When you choose voltage converters, you need to specify the wattage capacity. This can be one of the most confusing parts of picking voltage converters - and it's the one part you can't just fudge by opting for step up and step down voltage transformer converters, which take all the guesswork out of the other specifications. The voltage converter you choose needs to have the capacity to handle the number of watts your devices needs, and there's no way around it. So how do you decide how much wattage you need when you're shopping for converters?
Step One: Check the wattage needed on your devices. The label on every electrical device will tell you what voltage electricity it requires and how many watts it needs to operate. The wattage is designated by a number followed by a W - that is, 75W or 15W or something similar. If you only need a converter or transformer for one item, you've got all you need to know. Add 25 percent to that number and that's the amount of wattage your voltage converter needs to supply.
Example: Your hair dryer is marked 150W. Multiply 150 by .25 to get 25 percent - 37.50. Add 37.50 to 150 - 187.50. The converters you choose from should be able to handle at least 187.50 watts.
Step Two: Sometimes, the manufacturer supplies the number of amps instead of the wattage. If there's no W number, you'll find a number followed by an A, such as 1.5A or 3.5A. To calculate the wattage needed, multiply the amperage by the voltage, then use that number to calculate how much wattage your voltage converter or voltage transformer needs to be able to handle.
Example: Your coffee maker is marked 110V and 1.5A. Multiply 110 by 1.5 to get 165 - the wattage your coffee maker needs. Multiply that by .25 to get 41.25 and add that to 165 to get 206.25. That's the wattage your voltage converter should be able to handle in order to run your coffee maker safely.
Step Three: You can usually plug more than one item into a converter. If you're planning to, say, plug in your cell phone charger, your laptop charger and your electric shaver at the same time, you need to look at voltage converters that can handle their combined wattage. In that case, do the calculations above on each of your items, add the numbers together and look for voltage converters that can handle that much wattage.
In addition to those calculations, you should also be aware of the difference between voltage converters and voltage transformers. Voltage transformers modulate the way the electricity is converted in a way that makes the energy usable by electronic devices that use electronic circuit boards instead of being powered by an electrical motor. Using a voltage converter with consumer electronics can damage those devices. On the other hand, a voltage transformer will work just fine for both electronics and electrical devices with motors or heaters. If you're not sure, opt for a voltage transformer.
Finally, there are many new devices that convert their own electricity. If the label on your device reads 110-220V or a range similar to that, it's one of the newer 110 to 220 volts consumer electronics items that have internal voltage transformers. In that case, you won't need a converter, but you may need plug converters so that you can plug the item into a foreign outlet.
Author Resource:
Chris Robertson is an author of Majon International, one of the world's MOST popular internet marketing companies on the web.
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