Hi Mon's,
I'm very confused. I need to know what type of plug adapter to use for our electronics for England. One site says we need to use the 3 prong rectangular plug and another shows 2 round prong plugs. I have no idea which ones we need to buy. I don't need help understanding what needs to be plugged into what, just what the adapter looks like. Thanks for your help.
S.
Thank you all so much for straightning this out. I now know what to buy.
S.
Converter!
It depends on the part of England/UK what type of prongs you'll need. Where we were in London it was all 2 round prongs. In other parts of London it's 3 rectangular. In my brother's house in Leeds he has both in the same house. Sort of like how here we have 2 and 3 prong plugs and outlets. You won't know which type is more prevalent until you get there. Get both, or wait :)
Two round prongs are Europe. England is three rectangular prongs two going one direction and the bottom one going the other direction.
I picked up a universal adapter since I was traveling all over Europe for under ten dollars. You may want to look into that.
Oh and in case you don't want to take out the electricity for a whole floor like I did, there is a difference between an adapter and a converter.
The voltage in Europe is 220, some American electronics are 110, like my camera's battery charger. Fried that sucker.....oops.
When my stepson did a semester in the UK, I went with the ones that said they worked in the UK and he used them successfully. If your appliance (like a laptop) says on the fat bit that it can do the conversion you will only need a plug.
These are what he used:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000MN634W
and
3 prong rectangular, but don't worry if you get the wrong one, they sell the RIGHT ones at the airport when you get there.
Have a great trip!
:)
England, like other parts of Europe run on 220V...it's not about an ADAPTER but a CONVERTER...you need to be able to CONVERT 110 to 220 safely....
i sold all of mine before we moved back here....the airport should have a selection as well as the hotel you will be staying at...
There is a store here - sharper image - that sells converters as well
Go to this link..... http://www.bhamidi.com/life-in-the-uk/
It shows a photo of an english plug and socket. Be careful what you are plugging in, you may need a step down adaptor because of the different voltage used. I come from England and took a set of hair straighteners there when I visited once and they melted because of the high voltage :)
Part of it could depend on where you are going. Are you going to be at an upscale hotel? A lot of them already have the plugs where you can plug in American electronics without needing an adapter. I'd call where you are going to be staying and ask what kind of plugs they have and then you will know for sure.
Hi S.,
The second item that 'AV' mentioned is what you need for running 110/120 volt stuff we have here, on 220 volt power they use there. BUT things lke hair dryers use A LOT of power and most STEP DOWN CONVERTORS(which is what the second item AV showed you is) can not handle it without over heating. So... this is what you do.
For your computer, Ipod charger ,camera charger, shaver, basically anything small and relatively new. Look at the power supply for that item. It most probably says somewhere on its' info tag something like'INPUT VOLTAGE 90-240V. If it does, that means you can plug it into just about any power source and it will work safely. The only thing you need is an ADAPTOR that changes our style of prongs to that of the country you are visiting. (now look at the 1st link AV sent you). If any of the above mentioned devices say INPUT VOLTAGE 120V, and there is no mention of any other voltage about or around 220V then you need to use the CONVERTOR mentioned earlier. What ever you do, don't plug a device that is only rated 110V directly into a 220v outlet. It will die, well, actually, about 3 or 4 important components inside will melt very quickly...
As far as a hair dryer is concerned, big hotels have them built into the wall, or available as a courtesy or you can go to the local drugstore and buy one for $15 and use it while you are there. Take it home or leave it when you are done.
So, one more time for review,
input voltage 90 to 220 or 240. use an adaptor that changes plug style.
input voltage 110-120 use voltage step down convertor/transformer.
hair dryer - buy one over there.
Have a great trip.
Keith
My aunt, uncle and cousins live in England and we sent a gift to them for Christmas ( electronic ) and they got an adapter and it promptly blew it and we thought that was ruined. But someone looked at it and fixed it said they had gotten an adapter and not a converter so be careful to check on that and be sure you have the 'right' thing. That's all the details I can tell you but I know there is a difference.
Magellan's is a wonderful travel supplies site. www.magellans.com or you can call their customer service center. They are experienced with all the adapters and similar items.
Please listen to Cheryl O. We left all of our US electronics behind and purchased brand new over there. Then when we returned home to the US, we sold or gave away the electronics again. If you are only needing a hair dryer, most hotel rooms come equipped with permanently attached hair dryers in a desk drawer. You may not find outlets in the washrooms because of the increased voltage and increased electrocution risk (hence why they permanently mount those s*ckers so you can't get hurt).
