Canadian wall sockets -help requested

Just go to your local Computer/ Electronics store and buy a madeup cable that fits your laptop and the local wall sockets. Easiest and safest . Does your laptop support 120volts? What does the power nameplate on the brick or the laptop say. Hopefully it says something like 108/250 volts AC 50/60 Hz.

| I have just landed in Canada and I want to convert my laptop adapter | to 110V wall socket. My original UK adapter has a grounded plug. | I want to make the same in Canada. | In Canada there one of the holes is wider. Which one is the life wire | and which one is the neutral.

I presume it's the same in Canada as in the US. That would make the shorter slot the live one (the longer one is neutral, but not to be considered ground).

An electrical or hardware store should "outlet testers". It's a small plastic device that plugs into the outlet to test the wiring. They usually have 3 lights, 2 of which should light up and one should not when things are correct. It would help you verify that you have the correct outlet wiring.

Hello Phil,

You have given clear answer to my inqury: Longer slot is neutral and shorter is live one. This is what I needed. The laptop has a dual voltage supply and there is no problems.

Thanks

Kireto

news:...

You can buy an adapter plug to mate the laptop plug to the wall. Just be sure the laptop's supply with handle dual voltages (most do). Why are you concerned about which slot is hot? John

I wanted to make sure that the life and neutral connection in my new Canadian plug correspond to the original connection in the UK plug. In Europe if the plug does not have a ground, you can turn the plug and interchange the polarity.I don't think that there will be a problem if they are interchanged. In Canada you cannot interchange the polarity because slots are different. I did the connection as Phil has advised me and the adapter of the laptop works fine.

| Please, do NOT rely on it though. I've seen quite a few sockets wired | wrong. TTYL

Which is why I recommend the outlet tester.

| On Sat, 26 Jun 2004 08:18:29 -0700, kireto16 wrote: | |> Hello Phil, |> |> You have given clear answer to my inqury: Longer slot is neutral and |> shorter is live one. This is what I needed. |> The laptop has a dual voltage supply and there is no problems. |> |> |> Thanks |> |> Kireto |> |> news:... |>> On 25 Jun 2004 20:05:19 -0700 snipped-for-privacy@yahoo.co.uk wrote: |>> |>> | I have just landed in Canada and I want to convert my laptop adapter |>> | to 110V wall socket. My original UK adapter has a grounded plug. |>> | I want to make the same in Canada. |>> | In Canada there one of the holes is wider. Which one is the life wire |>> | and which one is the neutral. |>> |>> I presume it's the same in Canada as in the US. That would make the |>> shorter slot the live one (the longer one is neutral, but not to be |>> considered ground). |>> |>> An electrical or hardware store should "outlet testers". It's a small |>> plastic device that plugs into the outlet to test the wiring. They |>> usually have 3 lights, 2 of which should light up and one should not |>> when things are correct. It would help you verify that you have the |>> correct outlet wiring. |

| I wanted to make sure that the life and neutral connection in my new | Canadian plug correspond to the original connection in the UK plug. | In Europe if the plug does not have a ground, you can turn the plug | and interchange the polarity.I don't think that there will be a | problem if they are interchanged. | In Canada you cannot interchange the polarity because slots are | different. | I did the connection as Phil has advised me and the adapter of the | laptop works fine.

It would most likely work fine if done backwards. It would just be less safe, depending on the way things are wired in the laptop power supply unit. If both current carrying conductors (the hot wire and neutral wire) are not connected to any chassis metal, you should be safe (as long as you don't get it wet). Still, it's best to make sure the plug is wired correct, AND the outlet is wired correct. The suggested tester would check for most wiring errors.

North American power also has 240 volts available, with 2 hot wires, 120 volts each to ground. These are not too common and typically wired for dedicated uses such as a heavy duty air conditioner or microwave oven. The power blades on these outlets are different to prevent mixing.

In rare circumstances, you might run into an outlet with both wires hot,

60 volts each to ground. Typically this will be in installations with special sensitivity to noise on the ground wire, such as a sound studio or broadcast station. Such outlets should be marked "Warning - technical power". These outlets will have the same blades as normal 120 volt outlets.

|> > I have just landed in Canada and I want to convert my laptop adapter |> > to 110V wall socket. My original UK adapter has a grounded plug. |> > I want to make the same in Canada. |> > In Canada there one of the holes is wider. Which one is the life wire |> > and which one is the neutral. |> >

|> > Thanks |> >

|> > Todor

Where might information regarding this type of power configuration be available? This is new to me.

Thank you.

Louis--

********************************************* Remove the two fish in address to respond

|> In rare circumstances, you might run into an outlet with both wires hot, |> 60 volts each to ground. Typically this will be in installations with |> special sensitivity to noise on the ground wire, such as a sound studio or |> broadcast station. Such outlets should be marked "Warning - technical |> power". These outlets will have the same blades as normal 120 volt |> outlets. | | Where might information regarding this type of power configuration be | available? This is new to me.

Check out this info: