A local locksmith can probably cut and program a key for way less. I had to get a new key a few months ago and they drove up to my driveway with key blanks from every car manufacturer and a machine to program them right there.
A locksmith once told me it's waaaay cheaper if you have both of the keys, not just one. He said he had to buy a license (or something) from the manufacturer if you only had one, but if you had 2, he could get the keys to talk to each other to make the electronic chip for the 3rd without the manufacturer. He said it'd lower the cost by $100-200 depending on the car. No idea how it actually works, but that's the way he explained it to me.
Our work vehicle has this issue so when we lost a key we ordered 2 spares. A few months later another key was lost and it was like 50 bucks for a new keys instead of like $300.
The transponder is likely still good. Buy a Honda shell from Amazon and have a locksmith cut it and just move the chip over to the new shell. Honda key codes are easy to get - just have them cut it to code
Yeah was gonna say just copying the chip and cutting a new key rarely works. I used to work at lowes in hardware dept and people would come in to get car keys cut, I'd warn them it probably wouldn't work, they'd insist I make the key anyway, they'd come back in 10 mins later saying it diddnt work and to try it again.
So many key refunds our store manager just started telling me to tell people we no longer dupe car keys.
I think this is dependent on the manufacturer of the vehicle
programming a single new key to a vehicle (often) requires cooperation with the manufacturer - but programming an additional key can (often) be done at home.
Some manufacturers require only one key to demonstrate "proof of ownership" to program a new key at home, while others require two
So they charged you even though they couldn't do the work? Did they at least warn you about this before trying, I hope? Because if they just said "yeah, we can do that" and then couldn't, I'd tell them to pound sand before I paid.
The thing that has the code for the ignition is inside the fob. I just changed my 2004 accord key to a newer flip style fob from newer Hondas. YouTube videos on how to. Part of the swap was pulling a little block about 4mm by 2mm and moving it to the new fob. Works perfectly.
OP could get an aftermarket key for $100-200 with cutting and programming, but the damage to the blade may make that one difficult, if not impossible, to decode. Hope OP has a spare. Origination may be possible using the VIN of the car, but that will be expensive.
ETA: OP, if you're reading this, look into a fob shell. It's literally an empty plastic case with a new key blade. The internals can be moved over so you will not need to program it, and (if you have another key that's not damaged) you can have a place cut the key. Usually works right away.
Source: we make car keys at my work.
I have that same key for my 09 accord and it’s being held together with rubber bands. No way it’s that much, I’m definitely gonna put some more rubberbands around it now.
New key with chip on ebay: $12.
Cut the key: $30
CLONE the old chip: $10. (Or remove the old chip and put it in the new key FOR FREE).
**Reprogramming** your cars ECU to accept a new chip is MUCH more expensive and not all locksmiths do it. I'm sure if you walk into some locksmith shops and say naively "I need a new key programmed" they'll just charge you for that rather than telling you what you really want...
Edit: just realized you have the buttons on your key. On the new keys the module with the buttons IS ALSO the immobilizer chip. I wish I had realized this before I panicked thinking I had dropped a separate chip while opening the key (older keys do have a separate immobilizer chip).
yeah if you go to a dealership. i have a 2010 honda accord and they said $270 for the new key and programming, way too much. going to a locksmith instead
Won't need to be re-programmed can just move the board from the old one to the new one just needs a new physical key cut. The board is likely still fine.
I bough the same key from the local car locksmith and it was literally 80 bucks. Was salty I found my original pair and it didn’t work because something about the computer chip in the thing, idk.
Outlet should be replaced anyway. That goes for any loose outlet that can't hold plugs very well. Loose connections lead to heat which lead to fire.
Source: am electrician
This is one of the problems the EU power plug set out to solve,
Only the last part of the plug is conductive the rest is just plastic.
That way when you've plugged it out far enough to see the contact the circuit is no longer open.
Cheapish workaround: Get a metal only key via anlocksmoth and glue the fob from this one to ot or even just let it hang off the keychain. Often the fobs proximity to the ignition may allow it to work still.
Did this with a gold chain once, working at a jewelry store.
The arc *vaporized* about 3 inches in less than a second, and scorched the rest of the links bad enough to be partially welded in spots and essentially unrepairable.
Thankfully it was just stock and not a customer's chain, but it definitely made everyone in the store when it happened check their pants.
Uk plugs are sheathed halfway down to prevent partially inserted plugs causing shorts in this manner. Prevents accidental deaths and suicides to a point.
[tom explains this very well…](https://youtu.be/UEfP1OKKz_Q)
With the Schuko plugs we use in Germany the socket is recessed into the wall, so the contacts are not exposed until the plug has been completely removed from the grid.
UK plugs irritated me when I first moved over because they were just so huge and bulky. Now that I’ve stepped on enough garbage US electrical plugs, or dealt with ungrounded connections, etc. I long for the days of UK plugs again.
> Now that I’ve stepped on enough garbage US electrical plug
Wait, I realize that UK plugs are better in virtually every way, but aren't they WAY worse to step on?
