split post: Euro plugs

[boucledor]

Hi,

I'm moving next week to France and I planned to have an electrician change most of my plugs to the euro style.

I need to have a good way to find out how many earthed plugs I need verses unearthed. The electrician mentioned if the appliance was all metal it would be earthed.

I'm planning to change plugs on the following:

Clock

2 - Lights

Curling Iron (hair appliance)

Microwave

Tea kettle

Nespresso

Aerocino (for making foam from Nespresso)

George Foreman Grill

Cuisinart

Toaster

Stereo

TV


A friend is going to buy the plugs in France and send them to me here, as the ones I purchased here were big and bulky.

Thanks!!!!

 

[plugwash]

earthed french plugs are big and bulky, not much you can do to get arround that.

why don't you just change the plugs when you get there rather than worrying about getting them sent over here?

 

[boucledor]

I know an electrician here so I figured it would be less hassle.

Thanks!

 

[JohnD]

If I was doing it, with modern appliances, I think I would have a squint inside the UK plug and see if the flex includes a G&Y earth wire.

If not, and it is the manufacturer's fitted flex cord, I would take this as an indication that it didn't need an earth, and would look again at the appliance for the double insulated symbol.

Equally, if the flex did include an earth wire, I'd take this as an indication that it did need earthing, unless proved otherwise.

 

[amyboo]

Most appliances these days are earthed - particularly things like TVs, DVD players, etc. If it has a fitted manufacturer's plug, chances are it is earthed. It's really very easy to change all the plug - you simply cut the old one off, strip the wire, and connect the new plug. European plugs only have 2 pins, so it's not even like you can connect them wrongly! When we moved to Belgium, I did all our appliances like this. I really don't think you need to get an electrician to do it for you

Just a word aside, you do realise that your UK TV won't be able to pick up a French signal unless it is a multi-system one, don't you? French TV is Secam, UK is PAL.... Unless your TV is multi-system you will only be able to get UK TV through a satellite.

 

[bernardgreen]

If the applianced is earthed there will be three wires going to the plug.

If the plug has only two pins what happens to the third wire ?

If in any doubt ask the advice of an electrician experienced and informed about the standards of the country concerned.

 

[plugwash]

iirc the basic linescans are the same between PAL and secam so you should at least be able to feed it with a RGB signal from a local digital decoder box or DVD player and you should at least get a monochrome picture if you feed in a composite signal.

I think most modern TVs are multi-standard though.

 

[STEVESB]

Just buy a plug for each appliance, cut the uk plugs off if there are three wires use them all if onnly live and neutral just use those. on a french plug live is the one on the right as you look at it as you wire it with the hole for eart at the top

 

[ericmark]

French plugs look like this

but you can get a hybrid which looks like this

both have earths and have polarity.

The Euro Plug looks like this

and is two pin only it will fit in earthed sockets but only rated at 2.5A.

The British plug is fused but the French one is not so we can use thinner flex than French however most items are made for common market and there is no problem using them with French or Type E / F hybrid the Schuko or CEE 7/17 plug is slowly gaining ground and you may find the sockets are not French

 

[Steve]

Most appliances these days are earthed - particularly things like TVs, DVD players, etc.

Oh really? MOST DVD players aren't earthed (I have 3, none of them are)

And ALL CRT TVs are NOT earthed.

But many LCD and plasma sets are earthed (i have: plasma-earthed, LCD-earthed, LCD-not earthed, plasma-not earthed)

Please get your facts right.

 

[solair]

You really shouldn't have any problem doing this.

French rewirable plugs are pretty simple to fit.

If it's a very small appliance i.e. maximum 500W you can use a small 2 pin flat plug.

If it's anything else, you'll have to use a 16A round plug, which are as bulky as UK/Ireland plugs.

 

[bongos]

You really shouldn't have any problem doing this.

I hope it's been sorted now - it was nearly three years ago!

 

[solair]

One of the hazards of a forum with a slow turnover of messages is that old threads end up at the top of the pile.

Most people just assume that posts on the first page or so are new.

 

[JohnD]

One of the hazards of a forum with a slow turnover of messages is that old threads end up at the top of the pile.

No they don't

 

[Doodley]

French plugs look like this

but you can get a hybrid which looks like this

both have earths and have polarity.

The Euro Plug looks like this

and is two pin only it will fit in earthed sockets but only rated at 2.5A.

The British plug is fused but the French one is not so we can use thinner flex than French however most items are made for common market and there is no problem using them with French or Type E / F hybrid the Schuko or CEE 7/17 plug is slowly gaining ground and you may find the sockets are not French

The white plug is the 'French Schuko' it has a hole in the middle for an earth connection so is polarity concious. The Black plug is a 'German Shuko' it has metal grooves on the sides to allow a connection to earth. It is not polarity concious which is not good (you can revers L & N by inserting the plug the wrong way.

In all cases, even if you are using double insulated appliances you should install earthed sockets, preferebly French shucko, with to shutterd holes and an earth pin, so whatever appliance you use you will have an earth if required, and you won't risk reversing polarity!