Swap English plugs for Spanish plugs

13 replies

Dreamtheimpossibledream · 04/09/2018 10:38

My husband is merrily about to swap over the plugs in our English appliances for Spanish plugs (we are in Spain). He says it’s fine, but he also said it was fine when he put a light up without turning the power off and then electrocuted himself. Is it ok to carry through with his plan or is he going to burn our house down?

OP posts:

CutesyUserName · 04/09/2018 10:47

We did this when we moved to Spain 15 years ago. House is still there :) It'll be fine.

wowfudge · 04/09/2018 11:14

He hasn't electrocuted himself btw as he is still alive and changing plugs.

johnd2 · 04/09/2018 11:14

As long as the Spanish plugs you're using have an earth pin it should be fine.
Here all plugs are earthed but in some eu countries there are two types.
Also many eu plugs are not polarity sensitive so you shouldn't really do that on any appliance that requires live and neutral to be the right way round. This would apply to appliances that have a mechanical switch in the live conductor.

wowfudge · 04/09/2018 11:15

Appliances in the UK and Europe operate n 230v. There's no issue swapping plugs. If you had moved to the US the voltage there is 120v so not powerful enough for a lot of UK appliances.

SoupDragon · 04/09/2018 11:17

He hasn't electrocuted himself btw as he is still alive and changing plugs.

Electrocute means to injure or kill so he could have done. He is more likely to just have received an electric shock though.

wowfudge · 04/09/2018 14:45

Electrocute is a combination of electricity and execute though? The OP's husband is, mercifully, alive.

johnd2 · 04/09/2018 21:16

Soup dragon is right. Also while we're on the topic of pedantry, i should point out that the difference between us and EU is voltage not power, there is plenty of power available from us sockets for all but the biggest appliances.

Murinae · 04/09/2018 22:31

When we moved to the uk from Germany we just bought lots of adaptors from amazon and use those. Still using them now 8 years later!

Murinae · 04/09/2018 22:32

Another thing we have done is put a EU plug on the end of a uk extension lead and use that.

VeniVidiWeeWee · 04/09/2018 22:56

Well, if we're going for pedantry......

US circuits can supply about half the power of a UK one:

110v X 15a = 1650watts

240v X 13 a = 3120

PigletJohn · 04/09/2018 23:50

Which is why kettles in US are so slow to boil.

Longdistance · 04/09/2018 23:54

We used loads of adapters when we moved to Oz. We brought our fridge freezer in Oz, and it has an adapter on it now, as has the microwave and tv.

MrsTerryPratchett · 04/09/2018 23:56

Which is why kettles in US are so slow to boil.

Which is why I get given lukewarm tea in Canada. Wankers. [bitter]

Flip

Swipe left for the next trending thread