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Graveyard of Imported Appliances

Graveyard of Imported Appliances

Old Dec 31st 2016, 9:54 pm
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Default Graveyard of Imported Appliances

I was inspired to find out the answer to this when I was responding to another thread.

Question: How long have you lived here and what happened to any electrical appliances that you brought with you?

I have been here for eight years. This is what has happened to mine:


1. Television - this wasn't really imported because we disposed of it before leaving the UK. It was a large CRT model, it would look ridiculous in this day and age.
2. DVD Recorder - still plugged in. It is not used for recording TV shows on DVDs any more but I have kept it just in case I want to watch a UK/Europe region-encoded DVD (I still have a few but don't ever watch them).
3. Desktop Computer - still plugged in. It was new when we moved here, it runs Windows 10 OK but in terms of usage it has been superseded by notebooks, ipads and smartphones.
4. Notebook computer - died of old age and has been disposed of. It has been replaced by a newer local model.
5. Black and White Laserjet printer - disposed of and replaced because I couldn't source the right ink cartridges locally.
6. Colour Inkjet printer - as above - disposed of and replaced because I couldn't source the right ink cartridges locally.
7. Mini HiFi - lasted for 8 years but I have now replaced it because technology has moved on. Music is streamed these days. CDs are so last century. I have only just realised that.
8. WIFI Router - Your provider gives you a new one with your installation so the old one was not really needed. It worked and I did use the old UK one to create an extension to the home network for connecting the printers that were not WIFI capable but after the old printers were gone it was no longer needed and was disposed of.

We lived in a rented apartment in the UK so did not have any white-goods to bring otherwise I suspect that my list of appliances still in use would be much longer.
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Old Jan 1st 2017, 11:28 am
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Default Re: Graveyard of Imported Appliances

I have not moved there yet, we will be in November this year, however, we are, and have been slowly replacing all our outdated stuff so it's mostly new for when we move. We've recently replaced our TV for a 55" SUHD which was $4444 in NZ when we bought it (we paid £1149 here). We have also just replaced our dryer for a heatpump one, which again, are much more expensive there in NZ.* My laptop is only a year old so still pretty good (it was top of the range when i bought it). I would like to replace our sofa before we come though but if we can't it's ok, the one we have is ok.
We also have a decent home theatre receiver and speakers, although i am looking at replacing the speakers for something like the KEF eggs (Kef E305) as i'm not sure what reference stuff is available in NZ, and if it is, i'm sure it'll be expensive.

*Anybody replacing electricals specifically for NZ, make sure you check the ampage as the max in NZ for domestic sockets are 10amps whereas here in UK they are 13amps.
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Old Jan 1st 2017, 1:16 pm
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Default Re: Graveyard of Imported Appliances

Originally Posted by wez130
..... *Anybody replacing electricals specifically for NZ, make sure you check the ampage as the max in NZ for domestic sockets are 10amps whereas here in UK they are 13amps.
This is only likely to impact electric heaters and high-power kettles - i.e. 3Kw appliances. I can't think of anything else off-hand that would draw more than 10A @ 240v /2.4Kw. .... Maybe some large power tools?
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Old Jan 1st 2017, 5:10 pm
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Default Re: Graveyard of Imported Appliances

Originally Posted by Pulaski
This is only likely to impact electric heaters and high-power kettles - i.e. 3Kw appliances. I can't think of anything else off-hand that would draw more than 10A @ 240v /2.4Kw. .... Maybe some large power tools?
This is true, but some may consider buying / bringing said items into NZ, especially with the general lack of central heating systems in NZ.
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Old Jan 3rd 2017, 8:43 pm
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Default Re: Graveyard of Imported Appliances

Originally Posted by wez130
We've recently replaced our TV for a 55" SUHD which was $4444 in NZ when we bought it (we paid £1149 here).
Does a UK TV support NZ Freeview? If not you will need a local set top box, either terrestrial or satellite Freeview, or Sky. Fortunately satellite Freeview is broadcast from the same satellite as Sky so existing installed Sky dishes (quite likely in a rental or non new-build), can be used as-is.
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Old Jan 4th 2017, 12:02 am
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Default Re: Graveyard of Imported Appliances

