Well, not really. In 1986/1990 only nominal voltage and tolerances were changed, but this did not have any influence on the mains voltage. Before 1986/1990 the mains voltage was defined as 220 V +/- 10 % (= 198 ... 242 V), afterwards it was defined as 230 V - 10 % / + 6 % (= 207 ... 244 V). In 2009 it was changed to 230 V +/- 10 %, so now 253 V are permissible.
Because 220 was within the tolerance. In the UK you'll still measure 240 V in most cases. It's still within the tolerance. Before the european harmonisation mains voltage in the UK was 240 V.
I once bought an analogue synthesizer manufactured in 1977 from Japan, where 110 V is standard. Not remotely knowing what I'm about to do, I dug out my travel adapter and just plugged that lad into my 220 V german mains. Unnecessary to say, I fried the built-in amplifier and had to take that battleship of an instrument to a technician for being helped out and humiliated. Perfectly works now functionally and as a constant reminder of shame.
A (late) fun fact about the diamond-shaped plugs: They are not that shape for astethic reasons, but so that they can be used in swiss-style sockets, which have exactly this form. (Although the style is also partially needed for the "SCHUKO" style outlets). This also means that, unsurprisingly, Switzerland has its own outlet style. So be aware of that when doing trips to Switzerland.
The official EU voltage is a nominal 230V with a tolerance of +10% -6% (so a range of 216.2 - 253 V). The UK still effectively runs at 240V, in Germany it's closer to 230V. Also, the USA has not been on 110 V for a long time, and runs at 120 V (or 240V where both "hots" are used).
General rule to add to the "Hairdryer" warning: If either the Plug or the Cable has a big bulky box, It's very probably DC Power (therefore okay) If the skinny cable goes all the way to the device, be extra careful and double-check. Those boxes are small transformer/rectifier coils that turn any voltage AC into some other voltage DC.
I once plugged a rice cooker from Japan with an adapter (that apparently was without a transformer) into a plug in Germany. It not only fried the device...it *fried* it. As in, the rice cooker *melted*. Japan uses 100 V usually.
You can use your rice cooker in South Korea, Japan, America, Canada, Mexico, all of central America. And most of South America. No more "fried" rice cookers.
And if you want to know more about these things, "Big Clive" has indeed a very entertaining channel about it, but also about cheap chinese gadgets. You may even learn a thing about electronic circuits or two! :-) Edit: No, this isn't "advertising" in any conventional way, it's just a recommendation, because I really like his videos.
Andrew, This video reminds me of my (admittedly) ancient experience in Britain and Germany in the early '70's. In those pre-beard days I had an electric shaver that had a toggle to accept European voltage and three different adapter plugs for the Continent, the UK and parts unknown. (I still have no idea what the third adapter fitted - Japan, maybe?)
Before the fall of the Iron Curtain, sockets in the Soviet Union were essentially the European style, except that the holes were a little bit smaller than e.g. the German ones. My dad (from West Germany), being an engineer, worked on the "other side" on a number of projects. He just got out his Swiss Army knife and made the holes bigger. Presto change-o! No, he did not get shocked. And the KGB never came after him either for "destruction of the people's property". :D
There are two countries that have different plugs in Europe. UK and Switzerland. The small 2-pin euro plug also fits in Switzerland. In the UK, plugs are often sold loose. France and Germany have different sockets (E + F), but there is a plug that fits into both systems. Most countries have agreed to socket E or F.
The Swiss plug (type J) is also used in Liechtenstein, while Ireland, Malta and Cyprus also use the UK type G plug. (Find the former British colonies...) And Denmark uses what's known as type K, which are oddly charming since they have a semicircular earth pin below the two regular round pins (which is why you usually don't need an adapter in Denmark if you're from anywhere that uses type C and/or F plugs), so every wall socket looks like it's smiling at you.
Not quite. There used to be 240V and 220V, which got both standardized into 230V. Which was implemented in a way so that the new tolerance overlapped the old tolerance to allow old equipment to still be used.
I really enjoy your videos. Imagine a world where people were smart enough to establish a universal standard and stick to it! What a hassle we could save.
Malte Küpker The benefits of common standards (measurement, voltages, computer programs, etc.) makes things accessible to everyone, not just people who have the "right stuff". Or do you like converting imperial units (inches, feet, etc.) to metric? Do you like having to find a compatibility program to open that special document a friend sent you, created on a word processor that uses a special format no other word processor has? (i.e. ODF for LibreOffice is unreadable by other programs.) Ever try to watch a video that was formatted with a codec that no video player software has even heard of, because the maker didn't use a standard codec? In audio, the compact cassette imposed a standard for recording compatibility across ALL machines -- when cassettes were a popular format. Phillips - the creators of the compact cassette -- spent a lot of time and effort to ensure that standard would be followed by all manufacturers. As a result MILLIONS of audio fans could share tapes with no problems or adapters, and millions of people benefited from the standard that Philips imposed. Later, CDs did the same thing so anyone could access a CD without converting it or adapting it. They established and followed a standard. And the world benefited from that standard. Yes, we need standards. They make life easier, accessible, and practical -- not boring.
Yeah, I found out the hard way regarding frequency and hair driers. My little travel drier had a switch for 110 V and 220 V, so I thought I was covered. How wrong I was. Crossing to the UK and back on the ferry, I found that the cabins had two continental and one British socket, which was actually useful for recharging devices, as our adapter supply was limited.
Zwei Fehler in dem Untertitel 1) die Netzspannung wurde Ende der 80er auf 230V erhöht und 2 ) es ist von AC = Wechselstrommotoren die Rede, aber im UT steht Drehstrommotor. Drehstrommotoren sind die, die man an Industriemaschinen findet und die meist mit 400V laufen.
Never, ever plug your phone into an unknown USB port! Especially not, if it's a public one! They could not only charge your phone but also make use of the data connection and infect your phone with some kind of malware.
Malte, are you sure you're not just talking about some proprietary extension of USB, like Qualcomm's quick charge technology? Or possibly USB 3.0, which, if I remember correctly, even goes up to 20V.
Atavar that isn't enough, a cable for charging only as Dow Row mentioned is necessary. Otherwise there will still be some software listening to what is going on on the USB port, and (as we know Android being the least secure bit of software of today) in case that is vulnerable to something, maybe a buffer overflow or being assigned the 128th device in the chain, or whatever, it doesn't need to actively accept data connections to be infected. I wouldn't trust it if there are data lines. A malicious attacker won't take for granted that everybody has USB debugging activated or stuff like that.
@@l3p3 You can also get that information from the sticker it will clearly show not only the acceptable voltage range but the acceptable frequencies also.
*Buyer beware!* Research by a reputable source [i.e. myself] indicates that only 25% of all hair dryers [in my house] would be fine with both 50 and 60 Hz.
In 1993 I bought a clock radio in Germany for 220v 50 hz. It did not work well in the USA because the clock ran 20% faster. That was even with a 110 v mains to 220 v transformer. Strangely enough though, my CD player that I bought in Germany played exactly in the USA as in Germany, nothing went bad except the cassette as it wore out due to overuse.
amiausUSA The problem is, that cheaper clockradios and clocks whitch use the main as powersupply use the 50 heart from the voltage as counter for the clock. In Europa the 50Hz is verry good controlled. If you now have 60 and no 50 Hz it cant work.
Old elecrtric clocks used a syncronous motor with the speed at a fixed ratio to the frequency. In audio devices the speed of the motors are controlled electronically. The CD has a different speed depending on the position of the track on the disk. When reading the inner parts it rotates faster than on the outer parts.
So the clock radio used the supplied frequency thus running fast, and the CD Player had a rectifier inside which converted AC to DV -> and the 110V were enough to power it.
If you need to know what plug and socket your device uses for mains supply, it's usually IEC 60320: Plug C7 and socket C8 for radios and some laptops Plug C5 and socket C6 for most laptops (the 3 rounded overlapping prongs) Plug C13 and socket C14 for most desktop PCs and a small number of laptops, usually referred to as the "IEC connector" even if all 3 types are IEC connectors
I once bought a international travel adapter from aldi on clearance knowing that I would soon travel to the US. I then simply took a 7 plug extension with me and used my devices with that. Every device I took was multivoltage/frequency anyway, so I didnt need a transformer. And the adapter has basically every plug, so I can travel everywhere while still being able to use my electronic devices.
Might be worth mentioning too that cheap adapters/phone chargers bought online can be fire hazards. Within the EU you should be alright with anything you pick up from a big name electronic retailer or supermarket, but beware buying online as many sites like amazon and ebay have third party sellers importing cheap chargers from Asia which can be substandard in terms of safety. Also, is it just me or is the audio slightly unsynchronised particularly in the first half of this video?
Not only the poor quality but "wrong" adapters is very dangerous. For example the US to German/European plug adapter shown at 1:43 in the video. These small German/European plugs (called Euro plug) are only up to 10 Amps while you can plug every american plug in. And some with disconnected PE.
