Have any experience of damaging any electrical appliance? If you don’t, trust me you don’t want to. But, to avoid damaging any electrical appliance while using it, you need to be very cautious about what socket you’re connecting it to.
For example, if you have a 110-120 volt appliance, you need to use it to the same voltage level outlet. But, what if your electrical appliance is leveled with 120 volts only, and you only have 110-volt outlets at your home? The question is, can you plug a 120v appliance into a 110v outlet?
Fortunately, we’re here to answer that question for you. So, if you read our explanation post here, you won’t have any problem using 120-volt electrical appliances in the future.
Can You Plug A 120v Appliance Into A 110v Outlet?
Yes, you can indeed plug a 120-volt electrical appliance into any 110-volt outlet. The reason behind this is because there is little substantial difference between the 120-volt voltage level and the 110-volt voltage level of electricity.
Furthermore, modern-day electronic devices are built with such capability that they can withstand 5 to 10 volts of variation in the electricity line.
And, for the case of most electrical appliances, when it’s labeled with 120 volts, it usually means that it can work in a range of 110 volts to 120 volts.
That means the highest electrical voltage it can work on is 120 volt. As long as you don’t go beyond the 120-volt limit, your electrical appliance won’t be damaged.
And, if you connect the electrical device to any voltage levels below 120 volts as well, it won’t get damaged.
Read:
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Can I Use A 120v Bulb In A 110v Socket? [And Vice Versa?]
Yes, you can perfectly use a 120-volt rated bulb in a 110-volt socket. It’s because, in the United States, the standard electricity voltage is around 120 to 125 volts.
That means, almost all the electrical appliances in the United States are suited to be used on any electrical outlet that is 120 volts or below.
Now, if your electrical outlet is 110 volts, its voltage supply is not massively less than a 120-volt socket. It’s because electricity voltage can fluctuate from time to time.
That’s why sometimes 120 volts outlets can provide as low as 115 volts, and on the other hand, a 110 volts outlet can also provide up to 115 volts.
Therefore, in practice, there’s no real-life difference between a power supply of 110 volts and a 120-volt outlet. That’s why it is safe for you to use a 120-volt bulb (or any appliance) on a 110-volt socket (and vice versa).
Will A 120 Volt Device Run Slow On A 110 Volt Outlet?
No, it’s not necessarily true that a 120-volt device will run slow on a 110-volt power socket. It’s simply because electric power doesn’t only depend on voltage level. Rather, the total electric power is the resultant multiplication of voltage and electric current.
So, as long as the total power output is the same as the electrical outlet, a 120-volt device can still run at full speed even on a 110-volt outlet. In fact, electrical devices are manufactured in such a way that they’re fully compatible to run on a 110-volt outlet in the United States.
How is it so? Well, the electrical devices will just draw a bit more electric current to balance out the deficiency in the voltage level. As a result, the electrical devices will draw the same amount of power that they are labeled to take from a 120-volt outlet. Therefore, a 120-volt device will not run slow on a 110-volt device.
Is 110 Volt Too Low For 120 Volt Devices?
No, it’s actually fine to run 120-volt devices on 110-volt lines. In numerical terms, a 110-volt line is only about 8% less than a 120-volt line. But, in practice, a 110-volt line doesn’t really provide 8% less power than a 120-volt line. Rather, both these power outlets provide about the same power.
It’s due to the fact that AC electricity in the United States is never provided at a perfectly stabilized 120-volt level. Rather, AC electricity usually fluctuates between 110 volts to 125 volts.
That’s why all electric devices manufactured to be used in the United States are perfectly suited for any electrical socket with 110-120 volt electricity.
Conclusion
Well, that’s all there’s to it, people. If you’re still confused if you can plug your 120V electrical appliance into a 110V line, then I’ve got to say that YES, you perfectly can.
In fact, it’s nothing to be worried about. Therefore, even if your device is labeled to be run in a 120-volt line, you won’t have any problem running it on a 110-volt electric outlet.
I’m James. The author of Electricalaffairs.com. It’s been my passion to deal with power tools and gears. This website is mainly to talk about electrical wirings, lighting, various power source tools and accessories. I want to explore tackles and help people to grow their basic knowledge about electrical things. I would also like to help people to pick the right power tool for their daily needs.