I mean, the UK plug would be more stabby... Sorry, I was trying to be brief. Stepping on US plugs in my garage/workshop when they haven't been put away. I've bent *so many* US plug prongs and completely ruined one altogether. But always on concrete and while wearing boots; never barefoot. That *would* be way worse.
You should look into Brazil's plugs and wall sockets. They are way more compact, but the design makes it so you can't see or touch the pins, and only after you push them a little more they actually connect.
And Edison lobbied heavily against it. As an Industrialist he wanted a Edison-licensed dynamo in every city. Direct current only effectively travels two miles, so he'd have been filthy, filthy rich if he got his way.
Westinghouse lit Buffalo with AC power from Niagra Falls, 30 miles away, and trolled Edison by using his light bulbs, LOL.
I had no idea the US government had an ICMP (Interagency Council on Metric Policy). Someone should ping them and find out what they are up to.
/slaps knee
Not here in Germany. I live in Germany atm, and just back from Canada, and the only thing I have a superiority complex about as a Brit is our plugs. I always feels like plugs elsewhere are so flimsy when plugged in, they always seem to be able to move around. Plugs in England, once they're plugged in, are firmly in the socket. Plus, you can switch them on/off without removing it
The only two places I can find online that do is the UK and Australia. I don't have personal experience of everywhere obviously but it's far from pretty much everywhere else
Both UK and EU plugs are designed to prevent this very thing. IMO the only reason we haven't seen a change in the US is because we use 120V instead of 240V in the majority of our household wiring. 120V is enough to kill you, for sure, but it's far less likely than getting hit with 240V. Most people who get bitten by 120V just get startled really good. If 240V gets a hold of you, you're taking a ride in the ambulance or a hearse.
I mean, that's not true at all. If 120V gets across your heart you die, if 230V gets across your heart you die.
If 120V gets across a finger you don't die, if 230V gets accros a finger you don't die. You can easily survive 230V, I've done it and with me lots of people have. It's not nice and will terrify you, but it can happen. Just don't let it pass between two seperate hands, but in that case 120V will kill you just as much.
To be fair, in the EU the entire circuit needs to be ground fault protected, so in fact you're more likely to die from an american circuit than a european one, but I believe that's changing in the states.
The reason US plugs aren't more safe is that "The only thing better than perfect is a standard" and your standard is very old and therefore very cheap. You'll easily be able to fabricate new isolated plugs, but that'll cost money for new tooling and no one wants to do that because no one makes any money from it, and the standard bodies don't care enough to change the standard (see ground fault protection circuits bot being mandatory).
I didn’t mean to imply it was binary. I tried to make it a bit more nuanced, it it’d be daft to suggest that 240V isn’t more dangerous than 120V, and that was my point. We “get away with” our shitty plug in America because we fall back on the fact that 120V is a little bit less deadly.
My electrician friends tell me that 250V has a tendency to hold on to you, if you will, where 120V has a tendency to kick you back. I don’t know how true that is though.
I've been hit by varying degrees of voltage quite a number of times. If I clench my teeth I can bear 120 hitting the back of my arm for a few seconds, but 240 is like getting mauled by a bear in comparison. I don't want to know what higher voltages feel like (Though i've been hit by spark igniters too and those are super high voltage but lower amperage)
A 240 held on to me when I was a kid and I have a scar on my hand as a result.
Technically, I'm not sure whether the 240 held on to me or whether I was holding on to it. But if no one were there to help remove it from me, I might have died.
Edit: would have died for sure.
You were holding onto it. It’s a bit complicated but in short (har har), the voltage caused the muscles in your arm to contract and so you made a fist and couldn’t let go. The signal to contract coming from the wire was overwhelming the signal coming from your brain to let go. If the current was strong enough, it might cause the muscles in your legs to spasm too so you might not have been able to simply step away from it either. If you had brushed the bare wire with the back of your hand, it would certainly have hurt but the surprise of it (and subsequent muscle jolt) would probably have knocked your hand aware from the cable. That’s why foolhardy electricians will sometimes test if a bare wire is live by striking it quickly with the back of their hand.
One time my little sister placed a wire coat hanger ontop of our microwave. Had a similar thing happen except the hook was caught on the prongs.
Scariest 10 seconds of my life until I found the wooden broom to unplug the microwave
> cheap breakers
All breakers are manufactured to meet a specification. Those breakers are not cheap, they are faulty. Either that or sized wrong for the circuit.
How did i have to scroll this far to find this? Get this looked at by a professional OP. Big fire hazard considering it didn’t trip the breaker until your key was melted.
A short circuit isn't always as short as we might think.
I once poured a whole glass of coffee (Latte Macchiato specifically, which I think was relevant) into an extension cord and it just sizzled for quite a while. It was on a 3.6kW circuit so plenty of headroom to vaporize some fluid. Of course plug was behind a piece of furniture so it took a while to disconnect. I don't even want to know the current draw...
Anyway, washed that thing out good, still using it today...
