I found these on the screwfix website earlier and haven't seen them this cheap for one before. I know they have been available at 2 for £10 before and that they are the lower ampage ones but I wanted one and having had micro USB cables get very hot on 3.1a ports I wanted the slower ports for the socket next to my bed so I can charge my iPad and phone whilst having my bedside lamp plugged in.
Website states
White moulded outboard rocker socket with 2 x USB ports, 2.1A. Ideal for charging iPads, iPhones, tablets, mobiles, cameras and more. Features angled, in-line terminals and includes backed-out captive screws for easy installation.
Ideal Retrofit
ASTA Approved
Manufactured to BS 1363-2, EN 60950-1
I haven't posted before so please let me know if I have done something wrong.
Hope this helps someone get a bargain :-)
Top comments
jameshalinson to fish323
6 Mar 175#3
Are there any USB-C sockets out?
swellybro
6 Mar 175#23
Sorry just to quote part P. You can install a replacement socket. Although I would add you should be competent (here is where it is woolly). It should be a straightforward diy job however read up on it all first.
Q5: What types of electrical work are 'non-notifiable'?
The following types of work are non-notifiable:
Replacing accessories such as socket-outlets, control switches and ceiling roses
Replacing the cable for a single circuit only, where damaged, for example, by fire, rodent or impact (1)
Re-fixing or replacing the enclosures of existing installation components (2)
Providing mechanical protection to existing fixed installations (3)
Installing or upgrading main or supplementary equipotential bonding (4)
Work that is not in a kitchen or special location and does not involve a special installation (5) and consists of:
- adding lighting points (light fittings and switches) to an existing circuit (6)
- adding socket-outlets and fused spurs to an existing ring or radial circuit (6)
Notes:
(1) On condition that the replacement cable has the same current-carrying capacity, follows the same route and does not serve more than one sub-circuit through a distribution board;
(2) If the circuit's protective measures are unaffected;
(3) If the circuit's protective measures and current-carrying capacity of conductors are unaffected by increased thermal insulation;
(4) Such work shall comply with other applicable legislation, such as the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations;
(5) Special locations and installations are listed below;
(6) Only if the existing circuit protective device is suitable and provides protection for the modified circuit, and other relevant safety provisions are satisfactory.
Special locations and installations (5):
Locations containing a bath tub or shower basin
Swimming pools or paddling pools
Hot air saunas
Electric floor or ceiling heating systems
Garden lighting or power installations
Solar photovoltaic (PV) power supply systems
Small scale generators such as micro-CHP units
Extra-low voltage lighting installations, other than pre-assembled, CE-marked lighting sets
Note: See Guidance Note 7 which gives more guidance on achieving safe installations where risks to people are greater.
Q6: How will Part P apply to DIY work?
Part P will apply to all electrical work in dwellings, whether carried out by professionals or DIYers.
Some DIY work will require the submission of a building notice to the local authority and the payment of a building control fee.
Some minor electrical work will not be notifiable (see above). Examples include adding a lighting or power point to an existing circuit, adding a spur to an existing circuit or replacing a light fitting.
tightpants
6 Mar 174#5
Better buy, if design appropriate - 3.1A. 2 for £14. Bizarrely one costs£12.99. Put 2 in basket to get price.
If you need to ask, leave to an electrician. :smiley:
Latest comments (57)
tfish
11 Mar 17#57
Bought one of these a year back, used the USB sockets once. Drawer junk ON YOUR WALL.
Proveright
8 Mar 17#53
You can buy extension leads with usb sockets included , so I don't need these/Op,s as I just plug the extension in the wall and turn it on when needed. An electrical device only draws the power that it needs so I cannot see that being a problem with charging phones.
What I dont understand is, if these are switched sockets , surely the switch controls the 3 pin and the usb ?
If not why not ? .
Dedcon to Proveright
11 Mar 17#56
Yes on Amazon.
aazar
8 Mar 17#55
Make sure you have content and building insurance before going on holidays, in case if you forget to switch this thing off.
