North to South Posted March 20, 2021 Share Posted March 20, 2021 I’m sure this has been covered plenty of times, but for new arrivals like me and with ,my container arriving in the next few days full of electrical items I wanted to know whether I am permitted to change the plugs, or do I need to call an electrician to do this. I can easily change plugs myself, have done all my life in the UK, but moving to a new country, just not sure what most people do when they’ve arrived, so appreciate some guidance. Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lavers Posted March 20, 2021 Share Posted March 20, 2021 We just bought adaptors for our things which is abit of a pain. Not sure if you can change your own plugs, I think there more stricter over here regarding things like that. Then again though who will know 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DukeNinja Posted March 20, 2021 Share Posted March 20, 2021 21 minutes ago, North to South said: I’m sure this has been covered plenty of times, but for new arrivals like me and with ,my container arriving in the next few days full of electrical items I wanted to know whether I am permitted to change the plugs, or do I need to call an electrician to do this. I can easily change plugs myself, have done all my life in the UK, but moving to a new country, just not sure what most people do when they’ve arrived, so appreciate some guidance. Thanks Short answer, no, you can't. You need a sparky. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
calNgary Posted March 21, 2021 Share Posted March 21, 2021 By the book, you should use a sparky but after 14 years here i am yet to meet anyone who has called a sparky in just to change a plug. We didn't ship much out with us when we came, but for the couple of electrical items we did bring, i just bought replacement leads. Cal x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrDougster Posted March 21, 2021 Share Posted March 21, 2021 Nobody will ever know. Unless you post it on a forum... 3 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rammygirl Posted March 21, 2021 Share Posted March 21, 2021 Depends which state. In SA we can do anything not directly wired to mains, so can change plugs but not light switches. In QLD can’t change plugs. Not sure about other states. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rallyman Posted March 21, 2021 Share Posted March 21, 2021 (edited) Who can afford a electrican to come out and Chang a plug Edited March 21, 2021 by Rallyman 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DukeNinja Posted March 21, 2021 Share Posted March 21, 2021 4 hours ago, DrDougster said: Nobody will ever know. Unless you post it on a forum... Or your house catches on fire, and you need to claim on your insurance. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul1Perth Posted March 21, 2021 Share Posted March 21, 2021 They sell replacement plugs in hardware stores. If you know what you're doing, what colour wire goes to which connector it's easy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrDougster Posted March 21, 2021 Share Posted March 21, 2021 1 hour ago, DukeNinja said: Or your house catches on fire, and you need to claim on your insurance. Yeah. I forgot about the many house fires around the world caused by colour blind people wiring their own plugs. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marisawright Posted March 21, 2021 Share Posted March 21, 2021 (edited) 30 minutes ago, DrDougster said: Yeah. I forgot about the many house fires around the world caused by colour blind people wiring their own plugs. Colour blind or stupid... My ex was a science nerd and when we were first married (in our early 20s) we stayed in rental places for several years while he did his studies. The first thing he did when we moved in somewhere was test all the plugs and you'd be astonished how many were wrongly wired (so not actually earthed, for instance), or the wires had been so loosely done, they could've come adrift any minute. It's such an easy thing and I remember my dad teaching us all when we were just kids, but I've met plenty of people my age who have absolutely no idea. The problem in Australia is that most appliances have the plug sealed onto the end of the cable, so if you've got a plug that you attached yourself, it's very obvious. If you were unlucky enough to have a fire, even if it wasn't caused by the plug, the insurance would see it as a great excuse... Edited March 21, 2021 by Marisawright Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DukeNinja Posted March 21, 2021 Share Posted March 21, 2021 58 minutes ago, DrDougster said: Yeah. I forgot about the many house fires around the world caused by colour blind people wiring their own plugs. https://uniquefireandsecurity.co.uk/5-common-causes-of-electrical-fires/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
welljock Posted March 21, 2021 Share Posted March 21, 2021 4 hours ago, DukeNinja said: https://uniquefireandsecurity.co.uk/5-common-causes-of-electrical-fires/ None of those are badly wired plugs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marisawright Posted March 22, 2021 Share Posted March 22, 2021 On 21/03/2021 at 22:44, welljock said: None of those are badly wired plugs I wouldn't expect it to be a "common" cause of fires these days, because I think it's far less common to change plugs on appliances these days. In fact, I'm trying to remember why it was such a common thing when I was a kid... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul1Perth Posted March 22, 2021 Share Posted March 22, 2021 1 hour ago, Marisawright said: I wouldn't expect it to be a "common" cause of fires these days, because I think it's far less common to change plugs on appliances these days. In fact, I'm trying to remember why it was such a common thing when I was a kid... All the stuff ordered online these days could come with allsorts of plugs. People arriving from the UK or America abd brought their electrical stuff would need to change. I used to work on defense contracts and some of the equipment we used was from the states. First thing we had to do was change plugs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
calNgary Posted March 22, 2021 Share Posted March 22, 2021 1 hour ago, Marisawright said: I wouldn't expect it to be a "common" cause of fires these days, because I think it's far less common to change plugs on appliances these days. In fact, I'm trying to remember why it was such a common thing when I was a kid... I would guess it was because electrical items were made to last back then, where as now you are lucky to get 3 or 4 years out of them. As an example,I remember my nannas washing machine lasting years and years. Here ive gone through 3 in 14 years! Cal x 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
welljock Posted March 23, 2021 Share Posted March 23, 2021 3 hours ago, Marisawright said: I wouldn't expect it to be a "common" cause of fires these days, because I think it's far less common to change plugs on appliances these days. In fact, I'm trying to remember why it was such a common thing when I was a kid... Plugs didn't come fitted on appliances as standard, it may have been one of Watchdog's first campaigns to change this Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MacGyver Posted March 23, 2021 Share Posted March 23, 2021 3 hours ago, Marisawright said: I wouldn't expect it to be a "common" cause of fires these days, because I think it's far less common to change plugs on appliances these days. In fact, I'm trying to remember why it was such a common thing when I was a kid... Opening them up to change the fuse? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul1Perth Posted March 23, 2021 Share Posted March 23, 2021 2 hours ago, MacGyver said: Opening them up to change the fuse? No fuses in Aus plugs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MacGyver Posted March 23, 2021 Share Posted March 23, 2021 13 minutes ago, Paul1Perth said: No fuses in Aus plugs. MArissa had said she remembered having to open up plugs often as a kid but couldn't remember why - which was in Scotland I think - so wondered if it was to change the fuse back then 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon the Hat Posted March 23, 2021 Share Posted March 23, 2021 3 hours ago, MacGyver said: MArissa had said she remembered having to open up plugs often as a kid but couldn't remember why - which was in Scotland I think - so wondered if it was to change the fuse back then I think so. I recall in the 80s fuses being changed a lot at home. My dad always seemed to be changing something. Mind you he was a electrical engineer by trade. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham Fletcher Posted March 24, 2021 Share Posted March 24, 2021 when we first arrived we used those multi-socket boards from England with one adaptor - works for things like TV/DVD player set-ups. Otherwise, just switch them yourself, you have the skills Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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