American lamp rewired for UK

[becky6576]

My friend wants me to bring her a pendant lamp she saw here in the US. Assuming the socket and wire are easily removed (which I can tell before I leave the US) should I anticipate any problems rewiring it for her appropriately once I am in the UK. The lamp simply hangs from it's cord with pulleys. The cord goes into a simple metal housing and is completed with a conical ceramic shade. The whole thing is more or less in the shape of a bell hung upside down. I know what the standard innards of an American light look like, but I've never explored English lighting in that intimate a fashion The lamps are being shipped to me and then I have to decide whether to try to lug them to Carlisle with me. Seems like she could have found something closer to home, but these are what struck her fancy. I leave May 18, so help needs to come quickly! thank you, I don't think I mentioned that the lamp is direct wired into ceiling, not plugged to an outlet. Becky

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Is it rated for 230V?

 

[becky6576]

My goal was to take the innards out (rated 110) and replace them with UK innards (rated 230). The lamp itself is just pieces of steel and ceramic. What I don't know is if the innards on lamps in England are about the same size and shape as the innards of the same sort of lamp in the US so that I could make the switch once I get to the UK. Does that make sense?

 

[ninebob]

Do you have a picture of the fitting?

I get the impression that you already know a 110v appliance can't be used on a 230v supply without a transformer (somewhat impractical just for a light fitting!)

If you wanted to gut the electrical components and replace them with UK bits, I don't think it would be impossible but you would need to be very careful to use components of the correct type and rating, therefore you would need professional advice from someone with knowledge of UK electrics. We may be able to help more if you post a pic of the light in question.

See the "For Reference" topic, by the way, there's lots of useful info, remembering it relates to the UK and is by no means info that can be directly transferred to US fittings. For example, if you do get to the point of wiring this light in the UK, this is (nearly always) what you'd be looking at:

Personally, I think it would be much more sensible to "get googling" and source a similar fitting designed specifically for the UK.

 

[becky6576]

"Personally, I think it would be much more sensible to "get googling" and source a similar fitting designed specifically for the UK."

I agree completely, but what's a friend to do? The lamp being purchased will have a shade, a round housing surrounding the socket and base, and a long conduit ending with one black wire (live) one white wire (neutral) and one green wire (the ground --I think you call it earth). I want to put a new socket and base into the housing, rethread the correct wire through the conduit and then leave it for her electrician to wire it to the house.

This is the link to the lamp she wants:
http://ww2.potterybarn.com/cat/index.cfm?src=shpclgt|rshop&cid=lgthngpen

It is the Porter Ceramic Pendant Lamp. Do you think it can be rewired in the UK to be put in her house? Thanks!!!!!

 

[ninebob]

If that's all you want to do you should be OK, as long as the fitting for the bulb is the same as the UK.

You can get the appropiate wire (we call it flex) from a DIY store (on this forum we generally dislike them but in your case they may be best able to advise you - over here look for B&Q, Wickes, Homebase).

When you come to connect, be very careful with colours and look closely at the diagram I posted before.

In the UK, Red or Brown is Live (I think you call this hot, according to your description black)
Black or Blue is Neutral (I have no idea what you call this, according to your description white)
Green/Yellow is Earth (You call it ground and so do we sometimes!)

I stand by my suggestion to get a similar fitting here, but if you do go ahead, it goes without saying to turn off the power before you start, make sure your connections are tight, and if it doesn't work or there's anything you're not sure of, get back to us or consult a professional.

 

[becky6576]

Thanks for all your help! I'm really looking forward to heading for England next week - with or with out lamps for my friend. They should arrive today so I will know then whether they look as though they can easily be refitted in England with the appropriate bits to make it work for her without exploding If I have a question after looking them over I will return right here for more excellent advice. Again, thanks!

 

[mapj1]

Actually you can get screw in lamps that will fit an american holder that are 240V rated.
The cable and switch gear should be replaced if it is only 120V rated, although many modern harmonized leads are quite happy at 230V, even ones that are not actually approved for it.
However, change anything that looks like figure of 8 speaker flex.
Please make the small center contact of the lamp holder the live one, and the neutral the outer thread, not the other way round. It may be necessary to earth the lamp stand metalwork if you cannot guarantee the quality of the insulation to be 'double insulated'. Class 0 gear (single insulation no earth) is not acceptable in the UK any more. We tend to sleeve wires that go to bulb holders where they split out from the main cable- this reduces the risk of chafe through, and qualifies for double insulation, at least for some manufacturers of wall lights etc.

As other posters have said nothing beats seeing it - you may not need to do very much, or you may end up totally filleting it. - in which case buying a cheap UK lamp and dismantling it as a donor may be cheaper than getting the components in one at a time.

However, it will be possible to do something to get it going, no doubt at all - just don't plug it in without doing it first.

 

[becky6576]

Once again, thank you to one and all. The lighting fixtures (really better words to use than lamps since they are pendant lights which wire into the ceiling) arrived, and the socket base easily unscrews from the housing. I think it will be next to nothing to remove the socket base and long cord and replace them with the English voltage variety. This will be my last post....we're off to London in a day or two. Happy summer!