How essential dust shutters on wall socket?

Is the dust really likely to cause problems for the electrical
contacts if I remove the dust shutter on my socket, leave the
socket empty for many months and then later put a plug n?

Please don't ask why: it's too complicated to explain!

I'm half hoping the shutter is present as a second level of dust
protection because there might be some dust-removing capability
built into the design of the plug and socket.

Any experiences of this?

Thank you for any info!

Eddie wrote:
> Is the dust really likely to cause problems for the electrical
> contacts if I remove the dust shutter on my socket, leave the
> socket empty for many months and then later put a plug n?

I believe the purpose of the shutter is electrical safety, not dust
protection. Telephone line voltages are classified as Low Voltage,
whereas what you would think of as low voltage is actually Extra Low
Voltage. Telephone voltages are in the same class as mains electricity,
and can peak at around 110 volts, even without worrying about mains
earth faults.

As I recall, telephone sockets had to bend the rules to be allowed at all.

Note it is bad practice to post to newsgroup and its child.

"David Woolley" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:49fdb7ac$0$515$(E-Mail Removed)...
> Eddie wrote:
>> Is the dust really likely to cause problems for the electrical contacts
>> if I remove the dust shutter on my socket, leave the socket empty for
>> many months and then later put a plug n?
>
> I believe the purpose of the shutter is electrical safety, not dust
> protection. Telephone line voltages are classified as Low Voltage,
> whereas what you would think of as low voltage is actually Extra Low
> Voltage. Telephone voltages are in the same class as mains electricity,
> and can peak at around 110 volts, even without worrying about mains earth
> faults.
>
> As I recall, telephone sockets had to bend the rules to be allowed at all.
>
> Note it is bad practice to post to newsgroup and its child.

I agree the x-post to two groups was unnecessary, but I have
never thought of u.t.b as inferior to u.t

Interestingly, trailing extension-lead sockets rarely if ever
have shutters, and they are more accessible to little fingers
and even tongues!

Unless the air is particularly contaminated with dust particles
I think the OP is worrying too much.

--
Graham.

%Profound_observation%

"Graham" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:gtki9f$65c$(E-Mail Removed)...
>
>
> "David Woolley" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in
> message news:49fdb7ac$0$515$(E-Mail Removed)...
>> Eddie wrote:
>>> Is the dust really likely to cause problems for the
>>> electrical contacts if I remove the dust shutter on my
>>> socket, leave the socket empty for many months and then later
>>> put a plug n?
>>
>> I believe the purpose of the shutter is electrical safety, not
>> dust protection. Telephone line voltages are classified as
>> Low Voltage, whereas what you would think of as low voltage is
>> actually Extra Low Voltage. Telephone voltages are in the
>> same class as mains electricity, and can peak at around 110
>> volts, even without worrying about mains earth faults.
>>
>> As I recall, telephone sockets had to bend the rules to be
>> allowed at all.
>>
>> Note it is bad practice to post to newsgroup and its child.
>
> I agree the x-post to two groups was unnecessary, but I have
> never thought of u.t.b as inferior to u.t
>
> Interestingly, trailing extension-lead sockets rarely if ever
> have shutters, and they are more accessible to little fingers
> and even tongues!
>
> Unless the air is particularly contaminated with dust particles
> I think the OP is worrying too much.
>
> --
> Graham.
>
> %Profound_observation%
>
>

Sorry Graham, wrong.

Trailing socket outlets ALWAYS have shutters - IMSMC it is part
of BS1363.


--
Woody

harrogate three at ntlworld dot com

>>>> Is the dust really likely to cause problems for the
>>>> electrical contacts if I remove the dust shutter on my
>>>> socket, leave the socket empty for many months and then later
>>>> put a plug n?
>>>
>>> I believe the purpose of the shutter is electrical safety, not
>>> dust protection. Telephone line voltages are classified as
>>> Low Voltage, whereas what you would think of as low voltage is
>>> actually Extra Low Voltage. Telephone voltages are in the
>>> same class as mains electricity, and can peak at around 110
>>> volts, even without worrying about mains earth faults.
>>>
>>> As I recall, telephone sockets had to bend the rules to be
>>> allowed at all.
>>>
>>> Note it is bad practice to post to newsgroup and its child.
>>
>> I agree the x-post to two groups was unnecessary, but I have
>> never thought of u.t.b as inferior to u.t
>>
>> Interestingly, trailing extension-lead sockets rarely if ever
>> have shutters, and they are more accessible to little fingers
>> and even tongues!
>>
>> Unless the air is particularly contaminated with dust particles
>> I think the OP is worrying too much.
>>
>> --
>> Graham.
>>
>> %Profound_observation%
>>
>>
>
> Sorry Graham, wrong.
>
> Trailing socket outlets ALWAYS have shutters - IMSMC it is part
> of BS1363.

