Extension Cord and CPAP in Europe

I am going from the US to Europe shortly. I wanted to bring an extension cord from the US in case the outlet is too far from the bed. Can I use a US extension cord in Europe? It looks like most of them are rated for 120V in US but Europe has 230V power. Can I buy a 230V extension cord in the US?

You would need an adaptor - a US cord won't work over there, but as to whether you can buy one in the US, why not try your local stores and see what they say?

Here's the one that I took to Europe that worked well for me:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00078 ... detailpage

Note that you would need a Euro to UK plug adapter to use it in the UK, but surge suppressor is 220-240V, and outlets are universal as well. Very handy to plug in cpap and chargers, etc.

EuropeanCPAP wrote: Can I buy a 230V extension cord in the US?

Yes, but they are thick and heavy. Last (3) times I just used a regular one with no problems. Not much current going through it.
This is a great adapter and if you search it can be purchased for less $$$.

http://www.skross.com/en/category/34/cl ... rthed.html

hobbs wrote:

EuropeanCPAP wrote: Can I buy a 230V extension cord in the US?

Yes, but they are thick and heavy. Last (3) times I just used a regular one with no problems. Not much current going through it.
This is a great adapter and if you search it can be purchased for less $$$.

http://www.skross.com/en/category/34/cl ... rthed.html

If you're talking about the one that I referred to, I didn't find it heavy. But then, I carry a power strip with a 15' cord around the US, so maybe I'm just weird *smile*.

The cord doesn't care about the voltage, only the current. No problem using US 120volt cords anywhere. You will need a plug adapter so that the US plug can fit into (mate with) a European receptacle. Also, different European countries have different receptacles, so you need an adapter for each type of receptacle. All this info is available online (Google European electrical receptacles.) Most sites selling travel gear, such as Magellan's, have links to this data on their sites somewhere.

On my last trip to Europe i brought a travel adapter kit and my 15 foot US extension cord.
Check your CPAP voltage requirements, most specify 120 - 240 volts.

There will be no problem with a US extension cord, just make sure you have the appropriate adapter to plug in; I bring a heavy duty 8 foot cord plus 3 or 4 adapters. Also, don't forget to check that all the little cell chargers etc run on 240 volts so you don't need a transfomer. (My daughter's DS charger was 120v only!)

dvejr wrote:The cord doesn't care about the voltage, only the current. No problem using US 120volt cords anywhere. You will need a plug adapter so that the US plug can fit into (mate with) a European receptacle. Also, different European countries have different receptacles, so you need an adapter for each type of receptacle. All this info is available online (Google European electrical receptacles.) Most sites selling travel gear, such as Magellan's, have links to this data on their sites somewhere.

If you're just talking about a wire, that's true. If you're looking for a surge suppressor for your cpap as well as a wire, then you have to pay attention to the voltage rating. Not the rating of the wire, the voltage rating of the surge suppressor.

I did think we were discussing extension wires. Suppressors are a whole 'nother thing, you're right.
To learn a lot, read this: http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/ga ... tector.htm

But generally -
a) most inexpensive suppressors are crap, and
b) most-first-world AC power is free enough of (voltage) spikes and surges that it's not worth worrying about.

dvejr wrote:The cord doesn't care about the voltage....

The insulation between the conductors in the cord certainly does care about the voltage.

Cheap extension cables in the US often use insulation which is indeed only rated for 120V +10%. It is not hard to find cables with 220V +10% rated insulation - its just a matter of looking at the specification of the cable

I lived in 220-volt countries for many years while on foreign assignments. My US table lamps got 220V bulbs and country-specific plug adapters. Never had any wire problems, but maybe I was just lucky.

billbolton wrote:

dvejr wrote:The cord doesn't care about the voltage....

The insulation between the conductors in the cord certainly does care about the voltage.

Cheap extension cables in the US often use insulation which is indeed only rated for 120V +10%. It is not hard to find cables with 220V +10% rated insulation - its just a matter of looking at the specification of the cable

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