If you have a large room-sized air conditioner, horticultural lights, high-end shop tools, or a tanning bed, the 120V circuits in most homes and offices aren't enough. You need 240V's, and installing that circuit into your building isn't cheap.
Lucky for you, there's an easy and affordable solution to this power problem, 120V to 240 Converters. 240V step-up converters make it easy to power electrical appliances without upgrading your existing circuits.
With our ultimate guide to 120v to 240 Converters, you'll find everything you need to power up in no time at all.
“110 volts" and "220 volts" represent an older standard for electrical wiring in the United States and Canada. However, in many regions, voltages have gradually increased from 110V to the current standard of 120/240V at 60 Hz. The term and use of 110V and 220V are still common.
The electrical power supplied to most homes in the United States, and Canada is a split-phase system. First, electricity flows into your home at about 240 volts. Then, it splits into two 120-volt halves at the main circuit breaker panel, called phases.
Most consumer goods and electronics use electricity from one of the 120-volt lines. However, some larger appliances require 240V outlets. This includes clothes dryers, ovens, ranges, air conditioners, heavy-duty power tools, and compressors.
While most consumer goods, including portable electronics and most appliances, run on 120V power, some demanding more power rely on 240-volt electrical systems. The following are the most commonly used appliance requiring 240V power:
A Quick 220® System will provide an easy-to-use 220-240V outlet.
You need to use a 240-volt appliance with the required equipment or power outlet. In the U.S., Canada, and neighboring countries, standard household outlets run at 120 volts. It's ill-advised to connect an appliance requiring 220 or 240 volts to one of these outlets because it can damage or destroy the device.
Suppose a device or appliance requiring 220V is plugged into a 120V outlet. In that case, it will only receive half of the necessary energy to function, causing poor performance. In addition, if the device or appliance has a motor, it can become damaged. So, what if your device requires a 220V outlet, but none is in sight?
Converting a 110V outlet to a 220V outlet requires an electrician's skill. Making this change in your home, apartment, or office often requires extensive rewiring and, most likely, a building inspection. Not to mention, that kind of skilled work comes at a steep price.
The obvious option is to hire an electrician to install the 240V outlet. But unfortunately, that'll cost you hundreds to thousands of dollars, and working with contractors can be a hassle. So, we do not advise hiring an electrician. Instead, we suggest converting the power using a step-up 120V to 220-240V converter.
A step-up 120V to 220-240V converter is another alternative to converting 120V to 220-240v. In many situations, it is simpler and more cost-effective to convert two 120V outlets into a source of 240V without modifying existing circuits. Plus, it's an easy DIY installation!
By connecting the converter to two independent sources (different phases) of 120V, the 240V step-up converter creates one source of 240V power. As a result, the 240V step-up converter can power a wide range of machinery and equipment, for homes, offices, and more.
It's important not to be confused with a 240v step-down converter, which takes an existing source of 240V and converts it into a 120V power source.
Converters are lighter, more compact, affordable and support higher net wattages than high wattage transformers.
You can buy a voltage converter from most stores that sell electronics online and in person. Be mindful of whether you are purchasing a step-down or a step-up converter. (220v to 110v, step-down converters are usually used for international travel.) Quick 220® Systems sell easy-to-use 110V to 220V converters that combine two 110V outlets into one 220V power source.
Check out Quick 220® Electrical Power Requirements for more information on Quick 220® systems Power Converters and requirements.
Quick 220® Systems are rated at 15 or 20 amperes, depending on the model. Higher amperages are unavailable because electrical power on ordinary 120-volt circuits will not deliver at ampere levels above these limits. 20 amperes or more require special wiring to be installed professionally.
That brings us to the end of our ultimate guide to 110V to 220V Converters. We want this to be an evolving resource. So, if you still have unanswered questions about 120V to 240V converters, leave a comment below letting us know. We'll update this post with your question and our answer, powering up this post and the knowledge of future readers.
If you're unsure what voltage or Quick 220® systems you need, try our simple questionnaire or contact us for help, we would love to hear from you.