Yes everything electrical we brought was soon thrown out or broken, only our beds and a few good quality furniture items really remain of the stuff we did bring (Im glad I brought them) Some my dad made so I love that we have those things here. Our cooker is the only thing we still use but that's now on it's last legs and usually a cooker comes with the home any hows whether you rent or buy so not really a necessary thing to bring either.
Just bring stuff you really treasure and buy the junky electrical stuff once you've arrived. Electrical stuff is really cheap in NZ, cars too are cheap but if you have a caravan bloomin bring it, you can sell it on for stupid ridiculous prices here :-)
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Old Jan 4th 2017, 2:04 am
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Default Re: Graveyard of Imported Appliances

We brought over everything bar a fridge freezer and a dishwasher as they were built in to the kitchen in our uk house.
The only thing that's broken so far (that we brought over) - in 5 yrs is an LCD TV and the iron which was years old. Tv still works but the picture is black so will cost a few hundred dollars to fix which isn't worth it as tv's are cheap as here especially if you shop around in the sales. Got a new 60" Panasonic Viera smart lcd with Freeview plus for 2 grand and a 44" Warehouse special Veon LCD with Freeview for $500.
Still going on the Hotpoint washer and dryer we bought from Boots online in 2007. Also still using our same 40" Sony LCD Tv in the lounge plus Aldi special DVD player that we've made multi region....Google the model number of yours as majority can be changed over to multi region and all the other little appliances like kettle toaster etc. We bought a new microwave and a few other things cos our old stuff was crap.
Since we didn't have a fridge freezer we bought an American style side by side for the first rental in Welly and still have that going strong - currently a beer and wine fridge as no room for it in this house. That's going in to the pantry in the new house. We also bought the old Fisher Paykel FF off our landlord in Welly since ours too big $150 but had to spend $400 on that last year when the mother board and element failed.

Uk sky box will not work here so sell it.
Uk Freeview doesn't work for us here.
Buy a few 4 way sockets in the uk so you only need to change the one plug top. Ideal for the lounge tv area where you also have a DVD player and maybe a games console plus side of the bed.
Unlikely you'll have any plugged in domestic appliance that's gonna draw any more than 10 amps.
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Old Jan 4th 2017, 7:08 am
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Default Re: Graveyard of Imported Appliances

We brought a 40 foot container with everything bar the cooker and fridge freezer and have hardly any of it remaining. We're at the stage where things have been or soon will require replacing for a second time.

We've long since sold the majority of our furniture on Trademe and replaced most things with new. Our TV got fried by lightening and had to be replaced; the replacement TV got stolen along with DVD player, i-pods, laptops and bunch of other stuff during a burglary so we're on at least Mark II of most electronic things.

Our Zanussi frontloader was on its last legs when we brought it but remained serviceable for a good few years and we finally had to pay to get it taken away by the shop when we bought the new one. The replacement Whirlpool one didn't last long and quite frankly wasn't worth fixing, as it was a piece of crap and I now have bitten the bullet and bought a decent euro brand.

We never had a dishwasher in the UK but the house we bought here had a manky old one so we replaced it with some cheap shiny thing from the Warehouse but that never lasted long before it started smoking and almost set fire to the house.

Other things have been donated or rehomed around town via inorganic rubbish collections.
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Old Jan 4th 2017, 8:08 am
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Default Re: Graveyard of Imported Appliances

Originally Posted by simonsi
Does a UK TV support NZ Freeview? If not you will need a local set top box, either terrestrial or satellite Freeview, or Sky. Fortunately satellite Freeview is broadcast from the same satellite as Sky so existing installed Sky dishes (quite likely in a rental or non new-build), can be used as-is.


