I don't trust them, they don't leave chargers on because they might catch fire, these are on all the time, the should invent one with a switch

I agree, sockets are not for playing with, though I don't worry about my children touching them. I can't imagine these sockets are any more likely to attract the attention of a child than a standard socket. My common sense teaches my children to be respectful of electricity, not to fear it. On the subject of sockets, the website below explains why socket 'protectors' are unsafe. Common sense is increasingly uncommon. :smiley:
http://www.fatallyflawed.org.uk

I would have thought that expensive, well designed, well tested, fully standards compliant and fully standard specified circuit breaker that contains minimal circuitry in more than adequate space in no way compare to a cheap complex SMPS or linear regulated AC to DC PSU squashed into tiny space that cannot be switched off that have significant active components for which there aren't really very helpful safety standards designed yet to check them against (beyond the distance between the HT and low voltage wires, which many tested units have failed)?

There is no way in hell we'll be fitting such things until they can be physically isolated with a switch, there are dedicated BS and EU standards to fully test them against and reputable manufacturers of mains equipment are supplying them.

There are some things you can get away with being cheap and dodgy, permanently connected and live PSUs are not one, in my opinion; but each to their own and everyone has opinion I guess (I do have a relevant degree but I'm not a practising electrician.)

Julie
X

No, magic isn't required, electronics will detect zero power drain from a device and shut itself down. It has to be said it won't be completely off compared to a physical switch but the quiescent current is so low that it's pretty much unmeasurable and therefore eseentially off. However, poorly designed powersupplies are dangerous and of concern and knowing which products are good (safe/efficient) and those that are bad (dangerous/inefficient) is another matter.

If you have a modern safe household wiring system I can't really see why there is such concern about a well designed and approved USB wall socket when so many other devices are permanently powered and often hard wired in that no one ever worries about like fridges, boilers, thermostats, TV, video, satellite, modems, routers, printers, timers, microwaves etc etc

Dont' get me wrong, there are many dangerous and unsafe products that look like this one but that doesn't mean ALL usb power sockets are the same, they are not.

The screwfix ones with usb charge slow

you need quite a deep socket to fit too...bought one for the living room but the housing wasn't deep enough

FYI, I posted the metal faced version of this for £10 from Amazon

A bit off the track, but, does anyone know how to use CPC credit notes, I have two but don't see an option when paying online for using them.

What's the safety views on these things?

I don't trust them, they don't leave chargers on because they might catch fire, these are on all the time, the should invent one with a switch

Getting cheaper, I think, I'll change most sockets when these come down to less then £5.

We have screwfix ones and I've measured 1.2A from them.