Hairdryers and plugs

[Flatbush Flyer]

4 minutes ago, cruisingaussies said:

Well I have the solution to that!  Take some duct tape or similar with you whenever you travel and tape the button down in the ON position. It does mean that if you need to pause while drying you have to pull out the plug but that beats having to keep your finger on that button all the time. 😁

I have a roll of tape permanently in my suitcase. 

Duct tape is for ducts. 

Gaffer tape, though more expensive than duct tape, leaves no sticky residue when removed. 

[cruisingaussies]

I actually use masking tape but not sure if that is called something different in the USA.

[Flatbush Flyer]

10 minutes ago, cruisingaussies said:

I actually use masking tape but not sure if that is called something different in the USA.

"Masking" tape is "masking" tape everywhere. It is mostly used by painters to keep a straight line between two colors or keep paint only where it is intended. Some folks use it as a cheap alternative for packing tape, which is stronger and resists tearing better when packages are subject to rough handling. 

Gaffer tape is used in the entertainment industry to keep all sorts of wires, etc in place temporarily but with the same strength of adh dive as the much more messy duct tape, which was never intended to be removed from its application.

Edited November 21, 2019 by Flatbush Flyer

[clo]

11 hours ago, cruisingaussies said:

Well I have the solution to that!  Take some duct tape or similar with you whenever you travel and tape the button down in the ON position. It does mean that if you need to pause while drying you have to pull out the plug but that beats having to keep your finger on that button all the time. 😁

I have a roll of tape permanently in my suitcase. 

That is brilliant!  Will be putting some in the 'travel box' right away. Thanks.  I'm crazy enough as it is.

[DTT]

Thank you all for weighing in on this topic. It is much appreciated. We are looking forward to sailing on the Riviera on Monday.

[Flatbush Flyer]

On 11/21/2019 at 10:19 AM, clo said:

That is brilliant!  Will be putting some in the 'travel box' right away. Thanks.  I'm crazy enough as it is.

No it's not brilliant. Rather, it is a monumental safety hazard.

After all, the whole reason for requiring constant pressure on the "on" button (whether it's a hair dryer or a chain saw) is to prevent its being accidentally left in the "on" position. 

[Jim and Monika]

Having sailed on the Insignia last summer for the first time, I made a discovery on the last morning. While checking under the desk for anything that might have ended up under there, I noticed another outlet. It would have been good to know so I could have used the blow dryer without having to unplug my wife's makeup mirror that was plugged in on top of the desk.

[Petoonya]

We stay at the B&B Fare Suisse in Papeete for a few days before our cruises. It's a basic hotel with no adaptors. I'm always lost without being able to bring or use my hair dryer. i thought my travel dryer had a switch to convert between 220v and 110v but it doesn't. So if I want to bring the dryer I need to find one that does and buy an adaptor as shown several posts back?

 

I really apologize for being such a dunce with this but I don't get it, don't want to electrocute myself or damage the system at that B&B. Maybe this isn't even possible but I really don't get it.

Edited November 24, 2019 by Petoonya

[Flatbush Flyer]

1 hour ago, Petoonya said:

We stay at the B&B Fare Suisse in Papeete for a few days before our cruises. It's a basic hotel with no adaptors. I'm always lost without being able to bring or use my hair dryer. i thought my travel dryer had a switch to convert between 220v and 110v but it doesn't. So if I want to bring the dryer I need to find one that does and buy an adaptor as shown several posts back?

 

I really apologize for being such a dunce with this but I don't get it, don't want to electrocute myself or damage the system at that B&B. Maybe this isn't even possible but I really don't get it.

Not rocket science. 

 

Buy a dual voltage hair dryer (or any other electrical device/charger) that says 110v/220v (or numbers close to that like 120v/240v) on it's label. Look at your phone or laptop chargers. Most likely, they'll also be dual voltage and they'll switch voltage automatically depending on where you plug them in.

 

If you plug your device into a US outlet, you'll get 110-120 volts . If you plug it into a Euro (or most other non-US) outlet,  you'll get 220-240 volts.

 

All that "adaptors" do is allow your device's US plug to fit in a non-US outlet. The adaptor doesn't convert voltage. It just has a US female side to accept your device's plug and a Euro (or other foreign, as needed) male side to plug into the hotel or ship female outlet. Your job then becomes making sure that your device can handle whatever voltage is coming through that adaptor. Dual voltage devices are obviously best at minimizing any problems. But, if the device label only says 110-120 volts, DO NOT plug it into a non-US outlet (via an adaptor). That outlet's 220-240 volts will fry that device.

 

You can buy a set of individual outlet "adaptors" for less than $20. Again, they don't alter voltage. They just allow things to fit together. And, of course, try to buy only those devices that are dual voltage and can handle any power between 110 and 240 volts.

 

Understand?  

 

[Petoonya]

21 minutes ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

Not rocket science.

 

You can buy a set of individual outlet "adaptors" for less than $20. Again, they don't alter voltage. They just allow things to fit together. And, of course, try to buy only those devices that are dual voltage and can handle any power between 110 and 240 volts.

 

Understand?  

 

Unfortunately it is rocket science to me, lol! When I was 8 years old I was electrocuted plugging in a simple iron to a socket. Wasn't wet, was wearing tennis shoes....I do remember the pain but after that nothing until a few days later. Since then unfortunately I get a little shiver plugging in anything. So want to be sure that I understand before I wince and plug something in in Tahiti.

Thanks so much. Flatbush. You took the time to explain it perfectly 🙂