put a euro socket in a uk house

[gazz]

would there be any regulations i'd be breaking if i fitted a german shuko style 2 pin with side earth strip socket in my house?

i have a german pinball machine which still has the molded on right angle shuko plug on it's power lead, inside it also has a german shuko power point for the engineers lamp to plug into (that one is bakalite and non earthed, machine was made in 1976, so not that old), But i'd like to keep the origional lead... just to emphasize more that it's a german machine if that makes sense :)

Basicaly all i'd do is get a single outlet shuko socket, if possible a switched one, and mount it next to the double 13 amp uk sockets,

i wouldent usually even give this kind of thing a second thought, i'd put one in... better than using an adaptor or the easy solution which i know is to change the power lead to a uk version.

but we are going to have one of those bods from warm front come round and assess how much insulation we need to have added (stair celing area is totaly open to the roof and has no insulation at all) and i can just imagine him noticing the shuko socket and getting arsey about it and putting on his report that i have illegal sockets in the house or something like that.

[ARWadsworth]

The Warm front "engineers" will not notice nor care about your electrical installation in this case.

Adam

[Andrew Gabriel]

Yes - it's not shuttered.

I haven't seen a switched one, and it would need fusing at

13A or a 16A MCB.

Just buy a travel adaptor.

The adaptor will have a fuse in it.

[Tim]

Who would know or even care?

Wht has that got to do with a socket?

Are you genuinely thick? You certainly come across that way. Why don't you hand yourself in at the nearest police station!

[Peter Parry]

[Bruce]

I have a 3-way Euro extension lead that I bought in Spain. Obviously, it came with a lead that had a Euro plug on it. All I did was cut off the plug and replace it with a UK 13A plug. I can now plug in up to three appliances with Euro plugs on them - I own several.

I feel sure that you could get these extension leads here in the UK.

[gazz]

official people who like to shit stir, come to do one job, nose around and report the things they find wrong whilst in your house to the authorities?

if it's not allowed to be used in england, then it's like having a gas cooker connected with a length of rubber hose pushed onto a 1920's gas tap,

course im thick, or i wouldent be asking questions here would i

we used to be allowed to do pretty much what we likes to our own houses at one time, nowadays your not even allowed to put a patio down without asking permision,

if we want to add a new ring main, we have to get it put in by a certified bod with all the costs involved,

they wont empty your bin if you put the wrong items in it, fill it too full or put it out before it's supposed to be put out,

i know if i added something to the gas supply that wasnt allowed, and it was seen or reported to an official, they'd come round and cap the supply off,

i just wanted to check what the situation was with adding a german socket to a uk house mains system,

easy enough to shutter the shuko socket if needed, a brat proof insert, you have to twist the plug as you insert it to open the shutters,

[David Hansen]

On Sat, 1 Nov 2008 20:12:16 -0000 someone who may be "gazz" wrote this:-

Yes. Such a socket does not maintain polarity, which means it falls foul of the UK Wiring Regulations.

However, the Wiring Regulations do allow "non-standard" equipment/installations on the say-so of a suitably qualified electrical engineer, provided it provides an equivalent level of safety. You would need to be prepared to argue this out in court should something happen and you would be arguing this out with a wanker who knows bugger all about electrical systems, a lawyer.

Some may well think that you will also fall foul of some Mickey Mouse UK laws, like "The Plugs and Sockets etc. (Safety) Regulations

1994". However you can argue, to the same wanker, that this stuff should never have been passed by the rogues' gallery at Westminster as it is in conflict with the Single European Act of 1986 and subsequent laws. I like the Single European Act as both the current and previous Tory governments dare not speak against it, as it was pushed through by the mad Woman of Finchley.

Your choice.

Shuko sockets are piss poor compared to the BS 1363 design. However, in this case I would consider it worth keeping the primitive plug as an illustration of how poor other electrical wiring systems are. The concept of RCDs for all socket outlets is ridiculous, but in the case of a Shuko socket it is a good idea to fit one.