Another problem is electricity in Europe is a 220v to 230v at 50 cycles. Countries that use 110v are at 60 cycles. With all the sensitive, modern electronics the cycle of the electricity can make or break the electronics.
@@whomagoose6897 While it's always a good thing to check the label on the device (or its manual), electronic devices tend to care very little for the mains AC frequency - they're ultimately operating on DC anyway. So if your cheap chinese phone charger causes your electronic device to glitch out, that's not a problem of the mains frequency being incompatible with your device - that's a problem of the charger being poorly designed and/or poorly manufactured, and failing to convert the AC to "clean" DC.
An multipoint extension lead, which you may have use for at home, can reduce the need for adapters for multiple devices. Apart from a hairdryer, the gadgets you take away with you are usually very low amperage, so it's unlikely you'll cause an overload.
When I visit the UK I take two adaptors and a German multi socket adaptor so I put the UK/EU adaptor on the plug of the socket adaptor on and charge with my German chargers for my netbook, tablet and phone - I take the multi socket adaptor with me in Germany as well as there are often too few plugs in rooms. The other adaptor I carry is the Swiss one - they have plugs in which nothing but Swiss plugs fit and that is a nightmare.
Yeah - if you're not satisfied with your shaver, that's what you should definitely do... ... you might end up with an excuse to buy a new, better one :P
Officially, the voltage in Europe is 230 V, nowadays. However, the guarantied tolerance for voltage is ±10%, which leads to (possible) voltage range of 209 V to 253 V - giving backwards compatibility to old nominal voltages of 220 V or 240 V.
Also, at least in Germany, you can go to any kind of cheap household supply store and pick up a hair dryer for as cheap as 10€. It may serve you only for that one vacation, but hey, that's all you need it for.
1) Voltage is 230 V in Germany 2) your European 2 prong plug will work fine in a UK socket. Just need to stick a key into the PEN contact and this will unlock the child safety allowing you to push the round prongs into the rectangular holes. (please note that this does not work for plugs were a PEN connection is required or strong currents are flowing as prongs have only tiny contact areas in the square holes) :)
There's an easy enough solution, buy a USB cable that's meant for charging only. In Germany, these are often marked with a L (laden = to charge) on either the plug or the cable. Or, if you don't mind fiddling around with some tiny wiring, cover the middle two of the four connectors with some piece of non-conducting adhesive tape. These are the data transmission lines, the outer two are +5 volts and ground, and these are enough for charging.
Eisi Kater I still wouldnt thrust them, they could have some dodgy PSU inside that supplies more than 5v and could fry your phone or it could be connected the wrong way. Just use your own PSU, that is made to handle fluctuating voltages and other dubious stuff.
Großartiges Video. Wieder was gelernt Zwischenstecker hab ich noch nie gehört. Ich kenne so etwas als Adapter. Ist mit "Spannungsumwandler" das umwandeln von 110 zu 220 V (oder umgekehrt) gemeint ? (Es wird auch Spannungswandler gesagt) Ansonsten wäre es ein Trafo (kurz für Transformator) oder ein Netzteil.
That day when I had a job interview in Switzerland and had to realise my German laptop cable was no good there, because the Swiss use a plug that nobody else in the world uses. But one that makes a whole lot more sense than the thick SchuKo ones and everyone else should use it, at lease in Europe.
4 nickpicks from me: 1) 2:49 is a death-daptor, which should only operated (and given access) to people which are aware of it's dangers. (customs will regularly confiscate them from foreign mail order shipments in germany.) 2) mains voltage in continental Europe is 230V 3) the mains connector CEE7/7 (for outlets CEE 7/3 and CEE7/5) is not use in Swizerland, there it's SEV1011. 4) CloverLeaf (IEC C5) is not the complete picture, there are a lot of appliances on CEE7/14 ("Euro")
1. The one I show is CE certified. I should probably have specifically mentioned that, but I'd like to know how you know it's so dangerous just by looking at a picture of it. I think by "customers" you mean "customs officers": they didn't confiscate this one. 2. Yes, I got that one wrong. But, to be honest, it makes very nearly no difference at all. Certainly not to your average tourist. 3. That's why I said "most but not all" European countries. There are quite a few other designs: Italy and Denmark, for example. 4. I think you have your terminology mixed up here: the Cloverleaf plug is C5. The one I don't show is C14. However, I trust my viewers to see with their own eyes what kind of plug will fit their own device. I never said C5 was the only standard, only that it is A standard.
re 1: That adaptor can only conform if it prevents a 3-pin plug from being used with it (cannot see if it does or does not in the video). Adaptors that "cut" the earth lead are violating the regulations.
you are right... it autowrecked me... "customs" i meant... they like to confiscate if the find them...especially in "Oberursel", no joke... they are the ones handling goods "of suspected value above 21€" for the main taunus area. Anyway, for the death-daptor: The border/lip of the rear is not wide enough, so you might insert just one prong of the device, leaving the other pin dangling around. And so you have an easy accessible "live mains" point. see for example BigClive on that topic (he has the same issues with UK/EU-adaptors) v=ESIzuV6kdWY
Don't most hairdryers use resistive elements that wont really heat up on 110v? A 220V hairdryer on full heat uses ~1500W, on 110V it would be about 375W. A 1500W 110V hairdryer on 220v would melt the heating element or blow a fuse as it would use ~6000W. (assuming it hasn't a positive temperature coefficient heating element)
Grooohm hehe, and yet we still have Hairdryers in America! (Dryers in 110V countries pull more current in order to get the same power. With double voltage that could be a problem once upon a time, but modern ones can usually handle high voltage too. Your 230V is less at risk in a 110V socket but yeah it may not get hot...) The issue with hairdryers isnt the voltage though its the frequency. The motor circuit is designed for 60HZ (in the us) so a slower 50HZ will damage the blower-motor over time and the same vice-versa. Cheers!!
Don't Forget ther are Some Hotels thats Have a Wall Sockets that Accepts Different Plugs. i Did See One that was Able to Accept Schuko Type B, C, F and G But ye i had to Deal With Stuff with Diffent Plugs usally with the Type A Plug. also Once with a Type G. Thats why i have a Socket Converter from Hama here.
The British plug: a lone adaptor wields the power of 1000 Lego bricks when stood on. A peeve is their shape: they are not the easiest to transport, the wire often comes out the bottom, meaning that the wire could fray more easily, and since they contain the fuse and transformer within the plug, they are often large and clunky But I still prefer British plugs, though I may be bias.
Tip: If you travel to Germany and have some devices (Smartphone charger, Notebook, etc.) to connect to the power. Buy one adapter (ebay) and put a multi power socket in the luggage.
North America uses a split-phase system (not the same as two-phase) which can supply 220 V for high-demand appliances, that is correct. However, Germany uses a three-phase system which transmits at 400 V (you multiply the voltage of a single phase by the square root of 3), so by your logic Germany is actually a 400 V country.
In theory, the phase relationship in a universal motor (i.e. one with a commutator and brushes) is not affected by line frequency. (The nameplate on my wife's Conair, for example states "50-60 Hz") Of course I can't argue with real life experience, so if these appliances burn out, that's good to know. :-)
Just check the input sticker on the device if it clearly states 50-60Hz it will accept any frequency in that range, if it states 50/60Hz it will work on a grid at either of those frequencies just fine. Don't mix devices that explicitly state just one frequency with grids of a different frequency so if the sticker says 50Hz don't use it in the USA, Canada, Southern Japan, etc and likewise don't use a device saying 60Hz in Europe, China, India, Australia, etc.
How difficult would it be to actually standardise plugs and electricity parameters? There would be a transitions time, but wouldn't it be worth it? But no. It seems it can't be done.
They tried that ....but each country wants theirs to be standard and others want theirs to be so .... no result ....besides the 10A round pin plugs being the standard EU type sockets everywhere. While those 13A-16A and above are different everywhere.
3:25 Just wondering, does this replacement has a fuse in it? Because I thought in GB they have the fuses in the plugs, isn't it quite bad to have a plug without one then?
Phone chargers are so low power generally use a fusible resistor on the board instead. This does sacrifice the replaceability of a discreet cartridge fuse but makes thing far smaller and replaceability is less critical when the entire USB power supply can be purchased so cheaply. Especially when you consider the sort of 100 mA or lower rated fuse you really want for a device like this if you don't want the PCB to go full bonfire before it blows is a fairly specialty component and would need to be ordered specially to replace it anyway shipping on those if just buying a handful is often not much cheaper than replacing the device itself.
@@iter9290 You actually can't the earth bin has to push past a lever as it engages in order to open the safety covers blocking the live and neutral pins. This is why even on double insulated devices that do not need an earth connection the pin is still present on their UK adapters just usually made from plastic.
