Mains plugs from other countries

[TonyDuell]

There is no 'right answer' to this quest, that I realise. So replies of the form 'it's your unit, do what you want' are not helpful.

So here goes...

I've been given a German device that was used in the Netherlands and which not surprisingly has a Schuko plug on it. I can either keep it and use an adaptor (or make an adaptor lead) or cut it off and fit a UK plug. It's only going to be run in my workshop with me standing over it so there should be no serious safety worries either way.

What do other forum members do in such a situation? If you got a radio from France or Germany or... (which can be set to run off UK mains without problems) would you keep or change the plug.

[Radio Wrangler]

Do you foresee that radio ever going back to France or Germany? That might impel you to keep the Schuko.

I'm assuming it can handle the small difference in actual running mains voltages? It can make a difference.

Other than that, a BS1363 plug with a suitable fuse ought to be fine, and even a 13A fuse is less than the usual 16A breaker or fuse feeding a Schuko socket on the continent - hence the hefty mains cables on everything over there.

David

[TonyDuell]

I can't see it ever leavng the UK again, at least not while I'm alive. So changing the plug would make sense, but on the other hand keeping it original makes snese too.

I've had it running for short periods on UK mains using an adaptor plug. It doesn't seem to overheart. But on the other hand it was designed for 220V mains. So perhaps the real answer is a step-down autotransformer with a Schuko socket on the output.

As for fusing, that's not a worry, I think. There's a 0.5A mains fuse in the unit. The adaptor plug I'm using has a 3A fuse in it too.

[Nickthedentist]

If it's for my own use, I normally fit a UK plug, unless its a "historic" item which has its original plug.

If it's for someone else, I always fit a UK plug unless it's definitely going back to where it came from eventually.

I presume your adaptor is a "proper" one with earthing arrangements. I despair at the number of people who come to this country with a suitcase full of electricals from their home country, then power them via some market-stall-bought adapter with no earth contacts and dubious fusing.

[paulsherwin]

I agree with Nick.

[Jeremy M0RVB]

Our latest printer and I believe our various PC monitors all came with a type E/F plug (which looks like a Schuko now I looked it up having never heard of it!) and a little adaptor that the plug sits in which then plugs into our 13A outlets.

[Restoration73]

I never remove a moulded on cable Schuko plug - many manufacturers e.g. Sony fitted
this adaptor to items destined for a European market and thus sold in the UK;

https://cpc.farnell.com/unbranded/sc...55?ost=pl11255

[Glowing Bits!]

I have a heater from possibly 1970's with a German shoko plug fitted, a 13A adapter works fine.
At the end of the day, it's up to the owner which way they go with things.

[paulsherwin]

Originally Posted by Restoration73

I never remove a moulded on cable Schuko plug - many manufacturers e.g. Sony fitted
this adaptor to items destined for a European market and thus sold in the UK;

https://cpc.farnell.com/unbranded/sc...55?ost=pl11255

Hmm, that looks like a Europlug conversion plug to me, despite what it says in the description. I also can't see a fuse, though that may just be down to the photo angle.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Europlug
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schuko

[duncanlowe]

Originally Posted by paulsherwin

Hmm, that looks like a Europlug conversion plug to me, despite what it says in the description. I also can't see a fuse, though that may just be down to the photo angle.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Europlug
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schuko

The fuse is just visible.

When you say Earplug, do you mean the 2 pin type rather than three pin? I's agree, there's no sign of an earth in that adaptor.

[TonyDuell]

Originally Posted by Nickthedentist

If it's for my own use, I normally fit a UK plug, unless its a "historic" item which has its original plug.

If it's for someone else, I always fit a UK plug unless it's definitely going back to where it came from eventually.

I presume your adaptor is a "proper" one with earthing arrangements. I despair at the number of people who come to this country with a suitcase full of electricals from their home country, then power them via some market-stall-bought adapter with no earth contacts and dubious fusing.

Yes, the adaptor has the earth springs which are connected to the earth pin of the UK plug side. It also, as I mentioned, has a fuse. And yes, I have taken it apart (it's held together by a couple of screws) to check this is all done properly.

The unit I am using it with was almost certanly never sold in the UK. It's an Alibicord II telephone answering machine that records on a pair of magnetic drums. I can't beleive it was ever approved for connection to the GPO telephone network. As such it might be reasonable to keep the Schuko plug, which almost certainly is original, it's moulded to the cable and there's no evidence to suggest the cable has ever been replaced.

Yes, if it were, say, a bit of test gear I was going to use on the bench all the time then I would fit a UK plug.

