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Lamps from the US. Should I bring them?

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tanusa
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Lamps from the US. Should I bring them?

Post by tanusa » Fri, 04 Dec 2009 12:29 pm

Hello. We ship our stuff out in three weeks, and I'm still trying to decide what to bring and what to leave behind. I read somewhere on this site someone saying they wish they had brought their lamps. What kind of adapter would I need to use my US lamps? Is is worth it? I like my lamps and would like to have them there, but just unsure if they're worth taking. How much would adapters cost? I appreciate any advice.

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Post by Strong Eagle » Fri, 04 Dec 2009 1:25 pm

Well... the adapter to plug it into the wall would be easy but I think 240 volt bulbs have a different base. There may be adapters about but I think you would have to rewire the sockets for a 240 volt bulb.

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Post by QRM » Sat, 05 Dec 2009 12:09 am

If its a basic lamp with just a simple on off switch then you just have to change the bulb to a 240v version and the plug to a UK three pin, (a plug will be cheaper than an adapter) but if its a low voltage or a lamp with a built in dimmer then it gets a bit more complicated, you can strip out the inside of the lamp and replace the dimmer controls and transformers with a local 240v.

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Post by cbavasi » Sat, 05 Dec 2009 8:20 pm

Be very careful with the appliances... when we moved to the UK our toaster read 110-220 on the bottom and then caught fire when plugged in :o (Is there some difference with the watts??)

Between IKEA, Courts, Carrefour and high end stores you'll have no shortage of lamps!

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Post by tanusa » Sat, 05 Dec 2009 10:20 pm

thanks for the replies. Sounds like I could try to make them work, but it would be simpler to just replace them. I'm having trouble with this type of thing, because I have no idea what to expect in Singapore in terms of furniture/furnishing styles and price, etc. Too bad I never got to make a trip out there first. My husband spent quite a bit of time there, but I never thought of sending him to the furniture shops to check things out for me. He did get some great pictures of grocery store shelves for me though, LOL. I now know the milk we buy here is over twice the price there. We'll be changing our milk choice, LOL.

We'll be there in just a few short weeks and are looking forward to it. Thanks again to all for the advice, etc. these last few months of preparation. It's helped me so much!

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Post by road.not.taken » Sun, 06 Dec 2009 8:00 am

You can take your US lamps to Lim's at Holland Village and they will convert them for you. There are other lamp people around as well, but Lim's is fairly central. They have a selection of lamps there and shades to buy separately. Mostly chinese ceramic jars converted into lamps. Lovely and not too in-your-face if you know what I mean. The Jungle is cheaper for this kind of thing, but is mostly limited to ceramics. Lim's also sells a nice option, a simple blank teak pedestal ($65 ) with an adjustable shade, you can put any old thing on the pedestal, and voila ~ you have a lamp. In the $200 + price range you can go to Anne Lockett and get beautiful Asian-inspired lamps (think elephants , monkeys, jade, etc...) or head to IKEA for something more contemporary and cheaper.

I would bring a few of your favorites, and buy some cheap ones here to get buy. Then after a year or so, maybe consider buying some nice pieces after you've looked around, have a better idea of how long you'll stay in Singapore and seen how they look in people's homes.

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Post by tanusa » Tue, 08 Dec 2009 11:23 pm

Thanks RNT. Any idea how much to expect to pay to convert a lamp? I have four lamps I'm thinking of taking.

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Post by road.not.taken » Wed, 09 Dec 2009 5:42 am

I'm sorry, I don't. Last time I had it done Bill Clinton was in office. I think at that time it was around S$35 per lamp...

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Post by tanusa » Wed, 09 Dec 2009 10:07 am

Thanks again. That's about what I thought it might be. Seems like a good option. I'm off now to count dishes for the moving company. So many details to take care of... exciting though!

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Post by movingtospore » Mon, 14 Dec 2009 7:25 pm

We brought a few small appliances from North America that we shouldn't have....we plugged them into an adapter but they still burned out...coffee maker etc. In retrospect I would just buy new stuff here. I ended up doing that anyways! Also many places come furnished. Our condo came with lamps. Ugly but they work!

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Post by Strong Eagle » Mon, 14 Dec 2009 8:38 pm

movingtospore wrote:We brought a few small appliances from North America that we shouldn't have....we plugged them into an adapter but they still burned out...coffee maker etc. In retrospect I would just buy new stuff here. I ended up doing that anyways! Also many places come furnished. Our condo came with lamps. Ugly but they work!
It sort of helps to have at least a basic understanding of voltage differences between countries.

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