@@iter9290 We are talking about low power double insulated to meet the standard as well as meeting the double insulated standards there are I believe limits on the maximum power of the device I believe mostly we are talking low power electronics with insulated wiring all enclosed inside a secondary 240V rated insulated external case ie to touch anything conductive you would need to destroy both the case and strip the internal wiring. The main reason the pin must be there even when not needed for the device is that the sockets don't expose the live and neutral pins without it being present. The idea here is to prevent anything other than a plug inserted in the correct direction making it into the socket. Mostly the shutters are more of a child safety feature though it would be fairly easy for a determined adult to bypass. It is merely a spring loaded plastic shutter connected to an angled pin in the earth slot as the Earth pin goes in it moves the shutters down exposing the other holes.
Ok, why do Britons HAVE to come up with the world's most bulky plugs?!? They are HUGE and cumbersome to use. That and those bloody sinks with separate hot and cold water faucets.
Because they have a water tank in the attic for the electric shower :) And the water runs freely from the tank to all outlets in the house. In a standard 1 storey bungalow you have therefore about 2 metres of water pressure = 0.2 bar. Most proper water faucets require 2 bar to work properly... That is why I have pumped water :)
What did you expect - as long as they not solved to mix hot and cold water into warm water, a functional plug is on the last page of the TOP list and with the Brexit the plugs can only get larger.
The British plug is the best designed plug in the world. Fuse in the plug, safety shutters on the sockets and can be rewired by anyone with a screwdriver. They also sit in the socket without wiggling around, have plastic collars so you can't shock yourself when it is half in and are always earthed. Hurt like hell if you step on them though.
Pro Tip: USB is an internatiopnal standard. So, no phone charger? Charge it while watching TV. Nowadays, TVs have USB sockets, which provide what you need.
AND if you are travelling to srilanka, they use 3 plugs: -the Southafrican plug...basically a gigantic plug ... 3 enourmous pins! -the Indian plug...European plug fiit into indian plug outletts. -the British plug And you won't know in advance what kind of plug your holliday home will provide... Mostly the provide a mix of outletts...some outletts are semi universal by providing a bunch of holes for pins even some holes that are basically rectangular with a round cut out in the middle...so that recangular and round pins fit in the outlett... I wished the EU had that shit standardized! I wished the world would have selected ONE plug type percombination of Voltage and frequency...then again...the japanese have different main ones on their islands..lol
Considering how much airlines charge for extra baggage, I don't understand why anyone would even consider bringing a hair dryer honestly. I suppose women might have some really fancy model at home but how much is a basic one that dries your hair perfectly well? Next to nothing. It's not like hair dryers are some unknown magic thing in Europe or elsewhere, so just pick one up when you arrive (if the hotel doesn't supply one or you don't stay in a hotel) and leave it at the hotel, hostel, camp site or whatever when you leave. I'm sure you can find something more interesting to pack in your bag when going home. :P
No, unluckily "Hey presto" is really used in UK while is definitely not used by Italian speakers who would not understand the expression in this context.
The flat pin plug is used in America, Canada, Mexico, Central America and most, if not all of South America. Japan and South Korea uses the flat pin. Not all flat pin plugs have a third round pin. The round pin is a ground for draining excess electricity. These flat pins need 110v at 60 cycles. When I was in Germany the electricity was 220v at 50 cycles. You had to use round pin plugs with 220v through a transformer to get 110v flat pin plug. I think 110v was used in America because DC current was used for a time before AC current. DC current cannot travel very far over the electricity transmission wires. AC current can go thousands of miles. This was a fight between Thomas Edison, wanting DC current. And, Nikola Tesla who wanted AC current. AC current won out.
The first sentence is true, except for the South America bit. Rule of thumb: the further south and east you go on the continent, the less likely your American type-A plugs will work. Brazil has its own system (type N), Argentina uses Australian plugs for some reason, Suriname is on the same plugs as its former colonizer Netherlands, same with French Guiana and France (minus the "former" part). Chile and Uruguay use Italian-style (type L) plugs, as well as type C "Euro" plugs.
Last I heard, the 110/220V story was as follows: When the US mains system was standardized, light bulb filaments back then couldn't take more than 110 V reliably; so mains power was standardized to the 110+110 V Live/Neutral/Live 3-wire system the US still uses today, with lights run on either of the two 110 V Live/Neutral circuits, while high-power devices (back then mainly motors) were run on the 220 V Live/Live circuit. Europe was relatively late to the electrification game, so when they caught up, light bulb technology had already moved on to reliably take 220 V, so in Europe the mains system was standardized to a 220 V Live/Neutral 2-wire system (though in practice modern households actually use three separate lives at different phase under the hood, de-facto making it a 4-wire system and allowing for access to even higher voltages). A higher voltage has the advantage that you can transmit the same power over thinner and therefore cheaper wiring, and 220 V was probably chosen because devices designed for this particular voltage were already being manufactured for the US market. The only reason the US didn't also switch to pure 220 V is probably that their standard had already gained too much inertia when technology had matured enough.
*Anyone blindly believing this statement is ill-advised.* Look at the label on your hair dryer, or its manual. It will tell you what frequency it's fine with. Being able to cope with multiple frequencies is a selling point, particularly if the product is a compact one designed for travel, so if a device is ok with multiple frequencies, it won't hesitate to say so. Just checked 4 different hair dryers, and only one of them (the most modern one from a somewhat expensive brand, being a somewhat hefty non-travel-style one) claims to be ok with 50-60 Hz. Another one (same brand, same heft, a lot older though) says it wants 50 Hz, and two travel-style hair dryers with foldable grips (an older brand model, as well as a somewhat modern no-name one) also want 50 Hz. Also, even if a hair dryer appears to work fine with the non-matching frequency, it may still suffer, and degrade its life expectancy (and definitely void warranty). So as far as hair dryers go, *always check.*
Fun Fact: Some countries mix different standards. On the Philippines, they use american sockets but European voltage. Not a problem for us Germans. Adapters are easy available there. Now our US neighbors innocently plugged in there equipment, just so watch it being fired.
@@seneca983 Not necessarily. US voltages with plugs designed for European standards might be even more hazardous, as the European ones might not be designed to carry as high an amperage as is customary in the US. While it's volts that give you an electric shock, It's amps that start fires. (To carry the same power, a lower voltage requires a higher amperage and vice versa.)
@@CLipka2373 I don't think so. A short circuit can cause high enough current to cause a fire if a fuse doesn't prevent it and fuses should in any case be chosen such that their rating is low enough to protect the wires they should protect. Also, I don't think the European wires or sockets are made to carry smaller currents or at least not much smaller as in Europe appliances can draw markedly more power than in the US. Additionally, I don't think fires are the main worry in any case. The problem with US plugs and sockets is that it's too easy to shock yourself but on the other hand the lower mains voltage means that getting a shock is not as dangerous as it would be in Europe. The combination of US plugs/sockets and European mains voltage would seem to mean that the change of really dangerous shocks is uncomfortably high.
The stove actually uses 2 or 3 230V phases, not the 400V across them. So you could connect it to a single phase if you have 3 sets of wires into the breaker box.
Yes, basically everything you have in a normal household is 230V. Outlets are on a 16A breaker in Germany, which allows up to nearly 4kW peak. For more, e.g. charging electric cars, you can have a 3-phase 16A (11kW) or a 3-phase 32A (22kW) outlet installed.
@@HenryLoenwind You could use a stove on a single phase but you either need more that 16 amps (and thicker wires) or you can't use all the hot plates and oven at the same time as this would trip the 16 A breaker. But you should never have three separate breakers on the same phase for the stove because the currents won't cancel out each other but add up in the neutral and overload it. (I actually found this insane wiring at my grandparents' house some years ago.) Instant water heaters usually run on 400 volts. They often don't even have a terminal for the neutral (only for the 3 phases and ground). If you have all three terminals connected to the same phase they just won't work as there obviously wouldn't be any potential difference between them in this case.
The stuff about hairdrier motors and frequency is misinformation. I'm pretty sure those are universal motors and those don't care about the frequency. Because if they were synchronous motors it wouldn't be possible to adjust the speed with a simple switch. The issue limiting adaptability of hairdriers (or kettles, toasters, coffee makers) across the pond is more likely the heating element not working with 2x or 1/2 voltage. In principle those could be made configurable by switching two sections in parallel or series but in a cheaply made product that's too expensive.
Ah and there are very few consumer devices that one could take in a suitcase that care about the mains frequency. Some clocks, record players and tape machines did but if you travel with any of that you're weird.
Last week some swiss guy randomly asked me where to find an adapter for his plug. I was terribly confused, because I had no Idea where in my area one could get an adapter. Also the part where youswitched the pins was oddly charming.
There is a label on the rear side of each device which tells you the range in which the device could operate. Modern devices have there a wide bandwidth.
Trust me it does work, especially the flat German plugs. But you have to use a screwdriver to push down into the neutral (3rd) hole to press down the protection. Here you go: www.digitpress.com/room-of-doom/cm/displayimage.php?pid=4005&message_id=0879f49dacfa3b8928697c2adf28b452&message_icon=info#cpgMessageBlock It was never dangerous
Definitely never do something like this: you don't know what you might damage (either in the plug or the socket), and euro plugs aren't fused -- which is a real problem with British-style ring circuits.
