Tamper Resistant Electrical Outlet

[MountainDon]

The 2008 NEC mandates tamper resistant outlets in new construction.

I had the need to replace an outlet today and ran one of these new ones down at HD. They're cool. No need for one of those plastic plug in covers. Try to put something in only one slot and a built in shutter blocks the insertion. But a two or three pronged plug slips right in as the shutter mechanism moves to the side. They automatically protect each outlet when a plug is removed. Much handier than those cover things that I always misplace.

http://www.leviton.com/OA_HTML/ibeCCtpSctDspRte.jsp?section=23899&minisite=10021   ...has a flash presentation that illustrates how it works.

[cordwood]

 But how do you get those cool varying shades of blue to black on your mother favorite silverware or the lasting pattern on your index finger that reminds you mother is ALWAYS right

[jb52761]

  ...OUCH...I need an advil just thinking about that silverware.....jb

[NM_Shooter]

Pretty cool.  But I can't help but think that this is even more legislation that drives up cost for all of us. 

Straight from the:
"I'm from the government and I'm here to help!" dept.


Get ready for 4 years of increasing "help"

-f-

[MountainDon]

... I can't help but think that this is even more legislation that drives up cost for all of us...

The part of me that says screams, "no more laws or rules, please!" is in total agreement. However, the part of me that has dealt with those darn inconvenient plastic plug in covers lauds the new receptacle.    Add to that I've never been totally comfortable with them. When our son was 2 or 3 years old he removed several of them and hauled them around as cargo in a small toy dump truck. But he never stuck anything in them either.   

[muldoon]

Seems to me if the damn thing was that good people would demand them and every builder would install them and brag about it as a feature of the property.  Why does it need to be mandated at all?  We dont mandate locks on cabinets with cleaning supplies but people do it because it makes sense to be safe.  I put this in the same category as low flush toilet counties, AFCI outlets, mound septics, and 5 figure permit fees.  rubbish.   

[bayview]

Sigh . . .

   I'm all for safety, BUT . . .

   Wouldn't it be easier to install outlets where children couldn't reach them.  Like 4 feet above the floor.   

[glenn kangiser]

Or just give the kid a knife - let them stick it in the socket while you are standing there to kick them loose.  It won't happen again.

[cordwood]

...OUCH...I need an advil just thinking about that silverware.....jb

The advil would have been nice I guess "Butt" I wouldn't have needed it for my hand!

[r8ingbull]

Seems to me if the damn thing was that good people would demand them and every builder would install them and brag about it as a feature of the property.  Why does it need to be mandated at all?  We dont mandate locks on cabinets with cleaning supplies but people do it because it makes sense to be safe.  I put this in the same category as low flush toilet counties, AFCI outlets, mound septics, and 5 figure permit fees.  rubbish.   

I had a neighbor, his septic field would back up and run 100' down his driveway and pool up in the road until it ran to my place.  No thanks.  If he doesn't take care of his own poo, I shouldn't have to do it for him.  I'm sure lots of septic systems would work fine, but I am damn glad the county made him fix that one.

[davidj]

The UK has had this kind of setup for 40 or so years.  All outlets and plugs are grounded, the ground pin is longer and moves away the shutters from the live and neutral (which is a nice system as it means everything is grounded before power is applied).  As a youngster I could never understand why the pins would go in the holes when two of the three holes were blocked with little bits of plastic so I tried to work out what happened by feeling behind the plug when I inserted it.  Discovering what 240V feels like, and suddenly finding myself thrown to the other side of the room, is one of my earliest memories!

[MountainDon]

Re: low flush toilets.

Maybe living in the desert influences my water thought process, but I believe they are a good idea. OMMV. The first generation low flushers were not very good in some high volume situations. But they have got much better, much more efficient at flushing waste. Dual flush types are even better.

There's comparative testing information available if anyone is interested in seeing how products shape up. Price is no guide, performance is all over the map.

http://www.cwwa.ca/home_e.asp

[NM_Shooter]

I think that whey they mandate that school buses have to have seatbelts I may start to consider that legislators have child safety as a priority with stuff like this. 

On second thought, never mind.  I'm too old to change my opinion on legislators.

-f-