3186: Truly Universal Outlet
| Truly Universal Outlet |
 Title text: Building Inspectors HATE This One Weird Trick |
Explanation[edit]
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This is one of 60 incomplete explanations: This page was created recently. Don't remove this notice too soon. If you can fix this issue, edit the page! |
This comic shows a layout for a universal outlet which would theoretically fit any plug. Throughout the world, countries and regions have their own standards for outlets, including their shape, contact amount, and voltage. When traveling, or otherwise using devices from other countries, it is often necessary to have an adapter to connect one type of plug to a different outlet.
The comic shows an outlet with fifteen sets of holes merged together, so that any of those plug types might fit. In reality, it's possible that a plug may not be held securely, and it may fall out or lose contact. For example, the hole for types D, E, M, and O at the top of the outlet has four distinct holes, some of which are entirely contained within others; a prong for a smaller type would not make contact with the walls. Different outlets can also mean different voltages, which can risk damage if devices do not account for it. Though universal plug adapters actually exist, but none of them are as 'universal' as the one shown in this comic, most likely due to aforementioned safety concerns.
Transcript[edit]
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This is one of 33 incomplete transcripts: Don't remove this notice too soon. If you can fix this issue, edit the page! |
[A diagram of an electrical outlet is shown, merging the holes of many international outlets. Dashed lines indicate individual standards' holes, which are labeled by their corresponding letter from A to N. The entire outlet is the combined area of these holes.]
Wiring tip: to make your building friendly to international visitors, cut holes in your outlet plates to make them compatible with all fifteen IEC plug types.
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No comments yet, add the first comment! Caliban (talk) 16:25, 26 December 2025 (UTC)
I checked on the info.0.json and there doesn't seem to be a transcript for this one. I don't know whether that's normal, since I understand that most comics have one, but I wrote in a basic transcript. I might have just not looked in the right place. R128 (talk) 16:58, 26 December 2025 (UTC)
I try not to be nationalistic or jingoistic about anything, but I'm sorry—British plugs are simply the best plugs. Strong, easy to use and safe—fits snugly into the socket, can't expose live or neutral outlets without first connecting to earth, no overly sharp pins. I don't like myself for saying this, but I honestly think the rest of the world would be better off switching to our plugs.109.149.114.159 18:00, 26 December 2025 (UTC) Add comment
