American socket and plug. Adapter from American outlet to European

In the world there are more than a hundred ways to connect electrical appliances to the network. There are a huge number of plugs and sockets. Also it is necessary to take into account that in each country there is a special voltage, frequency and current strength. This can turn into a serious problem for tourists. But this issue is relevant not only for those who like to travel. Some, making repairs in an apartment or house, deliberately set the rosette standards of other countries. One such is an American socket. It has its own peculiarities, disadvantages and advantages. Today there are only 13 standards of sockets and plugs, which are used in different countries of the world. Let's consider some of them.

Two frequency and voltage standards

It would seem, why do we need so many standards and types of electrical elements? But it should be borne in mind that there are different voltage standards in the network. Many do not know that in the household electricity network of North America, not traditional 220 V, as in Russia and the CIS, but 120 V are used. But this was not always the case. Until the 60s throughout the Soviet Union, the household voltage was 127 volts. Many will ask why. As is known, the amount of electric energy consumed grows constantly. Earlier, in addition to light bulbs in apartments and houses, there were simply no other consumers. All that each of us every day includes in the socket - computers, televisions, microwave ovens, boilers, - did not yet exist and appeared much later. When the power increases, it is necessary to increase the voltage. A higher current leads to overheating of the wires, and with them a certain loss for this heating. This is serious. In order to avoid these unnecessary losses of precious energy, it was necessary to increase the cross-section of the wire. But it is very difficult, long and expensive. Therefore, it was decided to increase the voltage in the networks.

The Edison and Tesla Times

Edison was a supporter of direct current. He believed that this kind of current is convenient for work. Tesla also believed in the benefits of variable frequency. In the end, two scientists began to fight practically with each other. By the way, this war ended only in 2007, when the US switched to alternating current in household networks. But back to Edison. He created the production of incandescent bulbs with a thread based on coal. The voltage for optimal operation of these lamps was 100 V. He added 10 more volts to the losses in the conductors and at his power plants was taken for a working voltage of 110 V. That is why the American outlet was long designed for 110 V. Further in the States, and then in Other countries that worked closely with the United States accepted 120 volts as the standard voltage. The current frequency was 60 Hz. But electrical networks were created in such a way that two phases and "neutral" were connected to the houses. This made it possible to obtain 120 V when using phase voltages or 240 in the case of line voltages.

Why two phases?

It's all about the generators that created electricity for the whole of America. They were biphasic until the end of the 20th century. To the phase voltage , weak consumers were connected, and more powerful ones were switched to line voltages.

60 Hz

This is entirely Tesla's credit. It happened in the distant 1888. He worked closely with J. Westinghouse and also on the development of generators. They argued for a long time about the optimal frequency - the opponent insisted on choosing one of the frequencies in the range from 25 to 133 Hz, but Tesla firmly stood on his idea and the figure at 60 Hz fits as much as possible into the system.

Benefits

Among the advantages of this frequency, it is possible to allocate fewer costs in the process of manufacturing an electromagnetic system for transformers and generators. Therefore, the equipment for this frequency has much smaller dimensions and weight. By the way, the lamps do not flicker. The American socket in the States is much better suited for powering computers and other equipment that requires good food.

Sockets and Standards

In the world, two main standards for frequency and voltage are common. One of them is American. This voltage in the network is 110-127 V at a frequency of 60 Hz. And as a plug and socket, A and B are used. The second type is European. Here the voltage is 220-240 V, the frequency is 50 Hz. The European rosette is predominantly the C-M.

Type A

These species are widespread only in North and Central America. They can also be found in Japan. However, there are some differences between them. The Japanese have two pins parallel to each other and flat with the same size. American rosette is a bit different. And the plug to her, respectively, too. Here one pin is wider than the second one. This is done taking into account that the correct polarity is always observed when connecting electrical appliances. After all, earlier the current in American networks was constant. Still these outlets were called Class II. Tourists say that forks from Japanese technology work seamlessly with American and Canadian rosettes. But to connect these elements on the contrary (if the American plug) does not work. We need a suitable adapter for the socket. But usually people just file a wide pin.

Type B

These types of devices are used only in Canada, USA and Japan. And if devices of type "A" were intended for low-power equipment, then such outlets include mainly powerful household appliances with currents of consumption up to 15 amperes. In some catalogs, such an American plug or socket can be designated as Class I or NEMA 5-15 (this is already an international designation). Now they almost completely replaced type "A". In the US, only "B" is used. But in old buildings you can still meet an old American outlet. There is no contact in it that is responsible for ground connection. In addition, the US industry has long produced appliances with modern plugs. But this does not prevent to use new electrical appliances in old houses. Resourceful Americans in this case simply cut down or destroy the grounding contact so that it does not interfere and it can be connected to an old type socket.

On appearance and differences

Who bought an iPhone from the US, knows perfectly well what an American socket looks like. It has its own characteristics. A socket is two flat holes or slits. In devices of a new type, there is an additional grounding contact at the bottom. Also, so that no errors occur, one fork plug becomes wider than the other. Americans decided not to change this approach, and they left everything in the same rosettes. Contacts on the plug are not pins, like a European outlet. It's more like a plate. At their ends there may be holes.

How to exploit American technology in the CIS countries

It happens that people bring equipment from the States and want to use it in Europe or Russia. And they are faced with a problem - the socket does not fit the plug. And what should I do? You can replace the cord with a standard European, but this option is not for everyone. For those who do not understand the technique and have never held a soldering iron in their hands, it is recommended to purchase an adapter for the outlet. There are a lot of them - they are all different in quality and price. If you plan a trip to the US, then you should stock up on adapters in advance. There they can cost five or more dollars. If you order in an online store, you can save up to half the cost. It should also be noted that even in US hotels all the outlets go under the American standard - and it does not matter that most of the people who stop are foreign tourists. Therefore, before the trip you must buy and take an adapter with you. But it happens on the contrary - an American comes to, say, France. And now he wants to go to his Facebook in the evening, share photos and impressions with friends and family. He "pokes" his power supply from the Macbook into the socket, but, of course, nothing happens. In this case, he could be helped by an adapter from an American outlet to a European outlet. The same applies to technology purchased in the US. If you do not want to solder, you can buy an inexpensive adapter made in China and fully use electrical appliances, charge the phone or tablet on a non-standard outlet. There are no other options here.

Summary

It is said that it is not wise to understand Russia, but in the US, too, everything is not so simple. You can not just come and use American type sockets with European or any other forks. Therefore, you should take in the road adapters, and they need to be ordered in advance. This saves considerable time and money.