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German Schuko plug to 3-point?

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  • 11-03-2009 12:39pm
    #1
    Ickle Magoo
    Closed Accounts Posts: 17,485 ✭✭✭✭


    Hi there,

    I have a small appliance with a German Schuko two prong plug & I know you can get adapters but I was wondering if it's possible to change plugs to the UK/Irish three prong?

    Thanks


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    #2
    KTRIC
    Closed Accounts Posts: 9,463 ✭✭✭KTRIC


    Ickle Magoo wrote: »
    Hi there,

    I have a small appliance with a German Schuko two prong plug & I know you can get adapters but I was wondering if it's possible to change plugs to the UK/Irish three prong?

    Thanks

    Just cut it off and put on an Irish three prong plug.


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    #3
    Ickle Magoo
    Closed Accounts Posts: 17,485 ✭✭✭✭Ickle Magoo


    Cool, I didn't know if that was possible, thanks! Anyone any idea how to do such a thing? Which wire goes where?! :o


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    #4
    Ickle Magoo
    Closed Accounts Posts: 17,485 ✭✭✭✭Ickle Magoo


    Ok, looks same as UK/Irish wires so here goes....:)


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    #5
    Ickle Magoo
    Closed Accounts Posts: 17,485 ✭✭✭✭Ickle Magoo


    And job's a good 'un! Thank you very much! :D


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    #6
    KTRIC
    Closed Accounts Posts: 9,463 ✭✭✭KTRIC


    Ickle Magoo wrote: »
    And job's a good 'un! Thank you very much! :D

    No problem, now where do I send the invoice ?


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    #7
    Ickle Magoo
    Closed Accounts Posts: 17,485 ✭✭✭✭Ickle Magoo


    Hey! I did all the hard work! :p


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    #8
    NikkiC
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3 ✭NikkiC


    Hi. I also want to buy an electrical product from Germany and change the plug. How do I know what fuse to put into the plug?

    Thanks.

    Nikki


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    #9
    KTRIC
    Closed Accounts Posts: 9,463 ✭✭✭KTRIC


    NikkiC wrote: »
    Hi. I also want to buy an electrical product from Germany and change the plug. How do I know what fuse to put into the plug?

    Thanks.

    Nikki

    Thats where is gets tricky. German plugs don't have fuses or even fuses in the main power boards in the house.

    Plug the device into a power bar with build in fuse when you swap the plug and you should be fine.


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    #10
    Fuzzy Clam
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,293 ✭✭✭Fuzzy Clam


    NikkiC wrote: »
    Hi. I also want to buy an electrical product from Germany and change the plug. How do I know what fuse to put into the plug?

    Thanks.

    Nikki
    You will need to check what wattage the appliance is. Small appliances (less than 1000 watts) would usualy be fitted with a 5 amp fuse. Sometime 3 amp on very light stuff. Use a 13 amp on wattage above 1000 watts.


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    #11
    NikkiC
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3 ✭NikkiC


    Thank you very much for your help. I was getting confused as German plugs don't have fuses. I think the appliance is 1400watts and 230V. I will use a 13amp fuse. I hope it does not blow up. Are German wires the same as UK? Brown, blue and yellow/green?


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    #12
    KTRIC
    Closed Accounts Posts: 9,463 ✭✭✭KTRIC


    NikkiC wrote: »
    Thank you very much for your help. I was getting confused as German plugs don't have fuses. I think the appliance is 1400watts and 230V. I will use a 13amp fuse. I hope it does not blow up. Are German wires the same as UK? Brown, blue and yellow/green?

    Just brown and blue, no third wire. So no fuse possible.


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    #13
    L1011
    Registered Users Posts: 69,013 ✭✭✭✭L1011


    13 amp won't blow; the risk is that its over-rated for the device and won't burn out when it should do if it gets a fault. But 13 would be the right type for that.


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    #14
    NikkiC
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3 ✭NikkiC


    Thanks. But I do need to use a fuse don't I? Excuse my ignorance but I want to make sure that I am doing the right thing.

    Do you think it will be safer for me to use an adapter instead of changing the plug?


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    #15
    Fuzzy Clam
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,293 ✭✭✭Fuzzy Clam


    KTRIC wrote: »
    Just brown and blue, no third wire. So no fuse possible.
    What do you mean by that?:confused: The 3rd wire would be the earth and would not have a fuse on it anyway.


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    #16
    Fuzzy Clam
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,293 ✭✭✭Fuzzy Clam


    NikkiC. By all means change the plug. If the wire is colour coded, them simply wire the brown to live and the blue to neutral as normal. If the colours are different, then let us know what they are.
    1400 watts is approx 6 amps so you could use a 10 amp fuse if you wish. 13 amp will not be a problem though. Don't worry, the appliance will not blow up.


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    #17
    loumac
    Closed Accounts Posts: 30 ✭loumac


    KTRIC wrote: »
    Just cut it off and put on an Irish three prong plug.
    Hi there. I just bought an electrical product in an irsh retail outlet and it has a German two pronged plug. Is this even legal? I was under the impression retailers had to conform to local voltage/plug socket requirements. It's annoying because it never mentioned it on the package AND I can't even charge the damn thing until I get an adapter. I know I can cut the plug and replace with an Irish one but I don't think I should have to after spending €140 on a product in Argos!


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    #18
    Soundman
    Registered Users Posts: 2,593 ✭✭✭Soundman


    Fuzzy Clam wrote: »
    What do you mean by that?:confused: The 3rd wire would be the earth and would not have a fuse on it anyway.

    Exactly. The fuse is in place across the Live part of the circuit which is the BROWN wire. The missing cable as Fuzzy Clam said, is the EARTH which is the yellow/green one.


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    #19
    Jonathan
    Moderators, Education Moderators, Home & Garden Moderators Posts: 8,176 Mod ✭✭✭✭Jonathan


    KTRIC wrote: »
    Just brown and blue, no third wire. So no fuse possible.

    The fuse is on the live as the others have said.


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