I have been thinking that IF for some odd future reason the socket had failed...

"Supposing a tree fell down, Pooh, when we were underneath it?" said Piglet.

"Supposing it didn't," said Pooh after careful thought.

Piglet was comforted by this.”

 

Yes. one reason I bought that particular socket was it had a higher heat rating, I could imagine it melting when soldering.

Neither type is made of seriously melty plastic.

Whenever I harvest from scrap boards, any sockets are worth having, but the flat pins of the cheap sockets get bent where exposed beyond the solder. This can still happen with turned pins, and I don't always get all of them out intact.

AFAIK: they're both made of the same kind of plastic, the difference in construction leaves voids around the pins in the cheap type and they collapse easier when hot - both types are stabilised somewhat if you leave a chip inserted during unsoldering.

So far, I've never had any problem with either type melting during soldering - but the cheap type are more prone to intermittent contact in use.

Note that any type of IC socket will be unreliable if you use recycled chips without cleaning any old flux/oxide off the pins. Usually I straighten the pins with smooth jaw pliers, then scrape them clean with a scalpel.

 

Neither type is made of seriously melty plastic.

Whenever I harvest from scrap boards, any sockets are worth having, but the flat pins of the cheap sockets get bent where exposed beyond the solder. This can still happen with turned pins, and I don't always get all of them out intact.

AFAIK: they're both made of the same kind of plastic, the difference in construction leaves voids around the pins in the cheap type and they collapse easier when hot - both types are stabilised somewhat if you leave a chip inserted during unsoldering.

So far, I've never had any problem with either type melting during soldering - but the cheap type are more prone to intermittent contact in use.

Note that any type of IC socket will be unreliable if you use recycled chips without cleaning any old flux/oxide off the pins. Usually I straighten the pins with smooth jaw pliers, then scrape them clean with a scalpel.

The few I have harvested, their pins are extremely weak. They were all the flat pin socket type.

On the link from Digikey where I made my selection, these various sockets are made from at least three different plastic types. The one I chose said good for all types of solder operations.

Inverter still working good. My relay setup is really working out well. If I turn on the inverter, the heat pump turns off. If I turn on gen or shore power the inverter is disconnected and the heat pump comes on. I have so many relays (about 5) and three selector switches (some on-off-on) controlling various other relays, the delay time likely helps make sure inverter, shore, and gen power will never meet. I run the 35 amp 4PDT power relays (got 3 of them) from walwarts which they also take some time to power up.

I can still flip switches fast enough that the TV and boat PC stay powered on. Must be due to their switching power supplies keep pushing current for a short time?