European electrical sockets - help please

[coombm]

Am looking at buying a 3 year old boat and am very interested but it has European plugs internally about which the broker is giving an unsatisfactory answer. Is this usual to have such sockets? Are they easily fixed and if so how much?

 

[nimbusgb]

Hi

Apart from not being able to fit UK plugs into them what is the problem? I have deliberately fitted continental plugs to our boat since they have a much more aesthetically pleasing range of fittings! If I have to use UK plugged items then I use an adaptor cable. My boat use stuff is all EU plugged anyway.

If you have to change them UK sockets tend to be larger than EU ones so take up more space. Apart from that you will have to modify cutouts, ensure clearance behind and rewire 3 wires. Not a lot to it. 1/2 hour per socket tops!

 

[DownWest]

As an aside, UK sockets alway seem to be much better built and the plugs have fuses. Some continental earthed sockets are not specific on the live neutral layout as the plugs go in either way. (here in France there is a male earth pin in the socket that only allows one orientation) Can't see much problem on a boat tho'.
A

 

[Gemini]

The majority of European socket have flip of covers with the fixing screws behind screw direct into the timber frames, isolate the boat electrical local supply ( Unplug from shore power connection )
Test it is isolated, carefully remove the EU socket and check if there is clearance to install a dry line back box, which is needed to accept an UK socket. 25mm clearance for back box depth is required. fairly straight forward, check the cables have enough slack on them.
Good luck

 

[Skyva_2]

Quite normal on a Euro boat, what is unsatisfactory about the broker's answers?

We manage with Euro plugs and a few adaptors which are readily available.

 

[thefatlady]

I had a boat with all European sockets. I thought it was much better than the large, clumsy, awkward British versions. The plugs are smaller, neater and don't have sharp pins which will damage lacquered surfaces if dropped or scraped.

No trouble with earthing. I fitted European plugs to all my boat appliances and carried an adaptor for the rare times I might need to use a UK plugged appliance (e.g. electric drill).

I prefer them and would change UK sockets to European sockets if I could.

 

[nicks]

are they the euro version of these?

if so very easy to change.

 

[Bandit]

I am no electrician but I undertstand that european appliances have dipole switches which cut supply on both pos and neg and both are switched off where as UK system is only one side Pos ?

If a UK appliance is wired to a european plug and a fault occurs the item may become live even when switched off which is not good especially on a boat.

 

[jfm]

If the boat is 3yrs old from one of the major builders (tell us which please) it might well have Gewiss Playbus switches and sockets. If so, the Euro sockets can be swapped over easily for UK sockets. They fit together like lego. No cutting or new backboxes needed. Still needs a suitable person to connect he wires behind, of course

You can download a Gewiss catalogue - google, and look for the Playbus range. Plenty of UK distributors of these items. you perhaps need 12 - 20 of the UK sockets, plus 1/2 days labour for an electrician, so an easy job top to do

 

[dt4134]

If you do go down the route of fitting European plugs to your appliances, make sure they're the right type of European. I bought a few French plugs on a visit to France, fitted the first, then discovered the Earth arrangements mean a French plug won't go into a German socket.

The French have a pin that sticks out of the socket as an Earth. The Germans have earth connectors on the rim of the circular part of the socket. Those stopped the French plug going in. If you look carefully at UK adaptors they're designed to support both.

There's also another type (Italian maybe??) where the Earth pin is on the plug midway between the other two pins.

 

[gjgm]

I d keep them, and just buy £2 travel plug adapter for your UK plug...the ones that look like an electric razor plug, that is (but NOT an electric razor plug!)

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

Agree with the others. I have a boat with Euro sockets and it's no problem. I just bought a load of adaptors and left them in every socket. Just be aware that not all Euro 2 pin sockets 'n plugs are the same as the pins seem to vary in diameter

 

[thefatlady]

My Sunseeker had Gewiss sockets which accepted all Euro plugs - appliances bought in France, plugs bought in Austria, etc.

 

[DownWest]

Domestic French stuff are single pole switches. Portugal uses German stuff (pos Spanish do too) Which do not fit French. Italian are different (as noted) with the Swiss using them too.
So much for the EU.
A

While rewiring our house here, I found a lot of live blue wiring...--A

 

[Observer]

[ QUOTE ]
Still needs a suitable person to connect he wires behind, of course.

[/ QUOTE ]

"Suitable" being what, exactly? Perhaps double digit brain cells?