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Are USB sockets on wall outlets live all the time, even when the switch is off?

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5

I got a USB wall socket fitted. When it was installed, I tested the USB port with a tester with the switches off, but the USB outlet was live. Is this normal?

electrical receptacle uk

share|improve this question

edited 2 hours ago

manassehkatz

10.8k1440

asked 13 hours ago

sean kellysean kelly

262

New contributor

sean kelly is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
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• 
  
  
  

  
  1
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  Hello, and welcome to Home Improvement. It's hard to understand your question; would you edit it to clarify? (Some punctuation would be great...)
  
  – Daniel Griscom
  12 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  5
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  Could you please provide the actual switch/outlet you used.
  
  – Ben
  10 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  This can only be a UK question.
  
  – Harper
  2 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

5

I got a USB wall socket fitted. When it was installed, I tested the USB port with a tester with the switches off, but the USB outlet was live. Is this normal?

electrical receptacle uk

share|improve this question

edited 2 hours ago

manassehkatz

10.8k1440

asked 13 hours ago

sean kellysean kelly

262

New contributor

sean kelly is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.

• 
  
  
  

  
  1
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  Hello, and welcome to Home Improvement. It's hard to understand your question; would you edit it to clarify? (Some punctuation would be great...)
  
  – Daniel Griscom
  12 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  5
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  Could you please provide the actual switch/outlet you used.
  
  – Ben
  10 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  This can only be a UK question.
  
  – Harper
  2 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

I got a USB wall socket fitted. When it was installed, I tested the USB port with a tester with the switches off, but the USB outlet was live. Is this normal?

electrical receptacle uk

share|improve this question

edited 2 hours ago

manassehkatz

10.8k1440

asked 13 hours ago

sean kellysean kelly

262

New contributor

sean kelly is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.

share|improve this question

edited 2 hours ago

manassehkatz

10.8k1440

asked 13 hours ago

sean kellysean kelly

262

New contributor

sean kelly is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.

share|improve this question

edited 2 hours ago

manassehkatz

10.8k1440

asked 13 hours ago

sean kellysean kelly

262

New contributor

sean kelly is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.

edited 2 hours ago

manassehkatz

10.8k1440

edited 2 hours ago

manassehkatz

10.8k1440

asked 13 hours ago

sean kellysean kelly

262

New contributor

sean kelly is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.

asked 13 hours ago

sean kellysean kelly

262

2 Answers
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24

In the US, no the USB ports will not have power when the outlet is not powered. Most outlets in the US don't have power switches on them, so if you switch them off there is no way for power to be provided.

In the UK, outlets often have power switches. In that case, your USB ports are usually powered while the outlet switches are off. This is because the outlet assembly itself is always powered, but the switches only control the outlet and not the USB power transformer.

   

You said cheers in your original post, so I'm assuming you're probably British and have the UK type of USB outlet. Yes, this is normal.

Other answers are assuming that you are in the US, where that wouldn't be normal.

share|improve this answer

edited 1 hour ago

Brock Adams

2,22821527

answered 11 hours ago

DotesDotes

2,585314

add a comment | 

4

Sometimes power supplies/transformers can hold voltage in capacitors to make it look like they are on for a short time after they are unplugged. Rather than checking with a tester, plug a phone (or anything that actually consumes power) into the charger and operate the switch to see if it is still on when the switch is off.

It's not impossible for the USB portion to have power all the time, but I've never seen a USB receptacle that would allow for it in the US.

edit: UK outlets can have integrated switches where this is much more plausible. See the other answer for the UK...

share|improve this answer

edited 6 hours ago

answered 13 hours ago

JPhi1618JPhi1618

10.9k22548

• 
  
  
  

  
  1
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  I have the British type as shown in Dotes' answer. I'm trying the experiment and so far it is charging my phone perfectly well with both switches off. I'll look in a few minutes but I'm pretty sure no capacitors are doing the charging.
  
  – chasly from UK
  6 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  1
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  @chaslyfromUK, that makes sense. Our receptacles are different in the US and don't have integrated switches like that so it would be hard for this to happen. The UK based answer is right, but I'm leaving this answer because it can explain why voltages or small led lights stay on even after a charger is unplugged or switched off.
  
  – JPhi1618
  6 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

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24

In the US, no the USB ports will not have power when the outlet is not powered. Most outlets in the US don't have power switches on them, so if you switch them off there is no way for power to be provided.

In the UK, outlets often have power switches. In that case, your USB ports are usually powered while the outlet switches are off. This is because the outlet assembly itself is always powered, but the switches only control the outlet and not the USB power transformer.

   

You said cheers in your original post, so I'm assuming you're probably British and have the UK type of USB outlet. Yes, this is normal.

