Which convertor or transformer do I need for Italy?
July 22, 2011 10:21 PM Subscribe
I have bought a international convertor - and a foreign travel voltage
Converter. I need to know which one is correct for all my appliances to work. OR I need to get something different. All the appliances are listed below.. Thanks for your help in advance. Going to Italy.
Kooky Kathy
Appliances to take to Italy---
Hair dryer. 1875 watt
I also have a travel 1600 watt one I could take if that would be better.
--------
Curling iron. 120V AC 60Hz 17W
-------
Canon camera charger.
FOR SMALLER CANON CAMERA
Input 100V-240V AC 50/60Hz
O.1 A(100V)
-0.06A(240V)
Output 4.2v. 0.65A
Use only with ITE
------
Kindle ?
-------
Ipad2 ? AT &T carrier. Wattage & volts
10 watt 1amp. 5
------
iPhone 3Gs ? AT&T carrier. Wattage & Volts
5 watt. 1 amp. 5
------
Battery charger- FOR LARGER CANON CAMERA
Energizer CHP4WB4--- For Rechargeable batteries
======================================================
I bought 2 adapters but wasn't sure if I would be fully covered with all my appliances. Which would be better
Or do I need something different?
I have ---
1) Enercell 50/2000 watt dual-power foreign travel voltage converter- says for use only with 110/1120V electronic or mototized devices requiring up to 50W, or non-electric heating appliances requiring up to 2000W. Heavy, solid rectangular
Costs --$37.50
2) international convertor set- for overseas use with 110 voltage products. Powerful, dual-wattage converter transforms 220V to 110V-
Just 5 different adapters- five country coded adapters for UK, EUROPE, etc. (Guess this would cover Italy)
Low and high settings for 50 watts and also 51-1600. -- Cost $19.99
Appliances to take to Italy---
Hair dryer. 1875 watt
I also have a travel 1600 watt one I could take if that would be better.
--------
Curling iron. 120V AC 60Hz 17W
-------
Canon camera charger.
FOR SMALLER CANON CAMERA
Input 100V-240V AC 50/60Hz
O.1 A(100V)
-0.06A(240V)
Output 4.2v. 0.65A
Use only with ITE
------
Kindle ?
-------
Ipad2 ? AT &T carrier. Wattage & volts
10 watt 1amp. 5
------
iPhone 3Gs ? AT&T carrier. Wattage & Volts
5 watt. 1 amp. 5
------
Battery charger- FOR LARGER CANON CAMERA
Energizer CHP4WB4--- For Rechargeable batteries
======================================================
I bought 2 adapters but wasn't sure if I would be fully covered with all my appliances. Which would be better
Or do I need something different?
I have ---
1) Enercell 50/2000 watt dual-power foreign travel voltage converter- says for use only with 110/1120V electronic or mototized devices requiring up to 50W, or non-electric heating appliances requiring up to 2000W. Heavy, solid rectangular
Costs --$37.50
2) international convertor set- for overseas use with 110 voltage products. Powerful, dual-wattage converter transforms 220V to 110V-
Just 5 different adapters- five country coded adapters for UK, EUROPE, etc. (Guess this would cover Italy)
Low and high settings for 50 watts and also 51-1600. -- Cost $19.99
I am not positive about your Apple gear, but my Mac laptop power bricks and my v1 iPod charger are universal voltage. They only need a plug adapter to convert between the wall socket and the US style plug, and that's all I use for them in Europe. Europe is full of innovative and annoying plug and socket designs. They're slowly trying to standardize, but it will take decades. Italian sockets are a mix of three or four types, sometimes even within the same building. Here is a list of plugs and sockets.
Anything that says 100 - 240VAC 50-60 Hz is universal voltage. I suspect all your chargers and power bricks are universal. Check the tiny type on the chargers and power supplies to be sure. You can hardly buy a wall-mounted power supply that isn't universal any longer.
