Okie

We are traveling to Ireland, N Ireland, and London this summer. I was told the UK is in the middle of changing their electrical systems and that I may need 2 different 3 prong adapters. The old has flat prongs, and the new system has round prongs. Can anyone shed some light on this?? Do I need 2 adapters?

sparkchaser

Why not wait until you arrive to buy them?

Rubicund

I live in the UK and can confirm that AFAIK there is no change to our electrical sockets planned. As for being in the middle of it, that's a complete load of bulls**t. The round prong system was replaced many, many years ago by our current system.

sparkchaser

Well that answers that.

Tony2phones

Been reading a Rick Steves Guide? Actually I am old enough to remember the 3 round prong and the 2 flat 1 round plugs/sockets.

It is safe to say there will only be the standard sockets required (ie. 3 flat prongs).

Rubicund

"Actually I am old enough to remember the 3 round prong and the 2 flat 1 round plugs/sockets. "

So am I Tony, that was the system when I was a kid. I'm very curious to know where Okie got this info from?

Heimdall

When I arrived in the UK back in the 1960's there were some homes that still had the old round-pin sockets. So not only is your info about 50 years out of date, they got it the wrong way round. The "old" was round prongs, and the "new" is flat prongs.

You can easily find what you need with a quick google search on "US to UK plug adapters".

janisj

>> I was told the UK is in the middle of changing their electrical systems . . .<<

By whom? Hint - don't take any other advice from whoever it was . . . .

ESW

I live in the UK and its the first I've heard about this too...

sparkchaser

Next OP will say that he heard that the UK was switching to driving on the right side of the road and will begin phasing out RHD automobiles.

bilboburgler

Isn't it Indonesia that drives on the left but has all the car drivers on the left too with bus doors opening onto the street.

Now there's an opportunity

BigRuss

<<Isn't it Indonesia that drives on the left but has all the car drivers on the left too with bus doors opening onto the street.>>

Dunno about the bus door openings, but in the USVI they drive on the left even though the driver-side is on the left.

flanneruk

"The old has flat prongs, and the new system has round prongs. "

This is only 95% gibberish.

Britain has three kinds of plug in common use:
- two round prong, 230 V, 5 amp. Used for virtually all electric razors, toothbrushes and flossers. Some wall units - especially in hotels -also accept 110V plugs for some foreign bathroom accessories.
- three flat prong, 230 V 13 amp. The almost universal plug visitors will encounter and use in hotels or flats inspected for safety.
- three round prong, 230 V 5 amp. The most common plug used before the 1950s, and often installed for several later decades. Though mostly now in private properties with elderly wiring, it is also the plug used for recently-installed centrally switched lighting circuits.
It's common in new hotels, and in some bits of newly upgraded domestic lighting. Though this plug's never used anywhere visitors are likely to want to plug anything in, its use is growing.

Britain most certainly isn't changing. But it's not difficult to see how someone unfamiliar with the country (like a bad guide book writer) might have stumbled on the round plugs and got hold of the wrong end of a stick. Or a native has stumbled over these (to callow youth) "newfangled" round plugs and got confused.

dotheboyshall

You might find round 3 pin plugs being used in a freestanding lighting circuit (eg table or floor lamps) so you can turn them all on or off from a single switch.

Havana128

Can anyone shed some light on this??

Yes. It's total nonsense.

Tony2phones

Quick check with a sparky, New build's can have a separate lighting ring main with main switches (possibly with timers) near exits. The round pin sockets are so that nothing serious can be plugged into these which are largely only 5 amp rating.

Goes back to history when the 3 round pins were used on normal stuff and the 1 round 2 flat (Wylex?)plugs were on Irons and electric heaters ect.

Bottom line remains the same: "It is safe to say there will only be the standard sockets required (ie. 3 flat prongs)".

Hooameye

You want something like this:
http://www.maplin.co.uk/p/tourist-to...uard-13a-dv95d

Make sure the whatever you bring over is dual voltage 110-240v (all modern electronic equipment should be).

Okie

Thanks, all. An older lady at a store where they sell travel items (and adapters--ha!) told me this. She was obviously all wet! I thought it was odd since I'd never heard it before, but I figured i'd better just check. Case is solved. Thank you.

janisj

She may have been all wet . . . but she was trying to SELL you additional items. Pretty canny on her part