cargomatic

We brought all our electrical items except hoover hair dryers things like that. They all work fine except one old TV. All I did was bring loads of 4 gang boards and plug things like my TV’s DVD’s computers etc into them and then use an adapter on the end of that. Even though I have now bought plugs to put on the end of them. Everything works just the same. One thing to remember for every TV you bring with scart socket connection. Remember to bring an adapter from the 3 red, yellow, white connection to scart. You normally get them with games consoles, but I think you can buy them separate in the UK. Scart leads do not exist here and satellite TV connects to your DVD/TV via the 3 lead red yellow white connection.

Your main supply to each Canadian house is 220v as the stove (cooker) and dryer both run on 220v so for things like your power tools etc you can have a plug outlet wired in your garage and say the basement like im just about to have with your normal UK plug socket. Just remember to bring a couple, so the electrician can wire them in for you. Then you can use an extension on them in a normal way and use all your own power tools without replacing them. Not a lot of people know that.

http://www.voltageconverters.com/vol...onverters.html

iaink

You are aware though that doing it that way you have no neutral line (both non ground lines are "Hot" 120V to ground), and if your house should burn down your insurance company has the perfect reason not to pay out?

Simon Legree

In addition to the usual cooker and dryer circuits I have a dedicated 220 volt supply into my radio room which powers the linear amplifier. It was included in the original design and installed by the electrician so no worries there.

Aviator

In addition to possibly invalidating insurance, a licensed electrician who wires in any non CSA approved and stamped fixtures could lose their license if found out. Our electircion just refused to install some imported fixtures because the CSA stamp was not on them. The entire container had to be returned to Europe and reshipped with the CSA stamp on each item.

jerry brewer

Hi
I might have mentioned before, (sorry if i repeat myself)
Vancouver will issue permits for 220 volt 'sockets', so if the canadian 220v sockets are used and permits obtained, it would be possible to have valid insurance.
( for what ever that is worth here in canada )
So perhaps other areas/provinces do the same ?
cheers
Jerry

MikeUK

No problem fitting the US style 220v socket in any province

its the non CSA/UL approved appliance that you plug in that can invalidate your insurance

squargle

What insurance companies dont know doesnt hurt them,
From what I've seen of Canadian electrics I'm surprised more homes dont burn down . Those stupid connectors where the wires are just twisted together under a little plastic cone thing are just horrible ,they would surely never pass any british saftey standard !

JonboyE

Quite so. As long as you are paying the premiums they don't care how you wire your house up. It's when you come to make a claim that the problems start.

If lots of North American homes burnt down due to electrical fires I am sure that standard would be changed. In reality, as long as the connections are houses in an appropriate junction box, they are perfectly safe.

Aviator

What they don't know may not hurt them, but may hurt you if you make a claim and it turns out they won't pay. Still you may have saved $50 on insurance premiums!

Marrets work fine, much of the problems arise from people who have no idea how to do electrical work mess around with it or homeowners who do stupid things. This is why there is an electrical code and standards.

Don't see what British standards have to do with anything as we're in Canada.

AdrianR

No = they are supplied with two separate 110V phases. These may be 'combined' in the load centre (distribution box) to power a 220V cooker, AC unit etc. The UK 240V power circuit is along ONE wire, the other being neutral.

As it has been pointed out numerous times, you MAY be able to run a UK 240V appliance from this combined circuit but you will NOT have a neutral line as you are wiring up to two lines that are at 110V with respect to earth. This may well work on double-insulated equipment but is not recommended.

jericho

I wish people would stop spouting this rubbish about insurance. No insurance policy has any such condition that electrics must conform to Canadian standard. I don't even think it would be legal to have something like that.

Aviator

They don't need to put a condition to any such effect. If an alteration or appliance does not comply with local or national code, they may refuse to pay out. If the foundations were not up to code and not passed by the building inspector, there is always a chance insurance won't pay out if the building collapsed. There is only one way you're going to find out!

What basis do you have for a such a condition being illegal anyway? Conditions that are contrary to statute would be unenforceable, but I cannot see how conditions that require compliance with statute would be unenforceable. On looking through my policy there are several mentions of 'willful act or negligence' on the part of the insured invalidating the policy. Personally I take no chances with insurers, way to much to lose if they won't pay up.

jericho

Of course they need to put a condition in. An inurance policy is a legal contract between the insurer and the insured. If it's not in the policy, it's not enforceable. Simple as.

Insurance in Canada I'd extremely regulated, with a legislated minimum cover an insurer can provide (fire). Apart from certain legislated exclusions (deliberate damage, things under going the process of heat etc) insurers have to pay.

This is just one of those British Expats urban legends that has been allowed to grow roots without any real knowledge or evidence whatsoever.

Here's the relevant mention in the Insurance Act, which hopefully puts an end to the debate:

Unjust exclusions
145 Where a contract
(a) excludes any loss that would otherwise fall within the coverage prescribed by section 138; or
(b) contains any stipulation, condition or warranty that is or may be material to the risk including, but not restricted to, a provision in respect to the use, condition, location or maintenance of the insured property,
the exclusion, stipulation, condition or warranty shall not be binding upon the insured if it is held to be unjust or unreasonable by the court before which a question relating thereto is tried.

squargle

How could it not be recommended for double insulated equipment ?

Just out of interest does that mean that a 240V canadian electric cooker is constucted differently than a UK one ?

I concede your point that there is a 110v potential to earth on either leg so that some antique stuff may be unsitable but I really cannot remember the last piece of equipment I looked at that had shared earth and neutral (apart from 3 phase stuff and that is rather different) and if such an item was connected the fuse would blow straight away anyway. I know that some older stuff used the chassis as neutral but that was always insulated from the user in some way.

JonboyE

It doesn't put an end to the debate. Note the bold bit. In other words, it is saying that any condition in the policy that is found to be reasonable concerning the use, condition, location or maintenance of the insured property is binding.

My policy has a number of exclusions concerning use - e.g. they don't pay out if the property is vacant, or is used for business. It also contains the specific exclusion: any loss or damage resulting from intentional acts or failure to act.

There is also the overall get out that the insurance contract is void if I falsely describe or misrepresent any material circumstance that is relevant to the insurer in assessing the risk.

I suggest that re-wiring your home to accommodate unapproved, and therefore potentially unsafe, electronic equipment could be viewed as either an intentional act, or a misrepresentation of material circumstances. Unless these exclusions have been found unenforceable in a superior court I would hate to rely on them if the face of a big claim. If your house burns down you need funds to rebuild now, not years later after your claim has finally been settled in court.

Saying, "What insurance companies dont know doesnt hurt them," is lousy advice, and deserves to be challenged.