VOLTAGE CONVERTERS
VOLTAGE ACCESSORIES
COMPANY INFORMATION
VOLTAGE CONVERSION GUIDE
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What do I need to use my appliances overseas?
Plug Adapters
Plug adaptors do not convert electricity. They simply allow a dual-voltage appliance, a transformer or a converter from one country to be plugged into the wall outlet of another country.
Voltage Converters
Voltage converters can either step-up or step-down the voltage to allow an appliance to work in a country where the voltage supply is different to what it was originally designed for. Voltage converters should be used only with "electric" appliances. Electric appliances are simple heating devices or they have a mechanical motor, for example hair dryers, steam irons, shavers, toothbrushes or small fans. Voltage converters are not designed to be used continuously and should only be used for short periods of time (1 to 2 hours). Additionally, most voltage converters can only be used for ungrounded appliances (2 pins on the plug). Voltage converters should be unplugged from the wall when they are not being used.
Voltage Transformers
Voltage transformers can also step-up or step-down the supply voltage, but they are more expensive than voltage converters and are used with "electronic" appliances. Electronic appliances have a chip or circuit, for example radios, CD or DVD players, shavers, camcorder battery rechargers, computers, computer printers, fax machines, televisions and answering machines. Voltage transformers can also be used with electric appliances and may be operated continuously for many days. The advantage of a voltage converter, however, is that they are lighter and less expensive than a voltage transformer.
Computers are electronic devices and therefore they must be used with a transformer, unless they are dual voltage. Fortunately, most laptop battery chargers and AC adapters are dual voltage, so they can be used with only a plug adapter for the country you will be visiting.
Voltage transformers are sold in various sizes based on how much wattage they can support. Therefore careful attention must be paid to the wattage ratings of the appliances to be plugged into a transformer. The wattage rating of the transformer must always be larger than the wattage rating of the appliance to be plugged into it (plus a 25% buffer to allow for heat build-up in the transformer or converter). When plugging multiple items into a power strip, then into the transformer, you must calculate the combined wattage of all appliances and the power strip, and then add an additional 25% to that total.
The appliance's voltage and wattage requirements are listed on the manufacturer's label located on the back or at the bottom of the appliance. In some cases, the voltage and amperage will be listed, but not the wattage. If this is the case, simply multiply the voltage by the amperage rating to find the wattage rating (e.g. 230 V * 1 A = 230 W).
Voltage converters and transformers only convert the supply voltage and not the supply frequency. The difference in cycles may cause the motor in a 50 Hz appliance to operate slightly faster when used on 60 Hz electricity. This cycle difference will cause electric clocks and timing circuits to keep incorrect time. European alarm clocks will run faster on 60 Hz electricity and American clocks will lose some 10 minutes every hour when used in Europe. However, most modern electronic equipment like battery chargers, computers, printers, stereos, DVD players, etc. are usually not affected by the difference in frequency and adjust themselves accordingly the slower cycles.
Why can only "electric" appliances be used with a converter, and not "electronic" ones ?
The difference between a voltage converter and a voltage transformer lies in how the device converts voltage current. Alternating current power is supplied in alternating bursts that are in a shape called a "sine wave". To reduce 230V to 120V, for example, a voltage converter chops off the sine waves in half, whereas a voltage transformer alters the amplitude of the waves. This is a critical difference because electronic devices require a full sine wave for operation. This is why they can only operate with a voltage transformer. Electric appliances function with either a full or a half sine wave, so they can be used with either a voltage converter or a voltage transformer.
The voltage converter's "chopping" off of sine waves is a relatively simple and compact function. The voltage transformer's alteration of sine waves is a relatively sophisticated function and requires more space. As a result, voltage transformers are generally larger, heavier and much more expensive than voltage converters.
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