Electrical Adaptors for Aust/NZ

[stromer]

I am going on a cruise to Aust/NZ including time there on the ground. I need to know about electrical plugs there. I saw that both Aust/NZ require a 3 prong where the prongs are at an angle. My plug adapter has the top 2 angled plugs but not the bottom. I am from the USA and they have a similar design where there are 3 non-angled plugs. The bottom plug is the ground but most plugs do not have the bottom one.

Question: Does Aust/NZ allow the operation of my electrical adapter with just the top 2 angled plugs that fit into the wall outlet similar to the USA.

Thanks, Rick

[bazzaw]

Rick

 

This is a pic of standard Australian electrical plugs. The bottom (vertical) pin is the earth/ground - which is physically connected to any exposed metal on an electrical appliance. This is to prevent the exposed metal from becoming "live" if somehow the +ve short circuits to the exposed metal ( without the earth, if this happened and the metal became live, you would be at risk of electrocution)

 

Now - SOME electrical appliances which have NO exposed metal and which are "double insulated" internally only have two angled pins ( ie no earth/ground). Any voltage adaptor that you use should really have 3 pins on it - otherwise it would circumvent the basic safety provision of the earth circuit. However, IF you only use an electrical appliance that has no exposed metal and is obviously meant to be operated via a two pin plug, then you could use a two pin adaptor safely. I would personally however prefer to obtain a 3 pin adaptor.

 

I have only ever used an adaptor plug for using UK equipment in an Australian socket - and vice versa. I am unsure of how you will be able to get US equipment (which I believe works on 115V, 60 Hz??) to operate on the Australian 240V, 50 Hz standard. Be careful you don't blow your equipment up!!! :)

 

Barry