Home-made extension leads for Europe.

[IJWS15]

Not sure if this is in the right place but involves both UK and France systems. I have made up some extension leads one with UK plug and French socket, two with French socket and UK plug, to make life easier when on holiday. In France SWMBO won't use the socket in the bathroom (considers it dangerous) and the mirror in hotel bedrooms is never near a socket - because they expect you to use the one in the bathroom!

Question.

I would expect to be able top plug one of these in in the UK (UK plug - French socket) then plug the French plug/UK socket into this one and have the L/N the correct way round in the free end UK socket.

If I follow the instructions on the plugs/sockets on where to put L and N it crosses the L/N when I test at the UK socket with a martindale. Tried this before we left for France 3 weeks ago and ended up swopping L/N in the French plug so I got the live in the right place on the UK socket.

Note - this is with a 3 pin French plug - not a two pin plug I could turn around.

Is this what you would expect?

Should I worry about it in France - the only place they are used.

 

[BS3036]

I must admit I don't know whether polarity is specified in the french plug design.

But from a saftety point of view, you would not be likely to find a consumer appliance for which the polarity mattered, because they have to manufactured for sale europe-wide, and in many countries, including Germany, the plugs will fit both ways round. So manufacturers are forced to a design where polarity doesn't affect safety.

Incidentally, the German schuko plug will plug into the french socket either way round.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

I have made up some extension leads one with UK plug and French socket, two with French socket and UK plug

Those are descriptions of 3 identical items. From what you said afterwards I assume that one of them should be "French plug, UK socket".

Which is of use on holiday, but what's the UK plug - French socket for?

I would expect to be able top plug one of these in in the UK (UK plug - French socket) then plug the French plug/UK socket into this one and have the L/N the correct way round in the free end UK socket.

Yup.

If I follow the instructions on the plugs/sockets on where to put L and N it crosses the L/N when I test at the UK socket with a martindale. Tried this before we left for France 3 weeks ago and ended up swopping L/N in the French plug so I got the live in the right place on the UK socket.

Note - this is with a 3 pin French plug - not a two pin plug I could turn around.

Is this what you would expect?

No - somewhere you've wired one of them incorrectly.

If you're going to be taking it apart and checking/rewiring anyway, consider doing what I've done.

Take a 4-gang trailing socket, remove the UK plug and replace it with an IEC 60320 C14.

If you want you can then take a lead with a French plug and a C13 on it, or if you want to travel light you can rely on using the one from the kettle in the room.

It's also handy for business trips, if you do those, as there isn't an office in the world without spare cables with a C13 at one end and whatever wierd local plug they use at the other.

I've used mine successfully in the USA with a C13 to NEMA 5-15 lead.

 

[jabuzzard]

If you're going to be taking it apart and checking/rewiring anyway, consider doing what I've done.

Take a 4-gang trailing socket, remove the UK plug and replace it with an IEC 60320 C14.

If you want you can then take a lead with a French plug and a C13 on it, or if you want to travel light you can rely on using the one from the kettle in the room.

It's also handy for business trips, if you do those, as there isn't an office in the world without spare cables with a C13 at one end and whatever wierd local plug they use at the other.

I've used mine successfully in the USA with a C13 to NEMA 5-15 lead.

That adds extra weight however... Personally I have a range of these with different plugs on them, one with a Shuko plug and one with a USA plug. Both using the cheapest 4 gang adaptor I could find because they are the lightest.

Personally I am surprised that nobody makes one with interchangeable plug on the end, and with one socket slightly modified to take a standard shaver plug.

 

[IJWS15]

The French socket / UK plug means she can use her French hair drier in a hotel in the UK on the way to Dover. Also doubles with the other to make a UK-UK or France-France extention.

Don't want the bulk of a four gang trailing socket, never use more than 2 at a time (hairdrier/tongs - my GPS charges while we are asleep). THis is handles with a 1 to 2 French multiplier.

