BlackRat Posted July 8, 2013 Share Posted July 8, 2013 Son is looking to buy few things of eBay..........from china but come with American plugs. Says that they are rated 110 to 230/240v. Can you just cut off the plug and replace with a UK type??? Thanks for any advice!! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold roundhouse Posted July 8, 2013 RMweb Gold Share Posted July 8, 2013 When I take my laptop to the USA (and when I have bought one over there) I just change the lead with the plug on it, if it plugs into the transformer / power pack. To date I have not had any problems (USA bought laptop is over 5 years old now and still works fine over here).. Ian Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Metr0Land Posted July 8, 2013 RMweb Gold Share Posted July 8, 2013 Alternatively you could use a travel plug adapter eg US visitor to UK. Many versions available just one example here: http://www.amazon.co.uk/USA-To-UK-Visitor-Adapter/dp/B000TCN5KG/ref=sr_1_12?ie=UTF8&qid=1373273113&sr=8-12&keywords=usa+electrical+adapter Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
28XX Posted July 8, 2013 Share Posted July 8, 2013 Yes, but check the item really is rated for 230v before plugging it in. And check the wiring colour codes on the web. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlackRat Posted July 8, 2013 Author Share Posted July 8, 2013 Thanks all. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium skipepsi Posted July 8, 2013 RMweb Premium Share Posted July 8, 2013 In effect you are only doing exactly the same as pluging it into an adaptor, I think changing the plug is the safer way to go. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Tony_S Posted July 8, 2013 RMweb Gold Share Posted July 8, 2013 In effect you are only doing exactly the same as pluging it into an adaptor, I think changing the plug is the safer way to go. My son brought various items back from Canada. They were all dual voltage but some had the power supply components in the plug, and we found adaptors (supermarket labelled as UK visitor from USA). Those with removable leads we found new leads for from deceased devices I'd kept in case they came in useful! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium phil-b259 Posted July 8, 2013 RMweb Premium Share Posted July 8, 2013 One thing to be wary of is the phase difference. IIRC Europe uses 50Hz as its mains frequency while America uses 60Hz. Some devices, particularly consumer electronics are designed to cope with both but caution should be exercised. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndrewC Posted July 8, 2013 Share Posted July 8, 2013 Most newer electronics will have a generic power supply that can take a range of voltages. As mentioned check with the actual rating on the device. Things like laptop supplies will have the actual voltage regulation circuitry in a separate lump that can take a cord with any sort of plug on it. If the voltage regulation is in the actual plug, aka "wall wart" you will need a visitor's adaptor as Metro mentioned. My old computer was a case in point. The monitor automatically switched voltages and took either 110 or 240. The pc required the changing of a switch on the power supply in the case. 50hz v 60hz isn't much of an issue these days as very little made in the past 10 years or so relies on the AC frequency. The old Hornby Zero-1 did. They actually put out 2 different versions of everything. One was set for 60hz and one for 50hz. A North American 60hz decoder wouldn't work on an English command station, and visa versa. Ask me how I know this. The only other thing that may give problems are devices with internal clocks. We had a 60hz coffee maker that would lose time constantly. Turns out it was looking for 60 cycles to mark off a second. It would lose exactly 1 minute out of every 6. If the item can't cope with an input of 240vac there are still loads of options. Maplin do a nice box that will step down to 110vac and has an American 3 pin socket. These are rated up to 200w. We've got a couple of them and they are nearly 10 years old and still going strong. We still have about a dozen appliances and things that are 110vac only. My son uses his North American X-Box, Playstation, and Wii with one of these. Ryness also do a 1kw and a 2kw step down with 2 American sockets. They run about £60 for the 1kw these days. Again we've got one for the kitchen gizmos. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium BR60103 Posted July 9, 2013 RMweb Premium Share Posted July 9, 2013 Does the British power supply have neutral, hot and ground (earth)? The North American stuff is supposed to have a neutral side which is not charged relative to the earth but isn't the earth. Our 230V supply is 115v either side of the neutral and is broken into two sections in house wiring. Am I making sense? I don't really understand what I'm taking about, but I have had shocks or a buzz from lamps that were wired or plugged in backwards. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium skipepsi Posted July 9, 2013 RMweb Premium Share Posted July 9, 2013 My only complaint about my NCE power cab is the weak link at the adapter it might be ok for a shaver but it is u/s to power a dcc set the plug will be off shortly and a british plug with a 5 amp fuse fitted. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndrewC Posted July 9, 2013 Share Posted July 9, 2013 Does the British power supply have neutral, hot and ground (earth)? The North American stuff is supposed to have a neutral side which is not charged relative to the earth but isn't the earth. Our 230V supply is 115v either side of the neutral and is broken into two sections in house wiring. Am I making sense? I don't really understand what I'm taking about, but I have had shocks or a buzz from lamps that were wired or plugged in backwards. Perfect sense, and correct. This is normally but incorrectly termed as 3 phase wiring. The differential between the pair of 115vac wires gives an effective 230vac into the house and for things like dryers and ovens. 1 of the hot 115vac wires with the neutral gives you the 115 (usually closer to 110 these days) for the rest of your house. If a 2 prong plug is correctly connected the wider spade is the neutral. The ground or "earth" is literally connected only in the house to a safe ground like copper pipes. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium TheQ Posted July 9, 2013 RMweb Premium Share Posted July 9, 2013 Perfect sense, and correct. This is normally but incorrectly termed as 3 phase wiring. The differential between the pair of 115vac wires gives an effective 230vac into the house and for things like dryers and ovens. 1 of the hot 115vac wires with the neutral gives you the 115 (usually closer to 110 these days) for the rest of your house. If a 2 prong plug is correctly connected the wider spade is the neutral. The ground or "earth" is literally connected only in the house to a safe ground like copper pipes. Just to calarify that the above quote is the American system. The British is 230V was 240V on the live pin, Ground should not be connected to copper pipes to obtain an earth any more in a house, as you might get nothing! You should have a ground spike somewhere as I have or it will be provided by via the suppliers system. This is because many new houses have plastic pipes and almost all new water supply pipes from the provider are plastic. . Neutral is the AC return wire and if perfect have nothing on it. but there may be a small voltage if not perfect. if you have an earth wire to copper pipes now it is to provide an earth to the copper pipes. The Q Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Barry Ten Posted July 9, 2013 RMweb Gold Share Posted July 9, 2013 Took a kettle to America recently, as American hotel rooms don't usually have decent teamaking facilities - that was a total waste of time as it wouldn't boil on the 110V. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlackRat Posted July 9, 2013 Author Share Posted July 9, 2013 No idea re some of the above, so I will just cut the plug off and wire the two wires to live and neutral!! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.