We are heading out for a 30 day trip to Spain/France/Switz and am looking for some guidance on fixing loose European 220v 2 pin adapters. I have good high powered voltage converters ( laptop) that invaribly get loose and unplugged in the European 2 pin outlets. I see on Amazon, a European 2.5amp angled extension cord and am asking if any one has replaced a female EU-2 receptacle with a US A1 female receptacle on an extension cord?
Posted by
Uppsala, Sweden
6970 posts
How do you connect it today and why does it get loose?
Posted by
Washington DC
28065 posts
I've run into that problem a few times. It seems there are two sizes of holes in the plugs. I think I once had to take something out of my suitcase and place it under the outlet to hold the plug in position. Maybe something could be rigged up with duct tape.
Posted by
OP
5 posts
exactly what i am doing....I bring a small amount of electrical tape to assist and if that fails prop up the EU 220 plug adapter and my Anker 65W charger with what ever is handy.
Posted by
Uppsala, Sweden
6970 posts
That sounds like a cheap adapter to be honest. It should not fall out of the socket.
Posted by
OP
5 posts
Thanks for your opinion that it is not a problem.
Posted by
Oxford, United Kingdom
5456 posts
The 2-pin Europlug design is unusual in that the pins are not actually parallel to each other but converge so that at the tip the distance apart is 0.9 mm less than at the base. This springiness is to help maintain a better contact with the somewhat varying sockets across Europe and because it is not also making an earth connection which normally helps stability.
Many adapters though just have parallel pins so worth checking for this factor.
Posted by
Middletown, RI
1227 posts
If you are using an adapter that only has two prongs on it, I switch to a three prong adapter (two prongs plus ground contact). You can still plug a 2-prong North American plug into it but it will stay secured better in a traditional European outlet.
Posted by
Uppsala, Sweden
6970 posts
Thanks for your opinion that it is not a problem.
It is speculation, but there it not much else to do since you've not given us a lot of information. But if you have an adapter with a two pin plug that might be the problem, buy one with a CEE 7/7-plug instead.
Posted by
OP
5 posts
BADGER- thanks for directing me to the CEE7/7 travel plug adapter. They should do the trick ( too much weight hanging from my lap top charger on a two pin European adapter).
Posted by
Uppsala, Sweden
6970 posts
Just note that the CEE7/7 won't fit in a Swiss socket.
Posted by
Magyarország / Rep of Texas
20182 posts
I sort of got lost so I dont know if this is help or not
Many years ago I bought a few "euro" adapters. Like these more or less https://www.amazon.com/Unidapt-European-Adapter-Converter-adaptor/dp/B077WJYNQ5/ref=sr_1_5?crid=36P5AAS3EOM0G&keywords=euro%2Badapter&qid=1702160798&sprefix=euro%2Badapter%2Caps%2C366&sr=8-5&th=1
Sure they fit Swiss too ...... but my experience was they also spend a lot of time falling out of the wall. Not worth the trouble.
So i gave up on those things and went to these
https://www.amazon.com/6PKSCHUKO-Grounded-American-European-Adapter/dp/B0038L54ZO/ref=sr_1_8?crid=3FZFGCHK6RGJW&keywords=schuko+plug&qid=1702160680&sprefix=schuko+plug%2Caps%2C264&sr=8-8
I live in Europe now and i have these things all over my house. Its as good as having American plugs.