Telephone: 1-800-347-0394 (US & Canada) or 1-602-938-6057
Fax: 1-602-862-0215
Email: sales@quick220.com
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Let’s look specifically at the Mobile Connector from Tesla. If you’re only plugging into a standard wall outlet like you would with a toaster or your phone charger, the best charge rate you can hope for is a measly 4 miles per charge hour. However, when you can hook up to a 240-volt outlet and increase the amperage rate, even without the expensive dual on-board charger system, you can double, triple, quadruple, or more the miles per hour charge you can get! Keep in mind that this is at home. If you have more driving to do after driving all day, you no longer have to leave your EV at a public charger several blocks away, if there is one!
But not every home has a free 240-volt outlet in the garage. If there is one nearby, it’s probably for the dryer and already in use. If you’re renting or have gas appliances, there may not be a single 240-volt outlet anywhere. So, what do you do if you want to drive an EV without being inconvenienced by absurd charge times on standard voltage? The answer: you get a voltage converter from Quick 220® Systems and change from 120 to 240 EV charger.
A Quick 220® voltage converter combines the 120-volts from two different outlets in your home into a reliable and easy-to-use 208–240-volt to charge your EV in a one half to one third of the time and without the high cost of hiring an electrician!
Suppose you have EV's with J-1772 Charge Cables such as Nissan Leaf, Kia Soul EV, Toyota Prius, Mitsubishi, Chevy Volt, or Honda EV. In that case, your charge cable will need to the following characteristics:
If you have a Tesla EV, the charging cable will depend on the manufacturing date of your vehicle.
You must attach your charging connector to the appropriate Quick 220 voltage converter. For EV's with J-1772 Charge Cables, you can connect it directly to a Quick 220® System A220-20D voltage converter. For 2017 Tesla and earlier the Quick 220® Package P-110 is recommended. The Quick 220® Package includes Quick 220® A220-15D and 6-15 Adapter for Gen 1 charging cables. Tesla’s manufactured after 2018, using Gen 2 charge cable, it is recommended to use Quick 220® 15 Ampere Voltage Converter Model A220-15D with the Tesla Gen 2 NEMA 6-15 adapter using 120V outlets not controlled by a GFCI.
Once your charging cable is connected to the Quick 240 voltage converter, you’ll need to find two outlets in your home that are out of phase. Unfortunately, they’ll usually be far apart, so we recommend getting one of our packages that includes extension cords. At this point, the light on the front of the Quick 220® voltage converter unit will light up when one plugs the second cord into an out-of-phase outlet, giving you 208-240 volts.
All that’s left is to plug in the charging connector of your EV cable and flip the breaker on the side of the voltage converter. Now, if the two circuits you’ve picked in your home are not rated to at least 20 amps, there is a chance you could trip the breaker when charging. In this case, select a lower charge rate on the charging cable and continue your charge.
That’s all there is to it! You’re now on your way to faster and more economical EV charging! You can check out our “Electric Vehicle Charging” page for more detailed instructions.
]]>So many countries—and even regions— develop their own electricity standards. It's safe to say that diversity reigns out here. In some cases, you'll only need a plug adapter, but there are many where you'll need a voltage converter. Follow these steps to figure out if you need an adapter or converter throughout your travels through the United States:
Your first challenge is ensuring you can plug your device into the wall outlet. In places where the plug type differs, you'll need an adapter plug with the correct prong configuration for outlets at your destination.
According to the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), 16 different plugs (Type A through Type O) are used worldwide. There are two associated plug types for the United States and Canada: Type A or NEMA 1-15 and Type B or NEMA 5-15. Type A is the first plug type with two flat parallel pins, and Type B is the second type with two flat parallel pins and a grounding pin. An adapter plug will be vital if your devices do not fit either the Type A or the Type B wall outlet.
An adapter will allow you to plug your appliance into a different type of outlet. In addition, most are small and lightweight, making them easy to pack.
