Electric Adapters

[yeti]

Hi,

On many appliances I have plugs with the 2 standard round pins, and a female location for earthing. But Thai sockets are also female for earthing.

Do you know where I can buy an adapter to get the earthing on those plugs?

I am tired of those small electric shocks...

[lopburi3]

You need an adapter as shown in this post (#221) and which is available at some HomePro stores. If that is not available you should be able to find a three pin plug (two flat pins and round ground) as used in the US/Japan and have someone replace the round pin plug.

[Crossy]

If you don't score locally Yeti, drop me a PM, I'll bung a couple in the post, they're 70 Baht each

[yeti]

Thanks a lot, I will look in a bigger HomePro then .

[opalhort]

Hi,

On many appliances I have plugs with the 2 standard round pins, and a female location for earthing. But Thai sockets are also female for earthing.

Do you know where I can buy an adapter to get the earthing on those plugs?

I am tired of those small electric shocks...

There are many "Schuko" sockets available in most hardware shops (at least here in BKK).

this one is cheap and is even sold in many supermarkets which have a hardware section.

------------

this one is made in France and is very good but also quite costly, yet most local hardware shops carry it.

----------------------

This one is NATIONAL brand made in Japan. Contacts break easily after frequent use. Available in most hardware stores.

--------------------

In the past I had the same problem about the "ground pin". It appears not to be available here in Thailand. I used naked copper wire, folded it up multiple times to size and used tin (solder) to make a fitting pin out of it. It worked very well.

opalhort

[lopburi3]

The Schuko plug does not use a ground pin but the side straps act as the ground to a normal Schuko socket side straps. The adapter to use in the US type socket converts the side straps to a pin but would not fit or be required in a Schuko designed socket.

[Crossy]

Our OP is NOT looking for Schuko sockets, he is looking for the ADAPTOR so he can safely plug a Schuko into a regular Thai outlet. These seem less than common, although even the sockets are not that readily available outside central BKK.

Of course the ideal solution is to replace the outlets with the correct ones, this may not be an option in a rented place.

[yeti]

Of course the ideal solution is to replace the outlets with the correct ones, this may not be an option in a rented place.

Exactly, when you rent your place and are incredibly lazy, you look for an adapter in HomePro, which I will do today, or tomorrow, or ... (did I say I am lazy) .

Edited August 5, 2006 by yeti

[opalhort]

Of course the ideal solution is to replace the outlets with the correct ones, this may not be an option in a rented place.

Exactly, when you rent your place and are incredibly lazy, you look for an adapter in HomePro, which I will do today, or tomorrow, or ... (did I say I am lazy) .

Hi,

if it is just a matter of the ground pin, you can make that yourself, that's what I did in the past.

just fold a length a blank wire (even an aluminium clothes hanger will do) until it is thick enough to fit tightly into the hole of the Schuko plug and into the ground hole of the wall socket.

Problem solved!

opalhort

Edited August 5, 2006 by opalhort

[astral]

I would go to the shop and buy the proper 3 pin plugs and replace

the moulded one.

Alternately make up my own extension board making sure the Earth wire is present and connected.

Most of the Thai ones are only two core, not three.

In my own house I had UK three pin sockets fitted for all the Hi Fi and computer equipment. That way they are earthed and individually fused.

[yeti]

Bought several Wonpro adaptors in HomePro (the 5 they had in fact), exactly what I was looking for, thxs a lot .

[Firefoxx]

I would say that Astral's solution (cut off the old plug, replace it with a standard one) would be the cheapest. Of course, it's only recommended if you have some basic knowledge of electricty/electronics.

[yeti]

My knowledge of electronics should be more than enough, but I think it would void the warranty on recent equipments...

[Crossy]

My knowledge of electronics should be more than enough, but I think it would void the warranty on recent equipments...

Quite likely.

ALSO

The adapter is quick and foolproof.

The rewirable plugs I've seen are too small for the larger cables found on appliances that come with Schuko plugs (washing machine etc).

They also tend to have inadequate / no cable clamping arrangements.

I've been spoilt by UK plugs with loads of space for a 1.5mm2 3 core and a decent clamp.

[Crossy]

The Schuko plug does not use a ground pin but the side straps act as the ground to a normal Schuko socket side straps. The adapter to use in the US type socket converts the side straps to a pin but would not fit or be required in a Schuko designed socket.

Just for information Lop.

There are two variants of the Schuko. One is as you describe (side contacts for ground), the other (used in Belgium) has a ground pin in the SOCKET, this mates with the hole in the plug. Until I moved to Belgium I always wondered what the hole in the plug was for.

[astral]

My knowledge of electronics should be more than enough, but I think it would void the warranty on recent equipments...

Quite likely.

ALSO

The adapter is quick and foolproof.

The rewirable plugs I've seen are too small for the larger cables found on appliances that come with Schuko plugs (washing machine etc).

They also tend to have inadequate / no cable clamping arrangements.

I've been spoilt by UK plugs with loads of space for a 1.5mm2 3 core and a decent clamp.

The American design 3 pin plugs are designed for big cables and do have a clamp,

not as good as the UK ones, but adequate.

[Crossy]

The American design 3 pin plugs are designed for big cables and do have a clamp,

not as good as the UK ones, but adequate.

Agreed, the US plugs are fine The cheapo rewirables in HomePro are carp

EDIT I must admit I've not looked hard for good rewirables, I've installed proper Schuko outlets wherever I need to plug one of these appliances in

EDIT 2 Additionally, when a Schuko is plugged into the correct socket (not the adaptor) it only protrudes about 30mm from the wall with the cable exiting parallel to the wall, nice low profile so you can push your appliance right back

Edited August 6, 2006 by Crossy

[yeti]

The Schuko plug does not use a ground pin but the side straps act as the ground to a normal Schuko socket side straps. The adapter to use in the US type socket converts the side straps to a pin but would not fit or be required in a Schuko designed socket.

Just for information Lop.

There are two variants of the Schuko. One is as you describe (side contacts for ground), the other (used in Belgium) has a ground pin in the SOCKET, this mates with the hole in the plug. Until I moved to Belgium I always wondered what the hole in the plug was for.

Same in France, and I thought all Shuko sockets were like this (a male pin for earthing), that's why I had trouble understanding lopburi.

And being lazy (did I mention this before?) the adapter was the best solution.

[lopburi3]

I have not used them (never lived in France) but from web the socket in France is not a Schuko but there own thing which an original Schuko plug did not fit without force as the hole and pin were slightly out of alignment and tolerance too tight and that a modified Schuko plug with greater ground hole size was made to get around this problem.

And this is supposed to be a serious post.

[opalhort]

Bought several Wonpro adaptors in HomePro (the 5 they had in fact), exactly what I was looking for, thxs a lot .

could you please post a photo of the adaptor?

though we have many schuko sockets in our home, it often happens that no free one is available within reach of an appliance.

what is the current-rating (Ampere) of these adaptors?

Thanks

opalhort

[lopburi3]

It is rated 10/16A but does not change the pins of your normal plug - only adds a ground pin.

[Crossy]

It is rated 10/16A but does not change the pins of your normal plug - only adds a ground pin.

Obviously these adaptors only work when you have the Thai sockets that accept round pin plugs as well as the US style flat pin variety