Three weeks in Beijing; observations regarding electricity

We've been in Beijing for about three weeks now, living northeast of the Olympic Village. It's a convenient place, right by the #5 subway line, next to Bei Yuan Lu North station (of course, the locals call it Bei Yuan Lu Bei station).

To our delight, we really haven't had to use our electric voltage converter at all. The outlets here CAN take a US 110 volt nongrounded plug. However, you have to be careful, because there's more to it. In addition, you have to make sure that your device can handle the 240 volts of China electric power. In our case, all of the devices we use have dual-voltage capability, for example our computers. To check, look at your power adapter, in general the "brick" part. Look in particular for the power input specifications. If it says "input 100-240V" or something similar, you're in good shape. It means that the adapter "knows" how much voltage is coming in, and can handle anything between 100 volts (e.g. Japan) and 240 volts (e.g. China) to convert it to power that the computer (or other appliance) can handle.

Our portable iron works the same way.

If your device doesn't specify that it can handle 240 volts, then you probably will need a voltage converter. NOTE: HAVING THE PLUG FIT IS INSUFFICIENT. Unless you properly handle the voltage, you run a risk of causing a problem.