I doubt it. If you are worried then put the offensive socket a little to the side of the BS 1363 sockets and disguise the Shuko socket in some way for the visit. Use your initiative to work out the disguise, don't expect to be spoon fed.

[BigWallop]

ROFLMAO !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A Euro adapter costs about 3 quid at most. Why the hell would you want to start messing about with the house wiring when the adapter is cheaper to buy than the actual socket.

Remember this advice well. Put your brain into gear before picking up the tools. An hour of useful thought is much better than an hour of useless humiliation.

[geoff]

In message , BigWallop writes

... ...

Unfortunately, it's become common practice here of late

posting before thinking or asking the actual relevant authority has become the norm

like the eejit who posted a while back asking how to remove a sticker from his car rear window - much stupid discussion ensued, then he actually tried removing it and it just peeled off

The ask first, think later culture is well and truly here

[Kevin]

but sometimes asking first is better than FUBAR then asking how to put it back together

[geoff]

I'm not talking about that

I'm on about posting first, thinking later

[BruceB]

You may well be breaking some regulations depending on how you achieve it, but in principle it is perfectly possible to fit Shuko sockets in UK. Some hotels do. Have a look at the "Use of Guidance" section of the Approved Document Part P of the Building Regs which says you can use:

.... an alternative national technical specification of any state which is a contracting party to the European Economic Area which, in use, is equivalent........

Convincing the Building Control Officer with your equivalent to the MWC in German is another matter!

As others have said, there are simpler ways though. BruceB

[The Medway Handyman]

Not wishing to start a fight here, but could someone elaborate on why the Shuko socket/plug is piss poor compared to ours?

I've also heard it said that our overall domestic electrical system is far better than the European system, which is why we haven't harmonised. Could someone elaborate on that?

[David Hansen]

On Sun, 02 Nov 2008 09:46:19 GMT someone who may be "The Medway Handyman" wrote this:-

Does not maintain polarity. Unfused. Primitive earth connection. Versions without an earth connection were (perhaps still are) available, which leads to equipment needing to be earthed being plugged into sockets without an earth connection. Shuttering not standard.

That doesn't mean everyone dies in places with this sort of equipment, but it is less safe than the UK designs.

Well the UK is in Europe (both Europe and the EU, which are two separate things). There is also no one type of electrical socket and wiring in the rest of Europe. However, two excellent features of the UK approach are ring final circuits and BC lampholders. The former allows anything portable to be plugged into any socket without much concern. It is far more flexible and just works. The latter is diminishing with new types of lamp and a desire amongst some manufacturers to reduce their costs, but not the prices they charge, by using ES lampholders. The main poor features of ES lampholders are the way the lamp unscrews (due to heat) and the possibility of wiring the live to the threaded bit (which is bound to happen in a system with unpolarised plugs and sockets).

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Almost certainly.

Given the size of a pinball machine would an adaptor lead make that much difference?

I doubt he'd be qualified in this sort of thing let alone interested.

If I were to do as you want I'd feed it via its own FCU/RCD unit. Like this:-

[Rod]

Sorry, is that the BC lampholder which allows two live connections to be touched? (I accept that ES also suffers this possibility.)

I had been rather hoping that one positive aspect of CFLs (and other efficient lamp technologies) might have been widespread use of, say, SES which is much more difficult to stick my fingers into.

[Hugo Nebula]

Who would counter with the observation that one can't pick-&-mix parts of an electrical installation with others; you either use the German standard in its entirety, or stick with the British one.

He may also proffer the opinion that the use of such wording is a standard preamble to all the Approved Documents, and is merely a sop to the courts to show that the guidance meets all the relevant 'single-market' regulations.

And then go tell you that the addition of a socket-outlet that is the extension of an existing ring or radial circuit is not notifiable (unless it is in a kitchen or special location).

[Kevin]

that's exactly the same is it not????

[Dave Liquorice]

Doesn't have to there is no such concept as "polarity" in the continental wiring system. You have two wires with 230v (nominal) between them niether is connected to earth.

Unfused. Primitive earth connection.