Life / Barking Dogs in Poland [64]

Where I lived before had a dog barking much of the day and many evenings too. Very common, even on supposedly good estates. Barking for hours at a time, no one seems to mind. I politely asked for some quiet once and was promised some, but sadly that was an empty promise. Didn't have the strength to argue or complain, so just moved. One very big advantage of renting.

Life / Electricity in Poland: plug and voltage? [73]


Yes, you're right. I spoke to a Polish man last night and he also had problems getting an electrician and with them cancelling and so forth.

In this video, which appears to refer to AC current in the USA, the speaker says that it DOES matter which way an outlet is wired (ie where N and L are). He suggests it could otherwise be hazardous. There are many similar videos saying the same.

I would just add that I have UK extension sockets with a pilot light plugged in to the Polish circuit and those UK extension socket pilot lights glow even when the extension is plugged in but the switch on the wall is off. What happens is that if I then turn "on" a connected extension socket switch the glow extinguishes and of course the connected appliance does not work. But this does show that current is flowing. This suggests to me that the RCD trip would not work unless the wiring was changed, I assume it would be a simple case of swapping the L and N over on the plug but I don't know because of course I'm not an electrician. Anyone using UK equipment in Poland and vice versa should speak to a qualified electrician before connecting things, so as to ensure usage is safe.

In a nut shell: don't assume your UK appliance in Poland is safely disconnected just because you switch off the socket, and vice versa. And don't assume the RCD would work if needed with appliances wired for the UK and vice versa if in the UK.

Life / Electricity in Poland: plug and voltage? [73]


Can't get anyone to do the work. No one's interested, they have lots of work on or don't speak English and can't be ar$ed. Several electricians said they were coming to do this and that and give me a price for the rewiring, but no one showed up. They're snowed under with bigger jobs and don't need to mess around with a Brit who can't speak Polish. Think I'm kidding? I wish I was.

News / Polish PM Tusk- dictator or not? What Poles think? [421]

It's probably understandable admiration, for the man seems to be a very clever scientist who, if rich, has studied endlessly to get where he is.

chemie.hu-berlin.de/forschung/quantenchemie/Group/js-1/js_cv
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joachim_Sauer

As for him perhaps being a Jew, that info is not stated anywhere that I checked, not that it's any of our business what religion or race he belongs to. What is relevant to PF is that Mrs M is 1/4 Polish (Poznan).

Life / How are electric cars doing in Poland? [413]

Merged: Polish bus manufacturer Solaris might make huge plug-in electric bus

autos.yahoo/news/80-foot-long-electric-bus-concept-poland-uses-150004128.html

Work / Can I find a job in Poland that requires speaking in English? [82]


Is this because you have met a Polish man and you are following him back to Poland? If so, hopefully he'll try to help you find something. I think there's not a lot of options in most towns, maybe none. I am not sure there's much demand for Hindi, but you could offer lessons, although don't rely on that for a regular income. Can you maybe teach some other skill, like cooking or dancing or day trading or anything at all? If you have basic Polish, there's hope although not a lot unfortunately. Your best chance might be if your boyfriend's family can use you in their business, if they have one.

Life / Electricity in Poland: plug and voltage? [73]


Thanks, and yeah it's certainly not quite the price I'd hoped for :(

Life / Electricity in Poland: plug and voltage? [73]

I'll assume from that a rewire to the box is better than a risky join or pigtail.


Thanks :)

Life / Electricity in Poland: plug and voltage? [73]


This is the UK one ebay.co.uk/bhp/timed-light-switch

Am I actually going to have to buy one in the UK?? Poland doesn't sell a simple switch like this? I'd also have to buy the relay box you mentioned? Ale jaja FFS.


Some people prefer that and some people have a mixer tap. Most fitted kitchens have had mixer taps for 40 years. We certainly had a mixer tap in my kitchen when I was a child and we had one for the bath and shower. But for the bathroom sink we had 2 individual taps. It all depends on what someone wants.

