Sparks Electrical News October 2019

CONTRACTORS’ CORNER

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In summary, the increased safety features of the new systemare: • The plug pins are partially insulated. • The socket contacts are within a 10 to 12 mm well. • The safety shutter is operated by the simultaneous entry of both pins. Q: Are the new plugs mandatory for all new installations? SANS 10142-1: The wiring of premises; regulates the installation of socket outlets and in the latest edition (2017 Ed 2), it has become man- datory for all new installations by way of the following clause: 6.15.1.1.1 Except where otherwise specified in this part of SANS 10142, single-phase socket-outlets for general use (see also 6.14.1.4) shall: • Be of the two-pole and earthing contact type • Comply with SANS 164-0 • Effective from January 2018 all socket-outlet points for new electrical installations shall include at least one socket-outlet complying with the dimensions of SANS 164-2. Socket-outlets points may also include socket-outlets complying with the dimension of SANS 164-1.

Q: I understand there is an adapter for the old plugs to fit into the SANS 164-2 plug. How available are these adapters/ where can one buy them? Several companies provide plug-in adaptors that fit into SANS 164-1 socket-outlets and have one or more SANS 164-2 configurations for 2-pin plugs. These are available at all supermarkets and DIY outlets. Only one company has adaptors that accommodate the 3-pin SANS 164-2 configuration; however, almost no appliances are fitted with the 3-pin SANS 164-2 plug, to date. This will change in the years to come. Q: Would you advise homeowners to use the adapters? Unfortunately life without adaptors and cord extension sets would be very difficult. The use of a ‘1 to 1’ or a ‘1 to 2’ adaptor is perfectly okay for most applications where a conversion from one standard to another is required. However; plugging one adaptor into another is definitely not recommended. What is recommended though is that in new installations the planning

of extra socket-outlets is considered so as to avoid unnecessary adaptors and cord extensions, since at the offset the relative cost of extra socket- outlets is low compared to a retrofit when the building is completed. Q: Is some effort being made to get appliance manufacturers to adapt to the new standard? This is a sore point as most appliances are imported and there’s no regulation in place to compel manufacturers and importers to adopt the new standard. This should change gradually as more socket outlets are fitted to fixed installations and demand grows within the market, by the consumer. There has never been a ‘cut-off’ envisaged for the transition from SANS 164-1 to SANS 164-2 and it is likely that the two standards will co-exist for many years to come.

By Gianfranco Campetti Enquiries: www.safehousesa.co.za

Q: What has been the uptake by developers/ electrical contractors? Since the fact that prior to January 2018, SANS 164- 2 was listed in SANS 10142 as the ‘preferred standard’ a moderate uptake was seen in the market especially via the DIY stores, which have offered the combined SANS 164-1 and -2 products for approxi- mately the past five years. However, with the new leg- islation this has now become the norm. Q: Given the fact that deaths arising from misuse of the old plugs occur every year in South Africa, do you think enough has been done to alert the man-in-the street to the new plug standard? From my experience there have been very few re- corded instances over the past 30 years, where the plug itself was the cause of death by electrocution. Several other causes, including fires due to short cir- cuits and lack of adequate earth leakage protection, were among those found during investigations by the Chief Inspector.

NEW PLUG

• The new plug is much smaller with a combined pin weight of 15 g. Also the live and neutral pins are partially insulated for increased safety. • The SANS 164-2 standard includes a 2-pin variation, fully rated up to 16 A. • This configuration is also becoming increasingly available in rewireable and moulded-on versions.

• The new socket-outlet has a 10 to 12 mm well, making it more compact and allowing the pins to be untouchable during insertion. • Fitted with a safety shutter operated by both live and neutral pins simultaneously, on entry. • Allows 2-pin plug entry without use of a plug-in adaptor, thus allowing the direct plugging in of phone chargers and small 2-pin appliances.

SPARKS ELECTRICAL NEWS

OCTOBER 2019