Sqsq
8 Mar 17#54
Not sure about these, but the ones I had the USB ports were always live. The switch only killed power to the 3-pin sockets.
Rickardo
7 Mar 17#52
Not sure why an iPhone wouldn't charge. As I've posted before, I have this exact model and it charges my iPhone 6+ fine, even from dead.
bigmo7
7 Mar 17#49
Bought one of these and fitted it about a year ago. Makes life a lot easier, especially for guests!
The only thing I would say is that these need a transformer for the USB ports so are constantly on and using electricity. Apparently its only 0.000075 kW/h which I guess is 50p a year or thereabouts (someone can correct me if I'm way off).
Just in case anyone was interested! :smiley:
Sqsq to bigmo7
7 Mar 17#51
These guys had to use 6 charges before they could even measure the wattage used on standby. Worked out at about 13 cents (US) per year for each charger.
I read once a charger left on standby for a year uses up as much power as it takes to fully charge a tablet one time.
Sid.Harper
7 Mar 171#50
I got the LAP ones for a different purpose to most here - I have a few locations where there are permanently connected USB-powered low-current devices... these are a treat for those locations where a normal charger doesn't end up taking a socket all to itself.
brendinho
7 Mar 17#48
excellent!!cheers!!
clarky666
7 Mar 17#47
Would also say from experience of these that the 2.1A version (in my case at least) worked fine for recharging:
Samsumg Tablet
Samsung Galaxy S6
PS4 Controllers
Xbox One Controllers
However they did not charge the iPad or iPhone - when using a decent cable - even on trickle charge.
matin
7 Mar 17#37
i wouldnt bother buying the 2.1A sockets. most devices now have fast charge and these just not powerful enough.
callum84 to matin
7 Mar 17#46
Thats true I suppose althought powerfull enough to charge any phone normally. No 5v outlets will support modern phones at at there fastest charge.
Seems to be going the way of variable voltage ie quick charge or adaptive charge.
fish323
7 Mar 17#45
You mean like plugging the charger into the socket?
fish323
6 Mar 17#1
Good price but as USB-c becomes more popular these will become obsolete quite quickly.
jameshalinson to fish323
6 Mar 175#3
Are there any USB-C sockets out?
rob585 to fish323
6 Mar 172#18
I have not got any usb-c gadgets, do they not have standard usb socket one end usb-c other end....??
Excuse my ignorance....
JayR123 to fish323
7 Mar 17#39
USB-c tends to be a replacement for Micro USB. As such, both the full size and USB-c will be around in tandem for some while.
As for charging speed... The lead you use makes a HUGE difference. On the same tablet and power supply I measured charging rates between 0.3A and 1.8A when changing just the lead. That's a 6x difference just by swapping the lead.
hollger to fish323
7 Mar 17#42
I expect that'll be some time yet and anyway, when that day arrives there are these:smiley:
stevos9 to fish323
7 Mar 17#43
Adaptors!
Gers1969 to fish323
7 Mar 17#44
Won't USB C chargers still plug in to a regular USB slot? Or is the power requirement different?
jameshalinson
7 Mar 17#41
10 mins to fit, buy a tester on Ebay if you're unsure and as someone has said above make sure you turn off the main consumer unit switch
ZEbbEDY
6 Mar 171#2
how hard are these to fit?
can you fit these yourself or do you need an electrician
mattbrownie to ZEbbEDY
6 Mar 172#4
Don't mean to sound like a jobs worth but if you have no electrical experience you should always get an electrician. Easy peasy for a sparky.
scoobytawazara to ZEbbEDY
6 Mar 171#6
not too difficult need to make sure will fit existing box and bend wires out of way to get cover to sit nicely so you can screw on the plate
MrBeatnik to ZEbbEDY
6 Mar 173#7
They are essentially normal sockets in terms of wiring - the USB is all taken care of "internally" to the socket.