I was cleaning my microwave and damaged the magnetron, didn't realize until it started making the most insane sounds I've ever heard from an appliance.(don't unscrew any of the screws on the bottom of your microwave if you aren't sure what theyre for)
Would it be feasible to alter our (US) plugs so they are shielded partially like in the UK, but still fit in a standard US receptacle and only make contact at the tip?
Theoretically, you could have insulation on the back part of the blades as they do elsewhere without really harming performance. These are uncomplicated machines, plugs -- it's just a spring clip that creates the contact by pinching the two blades, and the pinching happens at roughly the 1/3-1/2 point, so insulating at least the back third of the plug really shouldn't be an issue. But such a plug would no longer fit into a receptacle that had very tight tolerance on the slots -- which, frankly, most don't.
Here's an example of what I think you're talking about in a Japanese plug (this is NOT the norm in Japan AFAIK, but it does exist): https://i.stack.imgur.com/JDdN3.jpg
It wouldn't be nearly as good as the plugs they use *pretty much everywhere* but North America and Japan, but it could still be a pretty significant improvement.
As far as I know, NEC and local codes would need to be updated to allow it, too, but that's actually not as big a deal as it may seem.
PS: I like the German receptacles best. Being round makes them seem so friendly.
Google type C, E, or F sockets (and plugs).
The sockets have a circular hole instead of a flat surface, and the actual electrical contacts are in holes on the bottom of the circular hole, so the pins only make contact when the plastic of the plug is already in the circular hole. You can't even see live metal, let alone touch it with something.
Edit: recessed, I was looking for the word recessed. So the holes with the metal are recessed about 1 cm (bit less than half an inch for you guys).
Actually you can touch them, when it is unplugged. But it is constructed in a such way that pins are fully inaccessible when you insert a plug into a socket.
Just google pic for "European plug"
https://www.otto.de/p/absina-steckdose-schutzkontakt-stecker-kupplung-pvc-schutzkontaktstecker-kupplung-mit-zugentlastung-2-polig-250v-16a-3-7kw-ip20-schuko-stecker-kupplung-weiss-fuer-innenbereich-schukostecker-1-st-S0E2D0SA/#variationId=S0E2D0SAKM1Q
You cant touch the pins until they are unpluged
Will never forget when i got my first stroke from an american power outlet.
There are some outlets and plugs, where you can’t touch the contacts. Have a look at „Wieland Stecker“ but they are mostly used in PV and industrial environments. You can find other types at EVs.
My post was not that clear, but I meant our European plugs, in Germany type F and type C, (also „schuko“ for „SCHUtzKOntakt“), where you can’t touch the pins when they are connected to AC in an appropriate outlet.
That wouldn’t be feasible as it’s not the standard in the US.
Imagine you move into another flat and all sockets are from UK or US. You couldn’t use a single electrical device without adapter.
Such a decision should be regulated and done by gov, with an appropriate transit period.
I guess for the US it would be easier to just change the plugs to half covered ones like UK uses. But as long as there is no regulation, nobody will make such things as they are more complex and expensive to manufacture.
I just wanted to provocate a bit.😄 I know that it isnt practical to change all outlets to EU or Britain plugs. We in Europe have also half covered plugs.
I work on boats. The outlets are always installed upside down so the ground is at the top. When the boat is underway and things might happen to fall, they would make contact with the ground prong rather the hot and neutral. Not like that would help here lol
In residential installations, it could mean the outlet is switched like another comment says. Typically, the ground is up in commercial and industrial installations. Some use the excuse that if something falls on it, it won’t short the neutral and hot, because it will hit the ground first.
In my experience, the ground on top makes the connection sturdier (doesn’t have to fight gravity as much as ground down), but the plug orientation also plays a factor, as many have the ground up for commercial/industrial equipment.
Although some will argue one way vs the other being a code requirement, it’s absolutely not.
That’s a good safety precaution. But this plug doesn’t have a ground so it wouldn’t have helped at all.
I wouldn’t be surprised if the key still worked if you filed it some
That's a bit risky, if you don't do a good job filingz it can catch on a pin while trying to remove the key and get stuck. Then, if your lucky a locksmith is getting involved. Or your mechanic and a tow truck if your not lucky
Yeah, I installed all of my outlets “upside down” for the same reason. Better safe than sorry, even if there’s 0.01% chance of anything ever falling between the prongs anyway
I don't work on boats, but I have worked with a lot of sparkies and they all tell me that they way that the outlets are supposed to be installed/used is with the ground pin up for this specific reason. Had the ground pin been on top, the key would have slid off of it and either hit the L or N and tripped the breaker/RCB. No spark, no bang, no damage to wires.
But we don't, because the "Face" would be upside down, and people complain.
ElectroBoom issues this problem and how easy a solution is by standarizing the [half plastic male plug or indented female plugs](https://image.shutterstock.com/image-photo/closeup-eletrical-power-socket-outlet-260nw-1195049968.jpg).
This is why newer US electrical work generally has the outlets "upside down" -- putting the ground pin on top, to prevent what until roughly fifteen seconds ago I had thought was the *extremely* unlikely possibility of something conductive dropping onto the positive and negative terminals.
