2pin plug

[Joe Shmoe]

Hi,

Just received a German bike charger, and its only got a 2pin euro style plug, a bit like a shaver or electric toothbrush.

Can I just wire it up to a standard 3pin UK plug and use it?

If so, it's a figure of 8 power lead, which fits in both ways. Is there a correct way, ie, which is the live?

Thanks

 

[CHJ]

Yes you can wire it to a 13 amp plug or use an adaptor if you are ever likely to want to take it on the continent again.
It's A.C. power, does not matter which way round the wires are connected, hence the fig 8 socket.

 

[selectortone]

You can wire it up to a UK plug but I'd save myself the hassle and buy an EU to UK adapter - they are a couple of quid or so online.

edit: Chas beat me to it

 

[Rorschach]

If you only plan to use it here then just re-wire, its the cheapest solution and much better than using an adaptor.

 

[nev]

https://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/T ... oCegHw_wcB

 

[Sheptonphil]

Hi,

Just received a German bike charger, and its only got a 2pin euro style plug, a bit like a shaver or electric toothbrush.

Can I just wire it up to a standard 3pin UK plug and use it?

If so, it's a figure of 8 power lead, which fits in both ways. Is there a correct way, ie, which is the live?

Thanks

I have 30-40 uk figure 8 leads spare, drop me a line and I will pop one in the post fir you.

Phil

 

[Jonzjob]

Ta for that link Nev. I may well be getting a few of they things!

As far as wiring into a U.K. 3 pin plug it depends as to whether you can wire it either way. If it's a lamp fitting, such as a table lamp or standard lamp, then it should be red/brown to the fuse and blue to neutral. Otherwise even when the lamp is switched off the actual lamp socket is still live!

Adaptors are not continuous rated and shouldn't be used on high wattage things either.

The French have an interesting take on wiring. We have a box like this in each room of the house, built in 1982 so not old. Don't ask what anything is because apart from the clear unit in there which is the relay operated by the 4 switches in our kitchen, for the lights, I have no idea what anything else is?



The only strict rule I have found is that green/yellow is earth, but it might be something else too. I've looked in 2 of those boxes and refused to touch any more :? :?

 

[AES]

Hi jonzjob, I MAY be able to help a bit, as I've just had the professional sparky doing the final wiring up of my 3 phase/single phase wiring in my cellar workshop (I did the grunt work like running conduit over the ceiling, fixing the dust filter, etc, he did the clever stuff, as req. by Swiss regs).

I took the opportunity to ask him questions & try to learn a bit more.

Your pic looks remarkably similar to some of my junction boxes (except that mine use push-in wire leaf spring attachments instead of screw terminals like yours (not used here very much now because screwing terminals takes too long apparently).

I think that like here, you do not have UK-type ring main wiring. I THINK this is because we (and you too I think) don't have fuses in each appliance plug. Therefore ring mains not allowed except in real industrial installations which are 380/415 V and where each socket outlet is protected by its own circuit breaker.

Here the wiring colours have changed to the current green/yellow (ALWAYS earth just as you say) and blue (ALWAYS negative). If the cable has 3 cores then the remaining colour is black which is ALWAYS positive. But if 5 core cables are used (as in my case, because the requirement is to spread the total loads approx. equally across all 3 phases) then the remaining 2 colours are grey and a sort of "reddish brown". These 2 are also ALWAYS positive.

Previously here (it changed sometime around the late 70's/early 80's apparently) the colours were Green = earth; Black = negative; and (3 core cable) Red = positive, (plus Yellow and Grey = positive if 5 core cable used). All power cable is 1.5mm up to 10 amps (lights too) and 2.5mm up to (I think) 16 amp (maybe 30 amp, I'm not sure).

A couple of caveats to all the above:

1. I MAY have got a couple of the smaller details wrong (my translation errors);

2. This is Switzerland, you're in France, so there may be some differences (after all, your plugs are different to mine!);

3. The above colour code does NOT cover wiring for lighting, which is anyway more complicated than in UK, especially if 2 way switches are involved!

Hope that may help you at least a little bit.

AES

 

[sunnybob]

UK single phase wiring is red (or the newer brown) is live.
Black (or the newer blue) is neutral.
Black is NEVER live in domestic single phase.
If the mains lead is a figure 8 plug, then it doesnt matter which way round its wired.
If the plug will only fit in one direction, then the live is important.
Green / yellow is ALWAYS earth (or ground).

Most of europe uses the same, but there can be variations, so best not to advise on cross country wiring without a serious warning to get local help.

I used to work on a lot european and american equipment, and the dam yankees used only black and white wiring, which was a right royal pain in the sit upon.

 

[AES]

@sunnybob:

We MAY be at cross purposes here (perhaps I wasn't clear in my post above) - I wasn't talking about the wiring of FLEX into an appliance or into a plug, but the wiring of non-flexible CABLE with a single copper core for each of the (3 or 5 cores) into a fixed installation (e.g. junction boxes, CUs, sockets, etc).

Sorry if I wasn't clear.

But you're right, just because "X" = "X" in Switzerland doesn't mean 'tis also so in France! (Those all B&W wires must have been real good fun)!

AES

 

[Lons]

French cars are a bit like that as well. #-o

 

[Jonzjob]

AES you are correct that they don't use ring mains. It's all star and you are only allowed a certain number of sockets on each spur of the star.

As for the 3 pin plugs? The Frrench have 2 pins, line and neutral and a socket for the earth. They also have 2 pin plugs that are either round with no earth socket, or the flat ones. They have the same setup for the wall sockets where the 3 connector sockets have 2 sockets, line/neutral, and the earth is a pin, BUT there are also round 2 connector sockets with just 2 sockets for line/neutral and NO earth pin. With me so far?

That means that you can plug a 3 pin plug into a round 2 connector socket and be running something that needs an earth and now hasn't got one.

Several of th e double sockets in my house, built in 1982, are a verticle mirror immage of each other with the earth pins in the middle. The same as this one https://www.alibaba.com/product-detail/ ... 41123.html This is shown horizontal and the 2 top sockets are ganged together as are the 2 bottom ones. That means that if you take a plug out of one and into the other the line connection on that plug has swopped! polarity meaning that line and neutral are swopped in the plug! That picture is not a 3 but a 2 connector jobbie. The lone that looks like an earth is the screw that holds the top on.

After having a second and closer look at that site it is bl00dy odd to say the least! :shock: :shock:

Lons, my Citroën Grand C4 Picasso is nothing like that at all. It's much more complicated

 

[AES]

Hullo jonzjob. You wrote:

QUOTE:
With me so far?
UNQUOTE:

Frankly, NO! Perhaps there IS some sense in the Swiss regs not allowing amateurs (like me) to fiddle with 3 phase lecky here. I just don't really understand the "system"! And while I think I understood your explanation (thanks) I remain convinced that all these electrons wizzing silently and speedily along wires are still just works of the devil :twisted:

Thank goodness I shan't be involved in this lark again within my lifetime!

AES