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AIBU?

to think most people wire their own plugs

144 replies

Toadinthehole · 28/04/2013 02:14

The Guardian has begun an online photo gallery which exhibits people's personal experiences of the cuts in Britain.

Exhibit One is a picture intituled "Wiring my own white goods because I can't afford an electrician".

Link here.

Is someone having a little joke?

OP posts:

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Toadinthehole · 28/04/2013 19:23

Japonica

The point is is that wiring one's own plugs (instead of paying an electrician to do it) does not in the least demonstrate that one is hard up (except perhaps at the Guardian). WIring a plug (unlike some of the other things mentioned on this thread) isn't hard to do, and if one needs to do it it is easy to find out how.

OP posts:

MinnesotaNice · 28/04/2013 19:42

Another American who has never even heard of wiring plugs!

However, my DF did make me change a tire before taking me to get my driver's license. In fact, at the age of 16, he first made me take the tire off, then put it back on myself. The one time I actually needed this skill, I couldn't get the lug nuts off and the garage who ended up doing it said it was never going to happen as they had rusted on.

I think changing a tire oneself is less relevant today with the prevalence of cell phones to call for professional assistance. Especially with the fact that it seems most already pay for roadside assistance so why not use it? (Although if you don't have cell coverage, you may be screwed.)

mathanxiety · 28/04/2013 20:09

To all the mystified Americans:

Description of types of plugs. American plugs (type B) are dangerous, British and Irish (type G) are among the safest.

ChaoticTranquility · 28/04/2013 20:49

My nan taught me how to change a plug.

The last time I had to change a plug was about 4 years ago after Chaoticdog chewed the plug off the vacuum

KatyTheCleaningLady · 28/04/2013 20:51

I thought my husband was some kind of handy genius. Now I know this is just a common British thing.

MadBusLady · 28/04/2013 20:52

What's a plug?

Pixel · 28/04/2013 21:11

I was taught at school when I was about 12 and used to do all ours at home but as everyone else has said it isn't something that I've needed to do for a long time. Actually I quite miss it, one of those easy little jobs that are quite satisfying, not sure why.

We were taught that 'The Live brown cow stood on the green and yellow Earth under the Neutral blue sky' but I think the colours have been changed since then. Shows how long ago that was!

I'm not sure if DD has been taught at school but I'm willing to bet she hasn't.

YoniBottsBumgina · 28/04/2013 22:27

No those are the current colours. It's the older ones which were plain green and red.

I was taught at school in 2002 so pretty far after the law change.

Still18atheart · 28/04/2013 22:40

I can wire a plug, but I don't think I've ever needed to.

Parker231 · 28/04/2013 22:47

I learnt how to change a plug at school but not sure I've ever actually changed a plug now they all come already on appliances and yes I do call the AA to change a tyre and a decorator to paint the living room - he was here last week !

landrover · 28/04/2013 22:48

All you lot, have you never changed a fuse either? Sometimes you will need to change a plug, say it gets damaged, cracked or whatever!
Mind you, when i was a child, my dad taught me how to stick the wires in the socket and another plug on top if we couldnt find a spare plug to put on it!!!!!(highly dangerous, dont try this at home!!!!!)

VivaLeBeaver · 28/04/2013 22:56

I've wired plugs before. I can remember as a student in 1995 it was cheaper to buy a plug less lamp, wire and a plug and DIY it all together than to buy a lamp with a plug. I saved myself £1:50 doing that!

Sometimes now ill change fuses in plugs when they blow. Doesn't happen often these days.

I changed the plug on my ghd's recently as I snapped the top pin off the plug. Still worked ok but you can't plug them in in hotels without the top pin.

WellJustCallHimDave · 28/04/2013 23:00

"So, does anyone else still chop the plugs off appliances that are being thrown away, or is it just me?"

It's not just you, MrsPennyapple. I have a small boxful of the damn things! It's a habit I picked up from my Grandad, back in the days when you had to wire a plug onto a new electrical item.

I learned to wire a plug when I was about 9 years old. My Mum taught me as she said that it was something all girls should learn rather than depending on a man to do it, "especially if you haven't got a man about the house - what would you do, run into the street and collar the first one you saw because you couldn't wire your own plug?!"

YoniBottsBumgina · 28/04/2013 23:06

You shouldn't be able to plug things in anywhere in the UK without the top pin, because the top hole needs something inserted to open the shutters on the bottom two.

However friends from Germany tell me that they just used a matchstick to open the shutters when they stayed in Ireland and plugged their European 2-pin plugs into the bottom two of the UK socket. I tried this with an adapter and it fits - I hadn't realised.

YoniBottsBumgina · 28/04/2013 23:08

British plugs though have to be the most indestructible, painful thing ever to be invented except perhaps lego.

I bet Americans and Europeans don't have injuries from where they have stepped on plugs. Someone I know has a 3-rectangle scar on her back where she once fell out of bed onto a plug!

Shaky · 28/04/2013 23:11

I am ashamed to say that I do not know how to wire a plug or change a tyre.
But that is because I have never tried to learn how.

2 weeks ago I didn't know how to operate a sewing machine. I bought a mini sewing machine from eBay, read the instructions.

Tonight I made 3 "treasure bags" for ds' nursery.

You don't know what you can do until you actually try to do it!

I might just learn how to wire a plug tomorrow

Startail · 28/04/2013 23:19

DSIS dozed off in her plug wiring lesson, so the teacher hauled ber out to demonstrate.

He was very when she did it perfectly.

(Dad had her taught her when she got a new record player)

I never had a plug fitting lesson, set one were never taught anything that useful.

Shaky · 28/04/2013 23:30

Yoni yes, I have stood on many plugs and knelt on lots of Lego. It is a close contest but I think the bastarding stood on plug wins, hands down.

firesideskirt · 28/04/2013 23:37

I've never wired a plug. I've never had to - have never bought anything that didn't have one already attached. It's not 1980 any more...

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