The British sockets are fused with 32 amps, the flat Euro plugs have a maximum of 2.5 A and have no fuse like the British plugs. In the event of a fault, nothing stops the plug from burning. The contacts in British sockets expect flat pins, not round pins, so the contact area will be small. European sockets accept round pins from 4 to 5 mm. I wonder if cheap British USB chargers always have a fuse to change?
I agree with that - all the world should, for instance, use ISO 216 for their paper formats. Like, ditch Letter in favor of A4. Not sure what this has to do with electricity though; there is, to the best of my knowledge, no ISO standard for plugs, mains voltage or frequency.
It´s called Schuko DIN (Schutzkontakt - Protected contact by DIN - Deutsche Industry Norm) and nearly all in the EU use them (not Britain, but they leave the EU as well) France sometimes has a light variation which fits into Schuko sockets, but they have a extra pin for the grounding. Schuko uses the metal clips who keep the plug in place as grounding. More efficient aka German, so no need for a 3rd pin.
@@Rick2010100 disadvantage of the peripheral ground contact though: It connects last. Grounded connector pairs usually are made to have ground connect first for safety reasons. Not the SchuKo. And while /some/ Schuko connectors can be found in most EU countries, far from all of them are. Italy still loves their three pins in a line, in two different sizes, even.
You can use german plugs in UK sockets, I've been doing it all my life. You just push a screwdriver or ball point pen in the top opening and the push the plug in the two bottom openings. Sometimes you need to be a bit forceful, but it's never failed me and i've never broken a plug or socket
Yeah, somebody else said that. I would be incredibly irresponsible if I advocated that course of action, as it's inherently dangerous and probably illegal. An adaptor conforming to all relevant safety standards is quite cheap and much more reliable -- and you don't have to poke around a mains socket with a screwdriver.
that is dangerous due to how UK houses are wired (32amp breaker/fuse and ring circuits) and german plugs having no fuse, and most sockets made in the past 2 years have a new shutter system that this does not work with.
just use a cable without data pins, or use a USB condom. ofc this doesn't save you from having your phone fried, but it's extremely unlikely that a USB port inside a wall is going to do that.
This flimsy little thing you call an adapter ... well, if you watch bigclivedotcom, you would know that it's in fact called a deathdapter, not an adapter ;-)
No, I chose it very carefully: it's CE certified, so conforms to European safety standards. I did consider mentioning that in the video, but didn't in the end.
Are you really sure, this has the proper CE sign on it? Or is it maybe the "China Export" CE sign? Anyhow, CE isn't a "certification" by any means (that would be more something like GS - "geprüfte Sicherheit", or the compliance mark form the VDE). Every company that thinks its product complies with the standards laid out in the CE guidelines can just print that on their product, no matter whether it is tested to be true or not. It is about as binding as a "freiwillige Selbstverpflichtung" (so not at all).
Yes it is a genuine CE mark: it's quite easy to spot the difference. And I bought it in Germany: it's not like I ordered it from China or bought it abroad and took it home with me.
So if it was sold in Germany (by a reputable seller, not just some person that imported the stuff from China without going through proper approval channels), it should at least be VDE approved. Not that there haven't already been products that were sold in Germany although they were a death trap, but that's a rather rare occurence. But still, this thing just looks flimsy as hell.
Rick2010100 Just small Euro plug or generally 2 pin? Because L and N pins are nearly the same as in Germany and exchangeable, but PEN (earth) is totally different
I never heard of ac motors getting fried at the wrong frequency, actually the ac motors i know dont care about frequency at all, you can run tem on dc and 50 or 60 herz with no problem.
@@justaboringjoha3678 Misleading name. I mean, if it's intended to run on AC only then whatever, but don't take this as a rule that all AC motors run on DC.
2:40 DO NOT USE THESE ADAPTERS! If you ask, "Why?" then DO NOT USE THESE ADAPTERS EVER. If there are children around then DO NOT USE THESE ADAPTERS ABSOLUTELY IN ANY WAY NEVER EVER.
If you are scared of electricity or if you are a fool who is scared of nothing, then by all means: don't use those adapters. While you are at it - don't use anything with american plugs - they are a dangerous example of how not to do engineering. If on the other hand you have a healthy respect for electricity and know what the difference between Watts and Joules is, then go ahead and use them - they are safe enough in your hands. Children who know how to eat with a knife and a fork (at the same time, using both hands) are usually clever enough to understand that electricity is dangerous. Sorry, some American adults are not grown up enough for that I guess... ;-)
The German 2 pin lozenge type plugs are too easy to break if you plug them into a standard socket, you really need to use the lozenge shaped socket for those.
I don't get it. What is supposed to be so great about them that other plugs don't have? shutters? sleeved pins? possibility of wiring them yourself? their fucking huge size? I mean, yeah, shutters aren't required but available for most european plugs. British plugs are the only type with holes bigger than a childs finger, so i understand why they require shutters. Sleeves and/or a recess are required for schuko, swiss, italian, french, ... "So you have live electricity you can touch..." FALSE! Wiring a swiss plug is easy too (no idea about the others), the cable comes straight out of the plugs, so you wont rip out wires, you rip out the whole plug. The Fuse is only needed if you have a ring circuit. I see them as a bigger health risk than all other european plug, as they fuck up your feet if you step on them. And they are just so huge.
"Hey Presto!" Should become your catch phrase :D
BTW, you're wrong: standard these days is 230 V, not 220. Been like that for ages, even though I do remember the 220 V days.
In Western-Germany the voltage was raised from 220/380V up to 230/400V in 1986. In the former GDR the voltage was raised in 1990.
Well, not really. In 1986/1990 only nominal voltage and tolerances were changed, but this did not have any influence on the mains voltage. Before 1986/1990 the mains voltage was defined as 220 V +/- 10 % (= 198 ... 242 V), afterwards it was defined as 230 V - 10 % / + 6 % (= 207 ... 244 V). In 2009 it was changed to 230 V +/- 10 %, so now 253 V are permissible.
Because 220 was within the tolerance. In the UK you'll still measure 240 V in most cases. It's still within the tolerance. Before the european harmonisation mains voltage in the UK was 240 V.
Jürgen Erhard shocking!
I've noticed that my UK lightbulbs last really long in Germany. But seem just as bright as in UK.
I once bought an analogue synthesizer manufactured in 1977 from Japan, where 110 V is standard. Not remotely knowing what I'm about to do, I dug out my travel adapter and just plugged that lad into my 220 V german mains. Unnecessary to say, I fried the built-in amplifier and had to take that battleship of an instrument to a technician for being helped out and humiliated. Perfectly works now functionally and as a constant reminder of shame.
A (late) fun fact about the diamond-shaped plugs: They are not that shape for astethic reasons, but so that they can be used in swiss-style sockets, which have exactly this form. (Although the style is also partially needed for the "SCHUKO" style outlets).
This also means that, unsurprisingly, Switzerland has its own outlet style. So be aware of that when doing trips to Switzerland.
Standards are good, everyone should have one! 🙂
I memorised it as the small one you use basically all over Europe but the equivalent of the Shuko (big one) you need a different one for every country
The official EU voltage is a nominal 230V with a tolerance of +10% -6% (so a range of 216.2 - 253 V). The UK still effectively runs at 240V, in Germany it's closer to 230V. Also, the USA has not been on 110 V for a long time, and runs at 120 V (or 240V where both "hots" are used).
The us also runs at 108V if you've got a 3 phase supply. Apparently that's quite common in bigger buildings
General rule to add to the "Hairdryer" warning:
If either the Plug or the Cable has a big bulky box, It's very probably DC Power (therefore okay)
If the skinny cable goes all the way to the device, be extra careful and double-check.
Those boxes are small transformer/rectifier coils that turn any voltage AC into some other voltage DC.
I once plugged a rice cooker from Japan with an adapter (that apparently was without a transformer) into a plug in Germany.
It not only fried the device...it *fried* it. As in, the rice cooker *melted*. Japan uses 100 V usually.
You can use your rice cooker in South Korea, Japan, America, Canada, Mexico, all of central America. And most of South America. No more "fried" rice cookers.
🥶
And if you want to know more about these things, "Big Clive" has indeed a very entertaining channel about it, but also about cheap chinese gadgets. You may even learn a thing about electronic circuits or two! :-)
Edit: No, this isn't "advertising" in any conventional way, it's just a recommendation, because I really like his videos.
Andrew, This video reminds me of my (admittedly) ancient experience in Britain and Germany in the early '70's. In those pre-beard days I had an electric shaver that had a toggle to accept European voltage and three different adapter plugs for the Continent, the UK and parts unknown. (I still have no idea what the third adapter fitted - Japan, maybe?)
How does it look? Japan uses US 2 pin plugs.
WOAH... I never saw a rewboss video where rewboss is plugging so many plugs
Before the fall of the Iron Curtain, sockets in the Soviet Union were essentially the European style, except that the holes were a little bit smaller than e.g. the German ones. My dad (from West Germany), being an engineer, worked on the "other side" on a number of projects. He just got out his Swiss Army knife and made the holes bigger. Presto change-o! No, he did not get shocked. And the KGB never came after him either for "destruction of the people's property". :D
Today they use Schuko receptacles, like in Germany.