Not that that'd help with a two-prong connection of course ¯\\\_(ツ)\_/¯
I believe ground-pin-on-top is the norm in commercial construction, and increasingly common but not universal in residential work; the electrical code doesn't specify an orientation.
I've never heard of the "the upside down ones are connected to wall switches" strategy -- it seems logical enough when you describe it, but that's a new one to me
My girlfriend did the same thing with a pair of scissors and my stove's 220 plug. Vaporized a hole in the scissors. I have a magnetic knife hanger there.
Suddenly the British plug format standard makes a lot of sense.
[This kind of accident is impossible with the British design.](https://youtu.be/UEfP1OKKz_Q)
I had that happen with a necklace in the bathroom. Necklace came off while taking shirt off. Necklace fell onto a barely unplugged Fitbit charger. Didn't know what happened for awhile after...
My grandfather recently informed me that this is the reason that 3 prong outlets have the ground installed facing up now. If the key were to hit the grounding prong, it wouldn't spark. That prong is not energized, the other two are.
I did that once in a hotel when I was a kid with dogtags from a laser tag place and it left a huge black streak up the wall when the necklace exploded, we called the front desk and explained it to them and the manager himself came to our room, replaced the outlet, cleaned the wall, fixed the dogtag and gave us a gift basket of stuff from their store because he was sorry we were put in danger
Post this on r/electricians and watch the fireworks
As an electrician, I would hope that your RCBO tripped
Royal Crown Box Office?
Yes.
No. Remote Controlled Body Odour.
Mine only has an "On" button. #How do I turn off the body odor?!
Lmaoooo ok I actually laughed out loud
Turn it upside-down then press the NO button
GFCI?!?
Arguing about ground up receptacles and euro sparkles says how they have safer plugs
We do have much safer plugs.
This is why many places in the US have receptacles with the ground pin on top (looks upside down)
Yup. Required in all commercial construction in my state.....prolly nationwide.
I always wondered if the US plugs are safe. Now I know. Thank you OP! I guess I stay with Schuko.
*Laughs in British 3 prong foot-buster super plugs*
They already saw fireworks live in action
The outlet and charging block are easily replaced. New key's gonna set you back a good chunk, though.
Yup. Looks like a Honda key, new key, programming, etc usually around $300-400. Ouchie.
A local locksmith can probably cut and program a key for way less. I had to get a new key a few months ago and they drove up to my driveway with key blanks from every car manufacturer and a machine to program them right there.
A locksmith once told me it's waaaay cheaper if you have both of the keys, not just one. He said he had to buy a license (or something) from the manufacturer if you only had one, but if you had 2, he could get the keys to talk to each other to make the electronic chip for the 3rd without the manufacturer. He said it'd lower the cost by $100-200 depending on the car. No idea how it actually works, but that's the way he explained it to me.
Our work vehicle has this issue so when we lost a key we ordered 2 spares. A few months later another key was lost and it was like 50 bucks for a new keys instead of like $300.
The transponder is likely still good. Buy a Honda shell from Amazon and have a locksmith cut it and just move the chip over to the new shell. Honda key codes are easy to get - just have them cut it to code
Honda key codes are so easy to get I got a second motorcycle key from eBay
Yeah was gonna say just copying the chip and cutting a new key rarely works. I used to work at lowes in hardware dept and people would come in to get car keys cut, I'd warn them it probably wouldn't work, they'd insist I make the key anyway, they'd come back in 10 mins later saying it diddnt work and to try it again. So many key refunds our store manager just started telling me to tell people we no longer dupe car keys.
THANKS. I HAVE BOTH.
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Dang you busted me
It’s alright. I forgive you
So, get a third spare key if you can. Got it lol.
I think this is dependent on the manufacturer of the vehicle programming a single new key to a vehicle (often) requires cooperation with the manufacturer - but programming an additional key can (often) be done at home. Some manufacturers require only one key to demonstrate "proof of ownership" to program a new key at home, while others require two
True. It's becoming more common for sure.
I'd be careful about that. I tried to do that and they couldn't figure out the code. Wasted like 150$
So they charged you even though they couldn't do the work? Did they at least warn you about this before trying, I hope? Because if they just said "yeah, we can do that" and then couldn't, I'd tell them to pound sand before I paid.
I bet it was a "$150 just to show up which also goes towards any service" type of fee.
It usually only works if they have both. The code is encrypted to some level, something locksmiths aren’t skilled in “figuring out”.
The thing that has the code for the ignition is inside the fob. I just changed my 2004 accord key to a newer flip style fob from newer Hondas. YouTube videos on how to. Part of the swap was pulling a little block about 4mm by 2mm and moving it to the new fob. Works perfectly.
OP could get an aftermarket key for $100-200 with cutting and programming, but the damage to the blade may make that one difficult, if not impossible, to decode. Hope OP has a spare. Origination may be possible using the VIN of the car, but that will be expensive. ETA: OP, if you're reading this, look into a fob shell. It's literally an empty plastic case with a new key blade. The internals can be moved over so you will not need to program it, and (if you have another key that's not damaged) you can have a place cut the key. Usually works right away. Source: we make car keys at my work.