Geemac to ZEbbEDY
6 Mar 174#14
If you need to ask, leave to an electrician. :smiley:
cabbage to ZEbbEDY
6 Mar 17#29
If you have to ask then don't do it since your electrical skills must be pretty close to zero. Dumb-ways-to-die!
uksnapper to ZEbbEDY
7 Mar 17#40
Quite easy BUT if you are a novice with wiring get someone to check it before you switch the power back on.
Sqsq
7 Mar 171#38
Before touching a screwdriver you should trip the biggest switch on your mains circuit breaker.
I installed similar sockets in January but have since removed them. They were always warm to the touch even when not used. Could not go on holiday worrying if they were safe. Ideally they should only be powered when a USB plug is inserted, ones I had were always on.
Also had second thoughts after reading about the risks uncovered in lab tests by electricalsafetyfirst.org.uk. Every plug failed on some aspect tested.
odom
7 Mar 17#36
You would be going some to remove yourself from the gene pool with 230V although I bet some silly **** has done it somewhere.
The girls at work messing around with damaged three-phase sockets, however...
Rickardo
7 Mar 17#35
Not sure it is worth mentioning, re overpopulation, natural selection... :smirk:
Rickardo
7 Mar 171#34
I have this exact model and don't find it slow to charge. I've only ever done one device at a time, but my iPhone 6+ charges rapidly, certainly not an overnight job.
dinosteveus
7 Mar 17#33
Already answered many times, why the ott post?
amour3k
7 Mar 171#32
That's one way of putting it ...
amour3k
7 Mar 171#31
In all this advising, everyone has tended to forget one CRUCIAL 'minor' detail?.
UNLESS ofcourse you know for 100% sure what your doing, it's advisable important best practice to turn off at the Electrics in your Junction Box the Power Fuse first!, eg. the bit that directly relates to the Electric Wall Sockets in your House, etc?.
So as not to end up having a very painful electric shock, and/or end up electrocuting yourselves, etc, etc, etc?, or whatever .....
Thought worth mentioning?. :-)
fish323
7 Mar 17#30
A quick google images search will clarify things. Search USB C computer to see the difference.
peter1969uk
6 Mar 17#28
Yes apple are great at that, getting rid of connections and such. You just end up paying for adaptors and carrying just as much weight or taking up more if not the same space in your back.
annabell007007
6 Mar 17#27
you can buy 2 all day long for £10,so not much saving, al wait, till there 2 for £5,,it will happen
psd99
6 Mar 17#25
decent price but I would not bother with 2.1 get 3.1 instead
2.1 is so slow, I had to get them because I was looking at costs. it takes ages to charge any device up
like an overnight job!
callum84 to psd99
6 Mar 172#26
With one device conected 2.1A should charge at the same rate as a 3.1A.
The figure quoted is the transformer output shared across 2 ports.
A phone will either charge at 1A or 2A depending on the model.
Charge current is limited by the device. You could connect it up to a 100A transformer and it will still charge at 2A.
Dr_Lovegod
6 Mar 171#13
No discussion on safety of these plus they on continuously using electricity. I'm no expert. Views anyone?
callum84 to Dr_Lovegod
6 Mar 171#24
Safety wise they are fine.
Was the first load of cheap unbranded ones that had problems. Poor isolation between mains and ELV transformer output and lot of other issues.
Power consumption wise, yes they are on all the time, you have 5v all the time but there is no load.
Without a load they will use very small amounts of energy due to losses in the transformer and any circuitry afterwards to rectify and smooth out the voltage.
Energy consumption is really not a problem.
swellybro
6 Mar 175#23
Sorry just to quote part P. You can install a replacement socket. Although I would add you should be competent (here is where it is woolly). It should be a straightforward diy job however read up on it all first.
Q5: What types of electrical work are 'non-notifiable'?
