# EU Plug to UK plug



## MediumRoastSteam (Jul 7, 2015)

Some machines (Like the Expobar Brewtus for example) come with a standard EU plug, and the UK supplier will usually provide a wrapper to a UK plug.

However, this is usually very bulky. Has anyone cut the wire and wired a machine to a UK plug? Is it advisable?


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## Django57 (Aug 12, 2015)

I have but i checked with the supplier before so as not to invalidate my warranty / guarantee .


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## timmyjj21 (May 10, 2015)

I do it all the time and have cut off my Australian plugs and put UK ones on. Easy to do!


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## jeebsy (May 5, 2013)

Yep, get a good UK plug and just cut the wire


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## Eyedee (Sep 13, 2010)

I used the adapter until the guarantee ran out so I didn't invalidate anything.

Ian


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## MediumRoastSteam (Jul 7, 2015)

Thanks all! Is the EU / UK wiring colour coding the same?


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## DavecUK (Aug 6, 2013)

pessutojr said:


> Some machines (Like the Expobar Brewtus for example) come with a standard EU plug, and the UK supplier will usually provide a wrapper to a UK plug.
> 
> However, this is usually very bulky. Has anyone cut the wire and wired a machine to a UK plug? Is it advisable?


Yes it's absolutely advisable and I cannot see why it would invalidate your guarantee, but you can always ask your supplier.


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## MediumRoastSteam (Jul 7, 2015)

DavecUK said:


> Yes it's absolutely advisable and I cannot see why it would invalidate your guarantee, but you can always ask your supplier.


Thank you. I mentioned to BB and they said it is absolutely fine to do so.


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## hubrad (May 6, 2013)

Django57 said:


> I have but i checked with the supplier before so as not to invalidate my warranty / guarantee .


Likewise. . BB told me it was fine for me to do it but they aren't allowed to sell machines with any alterations to the original moulded plug, hence the adapter.

Colour coding of the wires is the same.


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## Nick0831 (Dec 27, 2014)

I don't think it's just advisable to cut the plug - I think it's essential as adapters are bulky and sometimes dangerous. I'm pretty limited in terms of my electrical knowledge but when my machine came, I cut the plug straight off and fitted a new UK one. The vendor I purchased it from put one in the package! Also, my machine has been back to the manufacturer for warranty work and nothing was said at all. All very simply to swap over.


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## Nick0831 (Dec 27, 2014)

hubrad said:


> Likewise. . BB told me it was fine for me to do it but they aren't allowed to sell machines with any alterations to the original moulded plug, hence the adapter.
> 
> Colour coding of the wires is the same.


And yes - what they said ^ it's the same colours.


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## 7493 (May 29, 2014)

Much safer to change the plug! A 12 year old could do it.







To qualify that, the adaptors, even the good ones, introduce another possible bad contact. Fine for low draw appliances but with a coffee machine, which can draw 10 amps or more, a bad connection can heat up and in extreme cases, catch fire. Removing the europlug and replacing with a decent quality UK version is much safer.


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## hotmetal (Oct 31, 2013)

I agree. But then I've got mine plugged into a timer which is presumably just as bad in the sense of adding another point of contact. I bet loads of us have got our machines (with UK plugs) plugged into multiway blocks, timers, WeMo etc. I'm guilty.


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## MediumRoastSteam (Jul 7, 2015)

So, today, I've done exactly that. Below are a few pictures for reference for anyone that is not sure about the wiring. It was really easy thing to do. And thank you for all the help!

Inside the wrapper










Cable and UK plug prepared










UK plug wired










Machine on!


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## espressotechno (Apr 11, 2011)

They really should teach this DIY stuff at school !


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## 7493 (May 29, 2014)

They did in my day...


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## jeebsy (May 5, 2013)

Rob666 said:


> They did in my day...


I've stripped down grinders and machines without much hesitation, but still look up how to change a plug online. Every time.


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## JKK (Feb 19, 2014)

Just to add.

It is actually much safer to change to UK plug.

As the BB supplied adapter does not transfer the

earth wire !!

Which is indeed dangerous, and probably not quite legal.

-JKK


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## MediumRoastSteam (Jul 7, 2015)

JKK said:


> Just to add.
> 
> It is actually much safer to change to UK plug.
> 
> ...