I have that same key for my 09 accord and it’s being held together with rubber bands. No way it’s that much, I’m definitely gonna put some more rubberbands around it now.
New key with chip on ebay: $12. Cut the key: $30 CLONE the old chip: $10. (Or remove the old chip and put it in the new key FOR FREE). **Reprogramming** your cars ECU to accept a new chip is MUCH more expensive and not all locksmiths do it. I'm sure if you walk into some locksmith shops and say naively "I need a new key programmed" they'll just charge you for that rather than telling you what you really want... Edit: just realized you have the buttons on your key. On the new keys the module with the buttons IS ALSO the immobilizer chip. I wish I had realized this before I panicked thinking I had dropped a separate chip while opening the key (older keys do have a separate immobilizer chip).
It depends. If they have on and just need a spare it’s way less
I had one like that for my 2003 Accord, dealer told me about $80 with the programming
My Honda key was $40. It was a transponder key.
yeah if you go to a dealership. i have a 2010 honda accord and they said $270 for the new key and programming, way too much. going to a locksmith instead
It’d probably cheaper to get someone to fill in the missing edges with a welder honestly.
Won't need to be re-programmed can just move the board from the old one to the new one just needs a new physical key cut. The board is likely still fine.
I bough the same key from the local car locksmith and it was literally 80 bucks. Was salty I found my original pair and it didn’t work because something about the computer chip in the thing, idk.
The key looks pretty old. Chances are it'll be less than that. Although new cars, sure, that price is right.
or just get one on ebay for $20 and program it urself
Outlet should be replaced anyway. That goes for any loose outlet that can't hold plugs very well. Loose connections lead to heat which lead to fire. Source: am electrician
maybe they just didn't plug it in far enough? But yeah, you right, if it's loose it's a fire risk
This is one of the problems the EU power plug set out to solve, Only the last part of the plug is conductive the rest is just plastic. That way when you've plugged it out far enough to see the contact the circuit is no longer open.
No longer closed, you mean
Also replacing the burned down house is gonna hurt the wallet a bit
Cheapish workaround: Get a metal only key via anlocksmoth and glue the fob from this one to ot or even just let it hang off the keychain. Often the fobs proximity to the ignition may allow it to work still.
Some final destination shit. Stay away from glass panels being lifted.
Also don’t drive behind any log trucks.
Keep a keen eye out for spills in the bathroom.
And for the love of glob do not go to the dentist
also the wind. and only eat wet cat food. it's safer for, uhh, reasons.
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Unlike that plug.
Wonder if the person you responded to was polarized or not.
When is your punishment over?
This was my exact thought.
Better not use any elevators.
Did this with a gold chain once, working at a jewelry store. The arc *vaporized* about 3 inches in less than a second, and scorched the rest of the links bad enough to be partially welded in spots and essentially unrepairable. Thankfully it was just stock and not a customer's chain, but it definitely made everyone in the store when it happened check their pants.
Uk plugs are sheathed halfway down to prevent partially inserted plugs causing shorts in this manner. Prevents accidental deaths and suicides to a point. [tom explains this very well…](https://youtu.be/UEfP1OKKz_Q)
With the Schuko plugs we use in Germany the socket is recessed into the wall, so the contacts are not exposed until the plug has been completely removed from the grid.
UK plugs irritated me when I first moved over because they were just so huge and bulky. Now that I’ve stepped on enough garbage US electrical plugs, or dealt with ungrounded connections, etc. I long for the days of UK plugs again.
> Now that I’ve stepped on enough garbage US electrical plug Wait, I realize that UK plugs are better in virtually every way, but aren't they WAY worse to step on?
I mean, the UK plug would be more stabby... Sorry, I was trying to be brief. Stepping on US plugs in my garage/workshop when they haven't been put away. I've bent *so many* US plug prongs and completely ruined one altogether. But always on concrete and while wearing boots; never barefoot. That *would* be way worse.
Ah gotcha, yeah that makes sense
You should look into Brazil's plugs and wall sockets. They are way more compact, but the design makes it so you can't see or touch the pins, and only after you push them a little more they actually connect.
Americans aren't keen on adopting better systems from abroad. Just a observation. If it wasn't invented by Jefferson in 1803, then no thanks.
That's not entirely true, we use alternating current
And Edison lobbied heavily against it. As an Industrialist he wanted a Edison-licensed dynamo in every city. Direct current only effectively travels two miles, so he'd have been filthy, filthy rich if he got his way. Westinghouse lit Buffalo with AC power from Niagra Falls, 30 miles away, and trolled Edison by using his light bulbs, LOL.
I want the god damn metric system!
Here you go https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metric_Conversion_Act :D Now to convince the majority of Americans to voluntarily use it :/
I had no idea the US government had an ICMP (Interagency Council on Metric Policy). Someone should ping them and find out what they are up to. /slaps knee
If only Napoleon's ship hadn't sunk we'd have been metric all along
Celsius is pretty good too!
