Types of sockets in different countries. Types of electrical sockets and plugs in different countries

There are 12 types of electrical plugs and sockets in the world.
Letter classification - from A to X.
Before traveling abroad, especially to less frequently visited countries, I check the information below.

Type A: North America, Japan

Countries: Canada, USA, Mexico, part of South America, Japan

Two flat parallel contacts without grounding.
In addition to the USA, this standard has been adopted in 38 other countries. Most common in North America and the east coast of South America. In 1962, the use of Type A sockets was prohibited by law. A Type B standard was developed to replace it. However, many older homes still have similar sockets because they are compatible with the new Type B plugs.
The Japanese standard is identical to American sockets, but has stricter requirements for the size of plug and socket housings.

Type B: Same as Type A, except Japan

Countries: Canada, USA, Mexico, Central America, Caribbean Islands, Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela, part of Brazil, Taiwan, Saudi Arabia

Two flat parallel contacts and one round for grounding.
The additional contact is longer, so when connected, the device is grounded before it is connected to the network.
In the socket, the neutral contact is on the left side, the phase is on the right, and the ground is at the bottom. On this type of plug, the neutral pin is made wider to prevent reverse polarity when connected in a non-standard manner.

Type C: Europe

Countries: all of Europe, Russia and the CIS, the Middle East, part of South America, Indonesia, South Korea

Two round contacts.
This is the European socket we are used to. There is no ground connection and the plug can fit into any socket that accepts 4mm diameter pins with 19mm spacing between them.
Type C is used throughout continental Europe, the Middle East, many African countries, as well as Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, Peru, Bolivia, Brazil, Bangladesh, Indonesia. Well, and of course, in all the republics of the former Soviet Union.
German and French plugs (type E) are very similar to this standard, but their contact diameter is increased to 4.8 mm, and the body is made in such a way as to prevent connection to European sockets. The same plugs are used in South Korea for all devices that do not require grounding and are found in Italy.
In the UK and Ireland, special sockets compatible with Type C plugs are sometimes installed in showers and bathrooms. These are designed to connect electric shavers. Therefore, the voltage in them is often reduced to 115 V.

Type D: India, Africa, Middle East

Three large round contacts arranged in a triangle.
This old English standard is supported mainly in India. It is also found in Africa (Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria), the Middle East (Kuwait, Qatar) and in those parts of Asia and the Far East where the British were involved in electrification.
Compatible sockets are used in Nepal, Sri Lanka and Namibia. In Israel, Singapore and Malaysia, this type of socket is used to connect air conditioners and electric clothes dryers.

Type E: France

Two round prongs and a ground prong protruding from the top of the socket.
This type of connection is used in France, Belgium, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Denmark.
The diameter of the contacts is 4.8 mm, they are located at a distance of 19 mm from each other. The right contact is neutral, the left is phase.
Just like the German standard described below, sockets of this type allow the connection of type C plugs and some others. Sometimes the connection requires using force in such a way that you can damage the outlet.

Type F: Germany

Two round pins and two grounding clips at the top and bottom of the socket.
Often this type is called Schuko/Schuko, from the German schutzkontakt, which means “protected or grounded” contact. Sockets and plugs of this standard are symmetrical; the position of the contacts when connecting does not matter.
Despite the fact that the standard requires the use of contacts with a diameter of 4.8 mm, domestic plugs easily fit German sockets.
Many countries in Eastern Europe are gradually moving from the old Soviet standard to type F.
Often there are hybrid plugs that combine side clips of type F and a grounding contact of type E. Such plugs connect equally well to both “French” sockets and German Schuko.

Type G: Great Britain and former colonies

Countries: UK, Ireland, Malaysia, Singapore, Cyprus, Malta

Three large flat contacts arranged in a triangle.
The massiveness of this type of fork is surprising. The reason lies not only in the large contacts, but also in the fact that there is a fuse inside the plug. It is necessary because British standards allow higher current levels in household electrical circuits. Pay attention to this! The adapter for the Euro plug must also be equipped with a fuse.
In addition to Great Britain, plugs and sockets of this type are also common in a number of former British colonies.

Type H: Israel

Three contacts arranged in a Y shape.
This type of connection is unique, found only in Israel and is incompatible with all other sockets and plugs.
Until 1989, the contacts were flat, then they decided to replace them with round ones, 4 mm in diameter, located in the same way. All modern sockets support plugs with both old flat and new round contacts.