Your travel voltage converter 1 says motorized devices up to 50W? Well, the blow dryer has a motor in it and the motor might not turn properly with this device - it would be bad if the heating elements worked but the fan didn't. Take consolation if you are staying at hotels, which are almost always equipped with wall-mounted blow dryers. If you won't be at a hotel, have you considered simply buying a blow dryer over there? It would be cheaper than travel voltage converter 1. Converter 2 would definitely be needed for the curling iron.
posted by jet_silver at 11:05 PM on July 22, 2011
Anything that says 100 - 240VAC 50-60 Hz is universal voltage. I suspect all your chargers and power bricks are universal. Check the tiny type on the chargers and power supplies to be sure. You can hardly buy a wall-mounted power supply that isn't universal any longer.
Your travel voltage converter 1 says motorized devices up to 50W? Well, the blow dryer has a motor in it and the motor might not turn properly with this device - it would be bad if the heating elements worked but the fan didn't. Take consolation if you are staying at hotels, which are almost always equipped with wall-mounted blow dryers. If you won't be at a hotel, have you considered simply buying a blow dryer over there? It would be cheaper than travel voltage converter 1. Converter 2 would definitely be needed for the curling iron.
posted by jet_silver at 11:05 PM on July 22, 2011
Best answer: I haven't seen those exact ones, but I'd suggest neither of them are suitable for anything like their rated 1600/2000W, and certainly not for anything with a motor in them e.g. hair dryer. The similar ones I've seen (switchable low / high power) simply use a chopper for the high-power setting, slicing the AC waveform to provide 110V RMS. The result is nothing like a sine wave, so motors will either growl horribly or not even start. Heaters work fine-ish, but anything electronic or mechanical will at best baulk, at worst die, on the high power setting. Your curling iron may work, but…
The low-power setting though is probably fine for most electronics - one I've seen used a small transformer (no 50->60Hz conversion); another I looked at used a modified sine wave converter (which did 50->60Hz conversion).
Apple chargers world-wide - including the US - are all multi-standard (90~240V, 50/60Hz); Kindle & Canon camera chargers (as well as most generic battery chargers) sold outside the US are, but I don't know about ones sold in the US - your country can be strangely parochial about such things. As jet_silver says, check the ratings on them to be sure.
Oh, and most motels will have a low-power 110V universal socket in the bathroom for shavers, etc - that'll also work for any chargers, etc that aren't 220/240V compatible, and probably the curling iron too (but not the hair dryer).
Myself, I wouldn't bother taking either adaptor - the electronics should work anywhere, the iron will probably work in a motel with a universal socket, and I wouldn't trust adaptors like that to run a hair dryer. Buy a plug adaptor set before you leave, a hair dryer over there if you need to, and live dangerously!
posted by Pinback at 12:04 AM on July 23, 2011
The low-power setting though is probably fine for most electronics - one I've seen used a small transformer (no 50->60Hz conversion); another I looked at used a modified sine wave converter (which did 50->60Hz conversion).
Apple chargers world-wide - including the US - are all multi-standard (90~240V, 50/60Hz); Kindle & Canon camera chargers (as well as most generic battery chargers) sold outside the US are, but I don't know about ones sold in the US - your country can be strangely parochial about such things. As jet_silver says, check the ratings on them to be sure.
Oh, and most motels will have a low-power 110V universal socket in the bathroom for shavers, etc - that'll also work for any chargers, etc that aren't 220/240V compatible, and probably the curling iron too (but not the hair dryer).
Myself, I wouldn't bother taking either adaptor - the electronics should work anywhere, the iron will probably work in a motel with a universal socket, and I wouldn't trust adaptors like that to run a hair dryer. Buy a plug adaptor set before you leave, a hair dryer over there if you need to, and live dangerously!
posted by Pinback at 12:04 AM on July 23, 2011
High-wattage appliances, like your hair dryer and curling iron, are likely to trip European circuit breakers regardless of the converters (personal experience in several countries), almost certainly with a 1875W hair dryer (holy whoa that's high!). You'll be better off buying cheap replacements while you are there.
posted by halogen at 12:06 AM on July 23, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by halogen at 12:06 AM on July 23, 2011 [1 favorite]
As others have said, your electronic devices almost certainly don't need a voltage converter, only a plug adapter.
