this post was submitted on 10 Aug 2023
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Why shouldn't electric plugs screw in? (programming.dev)
submitted 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) by [email protected] to c/showerthoughts
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I just watched a TikTok about how people used to plug in things to their light sockets when electricity was first becoming popular. And they kept calling the plug a light socket, what rule says it's not a plug that screws in? And why shouldn't plugs screw in? We have material science to make plugs and cables hard enough that if you kick the wire it still doesn't come out. Electrical connections should be more secure. That's all I'm saying.

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[–] [email protected] 92 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Plugs can be more secure, but they also can't.

You don't want plugs to be too secure because they're supposed to be temporary. Plug in fast, unplug fast.

There's a benefit to plugs that come off easily: That's the weakest point. If you kick a cord, the cord doesn't snap, it just comes unplugged. If you make your plug stronger, maybe instead the cable breaks and now you've got lethal voltage swinging around, or you have arcing inside a connector or inside a cable that starts a fire.

There are electrical connections that are more secure used in industry or other places. For example DIN plugs or Brad Harrison connectors.

[–] JoelJ 27 points 1 year ago

My guess to the biggest reason not to do this is safety - if somebody is being electrocuted, you want to be able to pull the cord out of the wall as quickly as possible to maximise their chance of survival.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago

… because they're supposed to be temporary. Plug in fast, unplug fast.

Some are supposed to be temporary. Others are meant to be more permanent.

But anywhere a plug is permanent, like an entertainment center, it’s not in a place where it’s in danger of being jostled. So there’s no need for a stronger attachment.