"Dual Voltage" Power Adapters vs Auto Voltage Regulators (AVRs)

[ryanp123]

Hello Everyone,

I have been searching for answers on this particular topic but have yet to come across something definitive. Your help on this could potentially save me a lot of money.

A lot of electronics these days are said to be dual voltage, in that they can be safely operated in various counties (e.g., 110/120V AC in the US and 220/240V AC in most of Asia). As such they come with adapters which look like this in the link. This example is for a Sony TV I believe.

https://www.adapter-chargers.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/ACDP-0022.jpg

My question is: if these electronics already come with such an adapter, would fluctuating voltages still be a concern? Would I still need an auto voltage regulator (AVR) for such electronics? For example, my Sony TV has the same power adapter. It says input can be anywhere between 100-240V AC. In theory, even if voltage were to fluctuate from 100 to 240V, would that damage my TV? I am thinking of buying an AVR for my TV and other electronics, but if they already come with an adapter like that then I don't want to waste money on one.


Thank you in advance!!

 

[Ralston18]

Fluctuating voltages are always a concern.

The adapter is designed to work at either 110/120 V AC --- OR ----220/240 V AC.

Not all of the voltages in between.

Some electronics have small switches to select the expected input voltage. Newer devices sense the voltage.

If you are in an area where there are power problems with fluctuating voltages then you should consider adding a UPS to ensure that your devices have some protection against spikes and also provide some battery backup time to allow shutdowns if power is completely lost.