My advice on that is to get one or two plug adapters for Italian plugs, and then a small extension cord. I use a product from Monster called "Outlets to Go" which is a fused 4-outlet extension cord designed for travelers with gadgets. I can charge my computer, iPad, phone, and camera battery at the same time.
If your travel hair dryer has a 120-240 switch on it, you can bring it and use it as long as you put the switch on 240. In my (limited) experience with such devices, that means that the low setting will work like high, and the high setting won't work at all. Otherwise I would buy a cheap hair dryer in Italy. I'd also buy a curling iron there. My sister used to have a travel curling iron that used butane cartridges to heat up, but I wouldn't want to travel with one these days.
posted by brianogilvie at 3:30 AM on July 23, 2011
My advice on that is to get one or two plug adapters for Italian plugs, and then a small extension cord. I use a product from Monster called "Outlets to Go" which is a fused 4-outlet extension cord designed for travelers with gadgets. I can charge my computer, iPad, phone, and camera battery at the same time.
If your travel hair dryer has a 120-240 switch on it, you can bring it and use it as long as you put the switch on 240. In my (limited) experience with such devices, that means that the low setting will work like high, and the high setting won't work at all. Otherwise I would buy a cheap hair dryer in Italy. I'd also buy a curling iron there. My sister used to have a travel curling iron that used butane cartridges to heat up, but I wouldn't want to travel with one these days.
posted by brianogilvie at 3:30 AM on July 23, 2011
piling on, i'd return the $37 adapter and buy a hair dryer and curling iron when you land.
posted by bystander at 4:33 AM on July 24, 2011
posted by bystander at 4:33 AM on July 24, 2011
Response by poster: Ok. Thanks so much for the answers. I am going to return the $37 voltage convertor and buy a curling iron when I get to Italy. The hotel where I am staying has air dryers so that will work ok.
On the other appliances-
Iphone, iPad, Kindle, battery charger, Canon small camera charger= all say
100v-240v. 50-60Hz. SO THEY SHOULD BE FINE
With these, I just need the #2 convertor set that has 5 adapters. Right?
What about a POWER MAT that says INPUT 100-240 Vac 47-63Hz
OUTPUT 18V
Will this work like above appliances with the #2 adapter? It's not really between 50-60!
When someone says ALL YOU NEED IS A PLUG ADAPTER, are they referring to like my #2
international converter set??? Is my #2 a plug adapter?
Thanks so much for all the help.
KookyKathy
posted by KookyKathy at 10:37 AM on July 29, 2011
On the other appliances-
Iphone, iPad, Kindle, battery charger, Canon small camera charger= all say
100v-240v. 50-60Hz. SO THEY SHOULD BE FINE
With these, I just need the #2 convertor set that has 5 adapters. Right?
What about a POWER MAT that says INPUT 100-240 Vac 47-63Hz
OUTPUT 18V
Will this work like above appliances with the #2 adapter? It's not really between 50-60!
When someone says ALL YOU NEED IS A PLUG ADAPTER, are they referring to like my #2
international converter set??? Is my #2 a plug adapter?
Thanks so much for all the help.
KookyKathy
posted by KookyKathy at 10:37 AM on July 29, 2011
Response by poster: I knew there was something else I wanted to know but just now remembered.
When you say use a plug adapter, are you talking about a simple, small adapter I've seen
on Amazon or something more elaborate like the nor I listed as my #2 converter set?
If I use a plug adapter, can I then add a surge protector cord with several plugs so
I can put several items to charge at same time?
I have a surge protector, and a grounded plug adapter which goes from a 2 plug into a 3 prong which I could use if that would work.
