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Power DesignLine Blog

Showing your power connectors some respect

1/10/2010 1:44 PM EST

We take the basic AC-line plug for granted: it doesn't get any respect. That's really too bad, since these plugs are used in so many places, and are expected to just keep on working as they convey up to 15 A of current. Bent prongs can cause problems in their socket which, in turn, can lead to a damaged socket needing replacement. Admittedly, replacing a standard AC-line socket is not a big deal, but it's another thing to do.

In general, connectors on cables take a lot of mechanical abuse (and sometimes verbal, as well!), and that's part of their life sorry. That's why I was pleasantly surprised when I unpacked an inexpensive appliance I bought, and its ungrounded AC-plug had a nice, plastic protective cover over its two flat prongs, on the right side of the photo (sorry, the white smear on the plug to the left is a marker I put on it, for unrelated reasons):



It's not a big deal, but shipping the product this way shows consideration and respect for the line cord and its plug.

I'll be keeping this cover in my box of handy odds and ends, to keep other AC plugs clean and fresh, and ready for a new assignment. I have always had the philosophy that a cable and its connectors are a potential source of trouble linking two other potential sources of trouble. Perhaps using a cover such as this one will reduce the odds of trouble just a little bit. Hey, it can't hurt, right? ♦



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