There are two countries that have different plugs in Europe. UK and Switzerland.
The small 2-pin euro plug also fits in Switzerland. In the UK, plugs are often sold loose.
France and Germany have different sockets (E + F), but there is a plug that fits into both systems.
Most countries have agreed to socket E or F.
Italy has also some odd plugs it looks like the flat europeans 2 pin used on radio's but has a earth pin in between the other pins.
The Swiss plug (type J) is also used in Liechtenstein, while Ireland, Malta and Cyprus also use the UK type G plug. (Find the former British colonies...) And Denmark uses what's known as type K, which are oddly charming since they have a semicircular earth pin below the two regular round pins (which is why you usually don't need an adapter in Denmark if you're from anywhere that uses type C and/or F plugs), so every wall socket looks like it's smiling at you.
@@ospero7681 Malta Cyprus Singapore
@@louisbeerreviews8964 Last time I checked, Singapore didn't _quite_ qualify as one of the "countries that have different plugs in Europe" ;)
correction @rewboss its 240/230v not 220v now!
Not quite. There used to be 240V and 220V, which got both standardized into 230V. Which was implemented in a way so that the new tolerance overlapped the old tolerance to allow old equipment to still be used.
@@HenryLoenwind Yeah but the actual voltage is 230v now in Germany . Its still 240v in Britain
I really enjoy your videos. Imagine a world where people were smart enough to establish a universal standard and stick to it! What a hassle we could save.
Malte Küpker The benefits of common standards (measurement, voltages, computer programs, etc.) makes things accessible to everyone, not just people who have the "right stuff".
Or do you like converting imperial units (inches, feet, etc.) to metric?
Do you like having to find a compatibility program to open that special document a friend sent you, created on a word processor that uses a special format no other word processor has? (i.e. ODF for LibreOffice is unreadable by other programs.)
Ever try to watch a video that was formatted with a codec that no video player software has even heard of, because the maker didn't use a standard codec?
In audio, the compact cassette imposed a standard for recording compatibility across ALL machines -- when cassettes were a popular format. Phillips - the creators of the compact cassette -- spent a lot of time and effort to ensure that standard would be followed by all manufacturers.
As a result MILLIONS of audio fans could share tapes with no problems or adapters, and millions of people benefited from the standard that Philips imposed. Later, CDs did the same thing so anyone could access a CD without converting it or adapting it. They established and followed a standard. And the world benefited from that standard.
Yes, we need standards.
They make life easier, accessible, and practical -- not boring.
Yeah, I found out the hard way regarding frequency and hair driers. My little travel drier had a switch for 110 V and 220 V, so I thought I was covered. How wrong I was.
Crossing to the UK and back on the ferry, I found that the cabins had two continental and one British socket, which was actually useful for recharging devices, as our adapter supply was limited.
Zwei Fehler in dem Untertitel 1) die Netzspannung wurde Ende der 80er auf 230V erhöht und 2 ) es ist von AC = Wechselstrommotoren die Rede, aber im UT steht Drehstrommotor. Drehstrommotoren sind die, die man an Industriemaschinen findet und die meist mit 400V laufen.
Never, ever plug your phone into an unknown USB port! Especially not, if it's a public one! They could not only charge your phone but also make use of the data connection and infect your phone with some kind of malware.
Seegal Galguntijak // that's why you should have a usb cable that's only for charging, so only gnd and 5V, no D+ nor D- wires
Malte, are you sure you're not just talking about some proprietary extension of USB, like Qualcomm's quick charge technology? Or possibly USB 3.0, which, if I remember correctly, even goes up to 20V.
At least Android Devices can be configured to turn the data connection off.
Seegal Galguntijak if they really wanted to fry your phone, they could easely put even 100V on there
Atavar that isn't enough, a cable for charging only as Dow Row mentioned is necessary. Otherwise there will still be some software listening to what is going on on the USB port, and (as we know Android being the least secure bit of software of today) in case that is vulnerable to something, maybe a buffer overflow or being assigned the 128th device in the chain, or whatever, it doesn't need to actively accept data connections to be infected. I wouldn't trust it if there are data lines. A malicious attacker won't take for granted that everybody has USB debugging activated or stuff like that.
Excellent information here, as I've grown accustomed to on this channel! Thank you!!!
I loved seeing your neighbors playing outside your window..
Good advice...Those transformers we used 40 years ago were heavy...
Most hairdryers use a DC-motor and a rectifier, so they are fine with either 50Hz or 60Hz
These generalisations don't make any sense, the truth is that it depends on the model.
@@l3p3 You can also get that information from the sticker it will clearly show not only the acceptable voltage range but the acceptable frequencies also.
*Buyer beware!*
Research by a reputable source [i.e. myself] indicates that only 25% of all hair dryers [in my house] would be fine with both 50 and 60 Hz.
In 1993 I bought a clock radio in Germany for 220v 50 hz. It did not work well in the USA because the clock ran 20% faster. That was even with a 110 v mains to 220 v transformer. Strangely enough though, my CD player that I bought in Germany played exactly in the USA as in Germany, nothing went bad except the cassette as it wore out due to overuse.
How do you get a CD player to play cassettes?
If it has such a functionality built in.
amiausUSA
The problem is, that cheaper clockradios and clocks whitch use the main as powersupply use the 50 heart from the voltage as counter for the clock. In Europa the 50Hz is verry good controlled. If you now have 60 and no 50 Hz it cant work.
Old elecrtric clocks used a syncronous motor with the speed at a fixed ratio to the frequency. In audio devices the speed of the motors are controlled electronically. The CD has a different speed depending on the position of the track on the disk. When reading the inner parts it rotates faster than on the outer parts.
So the clock radio used the supplied frequency thus running fast, and the CD Player had a rectifier inside which converted AC to DV -> and the 110V were enough to power it.
If you need to know what plug and socket your device uses for mains supply, it's usually IEC 60320:
Plug C7 and socket C8 for radios and some laptops
Plug C5 and socket C6 for most laptops (the 3 rounded overlapping prongs)
Plug C13 and socket C14 for most desktop PCs and a small number of laptops, usually referred to as the "IEC connector" even if all 3 types are IEC connectors
I once bought a international travel adapter from aldi on clearance knowing that I would soon travel to the US. I then simply took a 7 plug extension with me and used my devices with that. Every device I took was multivoltage/frequency anyway, so I didnt need a transformer. And the adapter has basically every plug, so I can travel everywhere while still being able to use my electronic devices.
Might be worth mentioning too that cheap adapters/phone chargers bought online can be fire hazards. Within the EU you should be alright with anything you pick up from a big name electronic retailer or supermarket, but beware buying online as many sites like amazon and ebay have third party sellers importing cheap chargers from Asia which can be substandard in terms of safety.
Also, is it just me or is the audio slightly unsynchronised particularly in the first half of this video?
Not only the poor quality but "wrong" adapters is very dangerous.
For example the US to German/European plug adapter shown at 1:43 in the video.
These small German/European plugs (called Euro plug) are only up to 10 Amps while you can plug every american plug in.
And some with disconnected PE.
Another problem is electricity in Europe is a 220v to 230v at 50 cycles. Countries that use 110v are at 60 cycles. With all the sensitive, modern electronics the cycle of the electricity can make or break the electronics.
@@whomagoose6897 While it's always a good thing to check the label on the device (or its manual), electronic devices tend to care very little for the mains AC frequency - they're ultimately operating on DC anyway. So if your cheap chinese phone charger causes your electronic device to glitch out, that's not a problem of the mains frequency being incompatible with your device - that's a problem of the charger being poorly designed and/or poorly manufactured, and failing to convert the AC to "clean" DC.
An multipoint extension lead, which you may have use for at home, can reduce the need for adapters for multiple devices. Apart from a hairdryer, the gadgets you take away with you are usually very low amperage, so it's unlikely you'll cause an overload.
When I visit the UK I take two adaptors and a German multi socket adaptor so I put the UK/EU adaptor on the plug of the socket adaptor on and charge with my German chargers for my netbook, tablet and phone - I take the multi socket adaptor with me in Germany as well as there are often too few plugs in rooms.
The other adaptor I carry is the Swiss one - they have plugs in which nothing but Swiss plugs fit and that is a nightmare.
My dad wasn't satisfied with his shaver, he runned it in 110 V setting on 220 V. This was in the 1970's and the shaver was pretty noisy.
Yeah - if you're not satisfied with your shaver, that's what you should definitely do...
... you might end up with an excuse to buy a new, better one :P
Officially, the voltage in Europe is 230 V, nowadays. However, the guarantied tolerance for voltage is ±10%, which leads to (possible) voltage range of 209 V to 253 V - giving backwards compatibility to old nominal voltages of 220 V or 240 V.
Also, at least in Germany, you can go to any kind of cheap household supply store and pick up a hair dryer for as cheap as 10€. It may serve you only for that one vacation, but hey, that's all you need it for.
