Electrical power point thingy to keep somethin "on".

**ClockWork** · 7th November 2009, 02:17 AM

I don't know of a term or a name for what I'm after, yet essentially, I'd like to find a way to make it near impossible to turn off one switch on a twin power point like this:

- without replacing the whole unit or adding some massively chunky thang onto it - or resorting to one of those transparent child safety lids - which are also fairly chunky.

In my unknowing brain, all I can think up is placing a small plastic cover over one switch... sort of... screwed on with two phillips screws, so that the switch is completely covered and the only way to switch it off would be to unscrew the little plastic lid covering just one of the two switches.

If such a thing exists, what would I be Googling for?

cheers,

cw

**Exocet** · 7th November 2009, 02:35 AM

Knock up your own wooden/plastic cover for it - or buy a UPS?

**ClockWork** · 7th November 2009, 03:14 AM

I was thinking of placing a plastic cover over it... but I don't know enough about such matters, where it would come to drilling two holes into the plastic plate just above and below the switch, in order to screw a protective shield over it...

**iCameron** · 7th November 2009, 03:56 AM

superglue?

also, is the picture you provided exactly what it looks like? you could always just remove the button entirely.

**ClockWork** · 7th November 2009, 04:24 AM

The picture is how the exact twin power wall plate looks - yes, yet it is not the original.

Superglue is dandy, yet it's not really an open / shut way of getting to one switch and may cause damage if pried off each time.

I was just wondering if there was some simple electrical part that could be added to the wall plate, so that only one switch can never be turned "off".

**captain fantasy** · 7th November 2009, 07:50 AM

Could this be an answer?
eBay Shop - Bubs n Mum Gifts Child Safety nMore: Child Safety POWER POINT COVERS

**scokim** · 7th November 2009, 08:59 AM

I use this

Click for full size - Uploaded with plasq's Skitch

You really have to try hard to turn off the switch without taking the plug off.

**Brains** · 7th November 2009, 09:58 AM

The clean way to do it is to have an electrician come around, empty your wallet, and fit a new wall-plate that has two discrete sockets but only one switch. Clipsal make such a doodad, funnily enough, but its only available to the trade. You'd also have to tell the sparkie a bloody good reason why you want one (BTB alarm, medical life-support system etc) because it's against safety regs to put an unswitched outlet point into residential premises.

Those Mickey Ha Ha covers stick to the wall around the wall-plate with double sided tape, which may or may not hold it in place, and may or may not take the paint off with it when it's time to move out.

The McGuyver approach is what I favour, and it's cheap and suprisingly effective -- a small piece of white adhesive cloth 'gaff' tape stuck over the switch onced it is placed in the on position. Cling sell this stuff in smallish rolls off the peg in your supermarket's hardware section, and like any good gaff-tape, can stick dogshit to a carpet. Once smoothed down over the switch mechanism, it's not going to go anywhere until the tape comes off. And it's landlord-friendly, easily removed for inspections or when you move out, and the worst that can happen is some sticky residue that's easily removed with some De-Solvit.

**ClockWork** · 7th November 2009, 11:33 AM

Originally Posted by Brains

The McGuyver approach is what I favour, and it's cheap and suprisingly effective -- a small piece of white adhesive cloth 'gaff' tape stuck over the switch onced it is placed in the on position. Cling sell this stuff in smallish rolls off the peg in your supermarket's hardware section, and like any good gaff-tape, can stick dogshit to a carpet. Once smoothed down over the switch mechanism, it's not going to go anywhere until the tape comes off. And it's landlord-friendly, easily removed for inspections or when you move out, and the worst that can happen is some sticky residue that's easily removed with some De-Solvit.

Hmmm - I think your A-Team approach is the solution to le problem.
Looks don't matter, and the other switch must be free to turn on and off.
It's also an excellent cover as it takes up no bulk.

Thanks muchly Brains!

I'd have never thought of it.

So is it known as : white adhesive cloth 'gaff' tape? Or is there another name for this super strong adhesive?

Ta,

cw

**arkenstone** · 7th November 2009, 12:14 PM

Is rewiring the socket to bypass the switch out of the question? Seems the easiest/least time consuming/cheapest/least hassle solution. Especially when you're considering screwing little bars to the faceplate.