Life / Electricity in Poland: plug and voltage? [73]

Thanks kpc, but it doesn't seem to be the same thing on Allegro (ie a light switch with a delay timer) allegro.pl/automat-schodowy-as-222t-firmy-ff-pabianice-i4924179934.html

Life / Electricity in Poland: plug and voltage? [73]


I know the one you mean, probably - a push in round button that slowly pops out and then the light goes off. Often seen in bedsit land hallways.

What are they called in Polish?


I've also seen that - in the UK!


Ooh err, inclusive in the rent I bet, when as some people have to pay for that sort of thing...

Life / Electricity in Poland: plug and voltage? [73]

And not so much in Poland?? Gulp.
What do you think about aluminum wiring? There is some where I am, along with copper too. I am thinking of getting rid of it because I'm told it's dangerous.

Also, what is that internal switch called which keeps a light on for 30 seconds? I don't mean the movement sensor. Are they easy to fit if I isolate the circuit and remove the old standard switch? In the UK, I used to do lots of DIY including replacing Grundfos heating water pumps, wiring in shaver sockets and light fittings, adding new sockets on a wall (from a spur, not the box) and burying cables in conduits. Here, I'm frankly rather scared. And I'm not sure why, perhaps because of the loose sockets and bad stuff I see all around.

(And of course, Happy 2015 to you, Peter.)

Life / Electricity in Poland: plug and voltage? [73]


All RCDs? Because elsewhere online an electrician claims otherwise. Much to my dismay, I might add.


I don't know what you mean unless you're saying a socket with a switch is less reliable.

In the UK we have these



I have never known one to fail if made by the proper manufacturers there such as MK

I am astounded at what to me looks like notably behind the times electrical installations in Poland, even in office blocks.

Life / Electricity in Poland: plug and voltage? [73]

Thanks again, kpc.

I wouldn't fiddle with the lighting switch or sockets myself, not here in Poland. But thanks for the tips. Btw in the UK I think they made it illegal for householders to do certain types of work on their own electricity sockets and switches and installations, just as it is illegal there for a layman home owner to install gas appliances like a cooker or boiler.

Life / Electricity in Poland: plug and voltage? [73]

@kpc21
I thank you for your kind and lengthy explanation, but doesn't it still mean that the electrical appliance (radio or TV or whatever it is) is still live when using an adaptor that doesn't swap the N and L to the correct pin even after the circuit trips (ie the RCD triggers and shuts off the power) or if the circuit is switched off by someone? That could mean that someone thinks their appliance is off and dead because they turned the circuit off, but because N and L are not coming through the correct pins the unit is live even if it doesn't seem to switch on and work. Surely that could be dangerous, if I am correct. Also, that could mean the RCD doesn't prevent danger if it works the same way and only disconnects the one ('wrong') wire.

In layman's terms, if I am right, then a person can still get an electric shock even if an appliance appears to be dead, when the RCD or manual switch has disconnected the usually correct wire but which would not be correct when L and N are transposed by the use of a UK-PL adaptor. This could also, I guess, mean that any fault triggering the RCD could still occur and cause either a shock or fire risk.

As I am unclear on the risks when using an adaptor, I would be inclined to unplug the appliance from the socket/receptacle if in doubt about it rather than use the circuit or other switch

I also think it's a great shame that Poland sockets don't have an on-off switch. In the UK, most sockets do. Here, they don't seem to exist and the only option is to buy a plug with a switch or an additional adaptor with switch. I have never seen a socket/receptacle with a switch here. Additionally, plugs are hard to remove and sockets are poorly fitted into walls generally, even in some new buildings. (It seems to me that without a switch on a socket, there is a spark or risk of a spark when plugging or unplugging appliances.)

Life / Electricity in Poland: plug and voltage? [73]

Thanks for replying, but doesn't a transposing of L and N perhaps mean that the fusebox/RCD electronic safety circuit gets confused or impaired and unable to detect a problem?

Life / Electricity in Poland: plug and voltage? [73]

Merged: Electricity plugs - UK and Poland L & N

This is a UK plug (note Neutral-blue is left, Live-brown is right)



...and this is a Poland plug



So how do UK to PL adaptors work? Do these adaptors swap around the N and L polarity? Because it seems L is left in Poland (with Earth pin uppermost) and right in the UK.