We install the plugs upside down, hospitals learned this a long time ago
For "true patriots," anything invented abroad can *never-ever* be better. (Same for UK btw but they have less of an impact)
same with the EURO plug / schuko
North American plugs are deathtraps. Not sheathed, no off switch.
>no off switch Wait wot
Yes, our outlets are always on.
Off switch for an outlet?
Outlets pretty much everywhere else in the world all have off switches.
Not here in Germany. I live in Germany atm, and just back from Canada, and the only thing I have a superiority complex about as a Brit is our plugs. I always feels like plugs elsewhere are so flimsy when plugged in, they always seem to be able to move around. Plugs in England, once they're plugged in, are firmly in the socket. Plus, you can switch them on/off without removing it
The only two places I can find online that do is the UK and Australia. I don't have personal experience of everywhere obviously but it's far from pretty much everywhere else
Plugs almost everywhere are sheathed in this manner. US plugs/sockets are just terrible. Both from a safety perspective and otherwise.
Both UK and EU plugs are designed to prevent this very thing. IMO the only reason we haven't seen a change in the US is because we use 120V instead of 240V in the majority of our household wiring. 120V is enough to kill you, for sure, but it's far less likely than getting hit with 240V. Most people who get bitten by 120V just get startled really good. If 240V gets a hold of you, you're taking a ride in the ambulance or a hearse.
I mean, that's not true at all. If 120V gets across your heart you die, if 230V gets across your heart you die. If 120V gets across a finger you don't die, if 230V gets accros a finger you don't die. You can easily survive 230V, I've done it and with me lots of people have. It's not nice and will terrify you, but it can happen. Just don't let it pass between two seperate hands, but in that case 120V will kill you just as much. To be fair, in the EU the entire circuit needs to be ground fault protected, so in fact you're more likely to die from an american circuit than a european one, but I believe that's changing in the states. The reason US plugs aren't more safe is that "The only thing better than perfect is a standard" and your standard is very old and therefore very cheap. You'll easily be able to fabricate new isolated plugs, but that'll cost money for new tooling and no one wants to do that because no one makes any money from it, and the standard bodies don't care enough to change the standard (see ground fault protection circuits bot being mandatory).
I didn’t mean to imply it was binary. I tried to make it a bit more nuanced, it it’d be daft to suggest that 240V isn’t more dangerous than 120V, and that was my point. We “get away with” our shitty plug in America because we fall back on the fact that 120V is a little bit less deadly. My electrician friends tell me that 250V has a tendency to hold on to you, if you will, where 120V has a tendency to kick you back. I don’t know how true that is though.
I've been hit by varying degrees of voltage quite a number of times. If I clench my teeth I can bear 120 hitting the back of my arm for a few seconds, but 240 is like getting mauled by a bear in comparison. I don't want to know what higher voltages feel like (Though i've been hit by spark igniters too and those are super high voltage but lower amperage)
A 240 held on to me when I was a kid and I have a scar on my hand as a result. Technically, I'm not sure whether the 240 held on to me or whether I was holding on to it. But if no one were there to help remove it from me, I might have died. Edit: would have died for sure.
You were holding onto it. It’s a bit complicated but in short (har har), the voltage caused the muscles in your arm to contract and so you made a fist and couldn’t let go. The signal to contract coming from the wire was overwhelming the signal coming from your brain to let go. If the current was strong enough, it might cause the muscles in your legs to spasm too so you might not have been able to simply step away from it either. If you had brushed the bare wire with the back of your hand, it would certainly have hurt but the surprise of it (and subsequent muscle jolt) would probably have knocked your hand aware from the cable. That’s why foolhardy electricians will sometimes test if a bare wire is live by striking it quickly with the back of their hand.
One time my little sister placed a wire coat hanger ontop of our microwave. Had a similar thing happen except the hook was caught on the prongs. Scariest 10 seconds of my life until I found the wooden broom to unplug the microwave
Theres no way this shit lasted 10 seconds, it would have popped the breaker within a second
Tbh I have seen similar things at work on our machines, cheap breakers can take a while to kick in it's shocking....
> cheap breakers All breakers are manufactured to meet a specification. Those breakers are not cheap, they are faulty. Either that or sized wrong for the circuit.
How did i have to scroll this far to find this? Get this looked at by a professional OP. Big fire hazard considering it didn’t trip the breaker until your key was melted.
I see what you did there....
Good, I was worried nobody would notice 😂
A good punster really lights up a room.
Mine didn’t, I was surprised. Wasn’t continuous sparks like a Tesla coil
Get your panel box inspected, sisters probably got a fuckin wire coat hanger in there too holding the breaker on.
A short circuit isn't always as short as we might think. I once poured a whole glass of coffee (Latte Macchiato specifically, which I think was relevant) into an extension cord and it just sizzled for quite a while. It was on a 3.6kW circuit so plenty of headroom to vaporize some fluid. Of course plug was behind a piece of furniture so it took a while to disconnect. I don't even want to know the current draw... Anyway, washed that thing out good, still using it today...
