Help with converting American Appliances for European Use?

Question

I am staying in Germany for a month; and I bought a Brookstone "Universal Voltage and Outlet Adapter" for my stay, becasue I know i need to convert down to 110V from the 220V

I tried using my hair straigntner the other day, and the handle got very, very hot, and it started smelling bad, so i unplugged it hoping to prevent any more damage to it.

the label says on it "120/240V-60/50Hz 134W" so i am not sure why it didnt work...?

I brought another one along, and the label on that one says "120V AC 60Hz 48W"

Will my other hair straightner work without becoming too hot? and why did my other one not work correctly??

I am afraid to try my other one, and any other appliances becasue I do not want to break them.

Thanks!!

Answer 1

Voltage adapters have a Power rating (starting from 20 W all the way up to 1000's of Watts).

You need to buy one that has a rating larger than the power rating of the device you try to plug in.

Example: Say your straightner is 150W, you need an adapter that is rated 150 W or Higher.

See http://www.starkelectronic.com/st500.htm for examples