US power sockets

[Monique]

Main Question or Discussion Point

Coming week I'm visiting Boston for a meeting, so I bought a power adaptor. I just realised it's an earthed one, so it has three pins. Will I be able to use that on all the power plugs, or should I get a two-pinned adaptor?

 

[Evo]

Coming week I'm visiting Boston for a meeting, so I bought a power adaptor. I just realised it's an earthed one, so it has three pins. Will I be able to use that on all the power plugs, or should I get a two-pinned adaptor?

Newer outlets will have three plugs (we call it grounded in the US), older outlets won't, so a two prong would give you more options.

 

[dlgoff]

Just get one of these to plug your adapter into when needed.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cheater_plug

 

[Evo]

Just get one of these to plug your adapter into when needed.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cheater_plug

Excellent idea dl! Monique, these are just pennies at any hardware store here, is there someone in Boston you can ask to get you one?

 

[Mark44]

Monique, I'm not sure where you're staying in Boston - hotel or with friends - but any place with reasonably to-code receptacles have the sockets that take three pins. You should also recognize that power receptacles throughout the US are 120V, which is different from the 200V in many European countries.

 

[Student100]

Also 60 Hz, don't you guys use 50 over there? Although I think for most electronic devices the cycle shouldn't matter.

 

[Monique]

Hmmm, now I'm doubting. At least I'm staying at an expensive hotel (it was the only option), so maybe I should take the risk. On the other hand, the adaptor is useful world-wide and I don't want to get stuck with unground sockets (which did happen before).

The voltage is not a problem, I'll only be using a computer and my phone and they have transformers that can take 100-220V.

Newer outlets will have three plugs (we call it grounded in the US), older outlets won't, so a two prong would give you more options.

The adaptor must be British then, it says Earthed When I was in London the other week the hotel check-in person corrected me when I asked for the elevator, "we call that a lift over here"

 

[I like Serena]

The adaptor must be British then, it says Earthed When I was in London the other week the hotel check-in person corrected me when I asked for the elevator, "we call that a lift over here"

You should have asked for the stairs.

 

[Vanadium 50]

If you're at an expensive hotel, the front desk will have EU-US converters.

 

[russ_watters]

The wording here matters: a converter changes voltage but an adapter doesn't. You probably need a converter.

 

[Stephen Tashi]

Monique, I'm not sure where you're staying in Boston - hotel or with friends - but any place with reasonably to-code receptacles have the sockets that take three pins. .

That's true, but sometimes you find that receptacles are in hard to reach places and that what is offered you is the end of an extension cord that has only a two prong receptacle. That sort of thing might happen if you stay in a private residence or small bed-and-breakfast.

 

[Monique]

The wording here matters: a converter changes voltage but an adapter doesn't. You probably need a converter.

No, I need an adapter so that the power cord will fit the socket. The converter that's attached to computer/telephone power cords is already designed to take 100-220V 50/60Hz.

Somewhere in the house I should have a cheap unground adapter, so I'll keep the grounded one. If it won't fit I'll be able to use someone else's adapter or visit a shop.

hah, I almost forgot to activate my debit card for North America, almost got stuck without money Strange, it almost feels like I'm going home.