Other answers are assuming that you are in the US, where that wouldn't be normal.

share|improve this answer

edited 1 hour ago

Brock Adams

2,22821527

answered 11 hours ago

DotesDotes

2,585314

add a comment | 

24

In the US, no the USB ports will not have power when the outlet is not powered. Most outlets in the US don't have power switches on them, so if you switch them off there is no way for power to be provided.

In the UK, outlets often have power switches. In that case, your USB ports are usually powered while the outlet switches are off. This is because the outlet assembly itself is always powered, but the switches only control the outlet and not the USB power transformer.

   

You said cheers in your original post, so I'm assuming you're probably British and have the UK type of USB outlet. Yes, this is normal.

Other answers are assuming that you are in the US, where that wouldn't be normal.

share|improve this answer

edited 1 hour ago

Brock Adams

2,22821527

answered 11 hours ago

DotesDotes

2,585314

add a comment | 

In the US, no the USB ports will not have power when the outlet is not powered. Most outlets in the US don't have power switches on them, so if you switch them off there is no way for power to be provided.

In the UK, outlets often have power switches. In that case, your USB ports are usually powered while the outlet switches are off. This is because the outlet assembly itself is always powered, but the switches only control the outlet and not the USB power transformer.

   

You said cheers in your original post, so I'm assuming you're probably British and have the UK type of USB outlet. Yes, this is normal.

Other answers are assuming that you are in the US, where that wouldn't be normal.

share|improve this answer

edited 1 hour ago

Brock Adams

2,22821527

answered 11 hours ago

DotesDotes

2,585314

share|improve this answer

edited 1 hour ago

Brock Adams

2,22821527

answered 11 hours ago

DotesDotes

2,585314

edited 1 hour ago

Brock Adams

2,22821527

edited 1 hour ago

Brock Adams

2,22821527

answered 11 hours ago

DotesDotes

2,585314

answered 11 hours ago

DotesDotes

2,585314

4

Sometimes power supplies/transformers can hold voltage in capacitors to make it look like they are on for a short time after they are unplugged. Rather than checking with a tester, plug a phone (or anything that actually consumes power) into the charger and operate the switch to see if it is still on when the switch is off.

It's not impossible for the USB portion to have power all the time, but I've never seen a USB receptacle that would allow for it in the US.

edit: UK outlets can have integrated switches where this is much more plausible. See the other answer for the UK...

share|improve this answer

edited 6 hours ago

answered 13 hours ago

JPhi1618JPhi1618

10.9k22548

• 
  
  
  

  
  1
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  I have the British type as shown in Dotes' answer. I'm trying the experiment and so far it is charging my phone perfectly well with both switches off. I'll look in a few minutes but I'm pretty sure no capacitors are doing the charging.
  
  – chasly from UK
  6 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  1
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  @chaslyfromUK, that makes sense. Our receptacles are different in the US and don't have integrated switches like that so it would be hard for this to happen. The UK based answer is right, but I'm leaving this answer because it can explain why voltages or small led lights stay on even after a charger is unplugged or switched off.
  
  – JPhi1618
  6 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

4

Sometimes power supplies/transformers can hold voltage in capacitors to make it look like they are on for a short time after they are unplugged. Rather than checking with a tester, plug a phone (or anything that actually consumes power) into the charger and operate the switch to see if it is still on when the switch is off.

It's not impossible for the USB portion to have power all the time, but I've never seen a USB receptacle that would allow for it in the US.

edit: UK outlets can have integrated switches where this is much more plausible. See the other answer for the UK...

share|improve this answer

edited 6 hours ago

answered 13 hours ago

JPhi1618JPhi1618

10.9k22548

• 
  
  
  

  
  1
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  I have the British type as shown in Dotes' answer. I'm trying the experiment and so far it is charging my phone perfectly well with both switches off. I'll look in a few minutes but I'm pretty sure no capacitors are doing the charging.
  
  – chasly from UK
  6 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  1
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  @chaslyfromUK, that makes sense. Our receptacles are different in the US and don't have integrated switches like that so it would be hard for this to happen. The UK based answer is right, but I'm leaving this answer because it can explain why voltages or small led lights stay on even after a charger is unplugged or switched off.
  
  – JPhi1618
  6 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

Sometimes power supplies/transformers can hold voltage in capacitors to make it look like they are on for a short time after they are unplugged. Rather than checking with a tester, plug a phone (or anything that actually consumes power) into the charger and operate the switch to see if it is still on when the switch is off.

It's not impossible for the USB portion to have power all the time, but I've never seen a USB receptacle that would allow for it in the US.

edit: UK outlets can have integrated switches where this is much more plausible. See the other answer for the UK...

share|improve this answer

edited 6 hours ago

answered 13 hours ago

JPhi1618JPhi1618

10.9k22548

share|improve this answer

edited 6 hours ago

answered 13 hours ago

JPhi1618JPhi1618

10.9k22548

answered 13 hours ago

JPhi1618JPhi1618

10.9k22548

answered 13 hours ago

JPhi1618JPhi1618

10.9k22548