Have you noticed that most appliances these days leave the factory with a three-prong plug? This recent trend has upset many people who relied only on the two-prong version of the outlet at home. In addition, many do not even know what the third pin is for. If that's your case, don't worry, because we'll explain it to you here.
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The third pin is for security.
The main reason for developing the three-pin plug model is for the safety of those handling the appliance. This is because some equipment has a metallic housing that can accumulate electrical energy when there is an insulation failure in its internal components. That's why you can get shocked on some older devices or even on your metallic laptop that doesn't have a third pin.
However, when there is the third pin, if any current leakage occurs to the metal frame of the equipment, this energy is immediately dissipated to the ground of the building. This is because the third pin is connected to the famous “ground wire”.
Another function of this important pin is to make the protections of your power board act in case there is a short circuit in your installations. In its absence, the problem would persist without the protection devices acting to eliminate it.
In this way, it is possible to understand that the resource is essential to offer more safety and also to extend the useful life of the equipment.
Can I take out the third pin?
It is possible to remove the third pin, and it is even very likely that the device will work normally after removal, or just supposedly normal. That is if we think merely from the point of view of the functioning of some devices.
However, the question is, do you you should never remove the third pin of your devices, since, as mentioned above, it fulfills an important safety function for people and for the facilities in your home. In addition, the lack of the third pin can indeed be a factor capable of spoiling the correct operation of the machine in question, especially in the case of more sensitive electronics. In order to even be able to reduce the useful life of a certain device.
Therefore, the best option is to change the socket fittings that are around your house, instead of simply pulling out the third pin. With this, you will be able to enjoy your products with the guarantee that the chances of an accident occurring are much smaller.
