Quick volt/amps question

bledd · 26 Dec 2013 at 11:00

I've got a device that needs 12vdc 1.2A. First adapter I've found is 12vdc 1.5A

Will this damage the device?

bitslice · 26 Dec 2013 at 11:01

No
Circuits only consume the current they require (unless in fault condition, in which case fire-explosion-maime-burn-kill)

Did you get any nice presents? (just asking in case of any unlikely fault condition)

Jokester · 26 Dec 2013 at 11:02

Nope, will just provide the 1.2a needed by the device.

[FnG]magnolia · 26 Dec 2013 at 11:03

Your outlook is cloudy.

momentimori · 26 Dec 2013 at 11:03

Your adapter is providing 25% more amps than required by the device.

It seems a bit risky to me.

bledd · 26 Dec 2013 at 11:04

Great, thanks.

Saves me trawling through the dreaded drawer.

Has about 100 random adapters in there!

If it was too much voltage, this would damage the unit, yes? Ie, running 12v through a 5v device.

bitslice · 26 Dec 2013 at 11:05

Yes to volts question

momentimori said:
Your adapter is providing 25% more amps than required by the device.
It seems a bit risky to me.

Then the world is lucky there are still qualified people to comment

Bear · 26 Dec 2013 at 11:06

bledd. said:
If it was too much voltage, this would damage the unit, yes? Ie, running 12v through a 5v device.

Yes

Bear · 26 Dec 2013 at 11:08

momentimori said:
Your adapter is providing 25% more amps than required by the device.

It seems a bit risky to me.

No it's not. Circuits only draw the current they need unless there is a short somewhere. The current rating is the maximum it will ever supply not what it will supply all the time.

bledd · 26 Dec 2013 at 11:08

Well, the office didn't implode.

Cheers

neodude · 26 Dec 2013 at 11:25

momentimori said:
Your adapter is providing 25% more amps than required by the device.

This advice is just wrong.

twist3d0n3 · 26 Dec 2013 at 11:54

voltage needs to be the same, amps needs to be the same or higher. lower amps = death, any different volts will bugger it up too.

Gammawolf · 26 Dec 2013 at 13:13

Interesting, given how many PC's bledd has speced up i'd have thought he'd have intuitively got this, as it's effectively the same scenario when you provision up a PSU for your computer

bledd · 26 Dec 2013 at 14:19

what watt?

I know appliances will only draw the wattage that they need on the fly. Didn't know how it worked with amps. The internet can have daft advice at times. Figured I'd ask here before potentially melting a switch

Liampope · 26 Dec 2013 at 14:39

Watts is proportional to amps

andy_mk3 · 26 Dec 2013 at 14:45

Doesn't matter if it's 100A, the device will only draw the amount it needs.

arctine · 26 Dec 2013 at 15:14

bledd. said:
what watt?

I know appliances will only draw the wattage that they need on the fly. Didn't know how it worked with amps. The internet can have daft advice at times. Figured I'd ask here before potentially melting a switch

Watt is the unit used for measurement of power. Noobs say wattage instead of power

Power = current multiplied by voltage.

Or watts = amps multiplied by volts.

They are proportional.

mmj_uk · 26 Dec 2013 at 15:42

Isn't the correct amperage value important for the fuse? ie. if there's a fault with the device or a power surge the fuse breaks to protect the equipment?

Caged · 26 Dec 2013 at 16:04

A plug top adaptor won't have a fuse. Fuses protect the flex, not the kit at the other end.

Aedus · 26 Dec 2013 at 16:17

So just to clarify, my gf bought me a nixie clock for Christmas, the seller said 100% not to use a DC plug adapter which is rated above 200mA. If I buy one which is rated at 500mA, it won't do anything to the nixie clock?