Well friends, I have come to believe that adapters are there to thwart me. Just because my plug fits into one, doesn't mean that we don't need a transformer. So far, there have only been two casualties -- and only one was my fault.
So, I used to have a surge protector. I carefully thought through what was to be plugged in -- my mac, maybe a lamp or two...none needed a transformer. So, I plugged in the surge protector and blew the fuse. Of course, the surge protector sensed something more than the 110 that it was designed to handle and stopped the current. Thus fulfilling its contractual obligation, it ceased to be of use.
The other one was when Eric plugged my electric toothbrush into the adapter -- when it needed a tranformer. It got really hot and then ceased to work.
Oh well...we hear that everyone does that at least once, and these were two relatively cheap mistakes (we have heard of plasma televisions, Dyson vacuums, and other things).
---- to my non-engineer/scientist friends ---
The Europeans use 220V (nominal) with a 50 Hz wave form. We in the states use 110V with a 60 Hz wave form. If you have something that has a motor in it or depends on the wave form, it will run slower here (e.g. your digital clock loses 10 minutes an hour if it depends on the wall outlet). Transformers will allow some appliances to work here -- things like the toaster oven or coffee maker. Some things -- like computers and simple lamps -- can be run off the local power (though you need different light bulbs -- ours will explode) using adapters. Some things are so dependent on the waveform to run motors, fans, etc., that they should not be used here. We left our washer and dryer in the states because of this.
1 comment:
I recently saw a universal adapter while on one of my many flights to who knows where. I tried to read up on it but there wasn't much said. All it really looked like it did was change the outlet into one that could accept an American style plug. But I could keep looking since I am due for another flight at the end of the month.
Here is a Balkin family update.
My Mom chose Disneyland as the place she wanted to celebrate for her 60 Birthday. We celebrated it a month early because of Becky and Noble's move to Pittsburgh. The reason I mentioned this is because my Mom went on every single rollercoaster at least once and the one that had the vertical loop in it she rode 3 times. I just thought that was very cool.
Craig
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