There I was. Hoping on your opinion on the cheaper circuits and breakers in sockets vs. doesn't impale your foot debate :/ ...
1) Voltage is 230 V in Germany
2) your European 2 prong plug will work fine in a UK socket. Just need to stick a key into the PEN contact and this will unlock the child safety allowing you to push the round prongs into the rectangular holes. (please note that this does not work for plugs were a PEN connection is required or strong currents are flowing as prongs have only tiny contact areas in the square holes) :)
BangOlafson The 2 prong (aka Europlug) is only allowed on devices that draw up to 2 amps anyway
There's an easy enough solution, buy a USB cable that's meant for charging only. In Germany, these are often marked with a L (laden = to charge) on either the plug or the cable. Or, if you don't mind fiddling around with some tiny wiring, cover the middle two of the four connectors with some piece of non-conducting adhesive tape. These are the data transmission lines, the outer two are +5 volts and ground, and these are enough for charging.
Eisi Kater I still wouldnt thrust them, they could have some dodgy PSU inside that supplies more than 5v and could fry your phone or it could be connected the wrong way. Just use your own PSU, that is made to handle fluctuating voltages and other dubious stuff.
Großartiges Video. Wieder was gelernt
Zwischenstecker hab ich noch nie gehört. Ich kenne so etwas als Adapter.
Ist mit "Spannungsumwandler" das umwandeln von 110 zu 220 V (oder umgekehrt) gemeint ? (Es wird auch Spannungswandler gesagt)
Ansonsten wäre es ein Trafo (kurz für Transformator) oder ein Netzteil.
That day when I had a job interview in Switzerland and had to realise my German laptop cable was no good there, because the Swiss use a plug that nobody else in the world uses.
But one that makes a whole lot more sense than the thick SchuKo ones and everyone else should use it, at lease in Europe.
Tom S. In the flat swiss sockets your laptop plug should fit
Brazil uses the Swiss style plugs😏
@@Leatherkid01 Nope. Looks similar, but is actually not compatible. (Type J vs. Type N.)
Warst du schon mal in Friedberg (Hessen)? Wir haben ne sehr große Burg. Eine der größten in Europa.
Very interesting video.
And then you go to the Philippines, where they use 220V at a frequency of 60 Hz with an American two pin plug.
That's scary... Such an unsafe plug at that voltage...
4 nickpicks from me:
1) 2:49 is a death-daptor, which should only operated (and given access) to people which are aware of it's dangers. (customs will regularly confiscate them from foreign mail order shipments in germany.)
2) mains voltage in continental Europe is 230V
3) the mains connector CEE7/7 (for outlets CEE 7/3 and CEE7/5) is not use in Swizerland, there it's SEV1011.
4) CloverLeaf (IEC C5) is not the complete picture, there are a lot of appliances on CEE7/14 ("Euro")
1. The one I show is CE certified. I should probably have specifically mentioned that, but I'd like to know how you know it's so dangerous just by looking at a picture of it. I think by "customers" you mean "customs officers": they didn't confiscate this one.
2. Yes, I got that one wrong. But, to be honest, it makes very nearly no difference at all. Certainly not to your average tourist.
3. That's why I said "most but not all" European countries. There are quite a few other designs: Italy and Denmark, for example.
4. I think you have your terminology mixed up here: the Cloverleaf plug is C5. The one I don't show is C14. However, I trust my viewers to see with their own eyes what kind of plug will fit their own device. I never said C5 was the only standard, only that it is A standard.
re 1: That adaptor can only conform if it prevents a 3-pin plug from being used with it (cannot see if it does or does not in the video). Adaptors that "cut" the earth lead are violating the regulations.
you are right... it autowrecked me... "customs" i meant... they like to confiscate if the find them...especially in "Oberursel", no joke... they are the ones handling goods "of suspected value above 21€" for the main taunus area.
Anyway, for the death-daptor: The border/lip of the rear is not wide enough, so you might insert just one prong of the device, leaving the other pin dangling around. And so you have an easy accessible "live mains" point. see for example BigClive on that topic (he has the same issues with UK/EU-adaptors) v=ESIzuV6kdWY
Don't most hairdryers use resistive elements that wont really heat up on 110v? A 220V hairdryer on full heat uses ~1500W, on 110V it would be about 375W. A 1500W 110V hairdryer on 220v would melt the heating element or blow a fuse as it would use ~6000W. (assuming it hasn't a positive temperature coefficient heating element)
Grooohm hehe, and yet we still have Hairdryers in America!
(Dryers in 110V countries pull more current in order to get the same power. With double voltage that could be a problem once upon a time, but modern ones can usually handle high voltage too. Your 230V is less at risk in a 110V socket but yeah it may not get hot...)
The issue with hairdryers isnt the voltage though its the frequency. The motor circuit is designed for 60HZ (in the us) so a slower 50HZ will damage the blower-motor over time and the same vice-versa.
Cheers!!
Don't Forget ther are Some Hotels thats Have a Wall Sockets that Accepts Different Plugs. i Did See One that was Able to Accept Schuko Type B, C, F and G
But ye i had to Deal With Stuff with Diffent Plugs usally with the Type A Plug. also Once with a Type G.
Thats why i have a Socket Converter from Hama here.
The British plug: a lone adaptor wields the power of 1000 Lego bricks when stood on. A peeve is their shape: they are not the easiest to transport, the wire often comes out the bottom, meaning that the wire could fray more easily, and since they contain the fuse and transformer within the plug, they are often large and clunky
But I still prefer British plugs, though I may be bias.
While on the topic, battery powered video cameras out of sync with the mains frequency of the lights can cause flickering.
Tip: If you travel to Germany and have some devices (Smartphone charger, Notebook, etc.) to connect to the power. Buy one adapter (ebay) and put a multi power socket in the luggage.
The United States is also a 220 Volt country. It's just that they deliver that voltage in two phases of 110 Volts.
North America uses a split-phase system (not the same as two-phase) which can supply 220 V for high-demand appliances, that is correct. However, Germany uses a three-phase system which transmits at 400 V (you multiply the voltage of a single phase by the square root of 3), so by your logic Germany is actually a 400 V country.
@@rewboss The USA uses 240 V split-phase (120 + 120 V). It's been a long time since it was 220 V.
In theory, the phase relationship in a universal motor (i.e. one with a commutator and brushes) is not affected by line frequency. (The nameplate on my wife's Conair, for example states "50-60 Hz") Of course I can't argue with real life experience, so if these appliances burn out, that's good to know. :-)
Just check the input sticker on the device if it clearly states 50-60Hz it will accept any frequency in that range, if it states 50/60Hz it will work on a grid at either of those frequencies just fine. Don't mix devices that explicitly state just one frequency with grids of a different frequency so if the sticker says 50Hz don't use it in the USA, Canada, Southern Japan, etc and likewise don't use a device saying 60Hz in Europe, China, India, Australia, etc.
How difficult would it be to actually standardise plugs and electricity parameters? There would be a transitions time, but wouldn't it be worth it?
But no. It seems it can't be done.
They tried that ....but each country wants theirs to be standard and others want theirs to be so .... no result ....besides the 10A round pin plugs being the standard EU type sockets everywhere. While those 13A-16A and above are different everywhere.
Its windy in your background - isn't it. Welcome in north Germany
3:25 Just wondering, does this replacement has a fuse in it? Because I thought in GB they have the fuses in the plugs, isn't it quite bad to have a plug without one then?
As far as i know it is dangerous to use the british adapters without the third pin as that one is the safety one
Phone chargers are so low power generally use a fusible resistor on the board instead. This does sacrifice the replaceability of a discreet cartridge fuse but makes thing far smaller and replaceability is less critical when the entire USB power supply can be purchased so cheaply. Especially when you consider the sort of 100 mA or lower rated fuse you really want for a device like this if you don't want the PCB to go full bonfire before it blows is a fairly specialty component and would need to be ordered specially to replace it anyway shipping on those if just buying a handful is often not much cheaper than replacing the device itself.
@@iter9290 You actually can't the earth bin has to push past a lever as it engages in order to open the safety covers blocking the live and neutral pins. This is why even on double insulated devices that do not need an earth connection the pin is still present on their UK adapters just usually made from plastic.
@@seraphina985 well it being out of plastic pretty much defeats the purpose doesn't it? still sounds dangerous, more so for high powered devices
@@iter9290 We are talking about low power double insulated to meet the standard as well as meeting the double insulated standards there are I believe limits on the maximum power of the device I believe mostly we are talking low power electronics with insulated wiring all enclosed inside a secondary 240V rated insulated external case ie to touch anything conductive you would need to destroy both the case and strip the internal wiring. The main reason the pin must be there even when not needed for the device is that the sockets don't expose the live and neutral pins without it being present.
The idea here is to prevent anything other than a plug inserted in the correct direction making it into the socket. Mostly the shutters are more of a child safety feature though it would be fairly easy for a determined adult to bypass. It is merely a spring loaded plastic shutter connected to an angled pin in the earth slot as the Earth pin goes in it moves the shutters down exposing the other holes.
