I bought one of these as it seemed a good way of getting power to a shed, plus the built-in RCD adds a bit of safety. This would be used with an existing outdoor socket

https://www.aldi.co.uk/portable-mains-kit-with-usb/p/703100345559100

Can I replace the 16A plug with a 13A one? I could use it with one of the adapters below, but that seems a bit pointless if all I need to do is swap the plug. Also the 16A connector/plug are only IP44

Yep.

No problem at all. The cable is quite thick making it a little fiddly but it’ll work. If you are running it close to 13a then use a decent quality plug.

As above yes – and the fact you can get adapters for them kinda gives the game away 😉

If you are running it close to 13a then use a decent quality plug.

the fact you can get adapters for them kinda gives the game away

So, the obvious answer is to buy the adaptor and use the plug from that 🙂

So, the obvious answer is to buy the adaptor and use the plug from that

Yeah. Then you have a spare hookup adapter too – win win!

“only” IP44? Are you expecting the UK to sink into the North Sea any time soon?

Just use that adapter. It’s likely more weatherproof than anything you’ll jury-rig.

Just use that adapter. It’s likely more weatherproof than anything you’ll jury-rig.

Eh!? By putting a plug on it you don’t have an extra connector at all, just cable. That will be very waterproof.

I would put a plug on it if you are using an outside socket. I have a caravan plugged in to an adapter and I had to make a housing to stop water ingress. When they hang down from a socket long term water gets in and trips the sockets.

Just use the adapter, you might want to take it camping one day and will be cursing the day you cut the plug off.

Or just save a wad of cash and use a boggo extension lead. Your house wiring should be RCD protected anyway unless you live in the 1970s.

Thanks, pretty much confirmed what I thought which was as you can get an adapter with a 13A plug you can put one straight onto the lead instead of the 16A one.

Your house wiring should be RCD protected anyway unless you live in the 1970s.

The house is RCD protected. I just thought that having the RCD closer to where is used is a bit safer? I can’t use an extension lead with a breaker plug as the plug won’t fit in the outdoor socket enclosure.
If where the RCD is makes no real difference I might take this back.

If the RCD in the house and the one in the extension are both rated at 30ma and functioning correctly the one in the house will trip first anyway so may as well use any normal extension if that’s the way you’re going to do it

The RCD on the extension is 25mA so I guess this would trip first?

depends what the one in the house is!

I suppose it will marginally safer than a boggo extension lead, and redundancy in RCDs will be useful if your house one fails.

“Can I stick a 13 amp plug on this?” You can put a 13 amp plug on anything at least once!

When they hang down from a socket long term water gets in and trips the sockets.

Not sure why unless the socket hasn’t been installed right, the design precludes this happening, you see temporary buildings with these sockets and they hold up fine.

@squirrelking

I think they have 2 x 16A inline connectors rather than a 16A plug going into a 16A socket. Rain can run down the cable into the connectors perhaps?

Housings are available to make the connectors fully waterproof. E.g.
https://seamarknunn.com/acatalog/Talamex-Waterproof-Case-for-Mains-Connectors-EP14_504_100.html

I just thought that having the RCD closer to where is used is a bit safer?

Ideally the RCD would be at the plug end so that everything from there onwards is protected. With the adaptor pictured anything you plug Into it inside the the nice dry shed is protected but all the cable running to the shed – exposed to the muck and rain –  isn’t. The cable outside is much more vulnerable to damage and arguably more important one to protect.

@dmorts yeah that makes more sense, the angled sockets shouldn’t let water in.

squirrelking
Free Member

@dmorts yeah that makes more sense, the angled sockets shouldn’t let water in.

Yes I was talking long term the water gets in to the adapters as water runs down the cable and eventually finds a way in. My cable is exposed to E – NE rain and they fail after one to two years. I have built a box that covers the outdoor socket and down past where the adapter joins the caravan cable.