https://webstore.iec.ch/publication/34175

On his travels around the world, Vince the crew chief kindly bought me a suitably shady looking death-daptor to examine. The first and strangest fail was the wrongly colour coded pins.

Viewer comments:

Clive: our circuits pack quiet a punch…
Germany(16A/230V and no fused plugs): we got you
UK is weird though, our hangover from the post-war copper shortage making ring circuits a thing. Double outlets rated for 16A but nothing to stop you plugging in two 13A products, or if something is unfused then good luck with the breaker rated at 32A.
Still, 16A/230V is less than the UK’s 32A/230V on the UK ring main (truly a mind bending way to connect things, but it DID save copper in post-war UK which was the note. This 32A (or 30A) ring fuse is also why all UK plugs has to be fused, without that they’re decidedely spicy.
Note: UK is technically NOT 240V since decades, as part of the “European Harmonization” that happened decades ago they switched their official definition to be based on 230V though the over/under percentages means the voltage range IS higher BUT overlapping.
If you don’t believe me, argue with the UK goverments official pages, these specifically states that the UK mains voltage is 230V +10/-6% (IE 216.2-253V at the delivery point), the rest of Europe is 230 +6%/-10% (IE 207-243.8V at delivery point) to accomodate both the old 230V and the old 220V countries… I’d provide references but Youtube would just eat the comment, they’re not hard to find via Google.
And before anyone offers proof based on “but he measured 240-245V at the outlet”, see the UK voltage range (“230V” means up to 253V).
Right there with you – AU 220-260v with 20A/Bedroom circuit, 32A@for Living/Dining/Kitchen circuits, and a 20-32A for the shed/garage… To service appliances that are limited to 10A draw without special plugs, and are individually fused/breakered at the manufacturer’s discretion.

It’s going to be awfully hard to beat that death-dapter from years ago with the spring-loaded live electrocution prongs.
Link for those curious: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hvOTiQKkQMo
Ah yes, the death-dapter with integrated “lamp tester”.

Is it worth the risk of an electric shock or fire to avoid taking travel adaptors on holiday? Hotels are installing universal electrical socket outlets (or receptacles if you’re tuning in from the USA). These universal sockets look similar to British Standard BS1363 sockets. However, with universal sockets, you can insert almost any plug the world offers.

After the plug on a hair dryer melted, Gordon Routledge put down his Pina Colada and headed off to the local market to discover the problems.

We purchased a Legrand universal socket outlet and a version from Keffy. Neither socket outlet has any instructions of warnings about the potential for electric shock.

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00:00 Dangerous holiday hotel electrics
00:19 A trip to the market to buy a socket
00:50 Locals don’t bother with plugs
01:25 Where would we be without electrical standards – Mauritius (and other places)
01:59 The real reason the UK left the EU
02:33 Universal electrical socket outlets
03:00 Electric Shock Risk 1 – Exposed live parts
04:10 Electric Shock Risk 2 – No earth connection
06:10 Fire Risk – Poor connection
06:30 Breaking news from Unilight
06:55 Inside a universal socket outlet – Keffy
10:00 Poor connections
10:50 The Legrand version
11:40 Look away, now Gary’s got shorts on!
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BS 8546
Nemko Ltd is UKAS accredited for testing to BS 8546, the standard for travel adaptors. This standard was drafted by BSI sub-committee PEL23, of which Nemko is an active member.

It replaces standards such as BS 5733 and IEC 60884, which have been commonly applied to travel adaptors in the past, for products marketed in the UK.

Standard for adapters including travel adapters

A new British Standard ‘BS 8546: 2016 – Travel adaptors compatible with UK plug and socket system’ was published in April 2016. As there has been no British Standard specifically for travel adaptors in the past, there is no transition period, and should be applied with immediate effect to the design and manufacture of any travel adaptors having at least one plug or socket-outlet portion compatible with BS 1363 UK plugs and socket-outlets.

What is the best universal travel adapter? Which one should you use for your next trip? Watch now to find out