If you’ve ever taken the time to look at the plugs in your home, you may see a few differences. What you might not realize is that those differences become more profound depending on where you travel around the world.
There is a lot to know about mains plugs that most have no knowledge of. Consider this your guide to mains plugs, how they work, the most common types, and more.
What is a Mains Plug?
Also referred to simply as electrical plugs, these plug types can vary but connect a device or piece of equipment to an electrical outlet. Whether for business or residential purposes, the essential equipment that we depend on would become useless without these plugs.
The average plug works in the same general way. They act as hot, neutral, and (sometimes) a ground connection. All of which delivers power from the outlet into the plug, up those wires, and into the device that it is plugged into. The process seems like a simple one because we are so used to it but there is really a lot happening that we are not necessarily privy to.
Built-in Safety Features
While it might not look like much, the average power plug has safety in mind. This comes in two forms, one of which isn’t visible without a little bit of digging. With three-prong plugs, the large pin acts as the grounding agent. This is what prevents electrical surges into the equipment or the potential for an electrical surge that could shock you and cause harm.
For two-pronged devices, there is still safety in mind even without the ground element. That’s because the wiring has been double insulated to provide better protection. It also comes down to the different applications for your power plug and most two-prong plugs aren’t made to hold up against 220-240 volt appliances and applications. For more heavy-duty applications, you should find some kind of documentation that tells you what applications it is safe to use with.
Two-Pronged Plugs
Arguably the most common type of plug, this type features two flat prongs. One is responsible for the neutral connection while the other is connected to the hot wire. Each wire goes into its respective socket hole, drawing current from the receptacle or socket. The neutral slot takes that current and returns it back to the receptacle and, therefore, the power supply.
Though these plugs don’t have a ground wire involved, they are no less safe for many commonplace activities. The standard 120 volts that go to most electrical devices are insulated from most surges or other potentially damaging issues. But if you plug into the wrong outlet, things could wind up getting ugly for your device in no time.
Three-Pronged Plugs
Very similar in many ways to the two-pronged plug, the three-pronged has one key difference. This plug type has a rounded pin just below and in the middle of the two straight prongs. This is the ground wire, which is essentially a safety failsafe to prevent electrical surges that could damage your equipment, appliances, and even cause a shock to you.
You generally find the three-pronged plugs for bigger appliances and even a few smaller items as well. HVAC equipment, industrial machinery, toasters, flat irons, and other potentially sensitive electronics all have three prongs to keep them protected. These plugs work with anything that has a metal housing so that any stray electricity goes through the metal housing rather than through the device. The excess electrical current is redirected into the ground, where it can be safely dispersed.
