Convert Electrical Appliances from 120 to 220 Volt

[tomkimasia]

Hi everyone, I've got several appliances from the US that I'd love to convert to 220 volt so I can use them here. I've run around everywhere asking and haven't been able to find an eletrician or shop who does the conversions. Any referrals? Many thanks, Tom

Keywords: convert electrical electrician appliances voltage 120 volt 220 volt

Edited July 26, 2014 by tomkimasia

[lopburi3]

Normally you buy a transformer to change the voltage and plug them into it. But make sure transformer is larger enough (wattage of VA rating) and remember the frequency of alternating voltage is 50 here rather than the 60 in US so motors (and some timers) will run slow and motors often overheat if used for any period of time.

[Seastallion]

As said, a step-down transformer. You don't covert the appliances, you convert the electricity. And you may need only the one transformer.

[Soutpeel]

it you want to conert the actual applicance, you may as well buy new

the more sensible way is a step down transformer 220V to 110V, they are cheap to buy

[Rooo]

Moved to electrical forum.

[HerbalEd]

Why convert the appliances? Even IF you can find someone to do it, it will most likely cost as much or more than simply buying new ones in Thailand.

Meanwhile why not keep it simple and cheap. Don't convert the appliances from 110 to 220. Convert the electricity that runs to the appliance from 220 to 110. And that can very easily and cheaply be done with an electrical transformer.

Also, carefully read the stats on your appliance (probably on the bottom). More and more appliances, computers, printers, phones, etc., etc. are no dual current.

Edited July 26, 2014 by HerbalEd

[HUAHIN62]

Determine the size you and buy one online. I did bought one locally about B 800 for a 200 watt one. The shipping is expensive they are heavy.

[PMZ]

As stated by the other respondents, the way to manage it is through a step-down transformer.

I purchased mine at Amorn in Fortune Town IT Mall, 4th floor. Been working well for years.

But I dare say they are available in Pantip and other big electrical stores.

[YeaBiGgiEs]

Why ask why? Humans are impulsive yet complicated creatures. No other appliance in the world could ever match or even come close to what the OP has.

Regardless, one time or another many of us had these same concerns and questions.

Solution has already been posted.. a STEP-DOWN CONVERT from 220-110, can be bought in most HOME-PRO type stores.

[AnotherOneAmerican]

What devices,

Many work in either voltage.

[GAZZPA]

you might not be able to get them modified, some models if they are sold internationally have a simple switch on the board but most don't.

The best way is buy a step down transformer with 50/60hz,, you then plus your US appliance straight into it. The only thing you have to consider is how much peer the device uses,, if it is a great big amplifier then it will be very difficult but for general appliances its not a problem.

Also, be warned I have used one before and they can be a bit noisy,, they emit a humming sound as you draw power through them.

Good luck,,

[tifino]

another way of acquiring full conversion is you can do it in two cascaded stages:

1. first employ the step-down transformer to achieve 110@50hz, then

2. run the output through a 110V 60hz UPS

I've seen some of those pissy little voltage converters in the past, and from that I went the UPS way.

This concept also deals with local brown-out situations for the end-use equipment, though I did add a good quality mains line filter for protection of the UPS itself... ...dang the expense.

Besides - OP didn't specify 'cheap' in his requirements...

[srn89]

Not worth the hastle, just bin the stuff and buy new here, but do buy quality.

[KhnomKhnom]

Forget all your 110VAC appliances, sell or abandon. Certainly do not try to change them inside, way too much trouble if possible at all.

-Many new electric things have switching power supplies inside or on the wire which read "100 to 250VAC" and "50/60 cycles." That means that item will run on that whole range of voltages with no converter, no transformer needed.

-There are shops in Bon Mor section of Bangkok that sell nothing but step down transformers that convert 220 to 110. Many are not pretty but work very well. To know which size to get, you must know the wattage of your appliance which, if lucky, will be stated along with the operating voltage on the label. But with the modern switching power supplies described above, the amperes needed (Amps.) is not often stated. If you can discover the amps load of the unit, multiply amps in amps times the voltage of the unit, in this case 220VAC volts... Amps X Volts gives Watts. The transformers are sold by wattage capacity.

A 100 watt light bulb draws 100 watts, to give an example. Things that heat up, like coffee makers and hair dryers, take more watts than an electric tooth brush or a rechargeable flash light (torch), for example. A 1000 to 2000 watt transformer will run most any household appliance with safety to spare. You can run more than one appliance off one transformer, but be careful not to run too many appliances AT ONCE off one transformer. Overloads make the transformer hum very loudly; more overload and it burns up with smoke coming out; that is dangerous for fire due to intense heating.