Cool shirt!
Ok, why do Britons HAVE to come up with the world's most bulky plugs?!? They are HUGE and cumbersome to use. That and those bloody sinks with separate hot and cold water faucets.
watch?v=UEfP1OKKz_Q
Because they have a water tank in the attic for the electric shower :) And the water runs freely from the tank to all outlets in the house. In a standard 1 storey bungalow you have therefore about 2 metres of water pressure = 0.2 bar. Most proper water faucets require 2 bar to work properly...
That is why I have pumped water :)
What did you expect - as long as they not solved to mix hot and cold water into warm water, a functional plug is on the last page of the TOP list and with the Brexit the plugs can only get larger.
There is a fuse inside the british plugs.
The only real issue (maybe besides its ginormousity) is that stepping on them is like running through LEGO.
The British plug is the best designed plug in the world. Fuse in the plug, safety shutters on the sockets and can be rewired by anyone with a screwdriver. They also sit in the socket without wiggling around, have plastic collars so you can't shock yourself when it is half in and are always earthed. Hurt like hell if you step on them though.
The hair dryer was a new for me. Good to know.
Some loudspeakers and music keyboards can recognize any voltage and frequency, so for my Bose L1 compact I would only need another cable.
Pro Tip:
USB is an internatiopnal standard.
So, no phone charger? Charge it while watching TV. Nowadays, TVs have USB sockets, which provide what you need.
that just adds the risk of connecting to an unknown device
AND if you are travelling to srilanka, they use 3 plugs:
-the Southafrican plug...basically a gigantic plug ... 3 enourmous pins!
-the Indian plug...European plug fiit into indian plug outletts.
-the British plug
And you won't know in advance what kind of plug your holliday home will provide...
Mostly the provide a mix of outletts...some outletts are semi universal by providing a bunch of holes for pins even some holes that are basically rectangular with a round cut out in the middle...so that recangular and round pins fit in the outlett...
I wished the EU had that shit standardized!
I wished the world would have selected ONE plug type percombination of Voltage and frequency...then again...the japanese have different main ones on their islands..lol
Considering how much airlines charge for extra baggage, I don't understand why anyone would even consider bringing a hair dryer honestly. I suppose women might have some really fancy model at home but how much is a basic one that dries your hair perfectly well? Next to nothing. It's not like hair dryers are some unknown magic thing in Europe or elsewhere, so just pick one up when you arrive (if the hotel doesn't supply one or you don't stay in a hotel) and leave it at the hotel, hostel, camp site or whatever when you leave. I'm sure you can find something more interesting to pack in your bag when going home. :P
Nice pug-ins. But why "hey presto"? Is this not an Italian. Thought "here we are" or "Bob's your uncle" is the term Brits use. ;)
No, unluckily "Hey presto" is really used in UK while is definitely not used by Italian speakers who would not understand the expression in this context.
The flat pin plug is used in America, Canada, Mexico, Central America and most, if not all of South America. Japan and South Korea uses the flat pin. Not all flat pin plugs have a third round pin. The round pin is a ground for draining excess electricity. These flat pins need 110v at 60 cycles. When I was in Germany the electricity was 220v at 50 cycles. You had to use round pin plugs with 220v through a transformer to get 110v flat pin plug. I think 110v was used in America because DC current was used for a time before AC current. DC current cannot travel very far over the electricity transmission wires. AC current can go thousands of miles. This was a fight between Thomas Edison, wanting DC current. And, Nikola Tesla who wanted AC current. AC current won out.
The first sentence is true, except for the South America bit. Rule of thumb: the further south and east you go on the continent, the less likely your American type-A plugs will work. Brazil has its own system (type N), Argentina uses Australian plugs for some reason, Suriname is on the same plugs as its former colonizer Netherlands, same with French Guiana and France (minus the "former" part). Chile and Uruguay use Italian-style (type L) plugs, as well as type C "Euro" plugs.
Last I heard, the 110/220V story was as follows:
When the US mains system was standardized, light bulb filaments back then couldn't take more than 110 V reliably; so mains power was standardized to the 110+110 V Live/Neutral/Live 3-wire system the US still uses today, with lights run on either of the two 110 V Live/Neutral circuits, while high-power devices (back then mainly motors) were run on the 220 V Live/Live circuit.
Europe was relatively late to the electrification game, so when they caught up, light bulb technology had already moved on to reliably take 220 V, so in Europe the mains system was standardized to a 220 V Live/Neutral 2-wire system (though in practice modern households actually use three separate lives at different phase under the hood, de-facto making it a 4-wire system and allowing for access to even higher voltages).
A higher voltage has the advantage that you can transmit the same power over thinner and therefore cheaper wiring, and 220 V was probably chosen because devices designed for this particular voltage were already being manufactured for the US market.
The only reason the US didn't also switch to pure 220 V is probably that their standard had already gained too much inertia when technology had matured enough.
@Whomagoose The AC/DC current wars were between Edison and Westinghouse. Tesla had very little, if anything, to do with it.
The 50 or 60 Hz thing is only important for big three phazed 400 V motors, not for the ones in 230 V equipment.
*Anyone blindly believing this statement is ill-advised.*
Look at the label on your hair dryer, or its manual. It will tell you what frequency it's fine with.
Being able to cope with multiple frequencies is a selling point, particularly if the product is a compact one designed for travel, so if a device is ok with multiple frequencies, it won't hesitate to say so.
Just checked 4 different hair dryers, and only one of them (the most modern one from a somewhat expensive brand, being a somewhat hefty non-travel-style one) claims to be ok with 50-60 Hz. Another one (same brand, same heft, a lot older though) says it wants 50 Hz, and two travel-style hair dryers with foldable grips (an older brand model, as well as a somewhat modern no-name one) also want 50 Hz.
Also, even if a hair dryer appears to work fine with the non-matching frequency, it may still suffer, and degrade its life expectancy (and definitely void warranty).
So as far as hair dryers go, *always check.*
I've always found hotels to have hair dryers - they're also known as towels, of course.
Don't panic......
What I love is that European quite quickly, became German. The French are not going to approve I would suspect.
there is a cow in the garden
Fun Fact: Some countries mix different standards. On the Philippines, they use american sockets but European voltage. Not a problem for us Germans. Adapters are easy available there. Now our US neighbors innocently plugged in there equipment, just so watch it being fired.
"On the Philippines, they use american sockets but European voltage."
That sounds like the maximally unsafe combination.
@@seneca983 Not necessarily. US voltages with plugs designed for European standards might be even more hazardous, as the European ones might not be designed to carry as high an amperage as is customary in the US. While it's volts that give you an electric shock, It's amps that start fires.
(To carry the same power, a lower voltage requires a higher amperage and vice versa.)
@@CLipka2373 I don't think so. A short circuit can cause high enough current to cause a fire if a fuse doesn't prevent it and fuses should in any case be chosen such that their rating is low enough to protect the wires they should protect. Also, I don't think the European wires or sockets are made to carry smaller currents or at least not much smaller as in Europe appliances can draw markedly more power than in the US.
Additionally, I don't think fires are the main worry in any case. The problem with US plugs and sockets is that it's too easy to shock yourself but on the other hand the lower mains voltage means that getting a shock is not as dangerous as it would be in Europe. The combination of US plugs/sockets and European mains voltage would seem to mean that the change of really dangerous shocks is uncomfortably high.
So are your washers & dryers 220 as well? or are they more?
220/230, the only household item that uses more is a stove, at least in germany.
The stove actually uses 2 or 3 230V phases, not the 400V across them. So you could connect it to a single phase if you have 3 sets of wires into the breaker box.
Yes, basically everything you have in a normal household is 230V. Outlets are on a 16A breaker in Germany, which allows up to nearly 4kW peak. For more, e.g. charging electric cars, you can have a 3-phase 16A (11kW) or a 3-phase 32A (22kW) outlet installed.
Kirifairy And instant water heaters (Durchlauferhitzer)
@@HenryLoenwind You could use a stove on a single phase but you either need more that 16 amps (and thicker wires) or you can't use all the hot plates and oven at the same time as this would trip the 16 A breaker.
But you should never have three separate breakers on the same phase for the stove because the currents won't cancel out each other but add up in the neutral and overload it. (I actually found this insane wiring at my grandparents' house some years ago.)
Instant water heaters usually run on 400 volts. They often don't even have a terminal for the neutral (only for the 3 phases and ground). If you have all three terminals connected to the same phase they just won't work as there obviously wouldn't be any potential difference between them in this case.
I suppose that safety-conscious people will object, but you actually can use a european plug with a british socket.
