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Spain overview of types of plugs and sockets |
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Spanish houses were connected to 125V AC for many decades. The first
houses with 220V were build in the early 1970s. For earthed sockets in
newly build houses often sockets comparable to Swiss T12 were used (see
image no. 7} and to a lesser degree Italian type sockets. In older homes Swiss and Italian type sockets can still be found*. To connect appliances from the USA with straight blade plugs hybrid sockets and occasionally NEMA type socket became available. CEE 7/3-7/4 (Schuko) and not earthed CEE 7/1-7/2 have been introduced in the 1980s and are the current standards for domestic plugs and sockets in Spain. See image nos 1-6. * Swiss and Italian types are still available for replacement. A part of the material shown below has been donated by Electro Romera. Logos found on material displayed below are shown at the bottom of the page. More information about manufacturers is given on a separate page. | Related page: heavy duty types |
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 Instalaciones eléctricas Venta de material eléctrico www.outletelectricidad.com Villanueva del Arzobispo (Jaén) Spain |
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| 1, 3 | CEE 7/3 socket and matching CEE 7/4 plug,
rated at 16A - 250V. Manufacturer: Superfil. |
| 2 | Not earthed, CEE 7/1 standard socket,
rated at 10A - 250V. Contact holes have a diameter of 5.1 mm.
Manufacturer:
Plastimetal. |
| 4 | CEE 7/2 plug with 4.8 mm pins. Rating is
not indicated, but pin size suggests 16A. The plug has a Europlug-like
shape, but does not fit in Europlug specific sockets, because of its
thickness (19 mm). Manufacturer: not indicated (Superfil ?). |
| 5 | Plug similar to Europlugs (CEE 7/16). 4.0
mm pins have insulating sleeves. The rewirable plug has a cord grip
inside. Rating: 10A - 250V (genuine Europlugs are rated at 2.5A). Manufacturer: Solera. {JRC} |
| 6 | Two examples of relative simple plugs.
Wiring these plugs requires twisting off pins. No cord grip. Pin
diameter: 4.0 mm. Rating of left plug: 6A-250V. Rating of right plug is not indicated (probably 5A or less). Manufacturers: not indicated. {JRC} |
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| 7 |
Earthed socket with configuration of slots
comparable to Swiss sockets (SEV 1011 type 12). Rating: 10-16A - 250V.
Two features differ
from genuine Swiss sockets: (i) outlet is not recessed, and (ii) 5.7 mm
contact holes, which are 1.2 mm larger than SEV 1011 T12 standard.
Manufacturer: Bticino (Superdo series). |
| 8 | "Swiss style" plug with 4.8 mm pins.
Rating: 10-16A - 250V. Fit in Spanish socket nos 7 and 12, but not in
Swiss SEV 1011 10A or 16A sockets. Manufacturer: Plastimetal. |
| 9 | Spanish earthed plug, identical to Swiss
T12 plugs. Pin diameter 4.0 mm. Power pins are partially insulated.
Rating: 10A - 250V. Manufacturer: Simón. {JRC} |
| 10 | Spanish earthed plug, similar to Italian
10A CEI 23-50 plugs. The 2 mm shorter center (earth) pin is remarkable.
Rating is not indicated, but is probably 10A. Manufacturer: not
indicated. {JRC} |
Note ↓ |
Fused sockets have been used in several (continental european) countries. The fuse, which was supplementary to the fuse on the distribution board, was intended to restrict the consequences of a blown fuse to appliance(s) connected to the socket only. This type of socket is no longer in production. Fused socket nos 11 and 12 came without a matching fuse. |
| 11 | Fused CEE 7/3 (Schuko) socket, rated at
10-16A - 250V. Details of fuse box and fuse holder are shown right. Manufacturer: Plastimetal. {JRC} |
| 12 | Swiss style socket with fuse, rated at 16A
-250V. Contact holes: 5.7 mm (identical to socket no. 7). Manufacturer: Bticino (Superdo series). |
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| 13 |
(a,
b):
socket and plug with 4.0 mm pins, and 19 mm pin spacing. Rating is not
indicated, but probably 10A-250V. {FSE} (c, d): plug with 5.0 mm pins, and 24.4 mm spacing (1") and matching connector {FSE}. It seems likely that the rating must be 15A or 20A - 250V given the rating of socket 'e'. (e): French socket with slot spacing of 24.4 mm, rated at 20A-250V and 15A-380V. {WN} Manufacturers: 'a' and 'b': Industrias Jangar; 'c' and 'd': unknown company with logo 'AL'; 'e': Compagnie Legrand in Limoges, France. |
