a broader commitment to safety in electrical installations, ensuring that homes, workplaces, and public spaces are safer for everyone, especially for children who might not be aware of the dangers associated with electricity.

Sounds like all power sockets will soon be shuttered.