Chad is a country landlocked in Central Africa and if tourists want to visit this country, they must know the standard voltage, electrical outlet, and plug used in Chad. In Chad, the standard voltage used is 220-240 volts with a frequency of 50Hz. For the primary types of electrical outlet and plug, the commonly found in the households in Chad are Type C CEE 7/16 Europlug, Type D Indian BS-546, Type E European CEE 7/4, and Type F CEE 7/5 Schuko.

Tourists going to Chad must also bring along adapters and voltage converters. Some of the voltage converters that might be helpful are network-resistor converter, combination travel converter, and step-up and step-down transformer. Adapters for instances that the shape of the plug will not be compatible with the shape of the electrical outlet present in Chad and voltage converter if ever there would be electronic gadgets or appliances that use 110-120 volts.

Type C CEE 7/16 Europlug Electrical Outlet and Adapter

Type C plug and outlet

The Type C Europlug is also known as the CEE 7/16 (Europlug 2.5 A/250 V unearthed), which is a bit similar, only slightly smaller, to the CEE 7/17 and it is one of the most commonly used electrical outlet and plug in Chad. The Type C CEE 7/16 Europlug alters the shape of the appliance’s plug so that it could be used into a “Type C” European CEE 7/16 Class II non-grounded Europlug socket or a Soviet-era Russian GOST 7396 Class II non-grounded socket used in Chad. Also, the receptacle end of the adapter in Chad is usually compatible with any standard electronic household plug in Chad and from any country, aside from the “Type M” South African SABS1661 (Old British BS-546 Large) plug.

Type C adapter

The pins of the Type C CEE 7/16 Europlug are 4.0mm in diameter, 19mm long and are spaced 19mm apart. In using appliances and gadgets in Chad, the Type C CEE 7/16 Europlug could also be safely used with the Type C, Type E, Type F, and some Type L electrical outlets. In addition, the Type C CEE 7/16 Europlug is also the most widely used electrical outlet all over continental Europe like Chad and in the former Soviet Republics. This plug is also non-polarized and non-grounded. Aside from Chad, there are also countries in the Middle East, Southeast Asia, Pacific Rim region, Central and South America, and Caribbean that use this kind of adapter.

Type D Indian BS-546 Adapter Plug and Electrical Outlet

Type D plug

In this Type D Indian BS-546 Plug Adapter, the live and neutral pins are 5mm in diameter, spaced 22mm apart, and the grounding pin is 7mm in diameter with the plug being polarized and grounded. It is an old British standard electrical outlet which is still the primary household electrical outlet in countries like Chad, Sierra Leone, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Namibia, and Hong Kong. The Type D Indian BS-546 electrical outlet  is most compatible with the Type D Old British Plug Adapter that is sometimes used in Chad. The receptacle end of this Type D Indian BS-546 plug is also compatible with common household plugs except the Type M South African SABS1661 (Old British BS-546 Large) plug. Although the Type D Indian BS-546 electrical outlet and plug is not the standard in Chad, it is still used in various households in the said country as well as in other places. In terms of design and appearance, the Type D Indian BS-546 electrical outlet and plug is often confused with the Type M South African electrical outlet and plug. However, as similar as the Type M and Type D Indian BS-546 may seem, they are not compatible and must not be used together in Chad or even in other countries. If the plug of the electronic gadget or appliance of the tourist in Chad is not compatible with the shape of the Type D Indian BS-546 electrical outlet, an adapter designed for a particular plug or a universal adapter, will be very necessary. If the difference is on the voltage, there are voltage converters that could be used so that electronic gadgets and appliances would work efficiently with the Type D Indian Bs-546 in Chad.

Type D adapter

Type D outlet

Type E European CEE 7/4 Electrical Adapter Plug and Electrical Outlet

Type E plug and outlet

The Type E electrical outlet could also be used with Type C CEE 7/16 plugs while the Type E European CEE 7/4 plugs will work along with Type F Schuko outlets in Chad. The Type E electrical outlet and plug is the standard in France, Denmark, Poland, Belgium, and other European countries as well as those located in the Pacific and Caribbean, and African area like Chad. For the electrical outlet and plug of the Type E European CEE 7/4, the male pin is installed upwards in the electrical outlet, with the live connection in the left and neutral connection in the right.

The specifications of this Type E European CEE 7/4 plugs used in Chad are two round pins spaced 19mm apart with a hole for the male grounding pin of the electrical outlet. However, the Type E European CEE 7/4 is not compatible with the Type F of Germany, the Netherlands, and other continental countries of Europe because of the round male pin in the socket.

Type F CEE 7/5 Schuko Electrical Adapter Plug and Electrical Outlet

Type F plug and outlet

Commonly known as the Schuko plug, the Type F CEE 7/5 plug and electrical outlet was derived from the German word “Schukostecker” which means “protective contact plug.” This electrical outlet in Chad is also similar to the Type E with the difference being its two earth clips on the side instead of the female earth contact. The Type F CEE 7/5 Schuko is used for the “Type F” CEE 7/4 Schuko style electrical socket of Germany or to a “Type E” CEE 7/5 socket of France. The receptacle end of Type F CEE 7/7 Schuko is compatible with most sockets except the “Type M” South African SABS1661 (Old British BS-546) plug and the non-grounded CEE 7/16 Europlug Socket because of its 4.0mm pin receptacles that are too small for the 4.8mm pins of the Type F CEE 7/5 Schuko.

Type F adapter

This Schuko plug and receptacle in Chad also has side grounding contacts which allow symmetrical connection system for live and neutral to be reversed. Most European countries including Chad use the Type F CEE 7/5 Schuko except Denmark, Italy, England, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Malta, and Cyprus that have their own standard electrical outlet. On the other hand, the plug end of Type F CEE 7/5 Schuko is compatible with the variations of the Schuko electrical outlet for France and Germany. The pins of this adapter in Chad are 4.8mm in diameter, 19mm long, and spaced 19mm apart. They have both side-grounding clips as well as a receptacle for the male grounding pin which is found in French Schuko sockets. If the appliance or electronic gadget to be used in Chad is already a Schuko, there is no need to use the Type F CEE 7/5 Schuko adapter for the electrical outlet.

Voltage Converters

Transformer

There are three kinds of voltage converters available: the transformer, the network-resistor converter, and the combination of these two. For laptop computers, cameras, mp3 players, and charging of batteries in Chad, the recommended voltage converter to be used is the transformer as it has a lower maximum watt rating of 50 to 100 watts and it could be used continuously although it could be heavy because of the large iron rods and copper wires inside. The resistor-network converter could support 50-1600 watts and are often used for a short period of time and in light-weight electrical appliances like hair dryers and irons.

It is important to know the proper voltage, electrical outlet, plugs, and adapters to use when visiting Chad and other countries because sometimes these electric requirements vary depending on the location. If the the wrong plug is inserted in the wrong electrical outlet or the voltage does not match, there could be some real damage to the appliance or electronic gadget. In worse cases, this might even cause electrocution or fire in Chad. Also, if the voltage of the appliance or electronic gadget to be used in Chad does not match its 220-240 volts requirement, like most American products that only use 110-120 volts, a tourist in Chad would need a voltage converter.

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