Encyclopedia > Common electrical plug and socket problems in Hong Kong
This article exists to give readers an insight into some problems regarding electrcial plugs and sockets in Hong Kong.
Overview BS 1363 is the mainstream wiring system in Hong Kong. In old buildings, BS 546 system is also common. BS 1363 (British Standard) is the standard which defines what is colloquially know as the 13 Amp plug, which is the most common type of mains power plug in the British Isles. ...
Due to its proximity to the mainland China, electrical products there are quite common in Hong Kong. Many Hong Kongers and mainland Chinese immigrants purchased electrcial products in mainland China and use them in HK. Even if these equipments meet the safety requirements inside mainland China, there are plug and socket compatibilty problems when using them in Hong Kong.
Before the enforcement of the Electrical Products (Safety) Regulation, many types of plugs could be found in Hong Kong. Using this old equipment sometimes lead to plug and socket mating problems. Nowadays, virtually all plugs fitted in equipment sold in Hong Kong are BS1363 compatible. BS 1363 (British Standard) is the standard which defines what is colloquially know as the 13 Amp plug, which is the most common type of mains power plug in the British Isles. ...
Many overseas citizens who bring equipment in from their home countries do not use the British wiring system. Citizens from the United Kingdom and countries that use British wiring systems normally do not encounter plug-and-socket issues in Hong Kong.
Case specific analysis
Mainland China two-pin plugs
The 2-pin plugs (with round or flat pins) in mainland China are compatible with the British converter plugs sold in Hong Kong. For shavers and electric toothbrushes that take less than 1A of current, British shaver adaptors can be also used. This page covers electrical adaptors which are common in the UK and presumablly other places where British wiring is in use such as Hong Kong. ...
This page covers electrical adaptors which are common in the UK and presumablly other places where British wiring is in use such as Hong Kong. ...
There are no British standard adaptors sold in Hong Kong can resolve this problem. One can replace the plug or the power cord as appropriate. This is also the case for Australian three-pin plugs. CEE 7/7 plug and socket Domestic AC power plugs and sockets allow a connection between the mains electricity (household, usually single-phase, AC electrical power) and the appliances commonly used in homes. ...
This page covers electrical adaptors which are common in the UK and presumablly other places where British wiring is in use such as Hong Kong. ...
Schuko Special attention is to be paid to the earthing of Schuko plugs. Though British converter plugs for Schuko are occasionally found, they are not common. Plug replacement is often necessary. This problem is common for special equipment in optical shops and among the residents of Euporean origin. Double Schuko socket with one plug inserted CEE 7/4 Schuko plug Schuko (IPA: /ʃuko/) is a widespread name for a type of plugs and sunken sockets, also frequently referred to as Type F, which is often found in Continental and Eastern Europe but exluding France and belgium which use...
This page covers electrical adaptors which are common in the UK and presumablly other places where British wiring is in use such as Hong Kong. ...
Old plugs There are old electrcial plugs that can be inserted into the British sockets BS1363 or BS546 without any trouble. However they do not meet the British Standards in force. Standards "BS1363" or "BS546" are not marked on such old quasi-UK plugs. Note that some of them are lack of a BS1362 plug fuse and/or pins are lack of insulating sleeves etc. Plug repalcement is the only option to resolve this problem. BS 1363 (British Standard) is the standard which defines what is colloquially know as the 13 Amp plug, which is the most common type of mains power plug in the British Isles. ...
BS 1363 (British Standard) is the standard which defines what is colloquially know as the 13 Amp plug, which is the most common type of mains power plug in the British Isles. ...
Old sockets Sockets of BS546 are incompatible with the mainstream plugs BS 1363 in town. Compliant adaptors are not available to convert a BS546 5Amp socket to a BS1363 13Amp one. In this case, it is necessary to get the wiring updated to BS1363 by a "registered electrcal contractor" (see below). BS 1363 (British Standard) is the standard which defines what is colloquially know as the 13 Amp plug, which is the most common type of mains power plug in the British Isles. ...
Solutions
Adaptors See the page Common electrical adaptors in Hong Kong and the United Kingdom for information about how to use them safely. Some kinds of adaptors widely available in the United Kingdom are not available in Hong Kong. Moreover, the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department discourages the usage of some adaptors in Hong Kong. This page covers electrical adaptors which are common in the UK and presumablly other places where British wiring is in use such as Hong Kong. ...
Power cords The power cord of your equipment may be replaceable. In this case, new BS1363 compliant power cords are available for you in electronic stores (many of them are located at Ap Liu Street) in Hong Kong. A mains cable (International English) or power cord (American English) is cable that temporarily connects an electrical appliance to an electrical power source. ...
Sham Shui Po (深水埗; pinyin: shen1 shui3 bu4, Yale: sam seuí bouh; lit. ...
Plug replacement It is common for users in the United Kingdom and Hong Kong to wire plugs themselves. In fact, the methodology is included in the physics syllabuses of the Hong Kong Certificate of Education Examination and GCSE. The HKCEE (Hong Kong Certificate of Education Examination), conducted by the Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority (HKEAA), is normally taken by a student at Form 5, the end of his/her five-year secondary education in Hong Kong. ...
GCSE is an acronym that can refer to: General Certificate of Secondary Education global common subexpression elimination - an optimisation technique used by some compilers This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ...
Plugs and extension cables (BS1363) sold in the UK and Hong Kong come with instructions on how to wire them safely. They are marked on the extenion unit, or in form of a seperate sheet. A plug is: a device which is designed to stop a fluid from flowing through a hole. ...
An extension cord (also known as a power extender or an extension lead) is a length of flexible electrical cable (flex) with a plug on one end and one or more sockets on the other end (usually of the same type as the plug). ...
BS 1363 (British Standard) is the standard which defines what is colloquially know as the 13 Amp plug, which is the most common type of mains power plug in the British Isles. ...
British standard adaptors are not always available for many kinds of non-UK plugs, including the 3-pin plugs from the mainland China. It is the only option to resolve the plug-and-socket compatibility problem in many cases. This page covers electrical adaptors which are common in the UK and presumablly other places where British wiring is in use such as Hong Kong. ...
Many books and websites provide information about wiring a UK plug correctly.
- Wikibooks
- London Fire and Civil Defence Authority
- ESB, Ireland
- BBC
- diynot.com
- PAT-Testing
Wiring update In Hong Kong, you need to arrange registered electrical contractors to carry out any electrical work (e.g. addition to, alteration of, inspection, testing and repair of an electrical installation), including those in connection with a renovation work.[1].
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