One for the sparkies

**BradC** · 4th October 2025, 08:01 PM

Originally Posted by V8Ian

1- The outlet is only capable of carrying 10 amp. That being the case, why not standardise on 15 amp outlets?

2- 15 amp outlets are the only outlet on a circuit, to prevent overloading.

I could be completely wrong.

You're not really. It's related to AS3000(:2018) TABLE C9 - GUIDANCE ON THE LOADING OF POINTS PER FINAL SUBCIRCUIT

This allocates a "Contribution" of each point onto a circuit. So if you have a 16A circuit a 10A socket contributes 1A of load while a 15A socket contributes 10A of load. In this context "load" is some mythical invention related to what someone thinks a homeowner may plug into their sockets.

This has nothing to do with what you plug into it, but is an arbitrary figure outlined in the standards which an electrical installation should comply with. So you could have 16 single 10A GPOs, 8 10A double GPOs, a 15A & 3 doubles or any combination thereof. What it does mean is one 15A outlet per circuit.

In any case, the combination of an electric kettle, toaster and microwave simultaneously will generally do the trick. I split our tumble dryer out onto its own circuit to stop it taking out the breaker when the breakfast rush was on in combination with managing an urgent load of washing "Hey mum can you wash my sports gear, I forgot I have sport today".

As for the circuits, A "standard" GPO circuit is either rated at 16 or 20A depending on the insulation around the 2.5mm2 TPS. 16A appears more common.

It kinda makes sense. Things with small draw (like phone chargers for example) don't tend to come with 15A plugs. That seems to be reserved for things that need more than 10A, so the assumption that having more than one of those on a 16A circuit seems pretty safe.

Edit : I'm not a sparky, but I grew up with AS3000.

**RANDLOVER** · 5th October 2025, 07:08 PM

Originally Posted by 350RRC

Dunno if 10 amp male plugs are all like this but my grandfather's old CIG stick welder has had the earth pin modded from 15 amp size to 10 amp.

Runs fine on a 10 amp outlet but won't run plugged into a 15 amp outlet.

Other stuff I have that has an umolested 15 amp cord works fine out of that outlet.

DL

This is concerning, when you say "won't run", do you mean trips the RCD? As it could mean an earth leakage fault on the welder and a faulty or at least an un-RCD protected 10A gpo circuit or the 15A circuit has a cb that is too fast acting and is tripping due to inrush current on start up.

**350RRC** · 7th October 2025, 04:29 PM

Originally Posted by RANDLOVER

This is concerning, when you say "won't run", do you mean trips the RCD? As it could mean an earth leakage fault on the welder and a faulty or at least an un-RCD protected 10A gpo circuit or the 15A circuit has a cb that is too fast acting and is tripping due to inrush current on start up.

It never trips the RCD on the 10 amp socket circuit.

I always just assumed my grandfather had pruned a bit much off the earth pin to be able to make proper contact in the 15 amp socket.

DL

**V8Ian** · 7th October 2025, 05:12 PM

I think a 10 amp male will fit a 15 amp outlet, but a 15 amp male will not fit a 10 amp female.

**Graeme** · 7th October 2025, 05:27 PM

Does the plug have thin pins that fail to make contact in the 15A socket?

**RANDLOVER** · 7th October 2025, 08:09 PM

Originally Posted by 350RRC

It never trips the RCD on the 10 amp socket circuit.

I always just assumed my grandfather had pruned a bit much off the earth pin to be able to make proper contact in the 15 amp socket.

DL

Are you sure the 10A RCD is working at least via the push button test? The 15A pin is usually modified by narrowing the blade top to bottom if imagining it plugged into a wall and shouldn't affect the contacts which touch the blade side to side. If the pin has been ground narrower in both directions, that could be the problem.

**Blknight.aus** · 7th October 2025, 11:54 PM

theres 2 types of earth pin isolated sockets that ive seen .. (meaning if you dont have an earth pin in nothing pushes the switch that powers up the active)

1 has the contact at the back of the earth pin socket and the earth pin pushes it in with the tip of the pin. The other has the switch on the underside of the socket so the bottom of the pin pushes it down. 15A plugs with the pin ground down to suit a 10A socket and 10A plugs wont engage the latter type.

**350RRC** · 8th October 2025, 07:29 AM

Originally Posted by RANDLOVER

Are you sure the 10A RCD is working at least via the push button test? The 15A pin is usually modified by narrowing the blade top to bottom if imagining it plugged into a wall and shouldn't affect the contacts which touch the blade side to side. If the pin has been ground narrower in both directions, that could be the problem.

10A RCD works fine.

Welder works fine on a 15A extension lead with 15A plugs at both ends either from a 12KVA diesel generator or the 15A mains socket.

I suspect it's as simple as Dave's explanation.

This situation is not a 'problem' at all........... I have 2 separate smart meters, one has one 10A socket, the other has one 15A socket. This is all very modern stuff.

cheers, DL

**Graeme** · 8th October 2025, 01:48 PM

We have a European to Australian adapter that requires the European equipment's earth pin to open the shutters for the power and neutral pins. However as our European equipment doesn't have an earth pin, a plastic plug is permanently fitted to the adapter's European earth socket to keep the shutters open.

**Lionelgee** · 31st October 2025, 06:52 PM

Hello All,

A question for the Sparkies. How old would the light fitting for a fluro single tube batten light be that needs the ends that hold the tube to be pushed out to remove the tube? Then the ends have to be pushed in to hold the tube. There are no tracks for the pins to slide along and no swivel circle to twist. Just two holes for the pins each end of the light fitting.

My lounge room fluro went out. Then it kept flickering in an attempt to restart. When I went to remove the tube I attempted to twist the tube from horizontal to vertical ... in the dark at night ... for some strange reason... I could not see that well. The tube would not turn. I worked it out that I had to push the tube outwards.

Every other fluro batten light in the house has the tubes twist to lock in. The lounge room fluro fitting must be significantly old. Just how old?

Kind regards
Lionel

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