Type I: Australia

Countries: Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Fiji

Two flat contacts located “house”, and the third is a ground contact.
Almost all sockets in Australia have a switch for added safety.
Similar connections are found in China, only in comparison with the Australian ones they are turned upside down.
Argentina and Uruguay use sockets that are Type I compatible in shape but with reversed polarity.

Type J: Switzerland

Three round contacts.
Exclusive Swiss standard. Very similar to type C, only there is a third, grounding contact, which is located slightly to the side.
European plugs fit without adapters.
A similar connection is found in parts of Brazil.

Type K: Denmark and Greenland

Three round contacts.
The Danish standard is very similar to the French Type E, except that the protruding ground pin is in the plug rather than the socket.
From July 1, 2008, type E sockets will be installed in Denmark, but for now the most common European standard C plugs can be connected to existing sockets without any problems.

Type L: Italy and Chile

Three round contacts in a row.
European standard C plugs (ours) fit Italian sockets without any problems.
If you really want, you can plug E/F type plugs (France-Germany), which we have in chargers for MacBooks, into Italian sockets. In 50% of cases, Italian sockets break during the process of pulling out such a plug: the plug is removed from the wall along with the Italian socket strung on it.

Type X: Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia

A hybrid of type A and C sockets. Both American and European plugs are suitable for sockets of this type.

Try to imagine homo modernus without mobile phones, cameras, laptops, navigation systems and other gadgets? The answer is simple: it is impossible. Well, all these benefits of civilization cannot exist without “food”; they need recharging.
Therefore, beaches, parks, museums fade into the background, and the first thing a traveler should think about is what kind of sockets and what kind of voltage there will be in the country where he is going.
In most cases, the issue is resolved with the help of an adapter. But it can become useless if the voltage in the network is very different from the native, domestic one. For example, in Europe the voltage varies from 220 to 240 V; in the USA and Japan - from 100 to 127 V. If you don’t guess, you’ll burn your device.
Let's try to understand the intricacies of electrical engineering.

Voltage and frequency

By and large, only two levels of electrical voltage are used in the household network in the world:
European - 220 - 240 V and American - 100 - 127 V, and two AC frequencies - 50 and 60 Hz.

Voltage 220 - 240 V with a frequency of 50 Hz is used by most countries of the world.
Voltage 100 -127 V at a frequency of 60 Hz - in the USA, countries of North, Central and, partially, South America, Japan, etc.
However, there are variations, for example, in the Philippines, 220 V and 60 Hz, and in Madagascar, on the contrary, 100 V and 50 Hz, even within the same country, depending on the region, there may be different standards, for example, in different parts of Brazil , Japan, Saudi Arabia, the Maldives.

Therefore, before you set off, collect as much information as possible about circuits and signals, the types of sockets used in the country and the voltage in the network.

Electrical sockets

There are a lot of sockets, plugs and options for connecting to the electrical network. But don’t be alarmed, there is no need to deal with everyone and look for an adapter for each one.
You need to remember (save, sketch, photograph) the 13 most used types of sockets, which are designated in Latin letters from A to M:

Type A - American electrical socket and plug: two flat parallel contacts. Used in most countries of North and Central America (USA, Canada, Mexico, Venezuela, Guatemala), in Japan, and almost everywhere where the mains voltage is 110 V.
Type B is a variation of the Type A connector, with an additional round ground pin. Typically used in the same countries as the Type A connector.
Type C - European socket and plug. It has two round parallel contacts (without grounding). This is the most popular socket in Europe, excluding England, Ireland, Malta and Cyprus. Used where the voltage is 220V.
Type D is the old British standard with three round contacts arranged in a triangle shape, with one of the contacts thicker than the other two, rated for maximum current. Used in India, Nepal, Namibia, Sri Lanka.
Type E is a plug with two round pins and a hole for the grounding pin, which is located in the socket of the socket. This type is now almost universally used in Poland, France and Belgium.
Type F - The standard is similar to Type E, but instead of a round ground pin there are two metal clamps on both sides of the connector. You will find such sockets in Germany, Austria, Holland, Norway, and Sweden.
Type G - British socket with three flat contacts. Used in England, Ireland, Malta and Cyprus, Malaysia, Singapore and Hong Kong.
Note. This type of outlet often comes with a built-in internal fuse. Therefore, if after connecting the device it does not work, then the first thing to do is check the condition of the fuse in the outlet.
Type H - has three flat contacts or, in an earlier version, round contacts arranged in a V shape. Used only in Israel and the Gaza Strip. Not compatible with any other plug, designed for voltage values ​​of 220 V and current up to 16 A.
Type I - Australian socket: two flat contacts, as in the American type A connector, but they are located at an angle to each other - in the shape of the letter V. Also available in a version with a ground contact. Used in Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and Argentina.
Type J - Swiss plug and socket. It is similar to the Type C plug, but has an additional grounding pin in the middle and two round power pins. Used in Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Ethiopia, Rwanda and the Maldives.
Type K - Danish socket and plug, similar to European Type C, but with a ground pin located at the bottom of the connector. Used in Denmark, Greenland, Bangladesh, Senegal and the Maldives.
Type L - Italian plug and socket, similar to the European Type C socket, but with a round ground pin that is in the center, the two round power pins are arranged unusually in a line. Used in Italy, Chile, Ethiopia, Tunisia and Cuba.
Type M is an African socket and plug with three round pins arranged in a triangle shape, with the ground pin being clearly thicker than the other two. It is similar to the D-type connector, but has much thicker pins. The socket is designed to power devices with a current of up to 15 A. Used in South Africa, Swaziland and Lesotho.