The following types of work are non-notifiable:
Replacing accessories such as socket-outlets, control switches and ceiling roses
Replacing the cable for a single circuit only, where damaged, for example, by fire, rodent or impact (1)
Re-fixing or replacing the enclosures of existing installation components (2)
Providing mechanical protection to existing fixed installations (3)
Installing or upgrading main or supplementary equipotential bonding (4)
Work that is not in a kitchen or special location and does not involve a special installation (5) and consists of:
- adding lighting points (light fittings and switches) to an existing circuit (6)
- adding socket-outlets and fused spurs to an existing ring or radial circuit (6)
Notes:
(1) On condition that the replacement cable has the same current-carrying capacity, follows the same route and does not serve more than one sub-circuit through a distribution board;
(2) If the circuit's protective measures are unaffected;
(3) If the circuit's protective measures and current-carrying capacity of conductors are unaffected by increased thermal insulation;
(4) Such work shall comply with other applicable legislation, such as the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations;
(5) Special locations and installations are listed below;
(6) Only if the existing circuit protective device is suitable and provides protection for the modified circuit, and other relevant safety provisions are satisfactory.
Special locations and installations (5):
Locations containing a bath tub or shower basin
Swimming pools or paddling pools
Hot air saunas
Electric floor or ceiling heating systems
Garden lighting or power installations
Solar photovoltaic (PV) power supply systems
Small scale generators such as micro-CHP units
Extra-low voltage lighting installations, other than pre-assembled, CE-marked lighting sets
Note: See Guidance Note 7 which gives more guidance on achieving safe installations where risks to people are greater.
Q6: How will Part P apply to DIY work?
Part P will apply to all electrical work in dwellings, whether carried out by professionals or DIYers.
Some DIY work will require the submission of a building notice to the local authority and the payment of a building control fee.
Some minor electrical work will not be notifiable (see above). Examples include adding a lighting or power point to an existing circuit, adding a spur to an existing circuit or replacing a light fitting.
thecresta
6 Mar 17#22
USB-C has been designed to phase out USB-A connectors.
Apple are the first to remove them. See the new Macbook Pro.
There's no need to have both other than for backwards compatibility.
It will take a long time to achieve that goal though, and wireless technologies will likely have overtaken long before that happens.
robs1
6 Mar 17#21
I bought 4 of these a few weeks ago when they were £10 for two -
One went bang (literally, I was sat next to it) within 24 hrs, complete with burning smell...so not convinced on the safety aspects!
obsydian
6 Mar 17#20
It is one one end the business end into your mobile or tablet, the other end remains as today
InkZ
6 Mar 172#19
I've got a One Plus 3T which has USB-C and it's just standard USB-A on one end and C on the other, so can't see how these sockets will become obsolete quickly.
scoobytawazara
6 Mar 17#17
oops what's that burning smell
janz70
6 Mar 171#16
although easy to fit (like for like wiring ) under new part p regs you cannot fit these yourself - only qualified electricians
scoobytawazara
6 Mar 171#15
gosh people really trying to demonise these I think they are good for me and use hardly any electricity in a year
jak19
6 Mar 17#12
Virtually the same price (£9.99 rather than £9.98) for a 2-pack at Argos which may be more readily accessible for most. This seems to be the 'normal' price so not quite a hot deal...
I have the 2.1amp in kitchen that's just to slow to charge phones. I bought another that's 3.1amp for lounge and that's charges fine although the touch screen on the phones won't work while charging. Static apparently I read... Im not a fan of these. Buy a decent 4 port charger for £12 ish.
shifty277 to wayners
6 Mar 173#11
My thoughts exactly. These inbuilt usb ports to the sockets are a fad just like 3d on tv's. They are just included to raise the prices of sockets and to try and sell more.
Opening post
Website states
White moulded outboard rocker socket with 2 x USB ports, 2.1A. Ideal for charging iPads, iPhones, tablets, mobiles, cameras and more. Features angled, in-line terminals and includes backed-out captive screws for easy installation.
Ideal Retrofit
ASTA Approved
Manufactured to BS 1363-2, EN 60950-1
I haven't posted before so please let me know if I have done something wrong.
