Not Enough Sockets

[NoFakie 45]

I heard it from tradesmen but this may be a "only in some parts of the country" one. Here are two people describing their inspections where they saw kitchens being measured and light switches being counted.

 

http://hidekyan.coco.../post-0687.html

http://ameblo.jp/onu...0564417245.html

 

On a more basic level, the idea that you have to pay more tax for building a nice house that is not covered in the cheapest siding material is ridiculous.

If I were local mayor, I would have a contest and waive the fixed asset tax on the nicest houses and apartment buildings to incentivize people making more of an effort like they do overseas.

[Alexander L 80]

not an electricity sorta person, but why is thee no earth in the plugs in Japan or any other countries without an earth?

[snowdude 44]

Outside of the UK a lot of countries don't seem to use an earth! It is far safer for sure to use one.

 

When it comes to electrical wiring in Japan it is so far behind the UK, which is strange as most other things are so well advanced.

 

I think Japan is the only country where you also see wires hanging around all over the place in streets making the place look a mess.

 

I guess because Japan is only on 100v maybe they don't consider it a requirement, even though it should be.

 

Not sure for other countries that are on 200+ volts why they choose not to earth things!

[frannyo 2]

I think Japan is actually on earth.

[Metabo Oyaji 71]

It is not a voltage thing, the US has required earthed three-prong sockets for decades, and they only run 120 V. I had earthed sockets put in where I thought the computer would go, but too expensive to put them everywhere, which is what I wanted to do.

[Tubby Beaver 209]

The US has 3 prong plugs?

[Metabo Oyaji 71]

The US has 3 prong plugs?

 

Required since at least the '70s, I think.

[Tubby Beaver 209]

I was in Florida in 98 and there were no 3 prong plugs

[Metabo Oyaji 71]

Yeah, well, that's Florida for you.

[Tubby Beaver 209]

Hawaii was the same AFAIR

[Tubby Beaver 209]

A quick straw pole on Facebook suggests that most things are 2-prong but some bigger appliances like computers are 3

[NoFakie 45]

UK plugs are too big. They must be bigger than some ipods that get plugged into them. Tres sexy, NOT.

They hurt like @% as well if you stand on one.

[pie-eater 207]

UK ones are huge and cumbersome aren't they.

[pie-eater 207]

All these socket threads are confusing me somewhat.

[snowdude 44]

I was in Florida in 98 and there were no 3 prong plugs

 

Also news to me because I too have been to florida I never saw 3 prong pligs either.

[Metabo Oyaji 71]

Wikipedia sez: "In 1971 the U.S. National Electrical Code (NEC) required grounded receptacles in all locations of the home (effective January 1, 1974)."

Maybe you were in a place that was built before 1974?

[Tubby Beaver 209]

I doubt it, it was a house on one of those new build (at the time) estates. All swimming pools, gator holes and flat pack houses

[Alexander L 80]

ok, what are gator holes and flat pack houses? And were there any driveby bullet holes? If not, why not?

[JA2340 16]

Just a guess, but I'd suspect that a "flat-pack" house is a kit home - where you buy the whole lot as a single unit from a pre-designed/pre-built plan and assemble it yourself. You CAN pay a builder to play "jigsaw puzzles" with the bits, or you can do the majority of it yourself.

 

We chose the second option for our first one, then we designed our own (and then got the kit manufacturer to do the kit to our plan) and also did the majority of the building ourselves.

Only stuff we did not do ourselves is electrical & plumbing (because it is not legal to do that without appropriate licencing) and drywall plastering (which I think is an idiot's job!) and the granite benchtops. So, bricklaying, framing, flooring, painting, tiling, internal fitout, roofing, guttering and tank installation were all our own work! Oh, and we have done all the garden design/construction as well! (well, we will have when it is all finished - we've been in here for 12 years, but there are still things that are not completely "finished"!)

[Alexander L 80]

and what are gator holes?

[Tubby Beaver 209]

Holes where alligator's live

[Nisoko 6]

[Alexander L 80]

that's a bit scary to have alligators living next to your flat pack house.

[SheldonB 0]

Personally I'd move somewhere else.

 

Sockets. Yes. The default number in a newly built place is so way behind modern life, it's laughable.

 

[Alexander L 80]

its those ghastly transformers for our little gadgets. They bleed us while they're plugged in and not doing anything but get hot.