While reading this article, you may well be asking why there should be anything more than just a simple plug and play when using a voltage converter.

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Well, it’s pretty apparent indeed. But since you won’t want to put your sensitive electronic gadgets at risks like overheat, sudden malfunctioning, or complete sizzling, it’s always wise to be well-aware beforehand.

So, keep reading to find out the essentials on how to use travel voltage converters properly.

Wattage is the Key

Converters are meant to tackle the voltage issues. More specifically, they’ll allow your American/Canadian standard devices with 110v-120v to run at 220v-240v, which is the most popular voltage standard system around the rest of the world.

Therefore, the main concern that you should be aware of while using voltage converters is the wattage of both your device and the converter itself.

It’s the core factor that determines whether your gadgets will comply with the converter or not. Converters come labeled with the range of wattage it can support, and it’s what you need to match with your devices.

Every electrical device, too, comes with labels marked with its wattage levels, and you can quickly check it from there. So, make sure you match both the tags of your device and the voltage converter before making a purchase.

Once do that and purchase a voltage converter accordingly, you are ready to test it out.

How to Use the Plug Adapters of Your Voltage Converter

Voltage converters may come with one or more plug adapters, so the plugs of your devices can match the wall sockets in a foreign country.

You sure can’t connect these adapters to foreign outlets thousands of miles afar. What you can do instead is to determine whether your device plugs correctly fit into your set of adapters.

You must ensure the plugs of your appliances snugly fit into the plug adapters of your converter since a loose-fitting can lead to a spate of troubles, including no-charging and sparky shocks. So check each of the plug adapters one by one, and check how well they fit your device plugs.

Also, you need to ensure you flip the switches of the converter according to the power required for running your device correctly. For doing that, just re-check the wattage of your device before moving the corresponding switch. In general, heat productive appliances like hair-dryer require higher settings.

How to Test Your Voltage Converter before Setting out for Travel

Testing out your converter is necessary for safely using your home appliances in a foreign country. It’s because cheaper converters can fry your hairdryers, laptops, iPods, or other loveable gadgets with improper passing of voltage.

Like we’ve said earlier, the USA and Canada use 110-120 volts for their power outlets, whereas most other countries use something between 220-240 volts. By testing your converter, you’ll ensure that it correctly converts the voltages into this range.

For this test, you’ll need a step-up transformer alongside your travel voltage converter that matches the wattage levels of your devices. Follow the steps down below once you’ve managed them.

Step-1

Keep the voltage of the step-up transformer between 220 and 240. You can do it either using a dial or a switch, depending on what model you have. You can be sure by checking its user manual if the control panel confuses you. Now plug the transformer into your wall socket before turning it on.

Step-2

Fit the travel voltage converter correctly using the ideal plug adapter. Then plug it into the transformer. That’s how you feed the converter a current of something between 220-240v, depending on the current setting.

Step-3

Plug one of your devices that you intend to fly with into the converter. Switch it on, and allow it to run with its full potential for a few minutes. While the device is running, check whether the converter is heating up or not. It may heat moderately to the extent that you can touch it, which is fine. But if it heats up to burn your finger or melt itself, the converter is faulty.

Here’s a tip- the right place for doing this entire testing is a professional electronic store where you’ll find a step-up transformer. And it’s better if you choose to buy your travel converter from there. It’ll allow you to try out several models before you purchase the ideal one.

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On a Final Note

Now that you know how to use travel voltage converters, you can fly out abroad with your home gadgets without worrying.

Here’s another thing- you can completely cut all the mess regarding travel voltage converters by taking dual voltage devices with you. Dual-voltage tools are designed for travel purposes that automatically matches the output voltages wherever you plug them in. So, not only do they keep out the voltage headache, but they chuck the need for additional devices too.