I emailed LG about this and they said it will be fine, i just need to reset the TV and set the country to NZ.

Failing that though, i'm going to buy one of those android boxes with Kodi etc built in, i also subscribe to Amazon prime anyway.
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Old Jan 4th 2017, 11:24 pm
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Default Re: Graveyard of Imported Appliances

Originally Posted by wez130
*Anybody replacing electricals specifically for NZ, make sure you check the ampage as the max in NZ for domestic sockets are 10amps whereas here in UK they are 13amps.
Makes no difference what so ever.
One thing you haven't taken into account, if you brought the old stuff with you, you could probably sell it for 3 times the price you would get in the uk
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Old Jan 5th 2017, 12:24 am
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Default Re: Graveyard of Imported Appliances

Originally Posted by Justcol
Makes no difference what so ever.
Plug in a 3Kw electric fire and it may well overload the plug. Given appliance plugs here aren't individually fused it may well make a difference and not impress your insurance company.

Biggest electric fire I can find on sale here is 2.4Kw, above that its heat pumps where the energy isn't all coming from the mains...
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Old Jan 5th 2017, 1:16 am
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Default Re: Graveyard of Imported Appliances

Originally Posted by Justcol
Makes no difference what so ever. ....
One of us has the wrong end of the stick.

Granted, an appliance that draws 2Kw @ 240v in the UK will do exactly the same in NZ if plugged in to a 240v supply. The problem is that a 3Kw appliance will also do exactly the same in both countries.
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Old Jan 5th 2017, 1:47 pm
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Default Re: Graveyard of Imported Appliances

Originally Posted by Justcol
Makes no difference what so ever.
One thing you haven't taken into account, if you brought the old stuff with you, you could probably sell it for 3 times the price you would get in the uk
Of course it will, especially if you're using 4 gang sockets, that means a total max load of 10 amps in 4 sockets plugged into one NZ socket, a TV / STB / DVD player and AV receiver will easily be over 10amps total load.
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Old Jan 5th 2017, 2:50 pm
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Default Re: Graveyard of Imported Appliances

Originally Posted by wez130
Of course it will, especially if you're using 4 gang sockets, that means a total max load of 10 amps in 4 sockets plugged into one NZ socket, a TV / STB / DVD player and AV receiver will easily be over 10amps total load.
Do you know that, or are you just guessing?

A modern TV is unlikely to draw more than 400w (I just looked it up for a large Samsung TV), or about 1.5A. The STB and DVD are likely to be only pulling a couple of hundred watts, so less than 1A each, and even powerful home theater amplifiers don't pull more than about a couple of amps at 240v (I just looked that up for a high-spec Denon), so I sincerely doubt those four home entertainment items would pull much more than 6A at 240v.

A plasma TV would pull more power, but I am not sure if even then the total would exceed 10A.
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Old Jan 5th 2017, 6:22 pm
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Default Re: Graveyard of Imported Appliances

240v went out with the arc guys.
Standard is single phase 230v.
If you are rural you'll most likely have a 3 phase supply (we have on the new property) and use a couple of phases to distribute the load more evenly to prevent the need for a larger supply cable/wire (as it's a huge expense) and prevent high volt drop over the longer distances to the property. Also great that you can have 3 phase equipment.

We have 5 appliances plugged in to 1 x 10A socket in our current home....LCD TV, DVD player, Sky Box, Wifi router and a Bluetooth Stereo. Unlikely they'd overload the socket all on at the same time but then again unlikely they'll all be on at the same time...4 out of the 5 at most but the current draw for each is tiny.
Also have a 4 way on 1 x 10A socket either side of our bed.....Lamp, phone charger, electric blanket, baby video monitor or landline cordless phone and again all on at the same time and doesn't even get warm.
As you say you're only gonna generate some heat and pull some amps when you have an appliance with a high demand like a heater but unlikely you'd have a self standing or wall mounted heater of sufficient size to cause an issue and then you wouldn't be plugging it in to a 4 way with other appliances.
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