macbook uk vs us battery [or] my battery hates me. why?

[teamlauren]

ok, so i am not terribly sure what the cause of my problem is, so i am going to give the whole story with a painful amount of details. sorry.

i got a macbook in the US in january. then i moved to the UK in february. i've been using the outlet adapter thing since i've been here.

a couple of days ago, my husband bought a new macbook pro. UK, not US. i plugged my computer into his charger. oops.
now my battery drains at the speed of light.

i reset my battery, tried to do an update [but i got a window that said i didn't need one, so it wouldn't install] and reset my NVRAM/PRAM whatever. no dice.

is my battery f'ed because i hooked it up to a charger for a pro, or because my computer is cool with the US voltage, and not the UK voltage?
furthermore-
if i buy a new battery here, can i just get a charger for UK outlets?
i am very confused on all of this...

everything i've read says that the voltage difference between the countries is no big deal and there should be no problem. so why does my battery drain completely in less than an hour now?

someone help, please!

 

[davwin]

I'm going from memory here but, I believe the MacBook Pro power supply is 85Watts and the MacBook power supply is 60Watts. So yes - this may have damaged your battery. If its still under warranty you can try to get them to replace it but, you may be stuck buying another battery. As far as using your MB in the UK - there is no difference in the PSU from the US to the UK other than the actual outlet adapter (plug part). So, use your 60Watt power supply from the States but, get a UK outlet adapter. Virtually any iPod accessory you could want will come with these (a 2 prong plug looking thing that snaps into the power supply); it will just have a UK outlet adapter instead of a US one. The PSU itself is universal so you're right in that the battery problems probably have nothing to do with the differences at the outlet between the US and UK as the MacBook power supply works fine on either. You just have to plug in the right adapter for the region your in. This will allow you to use your own PSU instead of the MB pro PSU that is a higher wattage so you won't "pop" any batteries in the future.

Hope that helps.

 

[teamlauren]

hey, awesome, thanks for the reply.
i really appreciate it.
since i am living here now, i'd like to get a power supply that goes into the outlets here so i don't have to take my adapter everywhere with me, ya dig? it's small, but a pain in the ass if i venture outside of my house.
will i be ok buying a uk power supply?

 

[davwin]

Yes - They are a little more expensive here in the UK but, you can go to any Apple store or retailer and buy a replacement power supply (and get a new battery while your there). Just make sure it is the correct PSU for your MacBook: check your US power supply and make sure it's 60W or whatever and replace it with a UK PSU at the same wattage. The actual UK "plug" part will be interchangeable with your US PSU too...

 

[jzuena]

hey, awesome, thanks for the reply.
i really appreciate it.
since i am living here now, i'd like to get a power supply that goes into the outlets here so i don't have to take my adapter everywhere with me, ya dig? it's small, but a pain in the ass if i venture outside of my house.
will i be ok buying a uk power supply?

I don't even think you will need the entire power supply replaced. If you look at the PS, you will see a small seam in the corner that plugs into the outlet. That piece can be removed and replaced with the UK configuration. The Apple store sells a World Travel Adapter that will have the UK plugs, as well as European and other plugs. In the US it is $39 instead of $79 for a whole power supply.