Hope this helps someone get a bargain :-)
Top comments
Q5: What types of electrical work are 'non-notifiable'?
The following types of work are non-notifiable:
Replacing accessories such as socket-outlets, control switches and ceiling roses
Replacing the cable for a single circuit only, where damaged, for example, by fire, rodent or impact (1)
Re-fixing or replacing the enclosures of existing installation components (2)
Providing mechanical protection to existing fixed installations (3)
Installing or upgrading main or supplementary equipotential bonding (4)
Work that is not in a kitchen or special location and does not involve a special installation (5) and consists of:
- adding lighting points (light fittings and switches) to an existing circuit (6)
- adding socket-outlets and fused spurs to an existing ring or radial circuit (6)
Notes:
(1) On condition that the replacement cable has the same current-carrying capacity, follows the same route and does not serve more than one sub-circuit through a distribution board;
(2) If the circuit's protective measures are unaffected;
(3) If the circuit's protective measures and current-carrying capacity of conductors are unaffected by increased thermal insulation;
(4) Such work shall comply with other applicable legislation, such as the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations;
(5) Special locations and installations are listed below;
(6) Only if the existing circuit protective device is suitable and provides protection for the modified circuit, and other relevant safety provisions are satisfactory.
Special locations and installations (5):
Locations containing a bath tub or shower basin
Swimming pools or paddling pools
Hot air saunas
Electric floor or ceiling heating systems
Garden lighting or power installations
Solar photovoltaic (PV) power supply systems
Small scale generators such as micro-CHP units
Extra-low voltage lighting installations, other than pre-assembled, CE-marked lighting sets
Note: See Guidance Note 7 which gives more guidance on achieving safe installations where risks to people are greater.
Q6: How will Part P apply to DIY work?
Part P will apply to all electrical work in dwellings, whether carried out by professionals or DIYers.
Some DIY work will require the submission of a building notice to the local authority and the payment of a building control fee.
Some minor electrical work will not be notifiable (see above). Examples include adding a lighting or power point to an existing circuit, adding a spur to an existing circuit or replacing a light fitting.
http://www.screwfix.com/p/lap-13a-2g-sp-switched-socket-3-1a-2g-usb-charger-white/4087p?_requestid=263442
Latest comments (57)
What I dont understand is, if these are switched sockets , surely the switch controls the 3 pin and the usb ?
If not why not ? .
The only thing I would say is that these need a transformer for the USB ports so are constantly on and using electricity. Apparently its only 0.000075 kW/h which I guess is 50p a year or thereabouts (someone can correct me if I'm way off).
Just in case anyone was interested! :smiley:
I read once a charger left on standby for a year uses up as much power as it takes to fully charge a tablet one time.
Samsumg Tablet
Samsung Galaxy S6
PS4 Controllers
Xbox One Controllers
However they did not charge the iPad or iPhone - when using a decent cable - even on trickle charge.
Seems to be going the way of variable voltage ie quick charge or adaptive charge.
Excuse my ignorance....
As for charging speed... The lead you use makes a HUGE difference. On the same tablet and power supply I measured charging rates between 0.3A and 1.8A when changing just the lead. That's a 6x difference just by swapping the lead.
can you fit these yourself or do you need an electrician
I installed similar sockets in January but have since removed them. They were always warm to the touch even when not used. Could not go on holiday worrying if they were safe. Ideally they should only be powered when a USB plug is inserted, ones I had were always on.
Also had second thoughts after reading about the risks uncovered in lab tests by electricalsafetyfirst.org.uk. Every plug failed on some aspect tested.
The girls at work messing around with damaged three-phase sockets, however...
:smirk:
UNLESS ofcourse you know for 100% sure what your doing, it's advisable important best practice to turn off at the Electrics in your Junction Box the Power Fuse first!, eg. the bit that directly relates to the Electric Wall Sockets in your House, etc?.
So as not to end up having a very painful electric shock, and/or end up electrocuting yourselves, etc, etc, etc?, or whatever .....
