Using 220v French toaster in UK? Any risks?

[Nickthedentist]

Yes, that's right.

[hamid_1]

Should you wish to preserve your vintage toaster in its original condition, you can use an adaptor instead of cutting off the French plug. I found a UK to Schuko plug adaptor in the 99p store for only 99p

Note that Schuko plugs have earth contacts on the sides. These will work with the 99p adaptors. Very old French plugs do not have the side contacts and are not safe to use in those adaptors unless the appliance is double-insulated. You will be able to tell easily by looking at the plug when you get it.

If you replace the plug, it won't really matter about which way round the live and neutral are connected. The most important one is the earth connection. If you have a multimeter, measure the resistance from each wire to the metal case of the toaster. The one that reads zero ohms is the earth wire. The other two should read infinite resistance to the metal case - if not, there's a fault, and you shouldn't plug the toaster in.

[Herald1360]

I'm not sure I'd trust a 99p adaptor for much more than a light. Is it fused? There will be no protection for the toaster lead other than a 30A fuse or a 32A MCB if it isn't.

A proper adaptor for a French plug should have an earth pin sticking out, though if the plug is a combination type with side contacts for earth as well as the socket a Schuko one will connect the earth OK.

If originality matters, a proper UK plug to French socket adaptor lead can easily be made up.

[emeritus]

That looks similar to my late brother-in-law's toaster. An excellent design with a long slot for the bread (why are so many UK ones too short to take a piece of sliced bread lengthways?). We donated his to the local Red Cross when we had to clear his house, along with various other electrical appliances that we didn't have room to bring back with us. None of the old earthed French plugs we came across will fit a Schuko socket. Their bodies are completely circular and will foul the pair of inwardly-extending portions located within a Schuko socket at 90 degrees to the earth contacts.

The lack of consistency in the wiring of French sockets was commented on a few years ago in my camping magazine. The attached photos of the main fuse board of my brother-in-law's 1960's-built house may be of interest, if only for the spaghetti that I found when sorting out a wiring problem for him some years ago (a bedroom socket erroneously connected to the switched side of the hall light junction box). Originally wired for 3 phase, subsequently converted to single phase by connecting all three phases to one phase, leaving all the original wiring unmodified: double pole fusing. There was a further distribution board on another floor for local radial circuits, with a similar lot of wires underneath.

[Dave Moll]

I must say I'm amazed that the double-pole "fusing" is two separate units - with the likelihood that only one opens, leaving the other side connected (which may be the live). My understanding was that double-pole circuit breakers had to be a single unit that simultaneously disconnects both poles.

[Nickthedentist]

And the whole thing being made of flammable material is somewhat alarming too!

[BGmidsUK]

I would get a decent quality adaptor such as those commonly supplied with power tools (including my welding units) and imported fridges, freezers etc. - the type where the lid closes over the plug - and keep it original. Obviously not the dodgy tourist adaptors, but even the better (earthed) examples of these should be OK for this loading as long as the prongs make good contact. A 5 amp fuse would be appropriate.

It looks a CEE7/7 plug in the photo (with both the hole and the side earth contacts) so will be earthed properly using the common 2P+E (side contact) adaptors.


Brian

[Okto1984]

Thank you each for the replies. The toaster is working well.

I've found an interesting feature I've never seen before. Inside there's a filament light bulb wired in series with the elements as a limiter. It turns off with a loud click after a short while when the quartz tubes are heated up.

The toaster however is rather small, in fact it will only toast a normal slice of bread if it's cut in half before going in. Perhaps French bread is smaller than UK bread! It is however good toast.

[Herald1360]

Sounds like it's a baguette toaster then.

http://www.insockmonkeyslippers.com/...d-1024x681.jpg

[Tractorfan]

Hi,
When we started coming to France in the early nineties on holiday, It wasn't possible to buy sliced bread or grilles pain (toasters)! Now, of course, they're everywhere, but can be expensive! We use a UK spec. toaster here with no problem.
The only real difference I've experienced with the slightly different mains voltage is that my soldering iron is that bit cooler (quelle catastrophe!).
Cheers, Pete.

[Herald1360]

You'll have to bite the bullet and get the Weller you always wanted

[hannahs radios]

According to the world radio and TV handbook of 1980 the French electrical system is 220 or 240 volts 50 cycles so your toaster should be happy on UK supply

[Tractorfan]

Hi,
Rather than trust cheapo adaptors, I prefer to connect a French trailing socket to a 13amp plug when taking French stuff to use in the UK. And vice versa. Years ago I bought a UK plug to Schuko socket adaptor, but the metal bits seemed very flimsy. I wouldn't have fancied drawing more than a few hundred watts through it!
Cheers, Pete.

[happytiger]

Originally Posted by McMurdo

I wouldn't worry about it. We were importing 220V appliances from Europe for years with few problems.

I have experienced many problems with appliances overheating.
There are a lot of imported lamps,these are UK voltage of 220V,some are marked 230v, but in GB the voltage is 240-245,so the lamp has a very short life.
Lamps are critical of voltage,each 5% increase in voltage will half the life.
It is a big concern these days with items rated 230-240V, instead of 230-250.
Checking mains here I find 245V at off peak times,and never less than235.

[paulsherwin]

Several OT and duplicate posts have been removed. Please try to stay on topic.

[Radio Wrangler]

Different things have different sensitivities to voltage variation.

A 220v toaster would run hotter than a 240v one, but if it uses a thermal timer to decide when to switch off, then I would expect there to be little effect other than slightly sooner toast.

Tungsten filament light bulbs are very sensitive to voltage. Their colour temperature and life-expectancies change a lot.

David

[ex 2 Base]

Re slice bread in France, here in Cros de Cagnes the Casio super market has a bread slicing machine in which you place your loaf and do it yourself.Don't suppose similar machines would be allowed in UK, too dangerous, kids might get their fingers. Also the wiring in general leaves a lot to be desired, they seem to use any colours available at the time and very little is labeled correctly. Dis boards are a mess, never seen at tidy one yet. Lots of flexible tubing is used and tapping into light circuits for a low amperage socket outlet in quite common. Yet never heard of any one being electrocuted, I'm pleased to say.

[happytiger]

Originally Posted by Tractorfan

When you cut the plug off, depending how vintage it is (and with quartz tubes, not very), you will find that the colours will be exactly the same as the UK.
So long as the earth wire is connected properly, the French don't worry too much about which way round the brown & blue wires are connected. I have a double wall socket and some three way adaptors, and the polarity you get depends which socket you use!

A lot of UK items were not polarity special, it is not of much importance with AC, as long as the earth connection is there. I like the shuko system, its reversible and has the earth contact on the outside so that you can see the connection. This idea was used in GB in the 50s, ie on kettles and irons etc.