BS 4573 (UK shaver)

BS 4573 Plug

UK shaver socket. Accepts BS 4573 plugs, also US, Australian and Europlugs. Dual voltage, with isolating transformer.

In the United Kingdom and Ireland, there is a two-pin plug and socket for use with electric shavers. The plug has insulated sleeves on the pins. Its dimensions are based on those of the 5A plug specified in the obsolete standard BS 372:1930 “Two-pin Side-entry Wall Plugs And Sockets For Special Circuits” (which also included 2A and 15A plugs with different dimensions). Electric toothbrushes in the UK are normally supplied with the same plug. It has 0.2 in (5.08 mm) diameter pins 0.625 in (15.88 mm) long and 0.656 in (16.66 mm) apart. The sockets for this plug are rated at (and limited to) 200 mA. BS 4573 has no explicit specification for the plug rating, but Sheet GB6 (BS 4573, dated 2002-06-03, written by BSI committee) of IEC 60083 states that a rating of 0.2 A applies to all BS 4573 accessories.

The BS 4573 socket is suitable for use in dry areas only, so is rarely used. It is more usual to find shaver supply units meeting BS EN 61558-2-5 which include an isolation transformer and usually accept multiple two-pin plug types including BS 4573, Europlug and Australian. The isolation transformer often includes a 115 V output, and will then accept two-pin US plugs also. Shaver supply units must also be current limited, BS EN 61558-2-5 specifies a minimum rating of 20 VA and maximum of 50 VA.

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