Thought worth mentioning?. :-)
2.1 is so slow, I had to get them because I was looking at costs. it takes ages to charge any device up
like an overnight job!
The figure quoted is the transformer output shared across 2 ports.
A phone will either charge at 1A or 2A depending on the model.
Charge current is limited by the device. You could connect it up to a 100A transformer and it will still charge at 2A.
Was the first load of cheap unbranded ones that had problems. Poor isolation between mains and ELV transformer output and lot of other issues.
Power consumption wise, yes they are on all the time, you have 5v all the time but there is no load.
Without a load they will use very small amounts of energy due to losses in the transformer and any circuitry afterwards to rectify and smooth out the voltage.
Energy consumption is really not a problem.
Q5: What types of electrical work are 'non-notifiable'?
The following types of work are non-notifiable:
Replacing accessories such as socket-outlets, control switches and ceiling roses
Replacing the cable for a single circuit only, where damaged, for example, by fire, rodent or impact (1)
Re-fixing or replacing the enclosures of existing installation components (2)
Providing mechanical protection to existing fixed installations (3)
Installing or upgrading main or supplementary equipotential bonding (4)
Work that is not in a kitchen or special location and does not involve a special installation (5) and consists of:
- adding lighting points (light fittings and switches) to an existing circuit (6)
- adding socket-outlets and fused spurs to an existing ring or radial circuit (6)
Notes:
(1) On condition that the replacement cable has the same current-carrying capacity, follows the same route and does not serve more than one sub-circuit through a distribution board;
(2) If the circuit's protective measures are unaffected;
(3) If the circuit's protective measures and current-carrying capacity of conductors are unaffected by increased thermal insulation;
(4) Such work shall comply with other applicable legislation, such as the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations;
(5) Special locations and installations are listed below;
(6) Only if the existing circuit protective device is suitable and provides protection for the modified circuit, and other relevant safety provisions are satisfactory.
Special locations and installations (5):
Locations containing a bath tub or shower basin
Swimming pools or paddling pools
Hot air saunas
Electric floor or ceiling heating systems
Garden lighting or power installations
Solar photovoltaic (PV) power supply systems
Small scale generators such as micro-CHP units
Extra-low voltage lighting installations, other than pre-assembled, CE-marked lighting sets
Note: See Guidance Note 7 which gives more guidance on achieving safe installations where risks to people are greater.
Q6: How will Part P apply to DIY work?
Part P will apply to all electrical work in dwellings, whether carried out by professionals or DIYers.
Some DIY work will require the submission of a building notice to the local authority and the payment of a building control fee.
Some minor electrical work will not be notifiable (see above). Examples include adding a lighting or power point to an existing circuit, adding a spur to an existing circuit or replacing a light fitting.
Apple are the first to remove them. See the new Macbook Pro.
There's no need to have both other than for backwards compatibility.
It will take a long time to achieve that goal though, and wireless technologies will likely have overtaken long before that happens.
http://www.screwfix.com/p/lap-13a-sp-2-gang-switched-socket-usb-charger-port-white/1204f
One went bang (literally, I was sat next to it) within 24 hrs, complete with burning smell...so not convinced on the safety aspects!
http://www.argos.co.uk/product/5586220
Have a look at the below adaptors:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/d/l02/Anker-2-Port-Charger-PowerIQ-Technology-Samsung-Motorola/B016LPMFUA/ref=zg_bs_340329031_1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=0K32XCCWWYTGQGDGX0BR
or
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Aukey-Charger-Adapter-AiPower-Powered/dp/B018K7SO34/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&qid=1488818123&sr=8-9&keywords=aukey+usb
or
https://www.amazon.co.uk/AUKEY-Charger-AiPower-iPhone-Samsung/dp/B017UF5FPC/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1488818123&sr=8-8&keywords=aukey+usb
http://www.screwfix.com/p/lap-13a-2g-sp-switched-socket-3-1a-2g-usb-charger-white/4087p?_requestid=263442