Wattage is equal to current x power, and the wattage rating indicates the maximum wattage that the converter, adapter or inverter can provide. As with the voltage and current ratings, you should check the rating on your device to be sure that it does not exceed the maximum rating. On the attached device, there are two wattage ratings to be concerned with.
- Peak Wattage
- indicates the maximum wattage that the device will require and is of particular importance on devices such as televisions which pull a great deal of power at start-up (the peak wattage), and then settle down to requiring a smaller amount of power for operation (continuous wattage).
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- Continuous Wattage
- indicates the wattage required under normal use. Most wattage ratings are of this type.
The converter, adapter or inverter must provide a higher wattage than the peak wattage required by the device; otherwise, the power surge when the device is turned on will overwhelm the conversion circuit, which can cause damage to the attached device(s), the conversion unit and/or the power socket that it is plugged into.
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