75
votes
Airline power sockets shut down when I plug my computer in. How can I avoid that?
Overcurrent isn't the only reason for an airline circuit to trip. It might also be looking for ground faults/residual current (GFCI/RCD) or listening for arc faults (AFCI). Any appliance can have ...
69
votes
Does a USB to UK socket adapter exist?
There is no such device because what you are proposing is impractical.
Laptop chargers require between 100 and 240 volts alternating current input. (Some may require a more limited range). USB ...
- 68.5k
63
votes
Accepted
Can I use my laptop, which says 100-240V, in the USA?
The cord is marked with the maximal voltage the insulation between the wires in it is designed to withstand. It will transmit lower voltages just fine and not be harmed.
It is also marked with the ...
61
votes
Accepted
Why is the bathroom's light switch outside the room in some countries?
Because CENELEC standards, which are in effect in most European countries, restrict which kind of electrical equipment can be installed in rooms with a bath tub or a shower.
There are some minor ...
- 58.6k
59
votes
Cooking inside a hotel room
The simple answer is, no, this won't be allowed in any normal hotel-hotel.
Very simply, use holidayrentals.co.uk or airBnB.com to rent a "gite" instead. You'll save more money and it will be far more ...
- 6,354
49
votes
Issues powering a US laptop in Europe, via an adapter
A breaker tripping is a serious sign of trouble. Something shorted or started to draw excessive current. If not for the breaker, it would probably have caught fire. (Or the circuit was already ...
- 37.7k
49
votes
What are these holes for on this European travel adaptor?
Those circled holes will be for various plug style's grounds, however --
That is not a standard socket.
That is entirely an invention of the Chinese junk sellers.
It has not been approved by any ...
48
votes
Accepted
Is it safe to plug one travel adapter into another?
Yes, it's generally safe. Adapters don't have any active components, so assuming they're all rated for the voltage/amps you're putting through, there's little risk of overload etc like there is with ...
- 99.2k
47
votes
Accepted
What are these holes for on this European travel adaptor?
All the middle holes are there for accepting various types of ground (earth) pins.
Specifically, the top two holes are there for British plugs (BS 546, BS 1363), while the bottom two are there for ...
- 99.2k
47
votes
Airline power sockets shut down when I plug my computer in. How can I avoid that?
If a socket says "100 W max", it doesn't mean, that your laptop would be drawing less. Your laptop/charger will draw what it needs. The socket will provide the power that your laptop needs, until it ...
- 9,049
43
votes
Airline power sockets shut down when I plug my computer in. How can I avoid that?
This alone explains it all:
it also happens when I plug the charger alone without the laptop at the other end.
Because of the way power supplies are constructed, they draw extremely short, but ...
- 784
41
votes
When traveling from the EU to the USA, what kind of power adapter am I going to need?
The first thing to do is check all your appliances. Check wether they are multi voltage. You will see that printed on them somewhere.
I have yet to encounter a laptop or mobile phone charger that was ...
- 11.9k
35
votes
Charging a high powered laptop on aircraft power
Install Lenovo Vantage / Lenovo Commercial Vantage.
That way you gain access to a setting 'Airplane Power Mode':
I would also recommend you charge the laptop to 100% (in case you have the Battery ...
- 511
32
votes
Can power banks be recharged from both 120V and 240V?
All the devices you mentioned charge via USB, so really all you need to do is carry a USB wall adapter, that is compatible with USA / UK voltages.
I carry with me a macbook pro lightbar 2016 wall ...
- 39.7k
31
votes
Accepted
Converter vs Adapter
Am I correct that adapter mode would burn a US appliance, or am I wrong?
Yes, you are correct. If used in "adapter" mode, the voltage is not adjusted or converted in any way, and in most cases a ...
- 434
30
votes
Does a USB to UK socket adapter exist?
Laptops take too much power
It's perfectly reasonable to think that would work. The problem is the laptop class of machines just take more power than readily available present-day USB plugs can ...
28
votes
Can I use my laptop, which says 100-240V, in the USA?
The ONLY relevant thing to check is the label on the power supply. It states "Input 100V-240V, 50/60Hz". Any outlet that provides voltage and frequencies in that range is safe to use.
That covers ...
- 112k
26
votes
Issues powering a US laptop in Europe, via an adapter
It looks like your laptop is tripping the RCD rather than the regular circuit breaker: a device tripping the regular CB will simply start smoking if the CB doesn't trip, and your laptop seems to work ...
- 10.1k
26
votes
Do I need an adapter for my (US-based) USB bricks for use in Japan?
Japan's power grid is a bit special, in that the eastern/western sides are 50Hz/60Hz respectively.
If we're not talking about USB power bricks, then the frequency may matter (especially for motors) ...
- 597
25
votes
Accepted
What legal documents are Italian citizens supposed to carry when traveling to Ireland?
As an Italian citizen, what legal documents we are supposed to carry when we will be traveling to Ireland?
Passport or national ID card (carta d'identità), provided it does not say non valida per l'...
- 11.5k
24
votes
Unable to charge HP NoteBook 840 G4 laptop while being overseas
There's nothing in your pictures that indicates that they shouldn't work on a European grid. I think you need to treat this exactly like any other instance of: My laptop and/or its power brick died ...
24
votes
Accepted
Power Adapter for Traveling to Scotland (I live in the US)
Almost certainly, each AC to DC converter you have will support both UK and US voltages, and you do not need a voltage converter.
To be absolutely sure, look at the back of your laptop's charger and ...
- 12.9k
23
votes
Accepted
Why does this US to UK adapter not fit properly?
You need a different adapter. Your adapter will accept a standard US non-polarized two-prong plug, but will not — as you discovered — accept a polarized two-prong plug.
Plug adapters are varied. I ...
- 26.2k
23
votes
When traveling from the EU to the USA, what kind of power adapter am I going to need?
As others have said, almost all laptop and phone chargers will support 100-250V at 50 or 60Hz. They have switch mode power supplies, which for various technical reasons I won't go into, are very easy ...
- 11.2k
22
votes
Accepted
What power supply is needed to use a CPAP machine in the EU?
The label gives input 100-240, V 50-60Hz, which covers the European countries as well as the USA.
As such you only need a plug adapter, which only changes the shape of the plug but does not do ...
- 62.6k
22
votes
Issues powering a US laptop in Europe, via an adapter
I have a gaming Laptop too and live in Austria.
The switched power supply provided with my laptop seems to have an extremely high inrush current. This is in general common for such power supplies, but ...
- 502
20
votes
Is it safe to plug one travel adapter into another?
In the specific case of a MacBook, it's safe: the MacBook power supply is non-grounded. The grounding pin on your UK "type G" plug is probably a plastic dummy pin, so going from a UK "type G" to a ...
- 2,241
20
votes
Do I need an adapter for my (US-based) USB bricks for use in Japan?
I would imagine that the frequency/voltage difference shouldn't matter as long as the prong fits in.
You would imagine wrong. That's how fires start.
You'll need to check the expected voltage for the ...
- 22.5k
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