jad n rich

Pheonix, read my posts I have not once given any answers on plugs just advised caution! I would need to be a qualified electrician to answer that question, each trade here is governed by a seperate licence and each licence holder has liabitly for the work he performs or advice he gives.

However just for you I have rung energex 131253 (qld electricty board), I used the example of a family arriving from the UK and wishing to use their appliances and tools here, then asked if they are allowed to change the plugs. The answer was a horrified NO. From energex, not me ENERGEX.

I was then advised to contact a licenced electrician, so contacted the firm I subcontract and 2 individual random numbers from the phone book. All confirmed again NO you cannot change plugs the work is required to be done by a qualified electrician and even then the plugs can only be changed after a test and tag by a qualifed person. One electrician advised as a temporary measure buying an adaptor plug from Tandy or dick smith electronics. The subject of voltage diffences was raised by one electrician that from overseas the appliance would need to be checked it was the same, not just assumed it was, some things, tools is one example can be different.

Reading back on the thread I dont see poeple here using 'scare tactics or scare mongering'' as you suggest, I would imagine perhaps some new arrivals had rung energex or electricians and got this advice themself as I so easily did this morning.

I've just passed on what I was told, as I originally said only qualified persons should really answer these questions so anyone with a query on this subject can ring 131253 in QLD other states the number of the electrictity authority concerned. Or a qualified electrician.

In the light of what I have been told had I changed my own plugs page 30 of my insurance policy would now be very relevant.

andrew63

Crikey! What happened to this simple question I asked?
The bit I highlighted above sums up my original question. My UK appliances state quite clearly that they MUST be earthed. The adaptors I have come across have NO earth. So, for safety's sake, I believe it is best to change the plug to one that DOES have an earth - even though it has no fuse!

Nuf from me already!

Andrew

jad n rich

I thought I had typed energexes response quite clearly, not quite sure how the thread has got back onto people doing their own electrics again or have I misunderstood what you are saying? The adaptor suggestion was what is better known as a travel plug approved for use in Australia it should not require you to do any plug changing, that is the point.
A temporary measure until you can get the work done by qualified spark.

I need a beer

ABCDiamond

Andrew
I think I brought up the question of legality in changing plugs again with this comment
Then we found that there appears to be written law in at least WA to say you are allowed to change the plugs, but local verbal info says that you can't do it in QLD. It's been a question I have been trying to locate an definitive answer on for ages, as so may people seem to have varied opinions.

PS: My Tandy travel adaptor has 3 pins, I assume one is an earth ?

rab

Hi all

Read this thread with interest but sadly it is digressing all over the place and I need specific info like the original poster.

I am moving all our things out of storage on Friday and going to our new home. So I looked in Bunnings and all they have is 5 amp and 10 amp plugs, wheareas all our UK appliance are 3 or 13 amp.

I couldn't see any in-line fuses either. Do I just put a 13 on a 10 and a 3 on a 5 or is that dodgy?

rab

ABCDiamond

All I can add is that in 1986, when I first came here, I took my UK plugs off everything and replaced with standard Australian plugs.
Then in 1996, when I returned to the UK I changed them back to UK plugs.
Then in 2000, when I came back to Australia, I repeated the process yet again back to Australian plugs. And I have had no problems with anything

As the individual plugs aren't fused here, I wonder how the plugs are actually rated. I have a kettle lead here with the plug marked as being rated at 7.5amps.

jad n rich

I give up :scared:

Stewie

Jad n rich have given up, everyone on the thread are completly confused and I'm bored so I thought I'd write something.

The Aussie system is a 3 pin plug system. 1 pin is live 1 pin is neutral and 1 pin is earth.

The plugs that have only 2 pins do not need the earth pin because the appliance is "double insulated" and you would not get a shock if the live wire touched the appliance for any reason.(In theory)

Although we in the UK have 3 pin plugs on all appliances the ones that are "double insulated" do not have a wire connected to the earth pin inside the plug...it's not required.

Where we in the UK differ from Aus is that all our plugs are fused and depending on the power consumption of the appliance we fit the correct value fuse.

Everyone with me so far?

I am an electrician.....and I do all my own electrical work. If anyone wants to remove their UK 3 pin plug and fit an Aussie plug, they can. It's easy.

However as pointed out, if a fire is caused by this action then be prepared for insurance companies to not pay out. That's the nature of insurance companys

I personally will be taking UK extension leads with me. I'll leave my appliances fitted with UK plugs, replace the plug on the extension leads with Aussie ones. This leaves all my appliances protected by fuses. If changing the plug causes a problem and my house burns down and I don't get a pay out from the insurance company then I'll commit suicide

debsy

Nice one
What about european two pin appliances

Stewie

debsy

I don't have any. So I'm not bothered

cresta57

My Dad is a retired electrical engineer [we live here in his house] his view was that the term "Fixed Wiring" meant the stuff behind the walls [in layman's terms] He's an avid reader of the forum but will not post as he just wants a quiet life and a little entertainment.
Following this thread has caused him to phone his insurers today and they will not put in writing that it is either legal or acceptable for him to change his own plugs as and I quote "he is unlicensed". He has 50 yrs experience and was in charge of an oil refinery for 22 of those years. From an electrical point of view I would trust his capabilities implicitly and have no problems with him changing all our plugs. However as a result of his telephone conversation today a licensed electrician will be checking all our plugs in the immediate future.
Everything we own is in this house and when the risks are weighed up total uninsured loss for whatever reason is not an option.
Moral believe whatever and whoever you wish to but a simple call to your insurance company will provide the answer you need. Can you afford the risk? We can't.

As a footnote I add that yes we have brought a number of U.K multiple extension leads, we use one for all the pc stuff as it's not possible to change the transformer type plugs on printer' scanners etc. We use another for plugging the phone chargers into and another for kitchen stuff that is rarely used.

philj6969

I will go with the above answer. I have only 3 or 4 items that I will pay an Australian licensed electrician to change the plugs on (vacuum cleaner, fan, blender, microwave), and while they are doing that they can put an Aussie plug onto a few four way english extension leads (with only a couple of feet of lead) to power the transformer plugs that are on 75% of all my stuff.

The insurance angle is too risky to play with. Before reading this thread I was going to do my own plugs, not now. The insurance company's job is to wriggle out of paying up in any way it can possibly find.

Phil.

Stewie

Phil
Quite right.
It's just sad we have to do this.

Next will be getting in a plumber to fill the bath just in case it overflowed if us unlicensed people do it

Pollyana

Only a matter of time......

I believe they are now erecting signs on the borders "Welcome to Queensland, The Original Nanny State"

Stewie

Pollyana

Hope you got a fully qualified typist to type that reply. Wouldn't want any claim for a broken fingernail to be refused by the insurance company