rach3

can you use electric appliances shipped from uk in nz or is it best to buy new once out there?

zaras dad

Hello,

I brought a video recorder and DVD player over - complete waste of time. Same goes for TVs - definately buy them over here (you can get cheap ones on Trademe.co.nz). They operate on non-UK compatible frequencies (tv and video that is) so you'll get a picture but no NZ sound - if you want to bring em over just to play videos....then bring em over - would be a waste of money though.

As for normal appliances such as irons, george foreman grills, stereos etc - no problem. Just change the plugs over - Ive found that the best deal on plugs was placemakers or bunnings warehouse

rach3

thanks for that ill save my money then and buy over there

sarahw

I disagree. Bring as much as possible with you. The only thing that we found not to work well was the TV - you can have picture or sound but not both. However running the TV through a Sky box solves that.

On the DVD side, if yours is multi-region there should be no problem.

The quality and choice of products in NZ is limited so bring it all and use it till it needs replacing I would suggest.

Elsy and Fi

Hi

I agree totally with the last post. We brought over everything electrical we could (excluding fridges, as they were on there last legs!!) We have had no problem with anything, tv's, hi-fi, computers, washing machine, tumble dryer etc.
We know a few people that didn't bring anything and reckon they have spent a small fortune.

Only thing is changing all the plugs over!!!!!

crap coffee

Big no-no for fast boil kettles, toasters, and coffee grinders

lardyl

yeah, anything over 2.4kW rating is over rated for the plugs/sockets - that is 10 amps. Doubt the coffee grinder is going to be a problem though, unless it's the size of a concrete mixer!

Also be aware that the UK to NZ travel adapters are rated at 5 to 10 amps (printed on it) and have no earth, so don't use with kettles, toasters, irons, etc.....

helinuk

We bought everything with us except the TV and we bought a new kettle here.. The DVD player needs to be multi region (most are) . Everything works fine but hubby moans at having to change so many plugs!

Jac&Adie

And there is NO fuses in Kiwi plugs

lardyl

in principle you can have a 15A or 20A circuit breaker with a teeny appliance cord on the end
and the designs of some of the plugs are downright dangerous.....
eg cord grip relies on getting the cores in exactly the right places and putting a spacer back in! I used to have a holiday job when I spent a couple of days putting 13A plug tops on and making appliance cord sets up and I struggle with some of these plugs.
also the cheaper multiboxes are pretty ropey - cause quite a few fires!

hazeandsteve

We have two UK portables in the garage which we can't use, but everything else has been fine, and we brought all our leccy stuff except the video.

lardyl

bought a good looking Philips "Factory Repack" 21" TV the other day from the Appliance Shed on the Shore for $170, not bad with a decent picture too.......6 month warranty only but for that price who cares??

rach3

thanks for all the replies perhaps it is better to bring stuff with me, cause i guess to buy everything again would cost a small fortune.

TeamEmbo

We bought everything with us, along with lots of 4-gang plug extension leads so we only changed the plug on that to an NZ one and everything else gets plugged into that so we didn't need to change the plugs on hairdryers, styling tongs, phone chargers, computer, PS2 etc. But we don't overload them. I do use an adaptor plug for the toaster and iron but they're so rarely used and ALWAYS watched! We also brought with us all eletrical kitchen stuff; mixers, whisk, liquidiser, juicer, sandwich machine etc and all work find, again using the adaptor plug.

We found the code to unlock our DVD player on the internet before we came so that is now multi regional. We got the link from a thread on here but it was so long ago now I've forgotten what it was.

Kids portable TVs don't work for sound, but they can still use our cheap £20 Tesco DVD player with their TVs if they want to watch movies and of course their beloved PS2 and XBox.

Our main TV works ok since we got Sky. And the cheap little LCD TV we used to use in our caravan in the UK worked fine over here and picked up NZ tv stations no problem.

The DVD/Surround Sound system works fine too, as do all white goods, computers, laptops, printers, fax machine and telephones.

Would definitely recommend bringing it all over.

lardyl

Hold on - hope you mean the toaster is running off a 4-way trailing adapter *not* a travel adapter!. If the appliance has an earth you must connect the earth at the socket - so don't use an unearthed travel adapter with a toaster which is almost certainly earthed.
If you are unsure about earthing - look at the name/rating plate, if it has the double insulated symbol - a square inside a square - which indicates no earth or class 2 appliance (you will find the symbol on radio casettes, low voltage adapters, and hopefully your hairdryer, etc) then a travel adapter without earth connection is OK *if* the current rating is OK - divide the power by 200 to give current in amps and check your travel adapter.
If there is an earth the best temporary idea is to use a four-way UK adapter with a Kiwi plug on the end but again make sure the rating of the plus is OK total of 2400W on any Kiwi plug and 3600W on any circuit is the norm.
As far as earthing (and less so rating) goes it doesnt matter whether or not you are "safe" with it, should the casing become live due to a fault then the only way you will tell is when it passes current to earth - probably via you, and if it passes more than about 30-100 milli-amps via your heart your heart will most likely stop - not worth it for a 10 dollar plug top and 20 minutes to rewire the plug. For heaven's sake put a plug top on and avoid the travel adapters - if you don't believe me talk to a sparkie!
Anecdote about having no earth - My mate once dropped a knife sharpening steel onto a cooker casing that was not earthed and it blew a hole in the steel passing the current to an earthed sink unit - imagine that current passing through you.....yowch