Changing plugs

[NAP]

Hi,

Did anyone change over all their plugs on electrical items to the NZ ones to avoid having to stockpile on converters?

If so, and if you got an electrician to do it, what sort of price were you charged.

Thanks in advance

[hosebergine]

We've gradually done our own over the last 12 months. Initially I stuck a few NZ plugs onto a few UK 4-gangs. We bought a bag full of converters with us but I don't like them. They frequently spark when you plug them in, where the proper plugs don't.

I got the plugs from Mitre 10. About $4 a pop. Hopefully someone else will be along shortly to tell you where you can get them much cheaper. Bunnings plugs are rubbish. The screws in the connectors are made out of cheese. Seriously, the Mitre10 ones are much better quality.

Have no idea about getting a sparky to do it. I imagine if you can get a local handy man recommended by someone it wouldn't be too steep.

[James 1077]

We changed some but for places where lots of appliances sit together (e.g. kitchen / computer / TV) we just changed the plug at the end of a UK multiplug. That way we keep the UK plugs on the appliances and only need to change 1 plug rather than 6! It is also a solution to the issue where the plug can't be changed.

[BrightonBrowns]

We too are planning on changing the plugs slowly and are using UK extension leads with that plug changed.

Thanks for the heads up on the Bunnings plugs - so far only used Mitre ones, but by luck no judgement. There was a thread on here about some-one willing to sell their NZ plugs......they are in the UK so might be worth finding them and doing a deal!

[Georgebulldog]

Almost 3 yrs on & the other night I grabbed the lamp on the bedside table on OH side to find it still had a UK plug on otherwise we are almsot there with the exception of ones that can't be changed or just don't use that much to bother, so still using 4 gangs with just the NZ plug on the end

[alldone]

A cheap source of NZ plugs can be the local recycle centre. These are attached to rubbish tips and make available for sale things that would otherwise be thrown away. My dad went and brought all the acceptable looking NZ plugs they had - he got a big bag (about 20 plugs) for $5. They cut them off appliances that are otherwise being disposed of.

Our local recycle centre also has what I call "jug cords" for 50c each - the TV/computer etc cords that have a mains plug on one end and plug into the back of older style jugs and computers etc. These cost around $15 in the hardware shops. The last one I bought still had its twisty-tie on it and had clearly never been used!

[victoria24]

ditto the asda 4-6 bar uk extensions and then whack an nz plug on that

[catt]

I do the plug changing and have changed most of them the only one left is the computer and peripherals on a UK surge breaker but just about to change that too. We had the same problem of sparking when using the adaptors so dont like them at all. Plugs we got from New World and found them the same as Mitre 10 but come in at $2.50 each so considerably cheaper.

We brought over a new Dehlongi Oil heater which we started using on an adaptor and it burnt the wall socket out in a few days, had the sparky check it out and change the plug on the oil heater which he said was fine and a couple of weeks later it did the same thing, burnt the wall socket out which had to be changed again. I will say now that we were in the rental at the time which was ony 4 years old (the house not the heater). We no longer use the heater, just a warning on those planning on bringing heaters out with them.

[JandM]

This may well be nothing to do with the plug, adapter, socket, etc..

Here's a very recent comment from IanW99 on another thread.

Quote:
Originally Posted by elasticated
Hello

we have a De Longhi oil filled radiator - can we ship this or do you think we would have problems due to the flammable nature!

No big deal if we have to get rid of it.

Thanks

How much power does it use?

Max power in NZ is 2400W whilst in UK it is 3300W.

If you plug in a heater from the UK that uses 3300W in NZ then there is a very real possibility that it will overload the "circuit" and could potentially cause a fire.

http://www.enz.org/forum/showthread.php?p=380101

[Falcon_XR6]

NZ domestic wiring is 10amp as opposed to the UK 13amp.
So you can only put 2.4KW max appliances on your domestic system instead of 3.3KW max.
As far as plugs are concerned, I have found the same plugs in the same packaging with the same batch number ranging in price from $7.99 to $1.49, it pays to shop around.
Also NZ house wiring tend not to be on a Ring Main.