This is a NEED to know.
Many people think it's as simple as jumping on Amazon and buying an adapter for $8.
It's not.
European electricity has TWICE the voltage running out of an electrical socket compared to the US. What this means? Well, it means you can kill some of your appliances (both small and large varieties) pretty quickly if you don't understand how electricity works.
Oh, and you can possibly kill yourself too.
Adapters.
What they do is simple, they make it so that you can plug your American prong appliance/gadget into a European wall. And that is all that they do.
Simple fix? Yes. But a total no-no depending on the appliance/gadget you plug into it.
Small note about adapters:
Not all are pronged equally. For example, the prongs in Central Europe, as in France, Germany, and Belgium are VERY similar, for the most part. Some outlets in France and Czech Republic have a grounding prong that sticks out, which fits into an electrical cord or adapter).
However, if you head to the UK, they will definitely be different. Make you purchase an adapter with that knowledge.
Don't just assume that the words "European electrical adapter" work everywhere in Europe. It must work for the particular country you'll be visiting.
Now let's enter the world of converters!
Converters also do as they are named: They convert...errr, well, sort of.
Converters are generally confused with the term "transformer", and are frowned upon because of a few scientific laws of electricity.
Converters reduce voltage, or the sine wave flowing to the appliance that is plugged in.
In other words, they reduce the 220v (Euro standard) coming out of the outlet to 110v (American standard) going into the gadget.
Sounds great and dandy, but what it doesn't convert is the rate of electrical current needed to flow to your plugged in gadget. Yes, this matters. Big time.
Converters must be carefully used, and you must know the voltage, wattage, and hertz of the appliance you are trying to convert energy to.
Not knowing, or being careless about how these devices should be used can generate a nice spark show. Yay! Hotel room fireworks!
Many folks that buy these think that they beat the laws of electricity and they don't understand that in order for the gadget to work correctly, it needs both the correct voltage AND the correct hertz.
Again, converters DO NOT convert both.
Honestly, these things are just better to avoid.
Transformers
No, not Megatron and friends.
They are big, bulky, and generally expensive, but for a reason. They are probably one of the more safer options regarding the flow of Euro electricity to your North American appliances/gadgets.
They don't travel well (as heavy as a newborn baby, and like I said, BIG), but they are handy when you live in Europe and own many American high wattage appliances; like a vacuum, microwave, TV, etc,.
Step down transformers change a high voltage/low current coming out of a Euro outlet, to low voltage/high current going into your gadget.
Step up transformers change a low voltage/high current, to high voltage/low current.
Most times, you can buy a transformer that can do both, up or down.Notice that the difference between a transformer and a converter is that a transformer CAN ALSO CHANGE THE FLOW of CURRENT. This is important, and what makes it safer and better than a simple converter that I mentioned before. *The one thing to take note on when transformer shopping is the max watts.
Buy according to the appliance you plan to use it with.
*If your vacuum is 1,600 watts, you NEED a transformer that can handle that number, as a minimum.
Now-a-days, most small gadgets like camera battery chargers, laptops, tablets, etc, are dual voltage.
Do your research before hand.
I know that most hair dryers in hotels blow (okay, not literally), so I actually invested in a European (German) hair dryer since I'll be living here for a few years.
If you plan to travel often within or to Europe, just buy one! Seriously, a few bucks for the dryer, and it will make it's money back.
Also, some hotels provide adapters to use for free for your dual gadget devices, just in case you forget yours back at home.
http://www.enjoy-europe.com/hte/chap11/converter.htm
He's pretty thorough in his explanations, and knows what he is talking about.
Many people think it's as simple as jumping on Amazon and buying an adapter for $8.
It's not.
European electricity has TWICE the voltage running out of an electrical socket compared to the US. What this means? Well, it means you can kill some of your appliances (both small and large varieties) pretty quickly if you don't understand how electricity works.
Oh, and you can possibly kill yourself too.
Adapters.
What they do is simple, they make it so that you can plug your American prong appliance/gadget into a European wall. And that is all that they do.
Simple fix? Yes. But a total no-no depending on the appliance/gadget you plug into it.
For instance, plugging a microwave or a hair dryer (or any power sucking, high watt gadget) into this IS NOT wise, but for a smaller, DUAL voltage gadget, it should be fine.
Small note about adapters:
Not all are pronged equally. For example, the prongs in Central Europe, as in France, Germany, and Belgium are VERY similar, for the most part. Some outlets in France and Czech Republic have a grounding prong that sticks out, which fits into an electrical cord or adapter).
However, if you head to the UK, they will definitely be different. Make you purchase an adapter with that knowledge.
Don't just assume that the words "European electrical adapter" work everywhere in Europe. It must work for the particular country you'll be visiting.