A few words about various types of adapters.

The easiest way to be ready to put the plug into the socket is to purchase an adapter, converter or transformer in advance (it depends on what your needs are). In most hotels, if you contact them, they will select the device you need at the reception.

Adapters - combine your plug with someone else's socket without affecting the voltage, the most versatile device.
Converters - provide conversion of local power grid parameters, but for a short time, up to 2 hours. Suitable for small (camping) household appliances: hair dryer, razor, kettle, iron. Convenient on the road due to its small size and weight.
Transformers are more powerful, larger and more expensive voltage converters designed for continuous operation. Used for complex electrical appliances: computers, televisions, etc.

And at the end, an easy life hack on how to use an English socket without an adapter

Happy travels!

Sources: wikimedia.org, travel.ru, enovator.ru, personal experience.

There are more than a hundred ways to connect electrical appliances to the network in the world. There are a huge number of plugs and sockets. It is also necessary to take into account that each country has a specific voltage, frequency and current strength. This can turn into a serious problem for tourists. But this question is relevant today not only for those who love to travel. Some people, when renovating an apartment or house, deliberately install sockets of the standard of other countries. One of these is the American outlet. It has its own characteristics, disadvantages and advantages. Today there are only 13 socket and plug standards that are used in different countries of the world. Let's look at some of them.

Two frequency and voltage standards

It would seem, why do we need so many standards and types of electrical elements? But it should be taken into account that there are different network voltage standards. Many people do not know that the household electrical network in North America uses not traditional 220 V, as in Russia and the CIS, but 120 V. But this was not always the case. Until the 60s, throughout the Soviet Union, household voltage was 127 volts. Many will ask why this is so. As you know, the amount of electrical energy consumed is constantly growing. Previously, apart from light bulbs in apartments and houses, there were simply no other consumers.

Everything that each of us plugs into a power outlet every day - computers, televisions, microwaves, boilers - did not exist then and appeared much later. When the power increases, the voltage must be increased. Higher current entails overheating of the wires, and with them certain losses due to this heating. This is serious. In order to avoid this unnecessary loss of precious energy, it was necessary to increase the cross-section of the wire. But it is very difficult, time-consuming and expensive. Therefore, it was decided to increase the voltage in the networks.

The times of Edison and Tesla

Edison was a proponent of direct current. He believed that this particular current was convenient for work. Tesla believed in the advantages of variable frequency. Eventually the two scientists began to practically fight each other. By the way, this war ended only in 2007, when the United States switched to alternating current in household networks. But let's return to Edison. He created the production of incandescent light bulbs with carbon-based filaments. The voltage for optimal operation of these lamps was 100 V. He added another 10 V for losses in the conductors and at his power plants he accepted 110 V as the operating voltage. That is why the American outlet was designed for 110 V for a long time. Further in the States, and then in other countries that worked closely with the United States adopted 120 V as the standard voltage. The current frequency was 60 Hz. But electrical networks were created in such a way that two phases and a “neutral” were connected to houses. This made it possible to obtain 120 V when using phase voltages or 240 in the case of

Why two phases?

It's all about the generators that created electricity for all of America.

Until the end of the 20th century, they were two-phase. Weak consumers were connected to them, and more powerful ones were transferred to linear voltages.

