The
majority of the most frequently asked questions are answered by the
following:
Many
appliances are what they call "multi-voltage" or
“dual-voltage” If you have an electrical appliance that
you want to use in a foreign country (where the voltage can be
220/230/240) and the appliance is multi-voltage (says input 100-240
volts) or dual voltage (says input 125/250 volts) you usually only
need a plug adapter. The input voltage (and the watts or amps)
information can usually be found on a charger but it could be
anywhere on the appliance often on the main body of the appliance
where it can be difficult to see.
If
you determine that you only need plug adapters, take a look at our
World
Electric Guide . It is a list of all the countries in the world
showing their voltage, frequency and, when you click on the country
name, it shows which plug adapter(s) are needed there. Many countries
have more than one configuration so there are often more than one
adapter required.
If
you want to use a surge protector for your appliance while overseas,
you definitely want to consider one of these
surge protectors most of which are rated up to 250 volts
. A US surge protector cannot be used since they are designed for
maximum voltage of 125 volts.
If
an appliance like a battery charger or laptop appears to not be
multi-voltage or dual voltage you would need a transformer to step
down the foreign voltage to 120 volts. The MWP107
transformer would be recommended for any of those type of appliances
that are under 100 watts. One of these voltage
converter / plug adapter kits would handle those electronic devices under 50 watts and
most ungrounded (2 pin plug) hair appliances up to 2000 watts. You
will also need to use a grounded plug adapter for the MWP107
depending on what we show is required in our World
Electric Guide.
Keep
in mind that most foreign countries do not have as many grounded (3
pin) receptacles (outlets) as the US and Canada have.
Why
does your web site show so may plug adapters for some countries?
First,
the web site shows both the grounded (3 pin plugs) and the ungrounded
(2 pin plugs) for every country. If your appliances all have just 2
pin plugs (ungrounded) then you would only need the ungrounded plug
adapters shown for that country and they can be purchased
individually here. If your appliances all have 3 pin plugs (grounded)
then you would only need the grounded plug adapters shown for that
country and they can be purchased individually here. If you have both
grounded and ungrounded appliances then you would need all those
shown. In the “bundles” shown, you will see a discounted
price that make it less expensive than buying them individually
Second,
those countries with multiple grounded and ungrounded plug adapters
shown will have different outlet configurations in different areas of
the country for a variety of reasons, political, geographical,
practical, etc. Keep in mind that most foreign countries do not have
as many grounded (3 pin) receptacles (outlets) as the US and Canada
have. If an appliance is grounded (3 pins) you definitely
want to plug it into a grounded outlet with a grounded plug adapter
but grounded outlets, as mentioned before, will not always be
available in many countries.
What
will I need to take a cell phone charger, digital camera charger, and
hair dryer to a 220/230/240 volt country?
Presuming
that the appliances listed are ungrounded (2 pin plugs) and are not
multi or dual voltage (see top of page), you will need a voltage
converter kit. These kits include a voltage converter and plug
adapters. They are available in a hard case and a soft case and each
having different features such as maximum watts, length of warranty,
number of adapters included, and price. We recommend the AS2100K
and the VCAP
automatic voltage converter kits. You can compare features but they
both include an automatic voltage converter and plug adapters. They
are considered to be “dual watt” voltage converters. They
both can provide power for your electronic devices (chargers) that
are under 50 watts (you will need to verify that) and also provide
for the higher watts of the hair dryer. They can also handle a hair
dryer but the maximum watts for the hair dryer on the AS2100K
is 2100 watts and 2000 watts for the VCAP
They are both automatic (self-sensing), so no manual switching is
required. All
solid state
voltage converters, including these, are never to be used
continuously or ever left unattended.
What
do “grounded” and “ungrounded” mean?
These
are references to the number of pins on the appliance plug.
Appliances with 2 pins on their plug are called “ungrounded”
Appliances with 3 pins on their plug are called “grounded”.
Most foreign countries do not have as many grounded (3 pin)
receptacles (outlets) as the US and Canada have.
What
is the difference between a voltage converter and a transformer?
Transformers convert
electricity from high voltage to a lower voltage, and vice versa,
through induction. They produce what is called “full sine
wave” electricity which is what you get from your outlets at
home and office. All electronic devices and some appliances that
contain any electronic components (often as simple as an automatic
feature such as auto-on or auto-off) require full sine wave
electricity or they will malfunction.
Solid
state voltage converters, in simple terms, use electronics (not
induction) to convert high voltage (220/230/240 volts) to a lower
voltage. They produce “modified sine wave” electricity
which is fine for most hair dryers, travel irons, and appliances like
those but will not work with any electronic
appliances or devices.