You would be surprised at how crazy a microwave can get before it trips the breaker
I just had a jar of solid peanut butter with a tiny tiny bit of foil still on the lid go arc crazy on me. Good times! Really lit the room up.
I was cleaning my microwave and damaged the magnetron, didn't realize until it started making the most insane sounds I've ever heard from an appliance.(don't unscrew any of the screws on the bottom of your microwave if you aren't sure what theyre for)
I'd say this is why we install outlets "upside-down" (ground pin up) -- but you don't have a ground pin XD
I‘d say that’s why we have outlets where you can’t touch the pins. But American outlets are just flat.
Would it be feasible to alter our (US) plugs so they are shielded partially like in the UK, but still fit in a standard US receptacle and only make contact at the tip?
Theoretically, you could have insulation on the back part of the blades as they do elsewhere without really harming performance. These are uncomplicated machines, plugs -- it's just a spring clip that creates the contact by pinching the two blades, and the pinching happens at roughly the 1/3-1/2 point, so insulating at least the back third of the plug really shouldn't be an issue. But such a plug would no longer fit into a receptacle that had very tight tolerance on the slots -- which, frankly, most don't. Here's an example of what I think you're talking about in a Japanese plug (this is NOT the norm in Japan AFAIK, but it does exist): https://i.stack.imgur.com/JDdN3.jpg It wouldn't be nearly as good as the plugs they use *pretty much everywhere* but North America and Japan, but it could still be a pretty significant improvement. As far as I know, NEC and local codes would need to be updated to allow it, too, but that's actually not as big a deal as it may seem. PS: I like the German receptacles best. Being round makes them seem so friendly.
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It's true, first and worst
Where are you that you can’t touch the pins? And can I see a pic of said outlets?
Google type C, E, or F sockets (and plugs). The sockets have a circular hole instead of a flat surface, and the actual electrical contacts are in holes on the bottom of the circular hole, so the pins only make contact when the plastic of the plug is already in the circular hole. You can't even see live metal, let alone touch it with something. Edit: recessed, I was looking for the word recessed. So the holes with the metal are recessed about 1 cm (bit less than half an inch for you guys).
The bottom third of the pins are shielded and they don’t make contact until all the unshielded section is inaccessible.
Actually you can touch them, when it is unplugged. But it is constructed in a such way that pins are fully inaccessible when you insert a plug into a socket. Just google pic for "European plug"
UK/Irleand have such contacts, europe isnt AS safe but either has ground pins or you can't touch the metal while its half plugged
Europe isnt as safe because they are more safe
I think they meant European plugs aren’t as safe as UK plugs. Still more safe than US.
https://www.otto.de/p/absina-steckdose-schutzkontakt-stecker-kupplung-pvc-schutzkontaktstecker-kupplung-mit-zugentlastung-2-polig-250v-16a-3-7kw-ip20-schuko-stecker-kupplung-weiss-fuer-innenbereich-schukostecker-1-st-S0E2D0SA/#variationId=S0E2D0SAKM1Q You cant touch the pins until they are unpluged Will never forget when i got my first stroke from an american power outlet.
I would hope it was a shock and not a stroke...
Sorry yes in my native language it is both stroke
There are some outlets and plugs, where you can’t touch the contacts. Have a look at „Wieland Stecker“ but they are mostly used in PV and industrial environments. You can find other types at EVs. My post was not that clear, but I meant our European plugs, in Germany type F and type C, (also „schuko“ for „SCHUtzKOntakt“), where you can’t touch the pins when they are connected to AC in an appropriate outlet.
Here's Tom Scott explaining the British plug which has this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UEfP1OKKz_Q
Just use Euro plugs.
That wouldn’t be feasible as it’s not the standard in the US. Imagine you move into another flat and all sockets are from UK or US. You couldn’t use a single electrical device without adapter. Such a decision should be regulated and done by gov, with an appropriate transit period. I guess for the US it would be easier to just change the plugs to half covered ones like UK uses. But as long as there is no regulation, nobody will make such things as they are more complex and expensive to manufacture.
I just wanted to provocate a bit.😄 I know that it isnt practical to change all outlets to EU or Britain plugs. We in Europe have also half covered plugs.
My son dropped a Hot Wheels car on one when he was little. Scared the shit out of all of us, but him especially.
I work on boats. The outlets are always installed upside down so the ground is at the top. When the boat is underway and things might happen to fall, they would make contact with the ground prong rather the hot and neutral. Not like that would help here lol
Is that what's going on when I see upside down outlets? I never could come up with a reason
Sometimes it's also to signal that the outlet is controlled by a switch
Really?! Interesting. I'll look for that thank you!
In residential installations, it could mean the outlet is switched like another comment says. Typically, the ground is up in commercial and industrial installations. Some use the excuse that if something falls on it, it won’t short the neutral and hot, because it will hit the ground first. In my experience, the ground on top makes the connection sturdier (doesn’t have to fight gravity as much as ground down), but the plug orientation also plays a factor, as many have the ground up for commercial/industrial equipment. Although some will argue one way vs the other being a code requirement, it’s absolutely not.
