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I bought this type F to type G power adapter for using my Norwegian laptop etc in UK.

It only works if I put the charger plug in one way into the adapter, but if I switch it around so that the different legs of the plug go into the other entry holes in the adapter, then it does not work.

Is this normal? Did I get a defective power adapter?

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    You should at least take a photo of the label on your laptop adapter/charger and post with the question. I suspect it's class I, not class II charger... and it might not like to have its phase and neutral swapped while you plug into a socket with no actual earth (or possibly defective earth connection).
    – Respawned Fluff
    Commented Sep 25, 2015 at 20:43
  • On the power converter it says following things, 13 Amp max, Fused, 250 V~, BS 1363/3, PMS 9680.
    – Joe Slater
    Commented Sep 25, 2015 at 20:48
  • The laptop charger worked absolutely fine whichever way I put it in the slot when I did not use this converter and plugged it directly into the socket (in Norway). So is it something to do with the defective earth connection on the converter? Should I contact seller and ask for refund or replacement?
    – Joe Slater
    Commented Sep 25, 2015 at 20:50
  • Does your laptop adapter have a square-in-square on it?
    – Respawned Fluff
    Commented Sep 25, 2015 at 20:50
  • No such square, neither on the converter or on the charger.
    – Joe Slater
    Commented Sep 25, 2015 at 20:53

2 Answers 2

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No it is not normal.

Lack of earthing will not normally stop a device from working, neither will live-neutral reversal.

I think by far the most likely explanation is the adaptor is faulty and/or poorly made barely making contact one way round and failing to make it the other way round.

Also "type C" is a vague description. Can you take a photo of the plug on your laptop charger?

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It's not normal--the plug should work in either orientation. Since it doesn't, I imagine that there is some lack of contact occurring inside the adapter, perhaps because your plug pins are a bit bent or misaligned.

If you have another adapter, try it. If not, you can plug your Type C plug directly into the Type G outlet if you first defeat the safety shutters by pressing something thin and plastic into the ground slot of the outlet. Yes, this isn't approved by the Coast Guard or the Queen, but try it anyway just to test out what's happening. Those of us who need to do this a lot sometimes use much simpler adapters that do the above slightly more elegantly:

europlug adapter

europlug adapter

Note that the above only applies to non-grounded plugs. Grounded plugs require a full-fledged adapter.

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