Wall Mounted Transformer

This new post is about a type of power supply I didn’t know existed before someone asked for a transformer that plugged into a wall. I thought for sure they meant an AC to DC power supply (wall wart), but they knew it was an AC output, so I was puzzled. There are products that are just AC transformers that look like wall warts, see here for a stocking list.

That means there is a caveat to my earlier post about Transformers vs. Power Supplies .

The older post still is a very frequent question asked in confusion between transformers and AC to DC converters. Many will call it a transformer then mention it outputs a smaller voltage which typically indicates that they mean it is a DC output. The main thing to look out for is the type of output voltage indicated on the original device or determining if the application uses AC voltage or DC voltage. Here are some symbols/labels to look out for:

AC Output

ACSymbol
A wall mounted supply may have something like this symbol if it is just a transformer or just say AC on both outputs.

DC Output

DCSignalSymbol
Almost all DC supplies that plug into the wall outlet have this symbol on it. If it says DC output or has this symbol, then the item is an AC to DC power supply.

The wall transformers have fewer products because this is not a common product asked for.