The problem with most transformers is that they lack a ground connection; i.e., they have only a two-pin plug and socket. This reduces safety of appliances that need a ground... the third pin on American style plugs. You can wire up a ground, but likely beyond normal skills and bad to do it wrong. A majority of Thai wall outlets, sockets, have only two pins anyway, so just keep the appliance away from dropping into your bathtub with you in it, or feel with the back of your hand on the exposed metal parts if you just must. Most small household appliances are double insulated and can get by without a ground just fine.

Many transformers, unshielded and not bypassed to ground will cause an annoying hum in any audio device; this applies to a stereo or tv.

Thailand electric is 50 cycles, not 60, which makes fans run slower and can affect clocks and timers, too. This is almost never a problem with units marked on the label "50/60 cycles."

I hope you will just buy new 220 volt appliances here in Thailand.

[bankruatsteve]

Agree with most of that ^ - if any of the 120v appliance that you want to use on 220v via voltage converter has a motor, it will burn out and you have wasted the money on the converter. For those, just buy new appliance, you will be happier in the end.

[KhnomKhnom]

another way of acquiring full conversion is you can do it in two cascaded stages:

1. first employ the step-down transformer to achieve 110@50hz, then

2. run the output through a 110V 60hz UPS

I've seen some of those pissy little voltage converters in the past, and from that I went the UPS way.

This concept also deals with local brown-out situations for the end-use equipment, though I did add a good quality mains line filter for protection of the UPS itself... ...dang the expense.

Besides - OP didn't specify 'cheap' in his requirements...

This idea is both over-kill and not useful for things like coffee makers and hair driers. To get the protection from a UPS, one must have a ground provided for the third pin on its input wire. All the filtering and "conditioning" of the UPS, like the power strips which claim this, too, work by shunting to ground. No ground, no such function, but electricity is passed through the UPS, yes.

Also, unless the step down transformer also has a selectable INPUT voltage, it will provide no help in brown-out, low voltage, situations. A transformer with only ONE input voltage rating will sag down, reduce voltage output, or just burn itself up with low supply voltage. UPS provide a temporary, short time, substitution of power in the case of input power failure..... the power goes off totally. Really huge UPS, and expensive, are needed to run high wattage appliances for much more than a few minutes. Too, it would be better to skip this person's step one and just use a 220VAC input UPS, much more easily obtained in Thailand and then put in line after the UPS, a step down transformer from 220 to 110VAC. Note that you usually lose the ground wire even if there is one on the wall socket because the regular transformers have only two pins.

A regular UPS does not convert voltages.

Step down transformers can be purchased in a very wide range of wattages from 100 to thousands.

See my other message this section.

[KhnomKhnom]

another way of acquiring full conversion is you can do it in two cascaded stages:

1. first employ the step-down transformer to achieve 110@50hz, then

2. run the output through a 110V 60hz UPS

I've seen some of those pissy little voltage converters in the past, and from that I went the UPS way.

This concept also deals with local brown-out situations for the end-use equipment, though I did add a good quality mains line filter for protection of the UPS itself... ...dang the expense.

Besides - OP didn't specify 'cheap' in his requirements...

This idea is both over-kill and not useful for things like coffee makers and hair driers. To get the protection from a UPS, one must have a ground provided for the third pin on its input wire. All the filtering and "conditioning" of the UPS, like the power strips which claim this, too, work by shunting to ground. No ground, no such function, but electricity is passed through the UPS, yes.

Also, unless the step down transformer also has a selectable INPUT voltage, it will provide no help in brown-out, low voltage, situations. A transformer with only ONE input voltage rating will sag down, reduce voltage output, or just burn itself up with low supply voltage. UPS provide a temporary, short time, substitution of power in the case of input power failure..... the power goes off totally. Really huge UPS, and expensive, are needed to run high wattage appliances for much more than a few minutes. Too, it would be better to skip this person's step one and just use a 220VAC input UPS, much more easily obtained in Thailand and then put in line after the UPS, a step down transformer from 220 to 110VAC. Note that you usually lose the ground wire even if there is one on the wall socket because the regular transformers have only two pins.

A regular UPS does not convert voltages.

Step down transformers can be purchased in a very wide range of wattages from 100 to thousands.

See my other message this section.

Note, I did not discuss over voltage surge protection, but if you increase the INPUT voltage to a transformer, it will output more voltage and if increased much for very long, the transformer will burn up.

