stevebuk
Established Member
just ordered a vacuum cleaner from germany and it arrived with a two pin plug on it, can i just cut this off and put a 3 pin plug on it, or can i buy a shaving plug and use that, thank you..
2 pin plug!!
- Thread starter stevebuk
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One of these would be ideal http://www.qvsdirect.com/round-continen ... plug-black and you wouldn't screw up the warrenty if it went wrong. You just fit it over the 2 pin jobbie.
Standard voltage over here, including Germany, is 235 volts the same as the U.K.. So unless it was designed for the States or somewhere else strange it will be OK
Standard voltage over here, including Germany, is 235 volts the same as the U.K.. So unless it was designed for the States or somewhere else strange it will be OK
bellringer
Established Member
But there will be no earth wire
nev
Established Member
bellringer":2ja9hnrp said:
as with a lot of electrical appliances its not necessarily required.
CHJ
Established Member
If the equipment is supplied with a two pin plug it should be double insulated.
Just be cautious with continental equipment that has a two pin side contact or socket pin earth that will fit in a simple two pin shaver adaptor.
They need the earth for personal safety.
Fortunately most shaver adapters have a small fuse in them which will blow if used.
Just be cautious with continental equipment that has a two pin side contact or socket pin earth that will fit in a simple two pin shaver adaptor.
They need the earth for personal safety.
Fortunately most shaver adapters have a small fuse in them which will blow if used.
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There's 2 different type of 2 pin plugs. Flat and round, but with no earth socket on ours or in Germany there's no side contact for the earth. I would suspect that the 2 pin in this case is the flat type? Is that so Steve?
What gets me is the 2 pin wall socket. It's the same as the 3 pin but without the earth pin sticking out. This means that you can plug a 3 pin plug in to a 2 pin socket and the item that needs an earth hasn't got one!!!
What gets me is the 2 pin wall socket. It's the same as the 3 pin but without the earth pin sticking out. This means that you can plug a 3 pin plug in to a 2 pin socket and the item that needs an earth hasn't got one!!!
CHJ
Established Member
I take it that's a French socket, all the German sockets I have experienced have side contact earths which cater for both German and current French equipment. Presume there must also be some older French three pin plugs that do not have the side contact as well as the earth socket that would fit a German socket.
stevebuk
Established Member
it is a round two pin plug rather like the one in chas's picture, i want to try it out but i'm not sure about the plug or cut it off and fit 3 pin, it says 250v on the plug..
I thought it was compulsory that electricals sold in the UK must have a UK plug fitted - the change meant that it was no longer necessary for people to try and fit their own plugs, so it was a big safety improvement. Did you buy this from a dodgy backstreet dealer? Your concerns about your warranty might be a bit hopeful!
CHJ
Established Member
Steve changing plug should be fine, I suspect the round configuration is to stop someone plugging it into a low rated narrow two pin socket often seen for such things as audio equipment or lighting power distribution.
Our family households have a mixture of extension leads going both ways between German and UK fittings. Family just plug and play when visiting whichever is convenient.
Our family households have a mixture of extension leads going both ways between German and UK fittings. Family just plug and play when visiting whichever is convenient.
If the fitted supply lead does not have an earth core then the appliance is probably double insulated and therefore does not require an earth, but you should have a look on the specification plate, if there is a symbol of a small square within a square, then it is double insulated. If not, you cannot assume that it is double insulated.
Take care.
Chris R.
Take care.
Chris R.
Eric The Viking
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It almost certainly does need an earth, and by far the best thing is to cut the Shuko plug off and replace it with a British one, probably fused at 5A (check the appliance's power consumption).
The two-pin plug without an earth is a flat thing rated at 2.5A, probably not enough for a vacuum. Although you can get snap-together adaptors (like the QVS one higher up the thread) they don't carry an earth and don't make a very good connection either, and I certainly wouldn't use them at 13A - they'd melt, and the rating is way higher than the plug they receive! (cue stories of people running welders from them...)
Shuko plugs are rated at 16A, which always surprises me, but the round pins have a lower contact resistance than our rectangular 'wiped' ones - Shuko is a better design IMHO, but it has no fuse, so is unsuitable for our ring main system.
The fuse in a UK plug is only to isolate the cord if its damaged or the appliance malfunctions somehow. It doesn't really operate as protection for humans, except against fire. That said, it's very sensible to have an earth in appliances where the cord might get damaged. The idea is that any live-earth short blows the fuse and isolates the device.