However, a universal travel adapter is well worth the investment if you travel a lot. A universal adapter is an all-in-one device allowing most prong and socket types to be compatible. This is the best device for frequent travelers, as you won't need to worry about changing the prongs on your adapter.
Before purchasing your travel adapter, here are some essential shopping tips and tricks:
If you want to power multiple devices, consider an electrical strip to power everything in one location. The Quick 220® international power strip is perfect for your devices. It can power anything from the UK, Asia, Europe, South America, Africa, Australia, and North America. Since America has the universal international multi-prong outlets, they provide the correct plug face for all of your appliances or hair styling tools. In addition, this power strip has a Type B wall plug and a built-in surge protector to protect your electronics.
Throughout the world, two voltage ranges are standard, 110-120V or 208-240V. Suppose your electronic device falls into either of those ranges. In that case, the variations within that range will not be an issue. For example, it will work if the local power is 220 volts, and your device requires an input of 240 volts.
In Europe and much of the rest of the world, the voltage from the public grid is 220-240 volts. However, outlets in North America output 120 volts. The good news is that the power delivered to every building is still 240 volts. Once inside, the current splits into two phases of 110-120 volts dispersed throughout the building and called phases. These phases can be electrically tapped with a Quick 220® System to give 208-240 volts.
Your next step will be to check the voltage (V) for your destination and the requirements for each device. For more information on the voltage of your destination, refer to the IEC World Plugs List, order the "Electric Potential" column or call the location you will be staying. On the other hand, devices can be single, dual, or multi-voltage devices.
If you have a newer electronic device, there is a possibility you'll only need a plug adapter. First, check the label on your device to find out if this is the case. The label is usually on the back of the device, the power cord, or molded into the plastic. Look for the word "INPUT" for the information you need.
If your device is single-voltage, it will have a narrow voltage range (usually 220-240V for European devices). These are generally older devices or items with sensitive electronics and no built-in transformer. You'll need a plug adapter and a Quick 220® voltage converter for these items.
A dual-voltage device will use a slash to separate the two voltages (120V/240V in most cases). These are usually newer consumer electrical devices designed for several countries and require minimal modification. Dual voltage devices typically have a switch somewhere on them to specify which voltage they are operating.
Multi-voltage items use a dash in the INPUT line to indicate that they can operate from a wide range of voltages (typically 100-240V). Devices like this only require a plug adapter.
In the United States and Canada, the supply voltage is 120V. However, suppose you have a single-voltage device that differs from the voltage level at your destination. Then, a voltage converter is necessary for the appliance to work safely and correctly at 120V.
The good news is that Quick 220® Systems has you covered on everything you need to operate your international devices from North American outlets. We offer universal plug adapters that even support Shuko-style grounding plugs. We even have incredibly portable and easy-to-use voltage adapters to supply your devices.
Remember when we talked about two phases, each at 120V, in North American buildings? A Quick 220® voltage converter can combine those phases. All you need is two standard outlets, one in each of the phases. Plug one supply cord from the Quick 220® voltage converter into each one. The indicator on the front of the unit will light up if it is connected properly. Then flip the breaker on the side of the unit to supply the outlet. However, this still gives you a North American spec NEMA 6 outlet. To connect your device, take the plug and insert it into the universal plug adapter or the Shuko grounding adapter if it's needed.
North America is full of vast terrains, memorable landmarks, and rich with culture. Ensure your must-have gadgets can capture each moment by staying powered up throughout your stay. Before your trip, verify the plug type and voltage to where you will be staying. Suppose an adapter plug or voltage converter is needed for your electric devices. In that case, purchasing these before your travels is essential.
If you still have unanswered questions, leave a comment below. We'll update this post with your question and our answer.
If you're unsure what voltage or Quick 220® systems you need, try our simple questionnaire or contact us for help, we would love to hear from you.
Telephone: 1-800-347-0394 (US & Canada) or 1-602-938-6057
Fax: 1-602-862-0215
Email: sales@quick220.com
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