Kettle vs Cloverleaf Socket Difference?

[embalse]

Kettle vs Cloverleaf Socket Difference?
When I take a Kettle socket reading of the Voltage I get 241.6v
When I take a Cloverleaf socket reading of the Voltage I get 2.308v

If this is correct, why is there a difference in V as they are both coming directly from the 240v mains?

 

[alec]

not familiar what the wiring should be on cloverleaf, but 2v could be the potential between ground and neutral

 

[Armageus]

Unless you measured at exactly the same time of day, it's entirely possible that the mains voltage had just varied.

The UK spec is meant to be 230 volts, but has a tolerance of -6% and +10%, therefore anything between 216.2 and 253 volts is possible.

 

[embalse]

Unless you measured at exactly the same time of day, it's entirely possible that the mains voltage had just varied.

The UK spec is meant to be 230 volts, but has a tolerance of -6% and +10%, therefore anything between 216.2 and 253 volts is possible.

Thanks I know its me being dense, but the cloverleaf sockets is reading 2.308 volts which is a big difference?

.

 

[alec]

Looks like 2V is normal for ground-neutral

What is the acceptable voltage between neutral and earth in a single phase?

Answer (1 of 6): This answer is based on UK 230V single phase. The voltage between neutral and earth is equal to the resistance of the wire between neutral and earth multiplied by the current it is carrying. This resistance needs to be low in order to not waste energy. The live supply wire also ...

www.quora.com

 

[embalse]

I did use the left/right pins for the last reading. According to Google, the live pin is the centre, which I used this time. It was the same reading, more or less.

I guess my question should be: What should the volts read in a cloverleaf socket?

 

[Armageus]

I did use the left/right pins for the last reading. According to Google, the live pin is the centre, which I used this time. It was the same reading, more or less.

I guess my question should be: What should the volts read in a cloverleaf socket?

Pins are arranged the same as a "kettle lead" C13/C14 from what I can find out - not that that explains anything!

Museum of Plugs and Sockets: IEC 60320 appliance couplers

Annotated display of various types of IEC 60320 appliance couplers

www.plugsocketmuseum.nl

 

[embalse]

Pins are arranged the same as a "kettle lead" C13/C14 from what I can find out - not that that explains anything!

Thanks. Very helpful

 

[tangey]

Are you sure the cloverleaf lead is sound ? Is this the same lead that in another thread you said it blew fuses when connected to a power brick ?

 

[embalse]

Are you sure the cloverleaf lead is sound ? Is this the same lead that in another thread you said it blew fuses when connected to a power brick ?

Yep, That was the issue. First time using a multimeter so I was a little confused as to what the issue was

 

[MassiveJim]

you have a short in the cable.

 

[Dg834man]

Multimeters are great, if you set it to the diode setting you can use it to check continuity.

 

[LuckyBenski]

you have a short in the cable.

If this was the case it would be tripping circuit breakers surely?

I do agree the lead sounds Sus and wants metering out for continuity

 

[Dg834man]

If this was the case it would be tripping circuit breakers surely?

I do agree the lead sounds Sus and wants metering out for continuity

It depends RCD will detect shorts to earth from live/neutral but not live to neutral, and a live to neutral short would have to pull enough amps to trip the mcb but more likely pop a fuse in a 13a plug first.

 

[LuckyBenski]

It depends RCD will detect shorts to earth from live/neutral but not live to neutral, and a live to neutral short would have to pull enough amps to trip the mcb but more likely pop a fuse in a 13a plug first.

I suppose if the short was only able to pull 20 amps or so... My gut tells me a proper short circuit would hit the MCB instantly but that's not backed by any proper facts

 

[Dg834man]

I suppose if the short was only able to pull 20 amps or so... My gut tells me a proper short circuit would hit the MCB instantly but that's not backed by any proper facts

If it's on a ring with a 32a mcb little power brick lead probably only has 3/5a fuse. Yeah I have a Evo saw in my garage on a 16a radial circuit that needed a c type mcb to stop the circuit tripping when i turned it on, way of topic now so it depends.

 

[NetMan]

You missed step one: take the fuse out and test it...

A couple of volts AC from earth leakage / background EMF is normal.

If the fuse has blown or the live cable is open circuit then you could get the result you are getting.
It can be difficult to get a good contact with the multimeter probes so that would mess the results up as well.

After you have tested the fuse and put it back in do a continuity test from live prong on the plug to each of the prongs on the clover, it should be almost zero ohms between one and infinity between the others.

Then repeat between Neutral and the clover.

And again between Earth and the clover.

It would be unusual for a molded cable to develop a fault unless there are signs of physical damage, its more likely that your power brick is faulty.


Note on the clover end the slightly larger centre pin is the Earth


I'm 50 / 50 whether a direct short would blow the plugtop fuse or trip the MCB first both are designed to tolerate significantly higher currents for a short time before they trip e.g. a 13 amp plugtop fuse could supply 20 Amps for hours and would only blow instantly with a short drawing 100amps it's why when replacing the computers in an IT suite I always swapped out any 13 amp fuses with 3A:

Why does a 13A fuse not blow at 13A?

The rated current is the current that it can pass without not overheating the plug. A 13A fuse will allow a current of 20A to pass without blowing.

www.pat-testing-training.net