Two pin plug

looksee

I have a 'growing mat' that I purchased from Germany. It has a two-pin plug which I put into the black adaptor in the pic and while the pins went in, the mat did not heat.

I bought another adaptor, the white one, but I cannot get the pins to go into it at all.

Am I using the correct adaptor for the mat or is there another kind of adaptor I should use?

Apologies for the huge pic, I already reduced it by half!

meercat

If it were me I’d cut the 2 pin plug off and replace it with a standard 3 pin plug. Brown live(fuse). Blue neutral. No need to connect an earth.

looksee

Yes I would do that, but I don't want to do that and then discover that the mat is a dud and I can't send it back. Thanks anyway.

corsav6

looksee wrote: »

Yes I would do that, but I don't want to do that and then discover that the mat is a dud and I can't send it back. Thanks anyway.

Do you have a shaver socket in the bathroom to test it?
Or have you another 2 pin device to test the adaptor?
I've often put them straight into the 3 pin socket using a face tester on the earth slot to release the safety, obviously not ideal.

ED E

greasepalm

Yes used plenty of those adapters and give a good secure connection and better than those crappy adaptors on first post. Used plenty on sat boxes .

Forgot to add low fuse rating in those adapters and blew a few while testing.

meercat

They only use 17watts.
It won’t feel hot or even warm.
Are you sure it isn’t working as it’ll take a long time to notice any temperature changes

looksee

Thanks for your reply. The black one that I tried first had been in use for something with a US plug on it, and worked fine with the US item, but not with the mat. I don't have a shaver point or anything else with two pins.

The pins will not go into the white plug beyond the silver tips, they won't plug in completely. The white adaptor doesn't seem to have any sort of third socket, I did wonder if something had to be pushed in to move the covers inside the two pin slots. They do seem very solidly in place, though as I said, the pins go in a little way. I can't take it apart as it has triangular topped screws that are evidently made not to be taken out.

I don't want to send it back and then it turn out it was just the adaptor not working.

looksee

meercat wrote: »

They only use 17watts.
It won’t feel hot or even warm.
Are you sure it isn’t working as it’ll take a long time to notice any temperature changes

Yes I left it for a couple of hours, I know they are not all that warm, but there was no suggestion of heat.

looksee

ED E wrote: »

I saw reference to those while I was googling, I will have to send for one I think, I am not near an electrical shop. It does seem like the best option. Thanks.

looksee

I got one of those 'lidded' adaptors in a local electrical shop - it was not in the first flush of its youth, and was pretty much lying around, but its working fine. Thanks for all the suggestions.