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I've been looking at the Ender series and decided to take the plunge. But I'm unsure on electrical matters. The 110 or 220 volt switch, I assume goes to 220 V as I live in the UK but my main question is, from what I've read they come with an EU plug and a uk adapter, is it safer to switch to a 'kettle lead' for it to have it's own fuse and be grounded or is the adapter it comes with fine? (I've never been a fan of adapter and I've read in different places that they're fine or that they are horrible.)

Please help as if I need to buy a cable I'll do it the same time I buy the printer. Thank you all in advance for any help I get, hope to join this community properly as soon as the printers come back in stock anywhere.

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The fuse may be academic, because there might be an integrated fuseholder in the PSU itself. That said, adding another fuse in the form of a proper UK plug certainly won't hurt.

I'd certainly do this, too. Fuseless plugs have no place in my home/workplace

For the rest - yes, the 220V position for the switch is good. Grounding, again, certainly can't hurt, but the PSU is probably double-insulated, which doesn't require it.

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    $\begingroup$ The PSU is definitely not double insulated and absolutely requires grounding. $\endgroup$ – Tom van der Zanden May 6 at 4:31
  • $\begingroup$ @TomvanderZanden How can it even be legal to supply it in the EU without a ground connection, then? (OP said that a UK plug would add grounding, so I was assuming that the plug supplied was two-pin) $\endgroup$ – SiHa May 6 at 7:01
  • $\begingroup$ Technically, the cord that comes with the machine is not the 2-pin "Europlug" but Type F/ Shuko/ CEE 7/3, which does NOT fit the Type G used in Britain. $\endgroup$ – Trish May 6 at 9:49
  • $\begingroup$ @Trish - Thanks - understood $\endgroup$ – SiHa May 6 at 10:18
  • $\begingroup$ Thanks, I thought if no one answered then I'd just use a uk plug anyway (better safe than sorry) and you've just made that decision definite for me. Thanks so much. $\endgroup$ – Andrew Walker May 6 at 16:14
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Safety First!

To guarantee proper grouning and avoid putting the machine on a static charge level against the ground of the house you need to properly connect the ground wires to the ground wire of the house. This is done by using a grounded power cord with a C13-plug on the machine end and a proper, grounded plug fitting your sockets on the other end.

Proper plugs

In most of the continental EU (safe France), you usually can use a Shuko (Schutzkontakt) TypeF/CEE 7/3 while the Type E+F/CEE 7/7 plug adds France on the house end, as these are proper grounded 3-wire plugs. But in the UK you need a Type G/BS 1363 plug, with or without a fuse.

Fuses

Because the machine operates on mains voltage in the PSU, it usually already has a fuse mounted inside the PSU, so a fused plug is not strictly needed, however it is not a bad idea to include an extra fuse - technically you'd end with 3 in total if you are properly grounded because the circuits breaker-box fuse is there too.

Wire Extensions

What would be a bad idea though is to use any extension cord in the wiring that is not grounded because it might use a plastic ground pin or lack the metal contact surface needed to ground the cord.

Improper plugs

A 2-wire "Europlug". Europlug CEE 7/16 is only rated for 250V/2.5A and not grounded, thus it is not suitable for operating a 3D printer , and I strongly advise not to use a gritish folding plug either as it is not grounded!

Safety Mantra!

Let me reiterate this: Only use grounded connections from machine to socket or you risk creating a charge on the machine!

Check your socket's ground if you are not sure it is properly installed. For further information, I strongly suggest watch Angus (Makers Muse) with how he discovered a problem with his extension cords leading to a potential dangerous charge on his machine and DIY3D Tech explaining the basics of the problem and how to solve it to you again!

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