Power Supply - 115V or 230V

[larsenmtl]

Stupid Question -

If I’m in the US (Maryland) my PC power supply should be set to (should show) 115, right?

It came showing 230.

LarsenMTL

[What_Exit]

Yes, 115. Do not plug it in set to 230.

[Nanoda]

Yes, most assuredly use 115.

Incidentally, many (most?) power supplies manufactured for North America don’t have anything attached to the 230 side of the voltage switch, meaning if you plug it in, nothing at all happens. Of course, you don’t want to test this and end up having an ‘international’ version power supply and end up melting it.

[Chefguy]

@jrfranchi

Yes, 115. Do not plug it in set to 230.

Actually, ‘nothing’ would probably be the result of that action. Now, plugging a computer set for 115v into a 230v circuit would be fairly entertaining.

[Rhubarb]

@Chefguy

Actually, ‘nothing’ would probably be the result of that action. Now, plugging a computer set for 115v into a 230v circuit would be fairly entertaining.

… for about 1 & 1/2 seconds.

[Quartz]

@Chefguy

Actually, ‘nothing’ would probably be the result of that action. Now, plugging a computer set for 115v into a 230v circuit would be fairly entertaining.

A friend of mine did this, with - as you say - entertaining results. His colleagues were vastly amused; his boss less so, especially since said machine was the only one in the U.K. at the time.

[Chefguy]

@Quartz

A friend of mine did this, with - as you say - entertaining results. His colleagues were vastly amused; his boss less so, especially since said machine was the only one in the U.K. at the time.

Most of the transformers at overseas embassies are autotransformers. Trying to keep our idiot diplomats from plugging in their own transformers/computers was a constant headache, as reversed polarity can create many amusing electronic disasters within chipsets.

[larsenmtl]

Thanks all.

The product in question comes for Asus. I’m guessing they aren’t an American company.

[Quartz]

@Chefguy

Most of the transformers at overseas embassies are autotransformers. Trying to keep our idiot diplomats from plugging in their own transformers/computers was a constant headache, as reversed polarity can create many amusing electronic disasters within chipsets.

Yes. Unfortunately, this was a good 12+ years ago, before auto-transformers were common.

[Fridgemagnet]

@Quartz

@ChefGuy

Actually, ‘nothing’ would probably be the result of that action. Now, plugging a computer set for 115v into a 230v circuit would be fairly entertaining.

A friend of mine did this, with - as you say - entertaining results. His colleagues were vastly amused; his boss less so, especially since said machine was the only one in the U.K. at the time.

I had a colleague do the exact same thing with a specially rigged PC in S. Korea. The lab benches were dual 115V and 230V, same style sockets but distinguished only by colour. He plugged a 115V PC into 230V, and it went bang. Luckily it only took out the power supply unit, and the PC could be revived once this was changed.

[bobk2]

FWIW, some power supplies, for equipment other than pc’s, are ‘don’t care’ or more properly called ‘auto-ranging’. They are not the same as an auto-transformer. They can run on anything from 80v to 250v (approx.) The ones I’ve seen have a jack for a power cable and nominally accept a cable that will plug into a US-style outlet. They require a special adapter to fit into a 230V outlet, but they get around the ‘switch in the wrong position’ problem.