Now let's enter the world of converters!
Converters also do as they are named: They convert...errr, well, sort of.
Converters are generally confused with the term "transformer", and are frowned upon because of a few scientific laws of electricity.
Converters reduce voltage, or the sine wave flowing to the appliance that is plugged in.
In other words, they reduce the 220v (Euro standard) coming out of the outlet to 110v (American standard) going into the gadget.
Sounds great and dandy, but what it doesn't convert is the rate of electrical current needed to flow to your plugged in gadget. Yes, this matters. Big time.
Converters must be carefully used, and you must know the voltage, wattage, and hertz of the appliance you are trying to convert energy to.
Not knowing, or being careless about how these devices should be used can generate a nice spark show. Yay! Hotel room fireworks!
Many folks that buy these think that they beat the laws of electricity and they don't understand that in order for the gadget to work correctly, it needs both the correct voltage AND the correct hertz.
Again, converters DO NOT convert both.
Honestly, these things are just better to avoid.
Transformers
No, not Megatron and friends.
They are big, bulky, and generally expensive, but for a reason. They are probably one of the more safer options regarding the flow of Euro electricity to your North American appliances/gadgets.
They don't travel well (as heavy as a newborn baby, and like I said, BIG), but they are handy when you live in Europe and own many American high wattage appliances; like a vacuum, microwave, TV, etc,.
Step down transformers change a high voltage/low current coming out of a Euro outlet, to low voltage/high current going into your gadget.
Step up transformers change a low voltage/high current, to high voltage/low current.
Most times, you can buy a transformer that can do both, up or down.Notice that the difference between a transformer and a converter is that a transformer CAN ALSO CHANGE THE FLOW of CURRENT. This is important, and what makes it safer and better than a simple converter that I mentioned before. *The one thing to take note on when transformer shopping is the max watts.
Buy according to the appliance you plan to use it with.
*If your vacuum is 1,600 watts, you NEED a transformer that can handle that number, as a minimum.
- FREQUENCY:
Frequency is another factor when moving or traveling abroad. It's the reason your American (plug in) alarm clock will not work abroad because the clock uses hertz to keep time. The US is at 60hz cycles and Europe is 50hz cycles, so the motor on most small appliances strain because they do not operate at the proper speed. It's not always about voltage, yet most people visiting Europe think that it is.
- UNDERSTANDING DUAL VOLTAGE:
Now-a-days, most small gadgets like camera battery chargers, laptops, tablets, etc, are dual voltage.
In other words, they can be used with the standard N.American 110volts or the Euro 220-240volts.
The easiest way to tell if your gadget is dual voltage is to simply look at the electrical sticker/engraving/marking, usually located near where the cord meets the gadget. Sometimes, this info is found on the cord itself.
Notice how both images above have two numbers next to the "V" in the INPUT box? And both also have a two numbers for the Hz, or hertz. This means they are dual voltage.
If your gadget only has one number alongside the "V" letter, it is not dual.
Sometimes currently manufactured gadgets also simply state "dual voltage" on these stickers. For these dual voltage appliances/gadgets, all you should really need is the cheapy adapter. If it only has a single voltage, leave it at home, unless you want to run the risk of killing your gadget or starting smoke signals in your hotel room.
Yay, everyone loves free BBQ!
What not to do:
(No disrespect, but) Do not assume the salesperson at Best Buy or Radio Shack knows what he/she is talking about when you are shopping for these items. THEY ARE SALES PEOPLE, not scientists.Do your research before hand.
Worst case scenario:
Call or email your hotel to double check that they provide hair dryers. Hair dryers are one of the biggest threats to outlets in European hotels. I know that most hair dryers in hotels blow (okay, not literally), so I actually invested in a European (German) hair dryer since I'll be living here for a few years.
If you plan to travel often within or to Europe, just buy one! Seriously, a few bucks for the dryer, and it will make it's money back.
I went to Paris before purchasing mine AND the hotel dryer there didn't work. I couldn't walk around with wet hair, so I chose not to wash it for a week.
It. WAS. Gross.
Also, some hotels provide adapters to use for free for your dual gadget devices, just in case you forget yours back at home.
As for dual gadgets, there is always 'THAT' friend that has went somewhere before you, and then tells you "Ahhh, you'll be fine with an adapter or converter even if your hair dryer or curling iron isn't dual voltage".
Well, yes, you may be fine, but really you just got lucky.
My number one rule of travel?
Murphy's Law is ready to pounce on anyone, at anytime.
Still confuzzled?
This dude John gives his highly educated take on Euro electrical stuff on his site:http://www.enjoy-europe.com/hte/chap11/converter.htm
He's pretty thorough in his explanations, and knows what he is talking about.
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