Just like water needs pressure to move through the faucet, so does the electricity needs force to flow from the wall outlet to your device. This electrical force is known as a voltage that gets measured in volts.
When a voltage converter is needed, and why?
If you are going to plug a North American electrical device like a blender in a European wall without the converter, the mixer is going to be damaged in seconds; the force of the power entering a device would overwhelm it.
To prevent this, you need to power a device through a voltage converter which steps up or steps down to the amount of used voltage.
Some devices like iPads, laptops, phones, and cameras are of dual voltage, which means they can adjust to the voltage amount coming from the wall themselves. If you are going to travel to a foreign country with a dual voltage electronic device, you would only need a travel adapter, not a converter.
When does a person need a voltage converter?
Most of the devices are made only on the single input voltage. If you have a device which specifies a voltage input that is different than what’s supplied in your country, then you would need a voltage converter. The converters are more massive and need to be purchased according to the proper wattage of the device you will be using it with.
How to know if a device is a single voltage or dual voltage?
Typically, devices like phones, laptops, and tablets that convert AC to DC volts with their cable of power supply will accept both the inputs of 110 volts and 220 volts. To ensure your device is dual voltage, look for the series of numbers as well as letters indicating the type of Wattage, voltage, Amps, and Hertz that the device uses with other information of the product, such as where the device was made.
Conclusion
If you are considering using a converter as a primary source of power with a battery, you need to take into account one last essential factor: time. In other words, you would have to start with a power source that will last you. Think about the entire electrical network while choosing a converter.
