Why do American power sockets not have switches?

They are a safety tool that allows people to disconnect appliances from power without touching the plug. Americans prefer unswitched outlets because you can power an appliance by simply inserting the plug into the outlet. They are not convinced that switched outlets are safer.

Why are electrical outlets upside down in hospitals?

Because if a cord or wire were to fall down on a partially plugged in right-side up outlet you would short out between the hot and the neutral. When the outlet is “upside down” in the above situation the wire would touch ground first.

Why do British power outlets have switches?

The reason plugs in the UK are so big is that each one must be individually fused. And the reason for that is something called a “ring circuit”. In a ring circuit you have, say, a 40 amp fuse at the mains/box. Ring circuits have serious drawbacks, but they helped during a time when there was a copper shortage.

Why does every country have different plugs?

Engineers developed the idea of a ground pin to make plugs safer in the 1920s. Many countries adopted these grounded plugs immediately, but they didn’t always make them the rule. So because different countries adopted innovations like these at different times, the plugs that they used changed throughout the years.

What is the difference between switched and unswitched socket?

Switched outlets are controlled by an off and on switch. The unswitched outlets stay on all the time unless the entire unit is unplugged.

What does the green dot on a receptacle mean?

hospital-grade
The green dots indicate that the UPS outlets and plug are certified as hospital-grade and may be used within patient-care vicinities.

What does a red outlet in a hospital mean?

emergency backup power
The red outlets (sometimes referred to as sockets) in hospitals and medical facilities indicate that they are on emergency backup power. The bright red color helps nurses, doctors, and hospital staff quickly and clearly identify where to plug in critical equipment during an emergency situation.

Why are UK plugs so big?

The reason plugs in the UK are so big is that each one must be individually fused. And the reason for that is something called a “ring circuit”. But this means that the wires going to an individual appliance are far too small for the main breaker, so each appliance gets a fuse in the plug.