Received kit with European plug, can they do that?

[alangarrett]

Sold in the UK, by a UK company, an electrically operated pump which needs to be mains powered.

Comes with a 2 pin round French plug hard moulded onto the lead which is hard wired into the pump.

Is it legal to sell kit like that?

 

[Click-Sure]

I know for a long time now it has been law to sell electrical appliances with plugs on (remember the good-old-days when people knew how to fit their own plugs) but not sure if that means they have to be UK type plugs.

*whistles* BAS! one for you here mate...

 

[alangarrett]

And if it is ..... Where the **** do I get a French (Type E) socket??

(And a part P who knows which is live and neutral)

A

 

[Johnmelad502]

And if it is ..... Where the **** do I get a French (Type E) socket??A

France!

Sorry, could not resist that silly reply.

 

[plugwash]

Sold in the UK, by a UK company, an electrically operated pump which needs to be mains powered.

Comes with a 2 pin round French plug hard moulded onto the lead which is hard wired into the pump.

Is it legal to sell kit like that?

IIRC (and my memory may be wrong) it is legal if and only if there is a warning not to plug it into UK sockets.

Assuming it is just a plug and not a wall wart I'd cut it off and either hard wire it or put a british plug on.

Are you sure it's a pure french plug and not a french/german hybrid? post a pic if you are unsure.

 

[ColJack]

 

[Sherbertlion]

Thought this arrangement worked well.

 

[ColJack]

shaver socket adaptor would probably fit..

 

[plugwash]

You have to be very carefull using adaptors with french and german plugs due to thier weird earthing systems. There are plenty of adaptors that will accept earthed french and german plugs but will not earth them!

It's not reasonable to be reccomending adaptors without knowing 1: exactly what plug the asker has and 2: what power the applicance is.

 

[ColJack]

sorry, did't read the "round" bit..
yes it will require an earth..
cut it off and fit a UK one.. providing that it doesn't need over 13A...

 

[Inky Pete]

If it's sold in the UK for use in the UK without any warnings about the fact you can't plug it into a UK socket - then it's not "fit for purpose", send it back and get it changed for the right one.

It could just be an oversight and the supplier have sent you one meant for the French market by mistake.

Personally, I wouldn't try and use any kind of adaptor with it. It's a pump, which implies water and electricity in close proximity, so you're going to want to be absolutely sure that it's correctly earthed.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

shaver socket adaptor would probably fit..

Shaver plugs and 2-pin Europlugs are not the same.

 

[Steve]

Most equipment comes with a warning in the manual such as "if the plug supplied is not suitable for the sockets in your locality, please cut off the plug and attach an appropriate plug. If in doubt consult the services of a qualified electrician"

 

[ban-all-sheds]

I think that if the appliance is intended for domestic use and designed not to use more than 13A it should have been supplied with a 1363 plug or already fitted with a conversion plug requiring a tool to remove.

http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si1994/Uksi_19941768_en_1.htm

Alan - did you buy it on Fleabay?

[EDIT]Spleling misteak corretced[/EDIT]

 

[Chri5]

Phone up the supplier and ask them for an adaptor.

Pixmania (french cheap electric goods) tend to send Euro kit to UK and supply converters for UK sockets.

As far as i know if you buy in the UK the device must have either a UK plug or an adaptor to make it one.