| 14 | Left:
Spanish plug that is nearly identical to an earthed Italian 16A plug,
shown right. Both plugs have 5.0 mm pins, but the spacing between the
centers of the outermost pins differs: 27 mm for the Spanish plug
versus 26 for the Italian. It seems that the difference is due to less
strict tolerances, but it may point to an 'on purpose' difference
between Spanish and Italian 16A plugs. Manufacturer: unknown company that used a shield with C (see logo 'h'). {JRC} |
| 15 |
(a)
socket for flat blade plugs. Socket rating: 6A - 250V. Both slots have
a width of 7.2 mm. Manufacturer: Plastimetal. (b) flat blade plug similar to U.S. NEMA 1-15 that fits in socket 'a'. See note below about the use of flat blade plugs for 127 Volt. (c) plug model with larger blades (9.5 mm wide, spacing 16.5 mm). Could be rated at 20A, but an U.S. equivalent to plug 'c' does not exist. Manufacturer of plugs 'b' and 'c': unknown (see logo 'h'). {JRC} |
| Note | Flat blade plugs have been used in Spain from the late 1960s until early 1980s in houses that both had 127 Volt for lighting and 220 Volt for more demanding equipment. In the 1980s 220V became the standard domestic voltage for illumination and appliances. At the same time CEE 7/3 - 4 (Schuko) was introduced as the nation-wide standard for earthed sockets and plugs. |
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| 16 | 10-16A
- 250V earthed socket combining L and N slots for NEMA
1-15 straight blade plugs (not polarised) and Schuko type earth clips.
An uncommon socket that has been used in the 1970s - '80s for special
purposes; see plug no. 16a. Manufacturer: Simón Electra. {FSE} |
| 16a 16b |
Appliance
cord with plug matching with earth clip socket no. 16. Once the cord
was connected to a Spanish stand alone sol-Thermic eclectic radiator.
Later, the appliance plug was replaced by an Eunea Metropoli plug. {PA} It is likely the appliance cord have been made to order of sol-Thermic by a, yet unknown, plug manufacturer. See also no. 16c. Illustration copied from a 1970 sol-Thermic catalog, illustrating that sol-Thermic preferred the special earthed plug to connect their heating systems, stoves etc.to mains. |
| 16c |
A
similar appliance cord gives the following information: rating: 15A-250V; m-like logo* (bottom right) and 131-F; Sistema SCHUKO; MADE IN SPAIN. {PA} * which Spanish company is/was using this logo is unknown. Help is appreciated; see start page for mail address. |
| 17 |
Connector (left) and plug (right) with rubber casings. Rating is not indicated, but the 4.0 mm plug pins and a 19 mm pin spacing points to a 10A - 250V rating. Rubber sleeve of the connector provides a dust and water proof sealing. The steatite base plate of the plug could be used for assembling both round pins and flat blades (see plug no. 15b), a production efficient feature. Manufacturer: unknown (see logo 'h'). {JRC} |
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18 Not earthed plug rated at 15A - 220-380V. It is a plug in the Eunea Metropoli series, that were occasionally used in homes. See page on Spanish heavy duty plugs for the full series of Eunea Metropoli devices. Manufacturer: BJC {JRC} |
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| a |
b | c | d | e | f | g | h |
| a | BJC stands for Fabricá Electrotécnica
Josa, based in Rubi (near Barcelona). |
Image no. 18 |
| b | Bticino.
Founded in 1936 by Arnoldo, Ermanno and Luigi Bassani in Milano; now
based in Varese (Ticino region of Italy). The company is also active in
Spain, South America, USA and Thailand. |
Images 7 and 12 |
| c | Industria Jangar, based in Zargoza. |
Images 13a and 13b |
| d | Plastimetal.
Founded in 1941 by Julio and Jose Cano Pereda in Burgos. In the 1960s
and '70s a flourishing manufacturer of electrical equipment. The
company went bankrupt in 1998. |
Images 2, 8, 11 and 15a |
| e | Simón Electric. The company was founded in
1915 in Olot (Prov. Gerona), now based in Barcelona. |
Images 9 and 16 |
| f | Solera. Full name: Portalamparas y
Accesorios Solera S.A. based in Paterna (Prov. Valencia). Estabished in
1967
by Mr. Marano Verdejo Solera. |
Image no. 5 |
| g | Superfil. Details about the company have
not yet been found. |
Images 1, 3 |
| h | Unknown company. |
Images 14, 15b, 15c and 17. |
| ? |
Please mail me if you know details about companies 'g', 'h' and company that used logo 'AL' (13). |
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