Electrical items

Quick question which I guess has been answered many times but can we take and use electrical items from the UK to NZ?

I remember reading somewhere in the chatroom that our electrical goods will be compatible - but will need new plugs as the one's in NZ altho 3 point square are slightly different. TV's may also need soma adaptation unless they are really new and then should be OK

Very true, the NZ power points are like an upside down version of the UK sockets, only the top 2 pins are angled. Other than that, its a 240v 50hz system like the UK.

TV's and videos will work, but some may need adaption to receive NZ channels.

Another thing to consider is the cost of shipping all those items, over the cost of replacement. A major factor, unless you TV is a plasma screen or something!

Hi

While it is true UK electrical items will work fine in NZ, with an NZ plug, I would comment however that the availability of spare parts will be a problem. We are taking most of our electrical stuff, with the exception of white goods ( dishwasher, washing machine etc. ) The price of these goods in NZ is very reasonable, although in the case of washing machines, most seem to be top loaders.

We are taking our TV, video and DVD player, because we have a large collection of videos and DVDs. With a UK TV we will at least be able to play the DVDs and videos.

Another tip is to take any trailing gang multiple sockets you may have. This way you will only have a NZ plug on the trailing gang and smaller applicances can then be used with the original UK plug. It is not that the cost of NZ plugs are much different from the UK, but at least this way you do not have to cut off the existing plug etc.

Just to add to that, you may also invalidate any warranty/guarantee you may have on the products!

[david]

I have read somewhere that PC CRT monitors from the UK do not function so well as they are tuned to run in the northern hemispheres magnet field. They will still work in NZ but might not be as well focused. LCD panels should be OK.

I do not know if a UK phone will work in NZ. Can anyone say if they do??

Dave

I'm pretty sure the answer is no to phones. Same goes for fax machines as the telecoms system is different.

[Zemanova]

Taffy is right, UK telephones do not work in NZ according to my research. This was certainly the case for my mother who took her phone to NZ some years ago and found it was not compatible.

Very interested in the point about PC Monitors. Can anyone throw any further light on this. I intend to take both my PCs and Monitors so I hope they will work OK.


Dave

From my knowledge of repairing PC monitors, I know that focus can be retuned from inside the monitor. Most PC equipment is produced the same at the factory (with the exception of 110v/240v and 50/60Hz), it is merely configured differently via a process of 'trimming', which any computer engineer worth their salt can adjust.

The main problem you would encounter with PC monitors is the refresh rate of the screen (measured in Hertz), which is affected by the mains supply. As NZ is 240v/50hz, which is the same as the UK, it really should just be a case of minor adjustments by a technician.

Dont try this at home folks as getting a shock from the points on a tube will really not be a lot of fun! Some monitors have up to 33,000volts running through them (called High Tension, much like a car has High Tension leads for spark plugs) which will probably throw you a good few feet across the room. I know a man who clipped the end of a tube with his wedding ring and the ring sliced his finger completely off!

Anyway, thats my lesson on PC's over and done with!

[Zemanova]

Thanks for the info Taffy. As both my monitors are less than a year old, I guess I will take them with me and see how they perform. If I have problems I will get them looked at in NZ.

While on the subject of computers, can any one suggest a good internet service provider in NZ?

Cheers

Dave