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

roddydogs

Can a £20 shaver be any good anyway? A new foil head for my panny is £20 !

GDB2222

I have just fitted a new shaver socket. It is rated at 20 watts, which is less than 0.1 amps, and I think that is pretty standard for most bathroom shaver sockets. I have not come across any that can provide 0.2 amps which this Boots shaver needs. I am not saying that more powerful sockets don’t exist, but I didn’t find any.

The point is that plugging the Boots shaver into a bathroom socket may well overload the socket. At best, this will lead to the socket failing fairly quickly, which is quite an expensive repair. 

roddydogs

Surprised it can be used plugged in, none of my rechargables could.

Section62

Sandtree said:

....We've been told on this thread adaptors are bad and now that recharging shouldnt be done in the bathroom so what am I supposed to have done?

I don't think that's happened.

The point has been made several times that a specific type of adapter (BS1363 plug to shaver socket) could result in dangerous situations and thus that type of adapter cannot lawfully be sold in the UK - hence any product purporting to do that (or any DIY bodge) should be treated as potentially extremely dangerous.

coffeehound has raised an additional point that for some specific items the manufacturer does not advise (/prohibits) use in a non-isolated supply.

But the answer to your question is that you should have followed the manufacturer's instructions.  If those said not to charge in a bathroom, and not to use a non-isolated supply, then the options would have been to get an isolating shaver point installed in another room, or to return the item to the retailer as unfit for purpose (perhaps alerting trading standards at the same time).

itm2

roddydogs said:

Can a £20 shaver be any good anyway? A new foil head for my panny is £20 !

Actually it did a very good job - I used it for the first time this morning. I've used Braun shavers for 20+ years but this did just as good a job, and all for the price of a Braun replacement foil or blade.
I mainly bought it because I saw it reviewed in a group test on a BBC consumer show - it was the most highly rated for performance while also being the least expensive.
Incidentally the idea that rechargeable savers should not be plugged into bathroom shaver sockets sounds like BS to me - every Braun shaver that I've had in the last 20 years has been rechargeable and they've all been supplied with bathroom shaver socket cords.

victor2

itm2 said:

roddydogs said:

Can a £20 shaver be any good anyway? A new foil head for my panny is £20 !

Actually it did a very good job - I used it for the first time this morning. I've used Braun shavers for 20+ years but this did just as good a job, and all for the price of a Braun replacement foil or blade.
I mainly bought it because I saw it reviewed in a group test on a BBC consumer show - it was the most highly rated for performance while also being the least expensive.
Incidentally the idea that rechargeable savers should not be plugged into bathroom shaver sockets sounds like BS to me - every Braun shaver that I've had in the last 20 years has been rechargeable and they've all been supplied with bathroom shaver socket cords.

Times and technology are changing. No doubt you'll find that it lasts a lot longer on one charge than its predecessors.

My current rechargeable shaver goes 2 to 3 months of daily use between charges and has only a USB cable to charge it. It indicates when the battery is getting low (in addition to slowing down!) and will recharge in a few hours from a standard USB charger, which we are not short of, although don't have any in the bathroom. 

At the price of the Boots one, consider it disposable. I don't suppose you can replace the battery anyway when it does eventually reach the end of its life.

GDB2222

itm2 said:

roddydogs said:

Can a £20 shaver be any good anyway? A new foil head for my panny is £20 !

Actually it did a very good job - I used it for the first time this morning. I've used Braun shavers for 20+ years but this did just as good a job, and all for the price of a Braun replacement foil or blade.
I mainly bought it because I saw it reviewed in a group test on a BBC consumer show - it was the most highly rated for performance while also being the least expensive.
Incidentally the idea that rechargeable savers should not be plugged into bathroom shaver sockets sounds like BS to me - every Braun shaver that I've had in the last 20 years has been rechargeable and they've all been supplied with bathroom shaver socket cords.

Whether you can charge a particular shaver in a bathroom socket depends on how much current that particular shaver  draws. This one draws more current than most bathroom sockets can provide. That is precisely why Boots put a three pin plug on it. 

I’m sorry that sounds like BS to you, based on your experience with other shavers. I bet that those came with a two pin plug?

The good news is that the transformer in the socket will probably just burn out quietly without setting fire to the house. Probably.

Section62

GDB2222 said:

The good news is that the transformer in the socket will probably just burn out quietly without setting fire to the house. Probably.

The even better news is that if the owner hasn't burned their house down or electrocuted themselves, but has managed to trip the thermal protection, or ruined the socket by forcing the wrong kind of plug into it, then buying a replacement (cheap plastic) shaver point will cost less than the cost of a new shaver.

https://www.toolstation.com/axiom-low-profile-shaver-socket/p35441

Personally I'd prefer to be safe, and follow the manufacturer's instructions.  And save myself £11.54.

itm2

Apologies if I've missed a part of the conversation but the shaver's power supply is rated at 0.2A, which as far as I'm aware is in line with shaver sockets conforming to BS4573?

Grizzlebeard

itm2 said:

...snip

Incidentally the idea that rechargeable savers should not be plugged into bathroom shaver sockets sounds like BS to me - every Braun shaver that I've had in the last 20 years has been rechargeable and they've all been supplied with bathroom shaver socket cords.

For goodness sake!

Braun 2 pin rechargeable shavers are DESIGNED to be used in a wet environment so can be used in a bathroom SAFELY.

Your Boots 3 pin rechargeable shaver is NOT DESIGNED to be used in a wet environment so cannot be used in a bathroom SAFELY.

Nothing to do with Volts and Amps. Everything to do with not ELECTROCUTING yourself!!!!

Water cannot get into a Braun 2pin rechargeable shaver. Safe wet!
Water can get into your Boots 3pin (plastic earth pin or not) rechargeable shaver. Not safe wet! That's the only reason your shaver is not supplied with a 2 pin lead.

It would be as dangerous as using an unearthed toaster to make your breakfast while having a bath!!!!