Basic electrical question...

Why does the UK use twin (live + neutral) & earth for domestic AC supplies yet the US and parts of Europe get away without using an earth feed?

 

Europe does have an earth its just there is no pins. If you look on a european plug you will see a metal connector, the same on the sockets, this is the earth. I thought they didn't have earth at first.

 

Thanks for the reply but how does using metal connectors on the plug & socket actually earth the equipment being used - there are only 2 leads from the plug to the equipment?

 

On some equipment. On other equipmen there are 3 conductors, and the earth is used. Double insulated equipment tends not to use the earth connection. In hifi terms, using the earth connection makes like pretty difficult with regard to ground loops between equipment. You run into all sorts of trouble over whether you connect the circuit ground to chassis ground or not, and if not you have to insulate all your sockets from the chassis, etc, etc, etc.