Change UK plug to Danish plug - earthing wire

md85

md85

md85

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I moved to Denmark a few months ago and have a few appliances with British plugs, I'm also looking to buy a hoover from that green south american jungle store and have it delivered (surprisingly cheap!), so I want to change those British plugs to European (Danish) plugs.

The voltage is in the same range and there are plenty of videos and information online explaining that it's safe and how to change and rewire the plugs. I've done it before with British plugs and am fine doing it myself, but I have a question on the earthing wire.

European plugs have two prongs and earthing 'strips' down the side, that make contact in the socket. However Danish plugs are slightly different, there are two types and in my apartment I have sockets with both types. Two pronged with no earthing (strips or otherwise), and three pronged with an earthing pin. The three pronged earthed sockets are in the kitchen and bathroom as you'd expect.

I can easily change the plugs to the three pronged type and connect up the earth wire, but only 2/5 rooms have sockets that take 3 prongs, so I'd prefer to add two pronged plugs (to appropriate appliances) - this means I can plug in to any socket in the apartment.

My question is, for those two pronged plugs what would I do with the earthing wire left over in the casing? Is it safe just left inside the plug connected to nothing? I can't find any example or information of this case through my googling, just changes to the standard european plug that has earthing strips.

Cheers
 
Hey, I've had the same situation (moving from UK to Denmark) and a lot of stuff I've moved from 3 to 2 pin. I end up just cutting the ground as far back as possible and sometimes a dab of hot glue or something to help any potential issues. Has worked fine for me so far!
 
You should not connect a class 1 appliance (one that requires an earth) to an unearthed plug. Your options are:

A) Replace the appliance with a class 2 version not requiring an earth
B) Fit a 3 pin local plug and use the appliane in an earthed socket outlet in a different location
C) As above, but have a local electrician fit an earthed socket outlet in the location you require it
 
Its easy to say that but the 3 pin sockets are rare as OP mentioned and in most cases are not even connected to an earth! Open a wall socket or extension block and you will find in 90% of cases that there is nothing connected to the ground pin/socket.

As we replace items, of course we will get the local 2 pin versions (god help us if we need to move back to UK at any point) but its not feasible to do that in one go.

Fitting earthed sockets to all the rooms you live in is neither easy, cheap, or helpful. Most Danish appliances come with 2 pin plugs anyway.

Seems to me that wiring generally is bad problem in Denmark. A lot of the buildings are old, but ours from the 70's has no ground fault interruption. I walked in on the washing machine sparking away last year, I was horrified that it hadn't tripped the breaker, but apparently its normal. We have since made sure that at least the bathroom and kitchen sockets are safe.

Its also common to find that touching a metal sink and the dishwasher will give you a low continual shock as the earth leakage moves through you, same with radiators when touching my MBP.
 
Thanks for the replies.

I actually read that in new installations the three pin, earthed sockets are mandatory. Which I find confusing because as Benihana said, almost all locally bought appliances come with 2 pin, unearthed plugs. The only three pin, earthed sockets in my apartment are in the kitchen and bathroom as you'd expect, so I'd certainly put those plugs on the appropriate appliances (kettle, iron), but the rest are 2 pin and unearthed. Changing them (the sockets) is a no go as it's a rental in an apartment block.

My girlfriend has a 3 pinned extension cable that has empty holes to accept 3 pin items, but no actual earthing mechanism for them. It's a little confusing when looking to change plugs like I am.

I guess I'll give it a go with a small appliance and see what happens
 
Adam_151 said:
You should not connect a class 1 appliance (one that requires an earth) to an unearthed plug. Your options are:

A) Replace the appliance with a class 2 version not requiring an earth
B) Fit a 3 pin local plug and use the appliane in an earthed socket outlet in a different location
C) As above, but have a local electrician fit an earthed socket outlet in the location you require it
Click to expand...

Couldn't of said it better myself.
 
UK wiring regs are some of the most stringent in the world, the system in the rest of Europe is much much less clear the French for example seem to be able to use pretty much anything as an electrical circuit!
 
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