Electricity

There are two types of electricity on the island and in the houses: 220 volts and 110 volts. Most of the Dutch appliances run on 220 volts.  Most of my appliances (hair dryers, curling irons, clock radios) run on 110 volts. We also charge our electronics on 110 volts and use a surge protector because the power is not consistent. That is about all I understand about how the electricity works on the island or anywhere else for that matter.

Converters are a way of life here for Americans.  Most Europeans use the 220 volts system and have no problems here.  But for Americans, everything runs on 110 volt so you have to have converters from what I call "Dutch to English" and "English to Dutch".

And there is "homemade wiring". This is a typical scene around the house.  It's a combination of extension cords, electrical boxes, wires and timers.  The seller was a fix-it guy and a DIY handyman.  So the electrical system is a system designed and implemented by a Dutch handyman.  It's a complete mystery to us. We also don't know if there is an electrical code for the island. We are definitely not in the US regulatory system.

However, we have a beautiful timed lighting system that comes on at 6:30 pm and off at 11:00 pm that lights up our outdoor spaces.  The timers are in Dutch (again with the Dutch language) so we are not completely sure how to work those either.  

We also have battery operated decorative lights on pots, in glass vases and on plants. These, however, tend to rust and seldom work.  I have been working to eliminate these as the clutter, for anyone that knows me, makes me nuts.

So if we have to put up with this...

to get this....it's a fair trade!