Earth plug for wall socket, special name? - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / beginners

author: Decoman
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: January 03, 2018, 12:47:49 pm
content: So I am wondering if maybe I ought to get a special plug that goes into the socket at home, for providing easy access to grounding, but without risking having the other L and N connectors being exposed.I am wondering what the name for such an item might be if there is a special technical name for it.My impression is that they don't seem to sell this type of thing over where I live.I guess I should quickly add that I am assuming naively that the use of any grounding connection would be thought to be safe when working with hobby electronics (maybe that isn't true).I *have* seen such a plug as a commercial product, but only as complementary item to an complete anti-static mat product. That type of plug looks like any other plug on the backside, except, the two pins for L and N seem to be made of some kind of plastic, leaving metal used for connecting to the ground pins in the wall socket.I guess I should also stress that I am not very interested in making my own ground outlet, as I am not that familiar with electronics and I am thinking that working with mains power voltage isn't something I should even consider doing in the first place. So, it would be nice if there was a dedicated product for creating a ground connection to the wall sockets, assuming ofc that this is entirely safe to use.

author: Zero999
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 03, 2018, 01:38:03 pm
content: The anti-static earthing plugs have a built-in 1M resistor, to limit the current to a safe level, if you come into contact with a mains conductor, yet is still sufficient for draining static charge. They are unsuitable for mains safety earthing.I'd just buy a standard mains connector and just wire the earth pin to a green & yellow conductor, which I believe is the standard colour used to denote earth, in most of Europe. The earth conductor can then be connected to a suitable terminal block or banana socket connector.

author: Decoman
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: January 03, 2018, 02:51:30 pm
content: Quote from: Hero999 on January 03, 2018, 01:38:03 pmAm I to understand that, because the depicted product has a high value resistor in it, this one product would therefore be unsuitable for working like a regular grounding point?If so, is there a simple explanation for why adding a high value resistor would make that type of plug unsuitable for a grounding point?Hm, I guess, the high value resistor in the product would definitely burn up with a seriously large power surge and presumably with the resistor being the weakest link then the grounding connection would be broken and you will get seriously hurt as the current has no other way to go if you come in contact with a live metal. Am I correct in thinking this?

author: Zero999
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 03, 2018, 04:38:36 pm
content: No a 1M resistor won't blow up, when connected to the mains, as long as it's rated to the mains voltage, because the power dissipation will be only 53mW, at 230V.A safe mains earth must be a low impedance. The purpose is to keep the metal case of the appliance at the same voltage as earth, so the voltage remains low enough not to cause a deadly shock and a fuse blows, if there's a fault. Connecting it to earth via a 1M resistor would be useless because, if there's a fault, the appliance's metal case would just sit at 230V, causing a shock hazard.

author: helius
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 03, 2018, 04:58:27 pm
content: Just don't usethis type of plug...