American/English

[Liz5]

HELP
I have just imported a balloon stuffer from the US. It has been fitted with a 240 volt motor, but there is an american plug on the cable. Is it safe to cut the plug off and replace it with an English one or is there such a thing as an adaptor which I can use? Anybody out there know the answer?

 

[securespark]

From what you say, I would first check carefully the ratings plate on the appliance to see if it is suitable for UK. Usually it says something like

220-240 V 50 Hz.

If this is the case, then I would think it safe to go ahead and connect it to your supply. But I may be tempted to try and get an adapter rather than change the plug (colour code may be confusing) but then you need to make sure that the current rating (Amps) does not exceed the rating of the adapter. In any case, it should not exceed 13A.

Maybe try ringing the supplier or the UK importer for advice.

 

[securespark]

Sorry

forgot to say that a travel adapter is your best bet, providing the current rating matches your balloon stuffer. Try www.pcaddons.co.uk for an adapter.

 

[securespark]

Sorry again!

here is full web address for Travel Adapter:

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Ummm - it doesn't look as though that one :

will plug into a UK 13A socket - it looks more like something designed to fit a range of other European countries, or North America.

This'll do the trick though, and it's a lot cheaper than the Belkin:

from here

 

[Liz5]

Thanks very much for the advice. The unit has been properly converted - a 240v motor is in it - and so I will now get an adaptor. Thanks once again.

 

[securespark]

Ban all sheds

Sorry to be a pedantic old fart but the following comes from that webpage

The Belkin Universal AC Travel Adapter comes with patented integrated plugs that work with all different types of outlets, the world over. Now you can charge your laptop, PDA, and mobile phone in places as diverse as Europe, Asia, the USA, Australia, New Zealand and the UK. Rated to handle both 110 and 220–240 volt standards, our Travel Adapter allows you to connect to international power outlets, without a complicated power conversion. It eliminates the hassle of carrying multiple adapters to give you a unified, convenient power solution.

• Universal AC Travel Adapter
• Worldwide compatibility
• Small and compact for easy storage


Note the words "and the UK".

No offence!!

 

[securespark]

Take your point about the cheaper one, though!!

 

[securespark]

Check the rating does not exceed 13Amps!

What does a balloon stuffer do? Apart from stuffing balloons, that is??

 

[BR]

securespark, as was so kindly pointed out to me not so long ago you can edit your own posts even after you post them. just click the edit button to the right of your post. I suspect you dont know this

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Ban all sheds

Sorry to be a pedantic old fart but the following comes from that webpage

<blah blah>

Note the words "and the UK".

No offence!!

Yup. That text is also lifted straight from the (US) Belkin website, and if there's one thing Americans are good at, it's being pig-ignorant about the rest of the world.

Please look at the product photo again.

I know what the blurb says, but please tell me HOW that will plug into a 13A socket?

 

[yankey-sparky]

if there's one thing Americans are good at, it's being pig-ignorant about the rest of the world.

This is neither the forum nor the topic for a political discussion, but to be fair, when the British say "the rest of the world" they usually mean "Europe".

You need to know about the other European countries because they're so close to you. I'd wager you don't know much more about, say, Madagascar than any reasonably educated American does.

And I'll leave it at that.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Maybe, maybe not. I do think that taken as a whole, the USA is more parochial than most other Western industrialised nations, but I shouldn't have used the term that I did above, it was crude and exaggerated, and I apologise for any offence caused.

Great is the temptation to go back and edit it....

 

[breezer]

dare you to

no, i double dare you

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Get thee behind me

PS - I do know that the best vanilla in the world comes from Madagascar..