Current in RIO

[jackhammer91406]

If this has been covered in the FAQs section, I couldn't find it. While in RIO, will I need current adapters to use my shaver, hair dryer, etc. I know I had to carry them for Europe and Israel.

Thanks

[Guest Tomcal_]

Jackhammer, the only adaptor you need in Rio is the portable pump handle for you cannister of Lube!

Brazil is same current/voltage as U.S., all your electrical items will work fine!

[trilingual]

RE: Electrical Current in South America

 

This is actually a good question.

 

Electrical current in Rio, São Paulo, Belo Horizonte and Porto Alegre is 110V, the same as in North America. The current is similar in a number of other major cities, especially in the south of Brazil. However, current is NOT standard throughout Brazil, so it's always a good idea to ask locally before you plug in a hair dryer or expensive CD player or any other appliance. Some big cities (like Brasilia if I recall correctly) and many small towns like Parati use 220V, the same as in Europe. There are also some cities, mainly up north, that operate on 127V. You can use your 110V appliances in those cities, but it probably wouldn't be a good idea to do that for a long time, as their motors will burn out faster. In a few cases, presumably to cater to travelers from São Paulo, Rio and other big 110V cities, hotels in towns with 220V have some outlets in their rooms wired for 110V. In that case, the outlets will be labeled with the voltage.

 

You aren't likely to need adapter plugs in Brazil, regardless of the voltage. The standard Brazilian electrical socket accepts BOTH the North American-style flat-pronged plug and the European-style plug with two round prongs. Although this is handy, it can also be misleading because it can lull you into making the wrong assumptions about local voltage. That's why you should ALWAYS ask in a new town, and at your hotel desk, what the local current is.

 

In Uruguay and Argentina, electrical current is uniformly 220V to the best of my knowledge, and North Americans will need plug adaptors because sockets in those countries are the standard European type that accept two round prongs.

 

I think there are websites that list the various electrical currents for all countries, and also the kind of plugs used in each country. If someone knows the URL for such a site, please post it here and I'll add this information to the FAQ. There's probably a similar site that lists voltages for different places in Brazil; if anyone can find one that URL would also be appreciated! And so would any other information about electrical current in the other countries "South of the U.S.A."