Depending on geography, appliances might be delivered with various plugs that are characteristic of a given region. Given global markets, it now so might happen that a product that is tough to find, is found in a different area such that it is delivered with a plug that seems uncommon when delivered.

One way to resolve the issue is to use a plug converter that would match the plug of the appliance and then convert the standard to a destination region.

However, a more permanent solution would be to just replace the plug itself.

Generic plugs can be bought at local stores and have the local mains plug standard. One extra benefit is that typically these generic plugs that are meant as replacements for old and broken hardware, have the advantage of not needing solder equipment to be fitted on the cable.

The interior contains a mechanism that uses some screws that bolt onto the wires inside the mains cable and hold the wires down. Similarly, the chassis is typically designed to hold the cable down once the chassis is reassembled.

Similarly, it might be helpful to replace plugs that do not have grounding with similar plugs, in order to reduce the bulk. For example, the following are two-prong plugs that do not have grounding:

Here is an example that replaces an U.K. plug with a standard European Schuko plug. One of the first things to check is whether the cable for the appliance has two or three wires. If the cable has only two wires, then it does not have any grounding and the plug can be replaced with a simple two-prong plug. If the cable contains three wires, then the appliance does have grounding, such that a Schuko plug with grounding is more appropriate.

Typically a yellow/green wire is used for grounding whilst the blue and brown cables are the ones that connect to the two pins of the mains.

Stripping the wires, the wires are then fitted into the mechanism of the Schuko plug and fastened down using the provided screws.

With the individual wires clamped down, the plug can now be reassembled. A good plug will also take care that the cable is held in place such that pulling on the cable, instead of the plug, will not rip out the wires from the fixtures inside the plug.

U.S. plugs are similar to Schuko plugs, whilst U.K. plugs tend to be much larger and bulkier. The main reason is that the U.K. plugs typically contain a fuse that is embedded in the plug itself, that adds some extra protection at the cost of making the plug bulkier. If space is a concern, then it is a fairly good idea to replace the U.K. plug with Schuko or even a two prong plug if grounding is not necessary.