Pluggable electrical equipment is an equipment that is either pluggable equipment type A or pluggable equipment type B [source: IEC 60950-1].
These two types of electrical equipment are defined in IEC 60950-1 as follows:
- Pluggable equipment type A is an electrical equipment that is intended for connection to a mains supply via a non-industrial plug and socket-outlet or a non-industrial appliance coupler, or both
- Pluggable equipment type B is an electrical equipment that is intended for connection to a mains supply via an industrial plug and socket-outlet or an appliance coupler, or both, complying with IEC 60309 or with a comparable national standard.
NOTE – Photovoltaic (PV) circuits that use connectors are considered pluggable type B or fixed equipment.
In the electrical installations of buildings, electrical equipment is always used which is connected to their electrical circuits with connectors (plugs and socket-outlets) for household or industrial use as required.
Such electrical equipment primarily includes hand-held and portable electrical equipment equipped with flexible connection cables with plugs. However, connectors are also often used to connect stationary electrical equipment for household purposes, such as washing machines, electric stoves, refrigerators, air conditioners, electric screwdrivers etc.
Electric screwdriver as an example of pluggable electrical equipment
Requirements for plugs and socket-outlets for household purposes are described in the eight IEC 60884 standards. International requirements for plugs, fixed or portable socket-outlets and appliance inlets for industrial purposes are described in the three IEC 60309.
The object of technical report IEC 60083 is to give general information about the systems of plugs and socket-outlets for household and similar purposes which are used in the IEC countries. The report only contains National Systems which are commonly used in homes and offices. It is therefore limited to systems for AC with a rated voltage above 50 V but not exceeding 440 V, intended for household and similar purposes, either indoors or outdoors.
General requirements:
- In Finland, Norway and Sweden, class I pluggable equipment type A intended for connection to other equipment or a network, must, if safety relies on connection to protective earth or if surge suppressors are connected between the network terminals and accessible parts, have a marking stating that the equipment must be connected to an earthed mains socket-outlet.
- The operating instructions, and the installation instructions for pluggable equipment intended for user installation, shall be made available to the user.
- For pluggable equipment, the socket-outlet shall be installed near the equipment and shall be easily accessible.
- For pluggable equipment type B or permanently connected electrical equipment, the installation instructions shall specify the maximum rating of an overcurrent protective device to be provided external to the equipment, unless there are appropriate overcurrent protective devices in the equipment.
- Equipment is considered to comply if any capacitor having a marked or nominal capacitance exceeding 0,1 μF and in a circuit connected to the mains supply has a means of discharge resulting in a time constant not exceeding: 1 s for pluggable equipment type A; and 10 s for pluggable equipment type B.
- For pluggable equipment, a separate protective earthing terminal is provided in addition to the main protective earthing terminal, if any. The installation instructions shall specify that this separate protective earthing terminal be permanently connected to earth.
- For pluggable equipment type B, having connections to telecommunication networks or to cable distribution systems that are all pluggable, a marking on the equipment and a statement in the installation instructions shall be provided. These shall specify that the user is to disconnect all telecommunication network connectors and cable distribution system connectors before disconnecting the power supply cord.
- For pluggable equipment type A, the requirements of b) above apply, and in addition the installation instructions shall specify that it be installed by a service person and connected to a socket-outlet with a protective earthing contact.
- For pluggable equipment type A, the protective current rating is the rating of an overcurrent protective device provided external to the equipment (for example, in the building wiring, in the mains plug or in an equipment rack) to protect the equipment, with a minimum of 16 A. In Canada and the United States, the protective current rating of the circuit is taken as 20 A. In the United Kingdom, the current rating of the circuit shall be taken as 13 A, not 16 A.
- For pluggable equipment type B, the protective current rating is the maximum rating of the overcurrent protective device specified in the equipment installation instructions to be provided external to the equipment.
- For pluggable equipment type B, it is permitted for short-circuit backup protection to be in the building installation.
- For pluggable equipment type A, the building installation is considered as providing short-circuit backup protection.
- In Denmark, touch current measurement results exceeding 3,5 mA r.m.s. are permitted only for permanently connected electrical equipment and pluggable equipment type B.
