Should We Bring This ? Will It Work There ?....
We know .... it's taken us a while to get to some really useful content. But,
following are our thoughts on what it's worthwhile to bring if you plan a
stay of more than a few weeks. To a large extent, it's a personal decision,
dictated in large part by individual circumstances. Before we moved, we
got all kinds of advice -- some good, some bad -- so keep in mind these
are just opinions after living here for some time. For ease in locating
what you're looking for, the listings are in alphabetical order, except for
small appliances (see Bathroom/Bedroom, Kitchen and Power Tools).
First, a few things to keep in mind:
English homes are generally smaller than the U.S. -- You will have room for fewer "toys".
English electricity is 50 Hz / 240 V -- Anything that runs off the standard U.S. 60 Hz / 110 V will require a transformer. Exceptions are computer equipment, or specially purchased dual-system items, which are "switchable". The plugs / outlets are different than the U.S. or Europe, and outlets do not exist in the bathroom.
English TVs and VCRs are based on a different format (NTSC in U.S., PAL here) -- U.S. TVs will not receive local broadcasts, VCRs will not play local tapes, Video games will not work with rented media.
English appliances -- fridge, washer, dryer, dishwasher -- come in one standard size -- small. They are all about the size of a U.S. dishwasher -- 600 mm wide, less than 2 feet, and less than 3 feet tall.
Natural gas (and propane) is not readily available.
English construction is generally stone, including interior walls. Internal wiring / plumbing is not easy.
Satellite TV is common -- but with older homes, the dish must not be in plain view.
English roads, parking spaces, etc are narrow, and gasoline is approaching $6.00 a gallon.
| Item | Bring With | Buy Here | Comments | |
| Adapter Plugs | X - about 20 | Needed to plug in anything not made here, or not going into a U.S. strip. European plugs, even though they are 220 - 240 V, are different. A fairly easy alternative is to cut cords and install UK plugs -- but, only do so on 240V items, otherwise it's easy to confuse 240V with 110V. | ||
| Air Conditioner | X or N/A | You are not likely to need this. It will not fit in the windows anyway, since most open in/out vs. up/down. English homes do not have screens or storm doors. | ||
| Answering Machine | X | See Telephones -- Ours died shortly after arrival. | ||
| Automobiles | X | This was included at the last minute -- as a joke. A big, left-hand drive vehicle would be a very expensive and inconvenient proposition. It would also have to be modified to be made road-legal. Fog lights are a must. | ||
| Bathroom / Bedroom This includes:
|
X or N/A | Too small to mess with -- no outlets in the bathrooms. In general, heating elements and timers don't work right. | ||
| Batteries | X |
Bring whatever you can lug -- they are the same, and very expensive. | ||
| Boom Boxes | X | Not a problem, but radio leaves alot to be desired. | ||
| Christmas Lights | X | This is painful, because they are expensive -- but probably cheaper than a transformer. | ||
| Clocks | X | US clocks will not keep the right time. In general, this also goes for anything with a timer. | ||
| Computers | ||||
| CPU | X | Normally dual voltage, and ok. Do not forget to flip the switch, which is not always obvious (as we have found). | ||
| External Drive | X | Probably not dual voltage -- use a transformer | ||
| Monitor | X | See CPU | ||
| Printer | X | See External Drive | ||
| Scanner | X | See External Drive | ||
| Dishwasher | X | X | Probably not much difference. We bought a 240 V model in the States, and brought it. Plumbing, electric was easy -- the downside is no service. Because of this, if doing again, we would probably buy here. | |
| Dryer (Clothes) | X | This is a special case. Buy an electric one (240V) in the US. Natural gas is not always available here, and the local electric machines are tiny, and are not designed to vent to the outside (Can you say "3 hours a load ?") Line drying with the weather is not a good option. You will not get service -- we have become experts at Frigidaire wiring diagrams. | ||
| Extension Cords (US) | X | Bring 2-3 for the Power Strips, plus a long (100 ft) one for outside, with a transformer. | ||
| Fans | X | Too small to mess with, and they will not work well. | ||
| Freezer | X | Not a problem, with a variable watt transformer. A transformer is needed, but variable watt saves wear & tear on the condensor. | ||
| Fridge | X | You will not find a 20 cubic foot fridge here -- but, the downside is that parts and service for a US machine do not exist either -- take your pick -- we bought a 240V model in the states, and brought it. Several of our British friends "want ours" when we leave. | ||
| Grill, Propane | X | Can be inexpensively converted to Butane (Calor Gas). | ||
| Heater, Space | X | Heating elements tend to be a problem. | ||
| Heater, Water Bed | X | See Space Heater | ||
| Iron | X | X | We brought ours, and it works fine off a transformer. | |
| Kitchen This includes:
|
X | Generally, more trouble than they're worth. We did bring our Mixer, Toaster Oven and Waffle Iron -- they are fine off a large transformer. | ||
| Lamps | X | Most made within the last 20-30 years handle up to 250V -- Don't forget to change the bulbs. | ||
| Microwave Oven | X | Not too sure on this -- better safe than sorry ?? | ||
| Pencil Sharpener | X | We brought ours -- waste of a transformer. | ||
| Power Strips | X | You know -- the 6 outlet thing-a-ma-jigs. Bring one for each transformer plus a couple of spares. | ||
| Power Tools | X | Ok, with a big transformer. | ||
| Radios | X | Ok, but don't expect much in the way of variety. We hook into an internet feed on the 'puter, for our "local", midwestern station. | ||
| Range (Stove, Oven) | X | Not too sure on this -- better safe than sorry ?? | ||
| Sewing Machine | X | X | We still debate about this. Electronic machines will not work (??), others will with a transformer. Ours is electronic and we bought here. | |
| Stereos | X | Not a problem, on a transformer. Do not bring a turntable, unless you have records that play at 112 or so RPM. Tapes and CDs are a must, because radio leaves alot to be desired. | ||
| Telephones | X | Against our own advice, we brought ours. They work fine with a 4 to 6 wire adapter (hard to find). Cheap enough not to mess with. | ||
| Transformers | X | We're sure they have them here, but we haven't seen
them. Capacity is stated in watts. TVs, Stereo, VCRs,
Games are usually less than 50W each, so several can run
off the same transformer. Tools and appliances that
generate heat need bigger transformers. A "normal" household would need: (3-4) 200W, (2-3) 500 to 1000W, (2) 1500W, plus variable wattage for fridges, freezers, etc (one each). |
||
| TV | X | So long to get to something so important .... hey, we can't help the alphabet. In general, buy here due to different format and pretty much the same price as the US. Bring 1 or 2 for US tapes and games, to run off of transformers. See our TV page before going hog wild though. | ||
| Vacuum | X | No sense lugging around a heavy transformer. | ||
| VCRs / Video Games | X | See TV. | ||
| Washer (Clothes) | X | Local machines are small and generally front loading. Same comments as Dryer. | ||
        |
[Hits Since 01/24/99 17:00 GMT -- {or, English Style, 24/01/99}]