Just trying to get this straight in my mind. If I could use a surge protector, I would have to have a plug adapter ( would it need to be grounded one?) to go from the 2 prong on the #2 convertor to the surge protector because it has 3 prongs. WOULD THIS WORK?
posted by KookyKathy at 3:30 PM on July 29, 2011
When you say use a plug adapter, are you talking about a simple, small adapter I've seen
on Amazon or something more elaborate like the nor I listed as my #2 converter set?
If I use a plug adapter, can I then add a surge protector cord with several plugs so
I can put several items to charge at same time?
I have a surge protector, and a grounded plug adapter which goes from a 2 plug into a 3 prong which I could use if that would work.
Just trying to get this straight in my mind. If I could use a surge protector, I would have to have a plug adapter ( would it need to be grounded one?) to go from the 2 prong on the #2 convertor to the surge protector because it has 3 prongs. WOULD THIS WORK?
posted by KookyKathy at 3:30 PM on July 29, 2011
Best answer: The Iphone, iPad, Kindle, battery charger, Canon small camera charger and the power mat will all work with a dumb plug that just makes the prongs fit. They all work naturally at EU voltage. So you can use a cheap $5 adapter. That is what people are refering to when they say you just need an adapter. The ones I have look like these:
One, another, another.
From the description, your number 2 adapter converts voltage. This is unnecessary, but will almost certainly work. Basically, your list of items all work fine with a euro (including Italy) electrical system if you can get them plugged in.
Your number two adapter converts the euro power to USA power (but only a low wattage - so it won't work well for the hair care devices but will be fine for all the power packs that are just charging internal batteries).
Since your number two adapter has the right sort of plugs for Italy, you may as well use it, it will be fine.
Your follow up asking about a surge protector, I think is about using a double adapter or power board to have more of these devices plugged in at once.
If you have a dumb adapter you can definitely do this. With your number two adapter, however, multiple devices might draw too much power for it. I know all the little devices (idevices, kindle, Canon charger and battery charger if it is for small batteries i.e. not for a car) would all be fine to plug in at once. The power mat operates at 18v, which suggests it might suck more power than those other little gizmos. To be safe you might be best just plugging it in on its own when you want to use it.
And when I say safe, there is no danger to you or your devices. The worst that can happen is they might fail to work/charge or possibly blow a fuse in the adapter.
posted by bystander at 4:07 AM on July 30, 2011
One, another, another.
From the description, your number 2 adapter converts voltage. This is unnecessary, but will almost certainly work. Basically, your list of items all work fine with a euro (including Italy) electrical system if you can get them plugged in.
Your number two adapter converts the euro power to USA power (but only a low wattage - so it won't work well for the hair care devices but will be fine for all the power packs that are just charging internal batteries).
Since your number two adapter has the right sort of plugs for Italy, you may as well use it, it will be fine.
Your follow up asking about a surge protector, I think is about using a double adapter or power board to have more of these devices plugged in at once.
If you have a dumb adapter you can definitely do this. With your number two adapter, however, multiple devices might draw too much power for it. I know all the little devices (idevices, kindle, Canon charger and battery charger if it is for small batteries i.e. not for a car) would all be fine to plug in at once. The power mat operates at 18v, which suggests it might suck more power than those other little gizmos. To be safe you might be best just plugging it in on its own when you want to use it.
And when I say safe, there is no danger to you or your devices. The worst that can happen is they might fail to work/charge or possibly blow a fuse in the adapter.
posted by bystander at 4:07 AM on July 30, 2011
Response by poster: Thanks so much, Bystander. I understand now. It sure is nice to be able to get answers for these type of questions- nice, friendly, efficient answers. THANKS SO MUCH!!
KookyKathy
posted by KookyKathy at 5:45 AM on July 30, 2011
KookyKathy
posted by KookyKathy at 5:45 AM on July 30, 2011
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That enercell thing you listed, rated up to 2000 watts, thats for the hair dryer and curling iron.
posted by sanka at 11:00 PM on July 22, 2011