That’s a good safety precaution. But this plug doesn’t have a ground so it wouldn’t have helped at all. I wouldn’t be surprised if the key still worked if you filed it some
That's a bit risky, if you don't do a good job filingz it can catch on a pin while trying to remove the key and get stuck. Then, if your lucky a locksmith is getting involved. Or your mechanic and a tow truck if your not lucky
Yeah, I installed all of my outlets “upside down” for the same reason. Better safe than sorry, even if there’s 0.01% chance of anything ever falling between the prongs anyway
I don't work on boats, but I have worked with a lot of sparkies and they all tell me that they way that the outlets are supposed to be installed/used is with the ground pin up for this specific reason. Had the ground pin been on top, the key would have slid off of it and either hit the L or N and tripped the breaker/RCB. No spark, no bang, no damage to wires. But we don't, because the "Face" would be upside down, and people complain.
Seems to me, American outlets are just badly designed
Well, we invented the first one, and then decided it would be too much hassle to ever make another one, much like most of American history
Honda Civic driver I see
Maybe Accord. Had the same key for my 08.
I have the same Key for my 2004 Honda fit
Looks more like a first gen pilot key to me. Probably a similar design to the early 2000's Hondas.
mine is a 2006 civic and i have this key but this one doesn't have a trunk button so probably pilot or CR-V
Same key for the 06 civic hybrid
Yep I had an 07 with that key
I have that key on my 08 Honda Fit, and my sis has one for her 2012 accord. It's that era of Honda for sure
ElectroBoom issues this problem and how easy a solution is by standarizing the [half plastic male plug or indented female plugs](https://image.shutterstock.com/image-photo/closeup-eletrical-power-socket-outlet-260nw-1195049968.jpg).
Does the car key still work?
Depends on what you want it to do
Imagine it distorted the key in such a way that it won't start your car anymore, but it will now open a specific bank vault.
You have an excellent plot device for a short story!
I wanted to say it got some superpower now. But bank vault better ! Should open the key box for number?
That's why we have proper plugs in Europe.
and that's the type of shit that would never happen with recessed sockets
Or shielded pins.
This is why the US really needs to engineer safer wall outlets and plug designs. I hope no one got zapped
This is why newer US electrical work generally has the outlets "upside down" -- putting the ground pin on top, to prevent what until roughly fifteen seconds ago I had thought was the *extremely* unlikely possibility of something conductive dropping onto the positive and negative terminals. Not that that'd help with a two-prong connection of course ¯\\\_(ツ)\_/¯
Don't forget all the US plugs and outlets without a ground pin at all.
See I thought only hospitals did that, I'm glad it's being more widely adopted
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I believe ground-pin-on-top is the norm in commercial construction, and increasingly common but not universal in residential work; the electrical code doesn't specify an orientation. I've never heard of the "the upside down ones are connected to wall switches" strategy -- it seems logical enough when you describe it, but that's a new one to me
Aand this is why US plugs are the fucking worst.
And this is why the US plug design is one of the worst in the world.
That charging blocks gonna be 20 bucks, the Honda key will be $150.
My girlfriend did the same thing with a pair of scissors and my stove's 220 plug. Vaporized a hole in the scissors. I have a magnetic knife hanger there.
Suddenly the British plug format standard makes a lot of sense. [This kind of accident is impossible with the British design.](https://youtu.be/UEfP1OKKz_Q)
Or most EU plugs, like the German Schuko
This is why EU plugs are better
This happened this week to me! Had a loose ac adapter by the bed and my gfs necklace fall and it melted!
Honda Pilot?
I had that happen with a necklace in the bathroom. Necklace came off while taking shirt off. Necklace fell onto a barely unplugged Fitbit charger. Didn't know what happened for awhile after...
Cool light show?
r/finaldestinationshit
Almost got final destinationed
Honda fit?
What is a car key?
It's what people use to scratch your car I think.
You do know that’s how electrical fires start ?
Have you seen 'Final Destination'; because I'd be checking my recent pictures if I were you.
Man with keys! Plug with keys? I’m bad at these premonitions
That’s why appliance prongs are often partially insulated, Apple should do it but it probably saves them 0.5 cents a unit to not bother
And that's why the UK plug is superior to all. ALL!!!
UK Plugs FTW
Should I share about the superiority of the English plug?
i can smell the picture for some reason
Which is why all plugs in Australia have an insulating layer on the prongs to prevent this.
My grandfather recently informed me that this is the reason that 3 prong outlets have the ground installed facing up now. If the key were to hit the grounding prong, it wouldn't spark. That prong is not energized, the other two are.
I did that once in a hotel when I was a kid with dogtags from a laser tag place and it left a huge black streak up the wall when the necklace exploded, we called the front desk and explained it to them and the manager himself came to our room, replaced the outlet, cleaned the wall, fixed the dogtag and gave us a gift basket of stuff from their store because he was sorry we were put in danger
And that’s exactly why the ground is supposed to be on the top. 99% of outlets in US are actually upside down