0:37 Mmmm, yes... obviously. *looking at my fuming fried food processor from NA*
das runde muss ins eckige
Use an adapter and a multiplug.... thats how I servived for 2 years in the US.
and then comes that fact that some countries have polarised sockets
The stuff about hairdrier motors and frequency is misinformation. I'm pretty sure those are universal motors and those don't care about the frequency. Because if they were synchronous motors it wouldn't be possible to adjust the speed with a simple switch. The issue limiting adaptability of hairdriers (or kettles, toasters, coffee makers) across the pond is more likely the heating element not working with 2x or 1/2 voltage. In principle those could be made configurable by switching two sections in parallel or series but in a cheaply made product that's too expensive.
Ah and there are very few consumer devices that one could take in a suitcase that care about the mains frequency. Some clocks, record players and tape machines did but if you travel with any of that you're weird.
It Hertz to have all the different plugs 😉
Well, hairdryer is kinda useless, just wait for it to dry. :-D
Last week some swiss guy randomly asked me where to find an adapter for his plug. I was terribly confused, because I had no Idea where in my area one could get an adapter.
Also the part where youswitched the pins was oddly charming.
I don't quite get it - if you say a Transformer is not needed anymore, what is going to happen to Optimus Prime then?
There is a label on the rear side of each device which tells you the range in which the device could operate. Modern devices have there a wide bandwidth.
Lol
1:23 - I can't remember if I've ever seen hairdryer with an AC motor inside.
Fun fact: The lowest mains voltage in the world is 100V (Japan)
I used to ram my German plugs into UK power sockets, it worked
That shouldn't even be physically possible, and is certainly extremely dangerous.
Trust me it does work, especially the flat German plugs. But you have to use a screwdriver to push down into the neutral (3rd) hole to press down the protection. Here you go: www.digitpress.com/room-of-doom/cm/displayimage.php?pid=4005&message_id=0879f49dacfa3b8928697c2adf28b452&message_icon=info#cpgMessageBlock It was never dangerous
Definitely never do something like this: you don't know what you might damage (either in the plug or the socket), and euro plugs aren't fused -- which is a real problem with British-style ring circuits.
I'm sorry to say this tomtom, but Andrew here is totally right. you might end up damaging something
The British sockets are fused with 32 amps, the flat Euro plugs have a maximum of 2.5 A and have no fuse like the British plugs. In the event of a fault, nothing stops the plug from burning.
The contacts in British sockets expect flat pins, not round pins, so the contact area will be small.
European sockets accept round pins from 4 to 5 mm.
I wonder if cheap British USB chargers always have a fuse to change?
hairdryers ... for those pony tail guys
I once bought an expensive adapter that said it works in Japan. They lied and it was the wrong shape.
We should enforce ISO Standards all over the world.
I agree with that - all the world should, for instance, use ISO 216 for their paper formats. Like, ditch Letter in favor of A4.
Not sure what this has to do with electricity though; there is, to the best of my knowledge, no ISO standard for plugs, mains voltage or frequency.
Why doesn't the EU mandate a unified plug?
If I'd build a house I'd use universal wall sockets... - These from the planes...
They can be a bit wonky when using some plugs in them, which is not brilliant.
Richard Emms And they arent connecting to earth when using schuko plugs and pretty unsafe in general.
These go to eleven.
Interesting fact I found out last year: the German plug is exactly the same as the south Korean :O
It´s called Schuko DIN (Schutzkontakt - Protected contact by DIN - Deutsche Industry Norm) and nearly all in the EU use them (not Britain, but they leave the EU as well) France sometimes has a light variation which fits into Schuko sockets, but they have a extra pin for the grounding. Schuko uses the metal clips who keep the plug in place as grounding. More efficient aka German, so no need for a 3rd pin.
@@Rick2010100 disadvantage of the peripheral ground contact though: It connects last. Grounded connector pairs usually are made to have ground connect first for safety reasons. Not the SchuKo.
And while /some/ Schuko connectors can be found in most EU countries, far from all of them are. Italy still loves their three pins in a line, in two different sizes, even.
@@HotelPapa100 this is not true, the schuko plug connects the earth first and disconnects last.
You can use german plugs in UK sockets, I've been doing it all my life. You just push a screwdriver or ball point pen in the top opening and the push the plug in the two bottom openings. Sometimes you need to be a bit forceful, but it's never failed me and i've never broken a plug or socket
Yeah, somebody else said that. I would be incredibly irresponsible if I advocated that course of action, as it's inherently dangerous and probably illegal. An adaptor conforming to all relevant safety standards is quite cheap and much more reliable -- and you don't have to poke around a mains socket with a screwdriver.
that is dangerous due to how UK houses are wired (32amp breaker/fuse and ring circuits) and german plugs having no fuse, and most sockets made in the past 2 years have a new shutter system that this does not work with.
I have a converter that works everywhere.
From Ireland and the European and North American pins look strange to me
Hertz is a Metric standard, so the U.S. uses the Metric system.
No. Hertz is simply "cycles per second".
The US uses seconds as well. Hertz doesn't relate to distance or weight at all.
Don't ever plug anything in a unknow usb port.
plug a USB killer in it.
Guess I won't be able to charge my phone on a Flixbus then ^^
just use a cable without data pins, or use a USB condom.
ofc this doesn't save you from having your phone fried, but it's extremely unlikely that a USB port inside a wall is going to do that.
This flimsy little thing you call an adapter ... well, if you watch bigclivedotcom, you would know that it's in fact called a deathdapter, not an adapter ;-)
No, I chose it very carefully: it's CE certified, so conforms to European safety standards. I did consider mentioning that in the video, but didn't in the end.
Are you really sure, this has the proper CE sign on it? Or is it maybe the "China Export" CE sign? Anyhow, CE isn't a "certification" by any means (that would be more something like GS - "geprüfte Sicherheit", or the compliance mark form the VDE). Every company that thinks its product complies with the standards laid out in the CE guidelines can just print that on their product, no matter whether it is tested to be true or not. It is about as binding as a "freiwillige Selbstverpflichtung" (so not at all).
Yes it is a genuine CE mark: it's quite easy to spot the difference. And I bought it in Germany: it's not like I ordered it from China or bought it abroad and took it home with me.
So if it was sold in Germany (by a reputable seller, not just some person that imported the stuff from China without going through proper approval channels), it should at least be VDE approved. Not that there haven't already been products that were sold in Germany although they were a death trap, but that's a rather rare occurence. But still, this thing just looks flimsy as hell.
You didnt Show the switzerland Plug
They use the German Schuko Plug
they dont.
They do - blieve me - i eg export large amounts of my appliances with this plug to Switzerland.
Rick2010100 Just small Euro plug or generally 2 pin? Because L and N pins are nearly the same as in Germany and exchangeable, but PEN (earth) is totally different
Or the italian plug too for that matter 🤣
I never heard of ac motors getting fried at the wrong frequency, actually the ac motors i know dont care about frequency at all, you can run tem on dc and 50 or 60 herz with no problem.
If it runs on DC then it is not an AC motor.
@@brys555 But it runs both on ac and dc
@@justaboringjoha3678 It's universal motor.
@@brys555 Ok maybe, i know it was at least sold as an ac motor back in the 60s.
@@justaboringjoha3678 Misleading name. I mean, if it's intended to run on AC only then whatever, but don't take this as a rule that all AC motors run on DC.
2:40 DO NOT USE THESE ADAPTERS!
If you ask, "Why?" then
DO NOT USE THESE ADAPTERS EVER.
If there are children around then
DO NOT USE THESE ADAPTERS ABSOLUTELY IN ANY WAY NEVER EVER.
If you are scared of electricity or if you are a fool who is scared of nothing, then by all means: don't use those adapters. While you are at it - don't use anything with american plugs - they are a dangerous example of how not to do engineering. If on the other hand you have a healthy respect for electricity and know what the difference between Watts and Joules is, then go ahead and use them - they are safe enough in your hands.
Children who know how to eat with a knife and a fork (at the same time, using both hands) are usually clever enough to understand that electricity is dangerous. Sorry, some American adults are not grown up enough for that I guess... ;-)
The German 2 pin lozenge type plugs are too easy to break if you plug them into a standard socket, you really need to use the lozenge shaped socket for those.
Really? I never in my entire life had a plug break.
Strange, never had an issue with them regardless of the socket... but that might just be me and stupid luck :D
Never broke one either
Me neither. They are basically indestructible xD
haddockman30
What? The only way to break these massive things is if you do it on purpose.
Interesting also im First
Speaking of plugs, British plugs are better than all other plugs ua-cam.com/video/UEfP1OKKz_Q/v-deo.html
I don't get it. What is supposed to be so great about them that other plugs don't have? shutters? sleeved pins? possibility of wiring them yourself? their fucking huge size? I mean, yeah, shutters aren't required but available for most european plugs. British plugs are the only type with holes bigger than a childs finger, so i understand why they require shutters. Sleeves and/or a recess are required for schuko, swiss, italian, french, ... "So you have live electricity you can touch..." FALSE! Wiring a swiss plug is easy too (no idea about the others), the cable comes straight out of the plugs, so you wont rip out wires, you rip out the whole plug. The Fuse is only needed if you have a ring circuit.
I see them as a bigger health risk than all other european plug, as they fuck up your feet if you step on them. And they are just so huge.