I was convinced I had wired it wrongly but on checking it was done correctly (L-L, N-N etc according to the moulded markings on the plugs/sockets) - that was what puzzled me.

The French Plugs I have are all 3 pin so only go in one way round. her appliances have two pin plugs which will go in either way round.

 

[IJWS15]

Some hotels in France have hard wired kettles (like a cordless kettle and base).

Many don't have kettles - e.g. Ibis, Novotel.

 

[AndyPRK]

If she had an english hair dryer then you wouldn't need one of your leads

But take your point about connecting the two leads together

 

[ban-all-sheds]

That adds extra weight however...

A C13/C14 pair doesn't weigh that much.

Personally I am surprised that nobody makes one with interchangeable plug on the end.

That's what I've got.

 

[BS3036]

Incidentally, the German schuko plug will plug into the french socket either way round.

Well, actually I should have said that the other way round.


I came across quite an interesting article at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CEE_7/7. It points out that although the french plug is polarised, there is no fixed specification for the polarity of 'Live' and 'Neutral'. So I suppose different items could be marked differently.

 

[ColJack]

http://www.roamingfox.co.uk/Universal-Travel-Adapter-III-pr-16510.html

tada... £19.99 and you got a plug that fits anywhere in the world..

 

[Steve]

http://www.roamingfox.co.uk/Universal-Travel-Adapter-III-pr-16510.html

tada... £19.99 and you got a plug that fits anywhere in the world..

And it looks sooo durable.

The ready made stuff is often too flimsy to be of any real use, and I certainly wouldnt trust them to their rated capacity.

 

[plugwash]

I wouldn't worry too much about polarity reversal as long as things are RCD protected and you don't try and work on applicances that are plugged in but switched off.

I can't say i'm a fan of general purpose travel adaptors. They are often flimsy and/or a loose fit and they often don't connect the earth.

Maybe ok for occasional supervised use of a laptop or phone charger but I wouldn't trust them for either long term use or large applicances. Adaptor leads with proper plugs and sockets of the right types or specific adaptors designed to interface two particular systems rather than generalising (for example the "continental adaptors" sold in the UK have thinner pins than proper schuko/french plugs to allow them to fit more socket types but this also makes them a loose fit in schuko and french sockets)

 

[ericmark]

As to ready made there were loads of Multi-type sockets available in Hong Kong with British Standard stamped on them. Spain also sells multi-sockets but without British Standard marking.

However in the main these exclude the French Type like Hybrid

plug shown here have a pin sticking out of the socket which stops it being combined with other types.

There is a problem when using goods with plug in transformers and I have a number with the CEE 7/4 (German "Schuko" 16A/250V earthed) plug on them and with adapter plugs they are not held firm enough so I bought a German extension lead in Turkey on my last visit so these can be firmly held.

However the quality varies and although some are very good some are dangerous and one does have to select with care. Often the cable is under sized and with no BS number it is let the buyer beware.

As to 13A sockets for use on holiday I take a cheap extension lead and fit a new local plug while away.

But as for polarity nothing I take abroad matters so I rarely check. When abroad one has to use their rules. Tour coach will rarely have seat belts but nearly always have latching arm rests. And if you don't want to go by their rules answer is simple "Don't go abroad". Most people will not wash then electric shave. So shaver sockets do not really need to be isolation type. It is the other things we use. Like cup boilers, Video cameras, and mobile phones that we want to use on holiday which we plug in to bathroom sockets as all others in use that is likely to cause the problem. And it does not take much common sense to avoid the dangers.

We would not pick up a stone without kicking it first in case there is a scorpion under it. And in same way we unplug anything in bathroom before having a wash. Just common sense.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Most people will not wash then electric shave.

The fragrant Ms Fermi does...

 

[jabuzzard]

That adds extra weight however...

A C13/C14 pair doesn't weigh that much.

Personally I am surprised that nobody makes one with interchangeable plug on the end.

That's what I've got.

It adds more, and when I am going on an off-piste skiing holiday I am generally pushing the luggage allowance as it is, so everything counts.