Help! Ryechu's electricity troubles.

[Rye]

Everywhere I look online, I can't find any proper voltage converters for when I go to England. Every single one has terrible reviews, even the pricy ones. Am I looking in the wrong place?

I need one for my hair tools. I could probably buy a dual voltage blow dryer, since I'm due for an upgrade, but my hair straightener is brand new and not dual voltage so I'm terrified it'll burn out. And possibly explode. On my head. D:

If it helps, the wattage of my Chi Straightener is 25-35 watts.

I also need one for my digital pictard frame. That is a lesser concern, because it's a not-heating electronic gizmoooo, so I can just pick up a cheaper one for that. I probably could even just use a regular adapter for it.

My laptop is dual voltage, so I can just buy a regular adapter for it, without concern. Any other major appliance (TV, though I'll probably just bum off of Hux's since I cba to pay for a TV license and dodge detector vans, hahashdwhahaa), phone, etc is going to be bought in England, so regular adapters work.

Thanks guys! Sorry for constant help requests due to the impending move. :greenie:

[rubah]

25 watts is not a massive heat generating appliance. My laptop runs at 85 watts. Hair dryers run at 1600 watts or more. Office Quarters: From $36.90 - Tatco International Dual Converter/Adapter TCO 15500 TCO15500 (http://www.officequarters.com/product.php?co=TCO&number=15500&source=base) is essentially what I took with me to France, but I was using precisely two electronic devices; my 85 watt laptop (which is dual voltage and I only needed the proper shaped plug), and my cell phone, which is a couple of watts.

However, I would be very surprised if the above would be unsufficient if your straightener is only 30 watts. It seems to be rated for 50 watts, after all.

Plus, it has the advantage of having just about any plug shape for anywhere in Europe, and possibly south america as well. There are a couple of switches on the side to ensure you are going between the proper voltages.

You can get it at Walmart next to the suitcases.

[Rye]

Oh, that's perfect for hair things. I feel like a dumb-dumb now, for not finding that when I was at Wal-Mart. Thanks a bunch, miss!

[Peegee]

If UK electric outlets are anything like HK outlets, you might have a problem if the...I'm going to butcher this. Resistors? Are insufficient.

From a practical, completely layperson non-scientific view, I plugged a small alarm clock in the socket when I visited HK. Within a few minutes I smelled 'burning' and the thing was overheated. Then it sparked and died x_X

Computers never did this, and my camera battery charger was fine. So I blame it on either cheap or very small appliances not being able to survive the adapter. I also don't know whether a surge protector would help either.

*raises general concerns related to issue hopefully getting answers that help both of us*

[theundeadhero]

If the converter isn't strong enough to run whatever is plugged in it will break the fuse in the converter, not blow up what's plugged in. Then it's like a dollar for three new fuses. New fuses won't let you use whatever blew up the old one but at least you'll be able to fix the converter up for use with anything else.


From a practical, completely layperson non-scientific view, I plugged a small alarm clock in the socket when I visited HK. Within a few minutes I smelled 'burning' and the thing was overheated. Then it sparked and died x_X

Computers never did this, and my camera battery charger was fine. So I blame it on either cheap or very small appliances not being able to survive the adapter. I also don't know whether a surge protector would help either.Converters change the voltage of whateveris plugged in so you can plug an american 110v whatever into a 220v or 240v depending on where you are. An adapter let's you plug something straight into the wall. Sounds like you were just using an adapter. Things like laptops and camera chargers are usually dual voltage so they just need a converter. Alarm clocks usually aren't dual voltage so you need a converter.

[rubah]

That's why I like the one I linked; you can just use the adapters, or you can use the big box as well :)