What did you do when you first moved to Switzerland? Change all the plugs on your electricals, or sell everything and buy new in CH? Can't imagine anyone uses large quantities of adapters, do they?

I am only moving from the UK so from what I can see, most things should be ok just to stick a new plug on - in theory! Has anyone actually done this or attempted to...

Most things without a motor here (UK) are 220-240V and 50/60hz so a straight swap for CH (220v & 50hz). Right??

The volts and hertz are the same.

I changed some plugs, and bought a few cables (PC and such like).
Also, re-plugging a UK 4 way extension can be quite handy to tide you over.

I only used an adapter for a mobile phone, everything else was changed.

Except the sandwich toaster. Memo to me: do it this weekend

When we moved here last year from Scotland we changed to Swiss plugs for a lot of things that get plugged in on their own. For all the cables behind the TV or that go with the computers we changed the pug on UK power strips and kept the plugs on the appliances.

we have accumulated so many appliances... UK, German, Aussie... we actually use a UK powerboard, a German powerboard and a bunch of travel converters
for laptops and other electronics with adapters, we just bought new 2-prong or 3-prong cables
and apparently you can wedge some German appliances into the Swiss powerpoints

I am planning to have my dad put new plugs on most of the things that are working on converters at the moment - except the Aussie appliances since we will return (one day)

It's a bit annoying and in the kitchen very unsightly... but hey, we still only have bare light bulbs dangling from the ceilings ... over time ...

Yeah, the flat German plugs will fit Swiss sockets, but not the full round jobbies.

Can you actually buy plugs in Switzerland and do the changeover yourself, or does a professional have to do it (for liability rather than ability reasons)?

If you can chop you can wire up a Swiss plug from Jumbo and the like.

Brown and blue go left and right and green/yellow goes in the middle if it exists.

From your local pound store in the UK you can usually get a 4-gang extension.... for a quid... I have one as we recently bought something from the UK with a block DC adaptor.

NB - VERY IMPORTANT - for US power, this will result in a burning smell. We're talking 220 volts not 110 here!!

Thanks LR, this could be a life saving bit of info!

Thanks for all the other answers. Good idea on the power strips - that should save a bit of plug changing!

I have some hifi and computer equipment that uses leads with what moulded connected which I call a kettle connector (IEC). (It has with UK plugs on the end of it). I want to replace all these ultimately with swiss cables. I haven't seen any in mediamarkt. Has anyone else bought any of these ?




I slightly different question: has anyone found a shop selling swiss multiblocks with cable lengths of greater than 4m ?


dave

Try FUST. I got mine there, in fact I'm sure I've a spare 1 or 3...

Dave - chop chop chop. They're standard 3-core electrical cables. About a franc a plug

Nah, I'd rather go with the moulded cables, especially where sensitive equipment or waterproofing is involved...
dave

You should get the IEC connectors and also longer multisockets from Jumbo.

I knew of some people in Canada who had moved from Germany 20 or 30 years previously. They brought so many German appliances with them and acquired more on subsequent trips home that they actually wired their house with the two different voltages: North American 110V and European 230V, and had the appropriate sockets on each circuit . I can't imagine that this is a solution that would be ideal for many people, though.

I changed the plugs according to priority - I've been here for nearly 4 years and am still using an adaptor for the vacuum cleaner. (but my computer was changed before I unpacked anything else)

I have a 2000w step-down transformer integrated into my kitchen

It's a measure of your commitment to living in Switzerland. Those who secretly hanker to go 'home' will leave their 'home' plugs on appliances. Those who settle change to 'new home' plugs.

I took a cardboard box full of old bulky British 15amp plugs back to the UK by car after keeping them in the cellar here for 5 years. Now I can never leave...

I think I'm secretly hankering not to do any housework. Or maybe that's not such a great secret.

Yah. Volts and Hertz here are as near as dammit to the UK standards here as doesn't matter.

I bought me a FUJI travel adaptor plug socket thing a year or so ago in a Dixons at Heathrow. About £7 IIRC. Steep, but hey! I was going on holiday! Jeez! The web site above has the damn things going for £20. I must have been really drunk! IMO it's a great gadget. From the picture in the link above you can only see one of the slidey green nipple things, but there are four!

Get some UK 4- or 6- or 8-gangs and one FUJI thing per 4-gang per room (you can always daisy chain 4-gangs in a room). I've got a UK vertical 10-gang with a red light on the top to warn low flying aircraft. Then again, at £20 a pop it might make more sense to hack the ends off and rewire.

The FUJIFILM thing has been to Spain, Singapore, Australia, Hawai'i and Vancouver. And now Switzerland. It fits even the Swiss "squashed hexagonal" plugs. Not surprising as it's Swiss design apparently. Only thing it won't deal with are those weird two prong things that come standard with a Philips shaver.

God, I'm drunk.

Very lucky for all you people that came here from countries with similar power surge. Coming from America I bought in advance power converters. Eventually I got tired of having all the US stuff plugged into power converters and started buying everything new here and when I do buy something in Germany that comes with their funny plugs I just chop it off, go to Jumbo and buy a Swiss one.

I can say that connecting the neutral to earth can have many surprising effects....like:

- turning your kettle on - all lights go off
- trying to change a lightbulb on an outside light and yelping when you're energised (NB. you don't conduct enough current to cause the fuse to trip!)