quick question 2 pin plugs...

Surfer · 4 Apr 2008 at 13:11

Made the mistake of buying a shaver which turns out to only have the 2 pin plug... so i guess i need an adapter for it.

i thought all Uk electrical products had to come with a 3 pin plug as standard?

Lamo · 4 Apr 2008 at 13:13

As far as i'm aware even in the UK all electric shavers come with the two pin plugs for use in bathroom sockets which are two pin.

georges · 4 Apr 2008 at 13:14

It goes into a shaver plug, so that you don't plug directly into the mains, as 2 pins are the only legally save plugs for a bathroom.

johnny6 · 4 Apr 2008 at 13:15

All electric shavers come with a 2 pin plug for use in the bathroom I think. Just get yourself a plug adapter

Surfer · 4 Apr 2008 at 13:16

Bathroom sockets? hrmm nope dont got any 2 pin... never seen them cept in hotels. i'll have to get an adapter i guess

badbob · 4 Apr 2008 at 13:18

i'll have to get an adapter i guess

If you plug a shaver into ac mains (3 pin wall socket) with an adaptor your shaver will go pop. Possibly catch fire.

You plug it into bathroom shaver socket.

Liquidfox · 4 Apr 2008 at 13:20

You can buy adapters, i've got one for my Remington

Surfer · 4 Apr 2008 at 13:21

badbob said:
If you plug a shaver into ac mains (3 pin wall socket) with an adaptor your shaver will go pop. Possibly catch fire.

You plug it into bathroom shaver socket.

uhmm ok hrmm bugger ehh... dont have bathroom shaver socket... are they mandatory in all bathrooms in the UK??? Problem is when i bought it there wasnt really any indication that it was 2 pin only.

Adam_151 · 4 Apr 2008 at 13:23

Don't worry, as long as your shaver is suitable for 240vac then a shaver adapter is the right thing to use. Perhaps the above poster had a yank shaver that he normally used in the 110v volt side of a shaver outlet and tried plugging that into 240v....

Snakedoctor · 4 Apr 2008 at 13:23

badbob said:
If you plug a shaver into ac mains (3 pin wall socket) with an adaptor your shaver will go pop. Possibly catch fire.

You plug it into bathroom shaver socket.

No it wont lol. A shaver two pin plug is still 230v, just very lows amps and not earthed. Get a two-three pin plug adapter. You *could* cut off the two pin plug and wire it into a three pin one.

Wossi · 4 Apr 2008 at 13:25

badbob said:
If you plug a shaver into ac mains (3 pin wall socket) with an adaptor your shaver will go pop. Possibly catch fire.

You plug it into bathroom shaver socket.

So how come the electric razor I have hasn't gone pop then when plugged into a regular mains socket with an adapter?

badbob · 4 Apr 2008 at 13:26

Turophobic said:
No it wont lol. A shaver two pin plug is still 230v, just very lows amps. Get a two-three pin plug adapter.

A shaver socket has a transformer in it, it regulates the current. Look up regulated and unregulated.

So how come the electric razor I have hasn't gone pop then when plugged into a regular mains socket with an adapter?

Might have internal regulation. Some shavers don't.

Snakedoctor · 4 Apr 2008 at 13:28

Adam_151 said:
Don't worry, as long as your shaver is suitable for 240vac then a shaver adapter is the right thing to use. Perhaps the above poster had a yank shaver that he normally used in the 110v volt side of a shaver outlet and tried plugging that into 240v....

It has not been 240v in the UK for about ten years.

Surfer · 4 Apr 2008 at 13:29

can get a shaver adaptor called a "Jo-Jo shaver adaptor" for £1.95 so done deal

Nebzor · 4 Apr 2008 at 13:29

Surfer said:
uhmm ok hrmm bugger ehh... dont have bathroom shaver socket... are they mandatory in all bathrooms in the UK??? Problem is when i bought it there wasnt really any indication that it was 2 pin only.

How many 3-pin shavers have you had? I've only EVER seen 2-pin.

Adam_151 · 4 Apr 2008 at 13:38

Turophobic said:
It has not been 240v in the UK for about ten years.

*slap on wrist* ... its only officially you realise though? its 230v +10% -6% (supposed to being changed to +/- 10% soon), which means that 240v is within spec and nothing has really changed from the pre-95 days, except that we are now on paper, harmonised with europe

Surfer · 4 Apr 2008 at 13:49

Benjarghmin said:
How many 3-pin shavers have you had? I've only EVER seen 2-pin.

none i guess

just havent seen 2 pin ones either..

Tomsk · 4 Apr 2008 at 14:01

Turophobic said:
No it wont lol. A shaver two pin plug is still 230v, just very lows amps and not earthed. Get a two-three pin plug adapter. You *could* cut off the two pin plug and wire it into a three pin one.

I'll have to check when I get home, but I'm sure mine (Braun) is multi-voltage (100-264VAC).

I would have thought that most shavers would be multi-voltage as their owners would want to take them on their travels.

Energize · 4 Apr 2008 at 14:17

Why are they 2 pin anyway? An unearthed shaver in the bathroom seems somewhat dangerous....

Adam_151 · 4 Apr 2008 at 16:26

Energize said:
Why are they 2 pin anyway? An unearthed shaver in the bathroom seems somewhat dangerous....

Shavers are of class two construction and don't require have anything to connect to earth, in addition shaver outlets in bath and shower rooms provide something called 'protection by electricial separation'; theres a transformer in there to acheive this, and you cannot get a shock between either of the two conductors and ground, because there is no path back from ground, when running your shaver in the bathroom.. there is no concept of earth or neutral on the circuit supplying your shaver from the transformer in the outlet

EDIT: nice pic here! http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Book/5.8.4.htm