Using UK electric oven abroad (Estonia) in Europe

[Dorsetdee]

Can anyone advise if a UK electric oven can be used in Estonia? Is there a converter that can be hard wired in? Thanks in advance.

 

[Marvo]

What's the voltage in Estonia?

 

[Dorsetdee]

The full details can be found here Estonia Technical Information for Travelers - Voltage / Plug / Region - WPR

In basic, the voltage is 230V 50Hz

 

[Marvo]

Then the supply is the same as the UK so why would you need a converter?

 

[Dorsetdee]

Fantastic! So just need a converter for the plug as they use 2 pin and we have 3 pin. Thank you.

 

[Dorsetdee]

Sorry to ask another possibly obvious question, but does that mean we can use a microwave out there that is from the UK? We're missionaries to Estonia and over the past 3 years have been doing up a flat as funds allow and drive over there so so we can take stuff over in our estate care. So, could we buy a microwave over here and use it safely out there with simply a converter for the plug?

 

[Marvo]

If the supply in Estonia is 230v 50 Hz then you can use any household appliance that's from the UK. It would be better to properly fit a plug that you buy over there rather than using a travel plug type adapter but either way would work.

 

[Dorsetdee]

You have been so helpful and I really appreciate it. What a great idea to change the plugs, my dear other half can do that. Very many thanks Have a fantastic day

 

[Marvo]

You can buy the plugs in the UK and fit them before you go.

Here's a nice robust rubber on that won't break so easily. 90401 - -- - SCHUKO RUBBER PLUG | CPC

There's plastic ones as well which are cheaper but rubber is better.

 

[Lucien Nunes]

As per Marvo, travel adaptors are usually a poor compromise that don't make the best or safest connections, and many of them are not rated for the heavy current used by a heating or cooking appliance. I agree that you should fit locally suitable plugs for these.

However, I think it is possible that you will find sockets in Estonia that will not accept a Schuko plug. Schuko has 4.8mm pins but the older (Soviet-derived) standard that I believe was once used in the Baltic states had 4mm pins, so the old plugs will fit new sockets but not vice versa despite looking similar. If your wiring has been updated this might not be a problem at all though.

Also, some older installations might not allow for enough capacity to run multiple cooking appliances at once, if dedicated circuits have not been provided for them. In the UK we are used to the ring circuit allowing any reasonable amount of loading in a given room, in other locations it would be normal practice to install a special circuit for the oven even though it could run from an ordinary plug.

 

[Marvo]

....However, I think it is possible that you will find sockets in Estonia that will not accept a Schuko plug. Schuko has 4.8mm pins but the older (Soviet-derived) standard that I believe was once used in the Baltic states had 4mm pins, so the old plugs will fit new sockets but not vice versa despite looking similar. If your wiring has been updated this might not be a problem at all though.

Thanks Lucien, every day's a school day.

 

[Dorsetdee]

Thank you for this extra advice. We had the flat rewired recently so the plug points would be the updated versions, however, I will ask whether or not we need something especially fitted to take the UK goods, in particular the oven. As we drive over we can take things out from the UK, which is much cheaper than buying stuff in Estonia.