Is it possible to use one the thai electric water heaters in the US? What power issues are there with going from 220v to 110v?

Depends.

If the heater has fancy electronics inside, fair chance it won't work.

If it has just a mechanical flow/pressure switch controlling the heater, then it'll work at 50% of power.

Not sure a 3.5 KW heater running 1.75 KW is going to create much warm water.

BTW, many American households have three phase 110 Volt systems, which means between L and N you'll have 110 Volts, but between two lines (L1, L2 or L3) you'll have 220 Volt.

Which would power wise be perfect for the heater, but IMO safety wise a big No No, as these devices are designed to run between N and L, basically always having one side at the ground/neutral level.

My comment is, why bother - just purchase something local designed for the US.

BTW, many American households have three phase 110 Volt systems, which means between L and N you'll have 110 Volts, but between two lines (L1, L2 or L3) you'll have 220 Volt.

Which would power wise be perfect for the heater, but IMO safety wise a big No No, as these devices are designed to run between N and L, basically always having one side at the ground/neutral level.

Not true. America has single phase 240V residential supply voltage.

US house voltage is single phase - 2 hot wires. Three phase is for commercial buildings only. The voltage is 240V between phases and 220V is close enough. But America is 60 Hz and Thailand is 50 Hz. This is a big issue where motor speed or control and timing is an issue. America uses grounded systems only. Thailand is not grounded. You either need to ground everything - or nothing.

US water heaters are single phase 240V (2 hot wires) and are on a 30 Amp 2 pole breaker.

My comment is, why bother - just purchase something local designed for the US.

Good idea, IF one was able to find a handy dandy wall mounted TANKLESS electric hot water heater in the U.S. at a decent price. I've googled around and nada. Can't see much sense paying to heat up that large storage tank all the time, the wall mount sure would save a $$$ or three.

BTW, saw an ad in a recent POPULAR MECHANICS magazine for www.usepropane.com

They have wall mounts but pricey:

http://www.usepropane.com/select/tankless_...mp;x=9&y=11

Plus the ones in Thailand used to kill a lot of people through incomplete combustion of the gas unit in the bathroom. Used to fairly common to read about expat apartment deaths in the BKK Post, World, and Nation lots of years back. Then electric wall mounts came in and the gas units all but disappeared.

Mac

They are called point of use water heaters in the US.

Here are some on a website I found by doing a search. http://www.plumbersurplus.com/Cat/Electric...eaters/474/List

Prices are about the same as here for an equal type of heater. You probably will not find the shower type in the states.