Well non of the bog-standard extension leads I have here are shuttered.
No doubt they are manufactured in the Far East, but they are widely
on sale here from reputable sources and Supermarkets.
Ditto for socket doublers etc.
Ditto for ADSL filter/splitters.

--
Graham.

%Profound_observation%

"Graham." <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:gtknd6$m1d$(E-Mail Removed)...
>
>>>>> Is the dust really likely to cause problems for the
>>>>> electrical contacts if I remove the dust shutter on my
>>>>> socket, leave the socket empty for many months and then later
>>>>> put a plug n?
>>>>
>>>> I believe the purpose of the shutter is electrical safety, not
>>>> dust protection. Telephone line voltages are classified as
>>>> Low Voltage, whereas what you would think of as low voltage is
>>>> actually Extra Low Voltage. Telephone voltages are in the
>>>> same class as mains electricity, and can peak at around 110
>>>> volts, even without worrying about mains earth faults.
>>>>
>>>> As I recall, telephone sockets had to bend the rules to be
>>>> allowed at all.
>>>>
>>>> Note it is bad practice to post to newsgroup and its child.
>>>
>>> I agree the x-post to two groups was unnecessary, but I have
>>> never thought of u.t.b as inferior to u.t
>>>
>>> Interestingly, trailing extension-lead sockets rarely if ever
>>> have shutters, and they are more accessible to little fingers
>>> and even tongues!
>>>
>>> Unless the air is particularly contaminated with dust particles
>>> I think the OP is worrying too much.
>>>
>>> --
>>> Graham.
>>>
>>> %Profound_observation%
>>>
>>>
>>
>> Sorry Graham, wrong.
>>
>> Trailing socket outlets ALWAYS have shutters - IMSMC it is part
>> of BS1363.
>
> Well non of the bog-standard extension leads I have here are shuttered.
> No doubt they are manufactured in the Far East, but they are widely
> on sale here from reputable sources and Supermarkets.
> Ditto for socket doublers etc.
> Ditto for ADSL filter/splitters.
>
> --
> Graham.
>
> %Profound_observation%
>

I think that we are confusing two different items here! Mains sockets are
always shuttered, telephone sockets are normally shuttered except extension
cords. There is nothing dangerous about telephone line voltages - 50v DC
line voltage and about 75volts AC ringing voltage BUT both at very low
current, albeit ringing current can make you jump but it's certainly not
dangerous.

Peter

Mark McIntyre wrote:

>
> Its in the milliamp range isn't it? The ringer voltage is however high
> enough that even with a 50mA current you can get a tickle. I guess if
> you had a heart condition it might give you a big enough surprise to
> cause palpitations.

The 30mA used by earth leakage circuit breakers is a compromise. Even
30mA could kill you.
>
> Note also that the phone circuit can carry much higher voltages if the
> exchange is struck by lightning.

Or if there is a broken neutral on a PME mains distribution system.
>

Eddie wrote:
> Is the dust really likely to cause problems for the electrical
> contacts if I remove the dust shutter on my socket, leave the
> socket empty for many months and then later put a plug n?

I am not aware of any dust shutters for UK sockets. *All* UK 13A
sockets have to be fitted with shutters that are released by the longer
earth pin on the associated plug. You would have to take the socket to
pieces to remove this shutter. Its purpose is safety, stopping little
fingers inserting foreign matter into the live or neutral socket. It
will not keep dust out.

Perhaps you are thinking of the plastic child safety covers that can be
purchased (plastic sheet with plastic pins attached matching 13A plug
pins). Again, these are intended to be safety covers, nothing to do
with preventing dust entering the socket, although they are likely to
reduce the dust that does enter. Some experts consider these next to
useless as a safety devices and some consider they actually reduce safety.

--
Old Codger
e-mail use reply to field

What matters in politics is not what happens, but what you can make
people believe has happened. [Janet Daley 27/8/2003]

David Woolley wrote:
> Mark McIntyre wrote:
>
>>
>> Its in the milliamp range isn't it? The ringer voltage is however high
>> enough that even with a 50mA current you can get a tickle. I guess if
>> you had a heart condition it might give you a big enough surprise to
>> cause palpitations.
>
> The 30mA used by earth leakage circuit breakers is a compromise. Even
> 30mA could kill you.

<confession>
I wish I'd known that earlier, I just wired in an extension for someone
and 'tested' the cable by sticking my tongue on the end...
</confession>

"Woody" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:FckLl.1836$(E-Mail Removed)2...
> Trailing socket outlets ALWAYS have shutters - IMSMC it is part of BS1363.

Which BT choose to ignore then?

http://www.shop.bt.com/products/bt-4...tion-4KPR.html
http://www.shop.bt.com/products/bt-a...r-rs-4D46.html
http://www.shop.bt.com/products/bt-p...lter-4KQS.html
http://www.shop.bt.com/products/bt-s...bler-4KQT.html
http://www.shop.bt.com/products/bt-3...cord-4KPN.html


Paul