Cut off the European plug, fit a UK one, Hoover happily into the future...
E.
PS: See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AC_power_plugs_and_sockets for all the gory details.
The two-pin plug without an earth is a flat thing rated at 2.5A, probably not enough for a vacuum. Although you can get snap-together adaptors (like the QVS one higher up the thread) they don't carry an earth and don't make a very good connection either, and I certainly wouldn't use them at 13A - they'd melt, and the rating is way higher than the plug they receive! (cue stories of people running welders from them...)
Shuko plugs are rated at 16A, which always surprises me, but the round pins have a lower contact resistance than our rectangular 'wiped' ones - Shuko is a better design IMHO, but it has no fuse, so is unsuitable for our ring main system.
The fuse in a UK plug is only to isolate the cord if its damaged or the appliance malfunctions somehow. It doesn't really operate as protection for humans, except against fire. That said, it's very sensible to have an earth in appliances where the cord might get damaged. The idea is that any live-earth short blows the fuse and isolates the device.
Cut off the European plug, fit a UK one, Hoover happily into the future...
E.
PS: See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AC_power_plugs_and_sockets for all the gory details.
stevebuk
Established Member
i bought it from amazon, or someone selling through amazon, should i drop amazon a line and see what they say???
Yes you should but Amazon are not famous for controlling their many marketplace sellers, so you may be wasting your time.stevebuk":3miunr03 said:
You know what you are doing - or at least you've asked for advice - but other purchasers might not be so sensible.
mind_the_goat
Established Member
I find it sad that people aren't trusted to wire plugs anymore.
mind_the_goat":1ruqkyx9 said:
Well cheer up! People are allowed to wire plugs.
But lots of people were no good at it, got it wrong, and had house fires. So the rules changed to compel retailers to only sell products with plugs already fitted. Result = fewer fires. But you can still wire as many as you like, and I expect you will take pride in doing a good, safe job.
Lons
Established Member
Change the plug Steve. It can't affect the warranty as there is no way they can argue the appliance has been damaged by doing so. ( unless you wire live and nuetral the wrong way round ), even then it shouldn't make any difference as my experience of them is that the round 2 pin can be plugged in either way up.
It should have been supplied with a UK plug or at least an adapter if sold for use over here. Buy a cheapo Uk to EU travel adapter if you want to test it first. I've seen them for a couple of quid in places like ASDA
Don't expect to earth the vac though as it's more than likely to be only a twin cable and as said is probably double insulated - should tell you in the destructs.
Bob
It should have been supplied with a UK plug or at least an adapter if sold for use over here. Buy a cheapo Uk to EU travel adapter if you want to test it first. I've seen them for a couple of quid in places like ASDA
Don't expect to earth the vac though as it's more than likely to be only a twin cable and as said is probably double insulated - should tell you in the destructs.
Bob
Eric The Viking":165tmg7q said:It almost certainly does need an earth, and by far the best thing is to cut the Shuko plug off and replace it with a British one, probably fused at 5A (check the appliance's power consumption).
The two-pin plug without an earth is a flat thing rated at 2.5A, probably not enough for a vacuum. Although you can get snap-together adaptors (like the QVS one higher up the thread) they don't carry an earth and don't make a very good connection either, and I certainly wouldn't use them at 13A - they'd melt, and the rating is way higher than the plug they receive! (cue stories of people running welders from them...)
Shuko plugs are rated at 16A, which always surprises me, but the round pins have a lower contact resistance than our rectangular 'wiped' ones - Shuko is a better design IMHO, but it has no fuse, so is unsuitable for our ring main system.
The fuse in a UK plug is only to isolate the cord if its damaged or the appliance malfunctions somehow. It doesn't really operate as protection for humans, except against fire. That said, it's very sensible to have an earth in appliances where the cord might get damaged. The idea is that any live-earth short blows the fuse and isolates the device.
Cut off the European plug, fit a UK one, Hoover happily into the future...
E.
PS: See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AC_power_plugs_and_sockets for all the gory details.
Your statement is only correct, regarding an earth safety conductor if the appliance is not double insulated, and at this stage this has not been established.
Re- my previous post, double insulation must not be assumed, it must be indicated on the appliance specification/voltage plate by the symbol of one small square inside of another square.
Take care.
Chris R.
stevebuk
Established Member
just been outside and looked at the machine, there is a box within a box symbol on it so tomorrow i shall cut off the plug and hopefully hoover to my hearts content, many thanks to all, been a real pleasure..