I agree that's safer, but for the BB supplied adapters I have, they do indeed transfer the earth wire. They are also Kite-marked (BSI approved).

Disclaimer: I am no electrician, all I can see is the EU plug earth pin making contact with the U.K. Earth pin on the adapter aforementioned.


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## Yes Row (Jan 23, 2013)

My dad taught me, about 40 years ago

"George Brown live wire, stripy earth, blue neutral"

Never forgot it and always say it to check any plug I have just wired

It has just stuck in my mind and I taught my kids it


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## knightsfield (Sep 22, 2014)

I was taught

BRown = Bottom Right

BLue = Bottom Left

Luckily being colour blind blue and brown aren't ones I get confused over. Wiring an Ethernet cable is always fun and don't get me started on resisters lol.


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## hotmetal (Oct 31, 2013)

I like your mnemonic actually. For some reason I've never had any problem with plugs so I haven't got a mnemonic for it. My mate always says "Brown to live, blue to bits" which makes me smile. Or there is the old rhyme:

Live wires, boy's pliers

Blue flashes, boy's ashes.

Doesn't help you remember anything except to be careful or leave it alone!


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## bongo (Apr 20, 2014)

Here's a question ...

other than the earth being connected to the earth, does it matter that the brown goes to 'live' and blue to 'neutral' at all, given the nature of AC?


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## NickdeBug (Jan 18, 2015)

When I worked in Ghana there was a complete hotchpotch of sockets and plugs. Most (but not all) sockets were UK square 3-pin - a legacy of colonial days, but much of the electrical equipment came from neighbouring francophone countries and therefore had EU 2-pin plugs.

The Ghanaian solution?

Jam a matchstick (often still unstruck) is used in place of the earth pin and the EU 2-pin is then forced into the live/neutral socket.

It gets really scary when they do this with a 3-way adapter block which is then hanging off the wall slightly and throwing out the odd spark and whiff of burning.

(I do not recommend the above method)


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## dsc (Jun 7, 2013)

Typical Polish solution to using 2pin plugs in UK sockets is to stick a UK plug upsidedown with the earth pin enaged only (this "opens" the neutral / live entry), stick the 2 pin plug in and remove the UK plug altogether









In general its not that much different from the Ghanaian solution and a matchstick won't really do much in the earth entry anyway (and its wood, a good isolator







)The other thing to remember is that 2pin plug devices have no earth connection inside the device, so the earth connection on the socket isn't neccessary.

Now what I've seen done and wouldn't recommend though is using paperclips instead of fuses on UK plugs









T.


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## GlennV (Mar 29, 2013)

bongo said:


> Here's a question ...
> 
> other than the earth being connected to the earth, does it matter that the brown goes to 'live' and blue to 'neutral' at all, given the nature of AC?


Yes, it does. It will work the other way round, but will not be safe.

Neutral remains near ground potential, with live ("hot") oscillating around it. The live is switched in the machine. If you swap them then it will be neutral that is switched instead, and live may then be applied to the internal components even when the machine is off.


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## bongo (Apr 20, 2014)

GlennV said:


> Yes, it does. It will work the other way round, but will not be safe.
> 
> Neutral remains near ground potential, with live ("hot") oscillating around it. The live is switched in the machine. If you swap them then it will be neutral that is switched instead, and live may then be applied to the internal components even when the machine is off.


Righto... won't be doing that then!


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## DavecUK (Aug 6, 2013)

To get a really good connection simply cut off the supplied moulded plug, strip the live and neutral, cos it will still work fine without the earth. Then using a metal object, prise down the earth lever pin thing in your plug socket and poke the live wire in the left and the neutral in the right lower sockets (or the other way round, it's AC who cares). Then remove the metal object wedging open the protective shutters on the plug. These then serve to hold the wires in place but not too firmly.

This semi firm hold gives a good connection, but is also added safety, as should a fault occur, the jerking around (of the human) will most likely quickly disconnect said coffee machine from the oputlet.....which of course makes the added expense of an RCD totally unnecessary.

Another huge advantage of not bothering with the earth cable, is any annoying faults with the heating element simply won't cause a problem.


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## jimbojohn55 (Jan 15, 2016)

Agree the euro to UK adapters are terrible electrical connections some are not fused and often don't earth the machine also not splash proof - a quality insulted plug such as http://www.toolstation.com/shop/p61596?table=no are much better and safer.


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