Hi,

I bought some (pretty inexpensive) extension cords at Ikea. I was very excited, plugging them in, and winding them around my bedroom, so that on the other side of the room, I could plug in a power strip and have multiple things running at the same time, in the same room (!). However, I failed to pay attention, and bought extension cords that will fit only a 2 pronged device. The power strip has 3 prongs.

Questions:
1) Is there an adapter that I can buy somewhere so that it will fit? If so, where can I go? - I was already at InterDiscount and Coop City with no luck.

2) Do I need to give up and just go and buy extension cords that fit 3 pronged plugs?

Thanks for your input and help!
Kelly

1. Technically, it may be possible, using a French or German adaptor, to achieve what you want.

2. Unless you really understand about earthed and non-earthed appliances (and by the sound of it you probably don't) and can guarantee to only ever connect non-earthed ones to your extension strip, then you absolutely should _not_ do this. Get a proper three-core extension and you'll be safe.

Thanks for your input - is this not a normal thing, then? For instance, my laptop plug has 3 prongs, but my house in the States had a lot of outlets with only 2 prongs. You can go to any appliance store and buy an adapter to fix this problem for about 3 USD.....I just figured this was quite an average thing to look for and find in many stores. I guess not here, though?

This thread reminds me, I need to go and buy some more adapters so I can use more than one device at once. I want to get some stuff off my external hard disk, but can't until I can plug in both the laptop and hard disk at the same time (laptop has no battery). I've been meaning to buy adapters since I arrived but I keep forgetting.

Just break off the ground pin.

Tom

It's probably cheaper and less of a hassle to take that extension back to Ikea and buy one that has three prong plugs every where.

I hate having all those adaptor everywhere. Ugh.

Yes, you can get the 3 prong to 2 prong swiss plug at most any brico store. Seems I got my last one in Migros Brico, but I believe Jumbo or any other store with decent electrical section would also have. It is a simple little ad on plug that is very cheap. I use it for traveling all the time as the 3 prong is a problem in most other outlets and converters.

However, if using here all the time for many appliances, for safety reasons it may be better to get the 3 prong outlet.

Those little adapters in the U.S. have a little metal tab with a hole through it on the prong side, which is supposed to be screwed to the outlet with the center screw in the outlet faceplate, which should be grounded itself. So that when you plug your 3 prong plug into the adapter, it's grounded. Electrical items with 3 prong plugs have them for a reason. 99.9% of the time in the real world it probably doesn't matter, but they don't just ground things for the fun of it (that .1% is always a doozy). I would just get different extension cords.

Apart from electrical safety, there's also the issue of Electro-magnetic emissions.

By removing the earthing (grounding) of a device, you may cause it's emissions to go up and interfere with other electrical devices in your, and you neighbours' houses.

You could be breaking the law in this case.

Such an adapter sounds very dangerous to me. I wouldn't use one in the US either. Save 3 dollars and risk your life. Is it worth it?

3 prong outlet to 2 prong device is no problem.

The other way around is a no-no.

and if a fire breaks out and the forensics discover you've intentionally circumvented a safety mechanism it could be that your insurance won't pay.

Unless you know for sure that the appliance isn't actually earthed, but just has the 3rd pin anyway, not connected. But yes, I agree, an appliance fitted with an earth lead may rely on it for safety in the event of a fault developing, and if it's only connected to a 2-pin outlet, you may be in big trouble.

If I knew for sure that the appliance wasn't earthed and the third prong was causing me trouble, I would rather change the plug for a two prong one that have such an adapter in my house. You never know under what circumstances Murphy may strike and the adpater may end up being used in a different situation to that intended.

To the OP.

Believe me -we don't put all these earth (ground) wires in products just for the fun of it.

It's not an optional accessory.

I've said it before on here and I'll say it again:

If the product has this symbol on it's label:



You can safety not worry about the earth wire.

If it doesn't then make sure you have a three pin extension lead.

I got a question.
Why is it no-no?
I bought these adapters to use it with our UK 3 pin plig n 2 ping plug that doesn't fit in to swiss one. 2 in 1 lol
I thought it's ok to use.
Can you tell me no-no?

Thx

Those are 3 pin to 3 pin adapters so they are fine. They won't fit into 2 pin sockets. They are perfectly safe.

The middle pin of a Swiss three-pin plug (like yours) prevents you from inserting it into a socket with only two pins. However, there is no problem inserting a two pin plug into a 3-pin socket (which is also safe).

In the UK it's even simpler because (with the exception of shaver connectors) virtaully all plugs are 3 pin anyway.

If you do saw off the third pin or use an adpater that disconnects it, you basically have an earth wire that is there for your protection that doesn't connect to anything and so doesn't provide protection if the device develops a fault.

BTW my 3 pin swiss plug can convert UK 3 pin plug and 2 pin plug that doesn't fit it to swiss one like German 2 pin plug.(they are thicker)

But I can still use this way German 2 pin plug to Swiss 3 pin plug without trouble, right?

The one on the right is fine.

The one on the left is sort of fine but be careful:

The German ones with the thick pins are called Schucko.
They look like 2 pin but are actually three because the earth contact is carried on the outside. That's why the whole plug fits into a round recess.

You should thus not fit them into flat adapters.

Get a German Schucko to Swiss three-pin adapter instead. You can get them in hardware stores.

The one on your picture is missing the outside metal strip, so I guess it's fine. But if the plug has that strip, use the proper adapter.

Here is a German Schucko plug, note the metal strip on top. That's the earth contact instead of a third pin.



Here's the matching German socket. Note the contact strips at the top and bottom.