Help! I'm a Yank living in Switzerland who bought a UK lamp and need to plug it in here. I've changed my US lamps with no problem, but don't know what to do with the ground wire I find in the UK plug when I change to the French one with no place for it. Can anyone help me? Thanks so much!
Change UK plug to French
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'converting' US luminairesmay be unsafe, as they may not be designed to carry 230 volts.
But to convert UK luminaires ( as well as grounded american ones) what you need is a proper french or swiss plug. Does your place actually use french plugs? the swiss don't use french plugs, they use Swiss plugs.
French plug and socket:
Swiss plug and socket:
Are you sure you don't mean 'europlug' by french plug?
Which is an ungrounded plug designed to work in most EU sockets.
Sorry if i was being patronising by asking you, but most people don't know of the different earthed plugs around Europe, they just see europlugs. Certainly it's not uncommon to find french sockets and plugs in switzerland, but swiss plugs and sockets I would imagine are far more common.
What you need to do is buy the correct grounded (as us europeans say 'earthed') plug for your sockets.
If it is the french one, you'll notice there's a hole in the plug, and a pin in the socket, you want to connect the earth to the hole.
If your sockets are unearthed, you could really do with a rewire.
Some notes as regards polarity:
These three pin plugs are polarized, unlike europlugs. Now, if your american lights came with a polarized plug, you should use these and observe polarity. However, you should check that all parts of your american lights to make sure they are safe for 230v. Are the cable, lamp connector, switches, etc. all rated at european voltage or not?
If you're not sure, don't use it.
A small piece of lexical nazism:
A lamp refers to the bulb, tube, or whatever.
I assume what you are calling a lamp is actually a luminaire.
But to convert UK luminaires ( as well as grounded american ones) what you need is a proper french or swiss plug. Does your place actually use french plugs? the swiss don't use french plugs, they use Swiss plugs.
French plug and socket:
Swiss plug and socket:
Are you sure you don't mean 'europlug' by french plug?
Which is an ungrounded plug designed to work in most EU sockets.
Sorry if i was being patronising by asking you, but most people don't know of the different earthed plugs around Europe, they just see europlugs. Certainly it's not uncommon to find french sockets and plugs in switzerland, but swiss plugs and sockets I would imagine are far more common.
What you need to do is buy the correct grounded (as us europeans say 'earthed') plug for your sockets.
If it is the french one, you'll notice there's a hole in the plug, and a pin in the socket, you want to connect the earth to the hole.
If your sockets are unearthed, you could really do with a rewire.
Some notes as regards polarity:
These three pin plugs are polarized, unlike europlugs. Now, if your american lights came with a polarized plug, you should use these and observe polarity. However, you should check that all parts of your american lights to make sure they are safe for 230v. Are the cable, lamp connector, switches, etc. all rated at european voltage or not?
If you're not sure, don't use it.
A small piece of lexical nazism:
A lamp refers to the bulb, tube, or whatever.
I assume what you are calling a lamp is actually a luminaire.
OK, what I have is a tall object that sits atop a table, holding a bulb (French ampule) with a lamp shade. I think I need to go out and buy a Swiss grounded plug. I just had a French one on hand, as they have been easy to use for my American lamps (tall objects as above), usable if I change plugs (or use a travel converter plug) and use an European bulb (French ampule). Thanks for the advice, though...
So what is a gas lamp, lava lamp, blue lamp, lamp post, genie of the lamp, oil lamp,
http://www.magicmushroomlamps.com/
http://www.magicmushroomlamps.com/
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Lamp referring to the actual part on the oil lamp that burns the oil, the rest being the luminaire.
The bulb is actually the lamp, because it is by definition all that is needed (ignoring safety, connectors, etc.)
Or that's what i've always been taught.
The bulb is actually the lamp, because it is by definition all that is needed (ignoring safety, connectors, etc.)
Or that's what i've always been taught.
Always good to meet a fellow pedant 
I would agree, this is why people refer to "lamp-stands" too. It is a stand on which a lamp is placed. You would not refer to a hat-stand as a hat.
Zen, I hope that when you hear people refer to the St Stephen's Tower clock as "Big Ben", you slap them around the face and ears whilst shouting "Big Ben is a bell, you fooooooool!!!"
I would agree, this is why people refer to "lamp-stands" too. It is a stand on which a lamp is placed. You would not refer to a hat-stand as a hat.Zen, I hope that when you hear people refer to the St Stephen's Tower clock as "Big Ben", you slap them around the face and ears whilst shouting "Big Ben is a bell, you fooooooool!!!"
for more info on plugs and sockets you can take a look at
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Domestic_AC_power_plugs_&_sockets
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Domestic_AC_power_plugs_&_sockets
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