60 Hz

This is entirely due to Tesla. This happened back in 1888. He worked closely with J. Westinghouse, including on the development of generators. They argued a lot and for a long time about the optimal frequency - the opponent insisted on choosing one of the frequencies in the range from 25 to 133 Hz, but Tesla stood firm on his idea and the figure of 60 Hz fit into the system as much as possible.

Advantages

Among the advantages of this frequency are lower costs in the manufacturing process of the electromagnetic system for transformers and generators. Therefore, equipment for this frequency is significantly smaller in size and weight. By the way, the lamps practically do not flicker. An American outlet in the States is much better suited for powering computers and other equipment that requires good power.

Sockets and standards

There are two main standards in frequency and voltage in the world.

One of them is American. This network voltage is 110-127 V at a frequency of 60 Hz. And standard A and B are used as plugs and sockets. The second type is European. Here the voltage is 220-240 V, frequency is 50 Hz. The European socket is predominantly S-M.

Type A

These species are widespread only in Northern and Central America. They can also be found in Japan. However, there are some differences between them. The Japanese have two pins parallel to each other and flat with the same dimensions. The American outlet is a little different. And the fork for it, accordingly, too. Here one pin is wider than the second. This is done to ensure that the correct polarity is always maintained when connecting electrical appliances. After all, previously the current in American networks was constant. These sockets were also called Class II. Tourists say that plugs from Japanese technology work without problems with American and Canadian sockets. But connecting these elements in reverse (if the plug is American) will not work. A suitable adapter for the socket is required. But usually people just file down the wide pin.

Type B

These types of devices are only used in Canada, the USA and Japan. And if type “A” devices were intended for low-power equipment, then such sockets are used mainly for powerful household appliances with consumption currents of up to 15 amperes.

In some catalogs, such an American plug or socket may be designated as Class I or NEMA 5-15 (this is already an international designation). Now they have almost completely replaced type “A”. In the USA, only "B" is used. But in old buildings you can still find the old American outlet. It does not have a contact responsible for connecting the ground. In addition, the US industry has long been producing appliances with modern plugs. But this does not prevent the use of new electrical appliances in old houses. In this case, resourceful Americans simply cut off or destroy the grounding contact so that it does not interfere and can be connected to an old-style outlet.

About appearance and differences

Anyone who purchased an iPhone from the USA knows very well what an American outlet looks like. It has its own characteristics. The socket consists of two flat holes or slits. New type devices have an additional grounding contact at the bottom.

Also, to avoid errors, one pin of the plug is made wider than the other. The Americans decided not to change this approach, and left everything the same in the new outlets. The contacts on the plug are not pins like a European socket. These are more like plates. There may be holes at their ends.

How to operate American equipment in the CIS countries

It happens that people bring equipment from the States and want to use it in Europe or Russia. And they encounter a problem - the socket does not fit the plug. So what should we do? You can replace the cord with a standard European one, but this is not an option for everyone. For those who are not technically savvy and have never held a soldering iron in their hands, it is recommended to purchase an adapter for a socket. There are quite a lot of them - they are all different in quality and price. If you are planning a trip to the USA, then you should stock up on adapters in advance. There they can cost five or more dollars. If you order from an online store, you can save up to half the cost. It should also be taken into account that even in US hotels, all sockets meet the American standard - and it doesn’t matter that most of the people who stay are foreign tourists.

In this case, an adapter from an American outlet to a European one could help him. The same applies to equipment purchased in the USA. If you don’t want to solder, you can purchase an inexpensive Chinese-made adapter and fully use electrical appliances, charge your phone or tablet on a non-standard outlet. There are no other options here.

Summary

They say that you can’t understand Russia with your mind, but in the USA everything is not so simple either. You can't just show up and use American style sockets with European or any other plugs. Therefore, you should take adapters on the road, and you need to order them in advance. This saves a lot of time and money.

When preparing to travel abroad, we take with us many electronic gadgets, such as electric razors, phones, tablets, laptops, e-readers, cameras, MP3 players, etc. But not everyone knows that every country has a different electrical system, with different standards of electrical plugs and sockets, different frequencies, voltages and currents.

Therefore, before traveling abroad, it is a good idea to find out in advance about the electrical system in the country you will be visiting. Otherwise, it may turn out that in your host country you will not be able to charge your electronic device or even turn it on for mains operation.

Most power supplies for electronic devices such as laptops, chargers, mobile devices, camcorders and cameras have a universal power supply, so they are capable of operating at a supply voltage of 100 to 240 Volts, and a frequency of 50 or 60 Hz.