[Jeremy M0RVB]

Found mine - fused and you can see the business end where the Schuko plug fits

[Nickthedentist]

Nothing wrong with that, Jeremy

[paulsherwin]

Indeed, that's a proper Schuko adaptor.

[hamid_1]

If it's for my own use, to maintain originality I normally keep the foreign plug attached to the item and use an adaptor.

There are various sorts of adaptors. Some are not very safe (no fuse and/or earth connection). Some are designed for multiple types of foreign plugs, but that often means some plugs are a loose fit, with a risk of arcing. There are some quite good UK to Schuko adaptors with fuse and earth. I'm quite happy to use those.

The screw-on adaptors mentioned above in posts 7 and 12 are made by Power Connections. They meet UK safety standards. Some companies (especially Sony) supplied them with consumer products sold in the UK so I'm sure they must be safe or Sony wouldn't risk their reputation. You can buy them from CPC / Farnell but you can also salvage the adaptors from scrapped modern appliances. (That's what I do, anyway.) Power Connections make different versions of those adaptors which accommodate 2-pin, 3-pin Europlugs or US flat pin plugs, as long as the appliance is 220-240v compatible. I certainly recommend the Power Connections adaptors.

Another method, particularly if you have a number of appliances from the same country, is to get a foreign extension socket strip and fit a UK plug to the other end. It's also a way of using up those foreign figure-8 or IEC mains leads you've accumulated. It's handy to wire a UK mains extension socket with an IEC connector if you travel overseas; you can use a local IEC lead to convert back to UK instead of using one of the often unsafe travel adaptors with your UK appliances.

[Lucien Nunes]

On vintage items I normally leave original mains leads and plugs in place for historical reasons, likewise inlet connectors, unless damaged. They are part of the experience of using an appliance.

If I receive foreign items with UK plugs on, depending on the unit's history I might fit a contemporary plug from the country of origin or the best match I can find. E.g. the Hungarian coffee maker that takes a large 2-pin appliance connector came without a cable. Pending finding a Hungarian appliance connector, I made one using a German connector and 1950s Schuko plug. It looks and feels right and I can plug it into any of the many Schuko sockets around the house.

As per @hamid_1's comments I consider there are four different grades of 'adaptation:'

1. Non-compliant adaptors as found on grey imports. Often found with no fuse / inadequate insulation / weak contacts / incorrect dimensions / no fingerguards etc. In the UK with 32A socket-outlet circuits, the lack of fuse is rather serious. Anything like this gets binned immediately it is found.

2. Compliant plug-in adaptors made to BS5733 for UK sale. These are not always fully rated for 13A and vary in durability, but for use on low-load appliances are usually fine.

3. Plug converters. The ones that screw in place over the original plug. These are a great solution electrically, but are not dimensionally suitable for all vintage plugs and are not aesthetically pleasing. They also prevent the experience of using the original plug.

4. Matching socket wired to separate UK plug. This is often the best solution for exact compatibility and also aesthetics. I have a selection circulating.

[kan_turk]

All the points raised so far have IMO entirely valid - I would have a concern, however, with use of appliances designed for 220v on GB mains which, although 240v nominal is often, at least in some areas, much much higher - in some cases in my experience at the upper edge of tolerance ~ 250v. As modern appliances have a wide voltage tolerance the issue does not arise but for ‘precious’ vintage equipment it is just not a good to overrun it to this extent. If there is a voltage selector that can be adjusted appropriately fair enough otherwise it would be advisable to use a transformer, especially if equipment is to be powered for an extended period

[winston_1]

A UK 13a plug is cheaper and safer than an adapter. So fit a UK plug.

[TonyDuell]

After some thought I agree with the comments that it would be better to feed this thing from a 220V supply, not 240V (I am near the substation so my mains tends to be on the high side anyway).

Since modern power supplies can cope with a wide range of input voltages, autotransformers tapped every 10V from 200V to 250V are rare now, but I may have one in the spares pile. If not, I'll get a 20V AC secondary mains transformer and wire the secondary in inverse series with the mains supply to get around 220V.

I'll then wire the output to a Schuko socket, using that connector for 220V mains. So any vintage European equipment desgned for 220V mains without a voltage selector for 240V would be fitted with the historically-correct Schuko plug to remind me to give it 220V

[ben]

In some cases, like Philips transportable record players and reel to reels from the late 60s and 70s, the bulky UK plug won't fit in the cable recess, so in those cases there's an argument for leaving the original euro plug on and using an adaptor.

I would say though it is more practical to use the common plug in the country where you're using the device. I have changed the UK plugs to Schuko or Euro C on probably 85% of the devices I've brought over to Spain.