Adapter to use 3-pin plug in 2-pin shaver socket?

itm2

I've just bought a Boots shaver and for some reason it has a 3-pin power supply instead of the usual 2-pin shaver socket cord. The power supply is rated at 100-240V 0.2A, so should be fine to plug in to the shaver socket (which has dual 110v/230v outputs).
Does anyone know where I can find a suitable adapter? (i.e. the opposite of the usual shaver adapter which lets you plug a shaver into a 3-pin socket)

neilmcl

itm2 said:

I've just bought a Boots shaver and for some reason it has a 3-pin power supply instead of the usual 2-pin shaver socket cord. The power supply is rated at 100-240V 0.2A, so should be fine to plug in to the shaver socket (which has dual 110v/230v outputs).
Does anyone know where I can find a suitable adapter? (i.e. the opposite of the usual shaver adapter which lets you plug a shaver into a 3-pin socket)

Can you post a link to the shaver in question?

Are you sure it's not simply a rechargeable shaver rather than one that's supposed to be used whilst plugged in?

chrobakx

itm2 said:

I've just bought a Boots shaver and for some reason it has a 3-pin power supply instead of the usual 2-pin shaver socket cord. The power supply is rated at 100-240V 0.2A, so should be fine to plug in to the shaver socket (which has dual 110v/230v outputs).
Does anyone know where I can find a suitable adapter? (i.e. the opposite of the usual shaver adapter which lets you plug a shaver into a 3-pin socket)

You can use standard adapter eu to uk two pin to three pins

But you'll have to push the pins closer together to fit in the socket.

chrobakx

Something like this Gadgets Hut UK - 2 x UK to EU Europe European Travel Adapter suitable for France, Germany, Spain, Egypt, China - Refer to Product description for Country 

chrobakx

I cannot post the links yet, but you can found them on Amazon, ebay, Poundland, etc

Ebe_Scrooge

I'd be very wary of trying to do this, or of trying to "adapt" something else to do the job.  There's a reason why shaver sockets are the only sockets allowed in a bathroom.

Presumably the shaver is rechargeable, and doesn't need to actually be plugged in whilst you're using it?  Far simpler and safer to just charge it once a week or as required, using a standard 3-pin socket somewhere other than the bathroom.

victor2

Ebe_Scrooge said:

I'd be very wary of trying to do this, or of trying to "adapt" something else to do the job.  There's a reason why shaver sockets are the only sockets allowed in a bathroom.

Presumably the shaver is rechargeable, and doesn't need to actually be plugged in whilst you're using it?  Far simpler and safer to just charge it once a week or as required, using a standard 3-pin socket somewhere other than the bathroom.

^^This^^

And a reason why they can only supply a limited current. Plugging a 3-pin plug into an adapter and then forcing that into a bathroom 2-pin socket is looking for a Darwin award.

I can't see any electric shavers from Boots that aren't rechargeable anyway.

neilmcl

There's a good reason why there's not a 3 pin UK plug to 2 pin shaver adapter, it kind of defeats the whole safety aspect of having a 2 pin shaver socket in your bathroom, and as @Ebe_Scrooge mentions trying to adapt a travel adapter would be as equally as dangerous, just don't.

Sandtree

victor2 said:

Ebe_Scrooge said:

I'd be very wary of trying to do this, or of trying to "adapt" something else to do the job.  There's a reason why shaver sockets are the only sockets allowed in a bathroom.

Presumably the shaver is rechargeable, and doesn't need to actually be plugged in whilst you're using it?  Far simpler and safer to just charge it once a week or as required, using a standard 3-pin socket somewhere other than the bathroom.

^^This^^

And a reason why they can only supply a limited current. Plugging a 3-pin plug into an adapter and then forcing that into a bathroom 2-pin socket is looking for a Darwin award.

I can't see any electric shavers from Boots that aren't rechargeable anyway.

And as noted it is only looking for a 0.2amp current where as shaving sockets can be 0.5amp or 1amp if fused.

My ancient shaver came with both a 2 pin and 3 pin cable, no transformer in either. Whilst most the time recharge it and use it off battery if it runs out and dont want to do a wet shave it can run direct from power. When unable to find the 2 pin cable I have used a uk to eu convertor and the cable fits the socket without any issue

As to trying to "adapt" something being bad... you better not open up some of your plugs, particularly from european brands, we've several manufacturer supplied powerleads that inside the UK plug you'll find a euro 2pin and so the outer plug is really an adaptor (ie https://www.satellitetv.ie/image/cache/catalog/EU to UK plug adaptor 1-1000)

TELLIT01

I'm surprised that a shaver comes with a fitted 3 pin plug.  It might be worth checking with Boots to see if a 'proper' 2 pin plug for shaver socket is available.

Section62

Sandtree said:

And as noted it is only looking for a 0.2amp current where as shaving sockets can be 0.5amp or 1amp if fused.

That doesn't matter.  The appliance will only draw the current it needs. The important thing is having a socket and wiring suitable for the appliance being plugged in.

A 2-pin isolated shaver point in a bathroom is wholly unsuited to having a '3-pin' plugged appliance being connected to it.  Regardless of what potentially dangerous products might be available from dodgy online suppliers.

Sandtree said:

As to trying to "adapt" something being bad... you better not open up some of your plugs, particularly from european brands, we've several manufacturer supplied powerleads that inside the UK plug you'll find a euro 2pin and so the outer plug is really an adaptor

This is a completely different thing, and not relevant to the OP's question.

The appliance in your situation would be designed not to need an 'earth' - therefore there are no safety implications in using a correctly designed adaptor to allow that appliance to be used in a UK 3-pin socket.  And by 'correctly designed' that should include a method of preventing the user accessing 'live' terminals within the adaptor case.