page_title: AC power plugs and sockets: British and related types
section_title: BS 4573 (UK shaver)
hierarchical_section_title: AC power plugs and sockets: British and related types / British two-pin plugs and sockets / BS 4573 (UK shaver)
caption_attribution_description: English: UK Shaver supply unit to BS EN 61558-2-5. Accepts BS 4573 plugs, also US, Australian and Europlugs. Dual voltage, with isolating transformer.
context_page_description: Plugs and sockets for electrical appliances not hardwired to mains electricity originated in Britain in the 1880s and were initially two-pin designs. These were usually sold as a mating pair, but gradually de facto and then official standards arose to enable the interchange of compatible devices. British standards have proliferated throughout large parts of the former British Empire.
  BS 546, Two-pole and earthing-pin plugs, socket-outlets and socket-outlet adaptors for AC circuits up to 250 V is a British Standard for three pin AC power plugs and sockets. Originally published in April 1934, it was updated by a 1950 edition which is still current, with eight amendments up to 1999. BS 546 is also the precursor of current Indian and South African plug standards. The 5 A version has been designated as Type D and the 15 A as Type M in the IEC 60083 plugs and sockets standard. BS 546 plugs and sockets are still permitted in the UK, provided the socket has shutters.
  BS 1363, 13 A plugs socket-outlets adaptors and connection units is a British Standard which specifies the most common type of single-phase AC power plugs and sockets that are used in the United Kingdom.
context_section_description: BS 4573 British Standard Specification for two-pin reversible plugs and shaver socket-outlets defines a plug for use with electric shavers, the pin dimensions are the same as those of the 5 A plug specified in the obsolete BS 372:1930 part 1 (as shown in the table above). Unlike the original, the plug has insulated sleeves on the pins. Electric toothbrushes in the UK are normally supplied with the same plug. The sockets for this plug are rated at (and limited to) 200 mA. BS 4573 has no explicit specification for the plug rating, but Sheet GB6 of IEC 60083 states that a rating of 0.2 A applies to all BS 4573 accessories.
  The BS 4573 socket is for use in rooms other than bathrooms. When installed in wet areas (e.g. bathrooms), for safety reasons it is normally found incorporated into a shaver supply unit which includes an isolation transformer and meets various mechanical and electrical characteristics specified by the BS EN 61558-2-5 safety standard to protect against shock in wet areas. Shaver supply units also typically accept a variety of 230 V two-pin plug types including BS 4573, Europlug Type C, and Australian two-pin plugs. The isolation transformer often includes a 115 V output that supplies a two-pin US Type A socket. Shaver supply units must also be current-limited; BS EN 61558-2-5 specifies a minimum rating of 20 VA and maximum of 50 VA. BS 4573 and BS EN 61558-2-5 both require sockets to be marked with the shaver symbol defined in the IEC Standard 60417-5225; the words "shavers only" are also often used but not required.
caption: UK shaver supply unit marked with shaver symbol. Accepts BS 4573, Europlugs, US Type A, and Australian two-pin plugs. Dual voltage, with isolating transformer.
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