Dirty Power Done Cheep

Q: Dear 100hrb

Why and how is European electricy different than US?

Regards,

Frazzled Expatriot

A: Dear Electric Slide Fanatic:

So you’re in Europe stuck on the highway to hell with no outlet to charge your iPod? Maybe Angus or Malcolm Young can help you out. Their “High Voltage” music can spark the energy into anyone, including that maniac Bon Scott. And that is where AC/DC come from. Alternating assaults of the Young brother’s guitars and the direct hard-living, hard-loving, hard-playing wild-eyed rabble-rousing singer, Bon Scott. Electricity can flow continuously in one direction (direct current, DC) or it can be reversed on a regular basis (alternating current, AC).

Just remind your self that AC is the schoolboy-in-knickers, Angus Young. Respectable and American (well not quite but use your imagination).

DC is your half dressed wild-eyed Scotsman Bon Scott. Euro trash.

Easy to understand the difference now? Good. Now let’s see if we can distinguish why you can’t plug that iPod in. Converting European electricity so that it can be used in your American appliances is a significant nuisance but it can be done.

Lighting it up in America
Your local utility company provides your household in the United States with 110 to 120 volts (force of electricity) and 60 Hz (frequency per second that the AC current reverses direction). This considered safer. It is lower voltage with a higher frequency of hertz. But America took it a step further and backed up fuses that are prone to being blown out with circuit breakers. A circuit breaker switch automatically opens when too much power is being used. When the switch opens the flow of electricity is shut of. Thus your 1,000 watt hair dryer may only shut off while using it. When the cause of the excessive power is resolved the circuit breaker will reset. Thus you can turn that hair dryer back on until the circuit breaker turns it off again.

Exploding in Europe
Europeans who are so tired of Americans being better at everything have decided that they will show America up when it comes to voltage. Electricity in Europe is supplied at 230 volts and 50 Hz. This means more power with less alternating currents. Danger Will Robinson! So it only makes sense that when you decide to use that 1,000 watt (electrical power used) hair dryer the lights will start to flicker and if not shut off it will blow a fuse. After all you are driving a lot of energy toward that one appliance with high voltage and low hertz. To top it off there are no circuit breakers within the electrical infrastructure in Europe. That means your hair dryer will fry or worse you will get electrocuted prior to you even knowing that you were using excessive power. But Europe hopes to combat these dangers with what you ask…well heaven forbid they use circuit breakers…no they want to build more, smaller grids to serve communities and shut down when excessive power exists. In truth it is like a circuit breaker just for the community not in your house. To read more go to http://www.smartgrids.eu/documents/vision.pdf-.

That is the difference- so get a 50 watt transformer for low wattage devices (iPod) and a small converter for high power appliances (television). Finally, don’t even bother hooking up an American electric clock in Europe. Generally, these clocks run on AC motors and will run at 5/6 the speed since the speed is determined by electric frequency. In other words if you set an American clock up in Europe and set it to 6 PM when you go check it in the morning it may read 4 AM when in actuality it is 6 AM.

For those about to rock we solute you, keep a stiff upper lip and continue those dirty deeds. Other wise if you want to know the power of electricity...go fly a kite!