What have I missed?

Life / Which is the best credit card to get in Poland? [10]


And the thing many hate is the 4.99zl charge for some current account internet customers every time they pay in or withdraw at a branch, and sometimes for payments to third parties it's 9.99zl.

(can be avoided with some accounts if a certain amount of money is paid in to the account each month, but some other banks don't make this charge, so Millennium should take note as people vote with their feet)

History / Can anyone from Poland tell me about Auschwitz and The Ghetto? [582]

Merged: British PM visits Nazi deathcamp Auschwitz in Poland

thenews.pl/1/10/Artykul/190226,UK-PM-Cameron-pays-respects-in-Auschwitz


auschwitz.org

Life / Move to Poland or UK? (Advice needed) [51]


I'm not indicating anything as fact, if you again read what I say I included the caution BBC TV poll (not verified, votes may not have been unique)

Life / Move to Poland or UK? (Advice needed) [51]

I'm not racist but I no longer consider multiculturalism to be viable. I am not alone. BBC TV poll (not verified, votes may not have been unique) 95% don't think multiculturism is working

telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/syria/11053646/Multiculturalism-has-brought-us-honour-killings-and-Sharia-law-says-Archbishop.html express.co.uk/comment/columnists/leo-mckinstry/443677/A-multicultural-hell-hole-that-we-never-voted-for
independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/cameron-my-war-on-multiculturalism-2205074.html
academic essay
lse.ac.uk/socialPsychology/faculty/caroline_howarth/Howarth-and-Andreouli-paper-FINAL.pdf

Life / Which nations do Poles like the most / the least? [150]

I don't know much about £ódż except what was in a very popular British tabloid newspaper :) thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/features/4728585/Polish-city-thats-moved-to-Britain.html

But it's great to read what you had to say (and in really good English, better than mine!!)

Life / Which nations do Poles like the most / the least? [150]


I dunno, I suppose I just imagined those who remained fled. It's good to see Jewish people here, but somewhat surreal. (I know that sounds odd, sort of thing.)

Life / Which nations do Poles like the most / the least? [150]

Interesting and thanks for sharing this with the forum.

It's very interesting, fascinating really, for some of us to read about how the Jewish people continue in Poland in modern times. We had come to think there were none left in Poland.

Are there other Jewish children in your school? Many or not many? I assume you're in a big city somewhere.

News / Local elections - anyone care to comment? [75]

No truth then in news reports that 20% of voting ballots were spoilt and/or in some areas a vote had already been cast by means of a cross or tick BEFORE the ballot paper was handed to the legitimate constituent to vote with? In other words, some reports allege many ballot papers were handed to people to use to vote but a 'X' was already on them in a pre-selected candidate's tick box. Although it's hard to believe, Ii indeed that's true then I'd say it's a pretty good reason to do the election again.

News / Local elections - anyone care to comment? [75]


And surely anything that sounds like a glitch or software bug or other technical failure can legally prompt a recount or rerun. So, for all parties to be sure of their mandate, perhaps a rerun or recount is the best thing? Of course, the expense is considerable, but one can't (or shouldn't) put a price on democracy.

News / Local elections - anyone care to comment? [75]


The constitution prevents a rerun when something like a technical failure occurs? Are you sure about that? Sounds unlikely. Common sense would surely say that technical failure prompts something to be done again.

News / Local elections - anyone care to comment? [75]


PKW, who ran the election IT system, should be blushing.

Rerun called for by PiS party despite their good performance (so perhaps they think they may do even better if Poles went to the polls again?)

News / Local elections - anyone care to comment? [75]


interesting!

News / Local elections - anyone care to comment? [75]

Thanks Jon, it'll probably never be PiS there or here if I understand things correctly about this country (but of course I might be totally wrong as a foreigner with only a slight grasp of things here, if that!). My guess is that the less privileged or less prosperous areas have the greatest number of PiS votes in them. Wrocław seems to be pretty prosperous judging by the new cars on the road here (on tick or not I don't know) and the mega busy malls.