Type E Socket And Plug

The Type E plug and socket, commonly known as the French standard plug and socket, is currently used primarily in France, Belgium, and parts of Africa.

The Type E plug and socket used in France, Belgium, and some other countries differs from the Type F plug and socket (CEE 7/4 standard) commonly used in Germany and other continental European countries. The Type E socket has a protruding grounding pin located slightly above the center, measuring 14 mm in length and 4.8 mm in diameter. The Type E plug has two round pins that are 19 mm long, 4.8 mm in diameter, and spaced 19 mm apart, along with a grounding hole designed to connect with the protruding grounding pin on the Type E socket. Since Type F plugs do not have a grounding hole, they are not compatible with Type E sockets.

To eliminate the inconvenience caused by the incompatibility between Type E and Type F plugs and sockets, the Type E/F hybrid plug (CEE 7/7 standard), which is now commonly used throughout continental Europe, was developed. The Type E/F hybrid plug combines features of both plug types: it has a grounding hole to connect with the protruding grounding pin on Type E sockets; it has grooves on the top and bottom of the outer sides to connect with the grounding clips on Type F sockets; and it has ridges on the left and right sides to ensure proper connection with Type F sockets. Today, the original pure Type E plug has completely disappeared from the market, except for rare sightings on some older equipment.

The Type E socket has a circular recess 15 mm deep in the center, so even if the plug is not fully inserted into the socket, there is no risk of electric shock. Type E sockets are well compatible with Type C plugs, although since the pins of Type C plugs have a diameter of 4 mm, which is slightly smaller than the 4.8 mm of Type E plugs, they may be slightly loose when inserted into Type E sockets.