220 volt plug
This information is usually found on the body of the device near the power cord.įor more information, see: Electricity in Europe - Power Sockets and the Connected Tourist. If you buy a power converter, make sure its power rating meets or exceeds the power rating of the single device you will use with it. If you're really worried about being without a dryer or curling iron, you might want to simply buy one of these devices in Europe to avoid carrying both the device and the converter around. There's really no need to pack a blow-dryer for your trip to Italy, as most hotels and rental properties will supply one. You'll need to lug a large power converter or power transformer to convert Italy's higher voltage to the lower American voltage-or you'll risk having the curling iron really curl (meaning "fry") your hair. They are extremely high current devices, meaning that combined with the high voltage, they use a whole lot of power (current times voltage = power). These devices cannot often be used in dual voltage situations without voltage conversion. Hair dryers and curling irons are the bane of modern day travel. To buy adapters or converters to take to Italy, see our guide to the latest Power Adapters and Electrical Converters. You may also see round outlets with two or three holes-in most cases, your 2-prong adapter will work fine in these.
That's because some, but definitely not all, Italian outlets have three holes-just don't risk it and stick with a 2-prong adapter. You may see adapters with three prongs in a row, but only buy a 2-prong adapter. Wiring residential homes with 240 volts is a necessity, for powering some heating and cooling equipment as well as some large appliances. You can check the back of the device or the "power brick" for the electrical input specifications. Devices like this include most laptops and phones, most recently produced battery chargers, and many small, electrical gadgets, especially those designed for world travel. You can get along with just a plug converter for many of today's small electrical devices designed to run on dual voltages. You will need a step-down power converter or transformer to safely step the voltage down from 220 to 110. If your appliance is designed to run only on 110-120 volts, you are likely to see smoke, if not fire, from this potent miss-mating. These allow you to plug your electrical device into the Italian wall socket, but they do not convert the electricity to the American 110 volts. Plug adapters are the interfaces between the American flat-pronged plug and Italy's two (or three) round-prong socket. Some adapters of this type have a USB port, meaning you can use them to charge a cell phone or digital camera via USB. This is fine for devices which are insulated (having a plastic body, for instance). This adapter is ungrounded, which is why it doesn't have a third, center prong. Check each one and tighten if necessary!ĥ) when wiring a 220v plug, it’s important to make sure the hot and neutral wires are not in contact with each other.The plug adapters shown in the photo are probably all you need to convert the US rectangular pronged plug to the round prong Italian power plug used in most Italian homes and hotels.
This will prevent any shocks from occurring while you work with themĢ) Check which wire goes where – red usually means hot, black is neutral and white is groundģ) Attach both ends of each wire to each other in order to create an electric circuit, using the screwdriverĤ) If your plug doesn’t work, it may be because of a loose wire connection. To make sure that you’re using your home appliances safely, here are some useful tips on wiring a 220v plug:ġ) Make sure that all your wires are properly insulated with electrical tape or another suitable material. One of the most common household devices is still the plug. From heating systems to smoke detectors, it seems like there’s a device for every job these days. Homes are getting more and more high-tech by the day.