**ClockWork** · 7th November 2009, 12:25 PM

Well - I was never really considering drilling anything as I don't have a drill and the points in question aren't my property.

I just threw the problem into here, and Brains' gaffer solution seems easiest, effective and least invasive, as long as the gaffer really can be moulded to stick a switch in the on position permanently, and be torn off in emergencies only.

The situation is where I'm currently training as a kitchen hand / barista.
The bean grinder and the milk fridge are connected to the same twin power point, but every so often, some total nob jockey switches off both points without thinking and the result is a ton of rancid milk and a really stinky fridge that has to be sanitised from the ground up, every time the unknown nob jockey thought it was a good idea to shut down all equipment.

**Brains** · 7th November 2009, 01:52 PM

Originally Posted by ClockWork

So is it known as : white adhesive cloth 'gaff' tape? Or is there another name for this super strong adhesive?

'Cling' brand 'Clingtape' Cloth Tape. Comes in several useful colours, look for this packaging in the supermarket section next to the glues and packing-tapes:

(that one's black, obviously, but they do red, yellow, blue, green and the all-important white)

**ClockWork** · 7th November 2009, 02:54 PM

Cheers Brains - that's very very useful.

**~Coxy** · 9th November 2009, 01:38 PM

Originally Posted by arkenstone

Is rewiring the socket to bypass the switch out of the question? Seems the easiest/least time consuming/cheapest/least hassle solution. Especially when you're considering screwing little bars to the faceplate.

The wallplate is effectively a sealed unit "black box" that you just screw in live/neutral/ground wires into the back of. It would be technically possible of course to open up the internals but fairly tricky to disable one switch only and have the thing still work I should think.

I think Brains' idea is the most practical option.
You can also get an "autoswitch" wallplate to replace your current one that senses the presence of a device and turns on if so. Probably pretty expensive though, and both power points would be automatic.

**W2ttsy** · 9th November 2009, 02:49 PM

what about a little sign that says "Fridge and grinder attached. DO NOT TURN OFF"

might be better than disabling the power switches. especially when the next port of call is just to yank out the plug... maybe you are solving the wrong issue?

**dotnet** · 9th November 2009, 03:00 PM

I'd say it all depends on how determined the attempts at switching the socket off are that you're trying to defend against. Hint: gaffer tape *can* be peeled off...

Cheers
Steffen.

**MarkW** · 9th November 2009, 03:42 PM

...

**KaighNyne** · 9th November 2009, 04:51 PM

Originally Posted by ClockWork

Putting aside that's a 220 volt outlet system, I've never seen anything even conceptually similar to that. The only way I've seen a switched outlet is with a regular wall switch. The electrical sockets themselves are generic.

I guess that's just down to how they do things in Australia vs. the U.S. I'm not being critical or cynical or anything else, mind, just observing the difference.

It is a rather interesting looking outlet.

**Exocet** · 9th November 2009, 05:10 PM

Originally Posted by KaighNyne

Putting aside that's a 220 volt outlet system, I've never seen anything even conceptually similar to that. The only way I've seen a switched outlet is with a regular wall switch. The electrical sockets themselves are generic.

I guess that's just down to how they do things in Australia vs. the U.S. I'm not being critical or cynical or anything else, mind, just observing the difference.

It is a rather interesting looking outlet.

Yes...that's because plugs are different outside of America:

**KaighNyne** · 9th November 2009, 05:38 PM

Originally Posted by Exocet

Yes...that's because plugs are different outside of America:

That's not what I'm talking about.

What I mean is the configuration of the outlet itself is rather different than what I'm used to seeing. Also, I've never seen an electrical outlet socket with power switches directly on it. I don't believe the switches would fit on a normal sized U.S. outlet. The closest we've got over here are Ground-Fault Circuit Interrupt (a.k.a. "GFCI") outlets which have a mini circuit breaker in there so that in the event that something goes haywire in the socket, or let's say it's near water and shorts out, it'll trip the socket so that other damage isn't done elsewhere.

But to have actual rocker switches there, that's new. Also, the general placement of the outlets is different.

I always find it interesting to see how things are done in other countries. Imagine how boring it would be if everyone did things our way, or your way, or how they do things in Finland, or whatever.

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