Map diagram of the use of voltage and current frequency in different countries of the world

As you can see, most electronic devices and gadgets are adapted to work in a wide range of electrical systems in different countries, but there is a very important point related to the variety of electrical plugs and sockets in these electrical systems. In different countries, the standards for sockets and plugs are different, so you simply cannot connect the charger to this outlet, since it simply will not fit there.

To protect ourselves from such disappointments, we should take care of this in advance by purchasing the appropriate adapter or adapter for charging this device. Today you can buy a universal set of adapters that are suitable for most countries of the world.

Map diagram of the use of electrical plugs and sockets by type in different countries of the world

But still, before traveling to another country, it would be a good idea to find out about the standard of the electrical system in it, to find out the standard for plugs and sockets.

Below you will see a table that describes the standards of electrical systems in all countries of the world. Moreover, grouped by continents, clicking on the link with the name of the continent will immediately redirect you to the desired area of ​​text with a description of the countries of this continent.

Note! There are countries that have different electrical system standards depending on the region or area, such as Brazil or the Maldives. In this case, you should check more precisely which standard applies in this particular area of ​​the country. If a country has multiple standards, this will be indicated in the table provided, otherwise there will be one entry per country.

So, first, let's look at all the standards of electrical plugs and sockets available in the world with the accompanying photograph and more detailed description. Here you can find out what, for example, an American, European, Japanese, Australian, etc. socket looks like.

Types of electrical sockets and plugs from around the world

Type A is an American electrical socket and plug. It has two flat parallel contacts. Used in most countries in North and Central America, particularly the United States, Canada, Mexico, Venezuela and Guatemala, as well as Japan. And also wherever the voltage is 110 V.

Type B- This is the same type A connector, but with an additional round ground pin. Typically used in the same countries as the Type A connector.

Type C- This is a European socket and plug. It has two round contacts parallel to each other. It does not have a third ground pin. It is the most popular outlet in Europe, excluding the United Kingdom, Ireland, Malta and Cyprus. Used where the voltage is 220 V.

Type D- This is the old British standard with three round contacts mounted in a triangle shape with one of the contacts thicker than the other two. This socket standard is used for maximum current and is used in India, Nepal, Namibia and Sri Lanka.

Type E- This is a plug with two round contacts and a hole for the grounding contact, which is located in the socket of the socket. This type of socket is currently used in Poland, France and Belgium.

TypeF– This standard is similar to Type E, but instead of a round ground pin, it uses two metal clamps on both sides of the connector. This type of socket is used, for example, in Germany, Austria, Holland, Norway and Sweden.

Tun G- This is a British socket with three flat contacts. Currently used in the UK, Ireland, Malta, Cyprus, Malaysia, Singapore and Hong Kong. Note – this type of outlet often comes with a built-in internal fuse. Therefore, if after connecting the device it does not work, then the first thing to do is check the condition of the fuse in the socket, perhaps this is the problem.

Type H– This socket connector is used only in Israel and the Gaza Strip. Has three flat pins, or the earlier version has round pins arranged in a B shape. Not compatible with any other plug. It is intended for voltage values ​​of 220 V and current up to 16 A.

Type I- This is an Australian socket, it has two flat contacts, like in the American type A connector, but they are located at an angle to each other - in the shape of the letter B. There is also a version with a ground contact. This type of socket is used in Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and Argentina.

Type J- This is a Swiss plug and socket. It is similar to the Type C plug, but has an additional grounding pin in the middle and two round power pins. Used in Switzerland and beyond in Liechtenstein, Ethiopia, Rwanda and the Maldives.

Type K- This is a Danish socket and plug, it is similar to the popular European Type C socket, but additionally has a ground pin located at the bottom of the connector. It is the basic standard mainly in Denmark and Greenland, but also in Bangladesh, Senegal and the Maldives.

Type L- This is an Italian plug and socket, it is similar to the popular European Type C socket, but has an additional round ground pin located in the center, the two round power pins are unusually arranged in a line. This socket is used in Italy, as well as Chile, Ethiopia, Tunisia and Cuba.

Type M- This is an African socket and plug with three round contacts arranged in the shape of a triangle, while the ground contact is clearly thicker than the other two. It is similar to the D-type connector, but has much thicker pins. The socket is designed to power devices with a current of up to 15 A. Used in South Africa, Swaziland and Lesotho.

EUROPE

ASIA

AFRICA

NORTH AND SOUTH AMERICA

AUSTRALIA AND OCEANIA

Information and illustrations provided by the online guide