[sawadee1947]

I bought a transformer/2000W in Fang for my coffee roaster for about 2000 baht

[siamike]

I brought several appliances with me from the US, and as long as I use a step down transformer for the ones that must have 120v, they all work just fine on 50Hz. As already stated, motors will run a little slower, but they're very unlikely to burn up; I've been running two 120v 60Hz fans which I brought with me from the states, for 8 hours a day (sometimes longer) and they dont even get warm running on 120v 50Hz. I brought my air compressor with me which also works just fine on the transformer stepped down voltage of 120v at 50Hz. Electric coffee grinder & coffee maker both work fine on a step down transformer.

[bankruatsteve]

I brought several appliances with me from the US, and as long as I use a step down transformer for the ones that must have 120v, they all work just fine on 50Hz. As already stated, motors will run a little slower, but they're very unlikely to burn up; I've been running two 120v 60Hz fans which I brought with me from the states, for 8 hours a day (sometimes longer) and they dont even get warm running on 120v 50Hz. I brought my air compressor with me which also works just fine on the transformer stepped down voltage of 120v at 50Hz. Electric coffee grinder & coffee maker both work fine on a step down transformer.

And after you have been here for more than a few weeks, you will probably have a different conclusion.

[thatguy]

I have been using transformers for years, everything works well. Remember that if the transformer is ON, it is drawing power even if the appliance plugged into it is OFF.

Never thought of daisy chaining a UPS. Good idea.

[TungnaaTom]

Appliances that draw a lot of power (basically, anything with a heater in it, such as a toaster, electric kettle, electric griddle, etc) and microwave ovens will need a HUGE step-down transformer. And huge = expensive. So, not worth it, better to buy a new appliance locally.

As for electronic appliances (radio, stereo, DVD player, etc), they all have built-in transformers wich convert 120V to 12V or 6V typically, although other outputs are also used. This is done because their circuitry runs on 12V or 6V typically. In that case, it's just a matter or replacing the transformer with a 220V input, and same output as the exisiting 120V one. The capacity of the new transformer (rated in Watts, Amps, or WA) should be at minimum the capacity of the original transformer. If it is higher, that is no problem. Useful info in case you can only find a raplcement with a higher rating.

Two years ago I swapped out the transformer from my 1980's boom-box, and she's still rockin'.

[Joe Bloggs]

There are generally speaking two types of transformer that can be used. A standard transformer transforms all of the power and has two separate windings. This type is heavier and more expensive than the second type.

The other type is the "Auto Transformer" which is nothing to do with cars! With this type a single winding is used which is tapped approximately at the half way point. If the input is 220 volts the halfway point will be 110 volts. As US mains is nominally 115 volts the drop of 5 volts is just fine. As US made equipment is intended to be used on a 60Hz supply dropping the voltage somewhat below 115 volts on 50Hz is very beneficial.

Problem items are likely to be fridges, freezers and dehumidifiers but a nice toroidal auto transformer should make very little noise. Forget, cookers, kettles and high power appliances as these will be uneconomic to use unless one buys a large transformer or auto-transformer for the entire house. Computers which usually have "universal" power supplies should be OK, fans should be OK and remember that quite a few appliances do have voltage adjusters.

Incidentally in the UK where the actual mains voltage is quite often MORE than 240 volts (243 at my house) energy can be saved by running the house at 220 volts. A toroidal auto transformer is fitted near the electricity meter and as it is only dropping the voltage by less than 10% it need not be unduly large.

I would suggest making an inventory of ones appliances and that one studies the labels on the rear of them. Good luck!

[RichCor]

Do us a favor.

If you decide to use a 110v-only appliance with a step-down transformer... please, please, please put a big WARNING LABEL on it's plug. Please.

[Joe Bloggs]

Appliances that draw a lot of power (basically, anything with a heater in it, such as a toaster, electric kettle, electric griddle, etc) and microwave ovens will need a HUGE step-down transformer. And huge = expensive. So, not worth it, better to buy a new appliance locally.

As for electronic appliances (radio, stereo, DVD player, etc), they all have built-in transformers wich convert 120V to 12V or 6V typically, although other outputs are also used. This is done because their circuitry runs on 12V or 6V typically. In that case, it's just a matter or replacing the transformer with a 220V input, and same output as the exisiting 120V one. The capacity of the new transformer (rated in Watts, Amps, or WA) should be at minimum the capacity of the original transformer. If it is higher, that is no problem. Useful info in case you can only find a raplcement with a higher rating.

Two years ago I swapped out the transformer from my 1980's boom-box, and she's still rockin'.

A microwave oven with 750 watts output draws less than a kilowatt. Several years ago I powered one from my Ford Granada using a 1000 watt "modified sine wave" inverter. (There was a power outage that lasted days as ice storms had broken the power poles) The Granada had a 70 amp Bosch alternator but with the inverter it was extremely useful. Variable speed power tools will not work however as these need a sine wave.

The better microwave ovens use an inverter and some of these will be self adjusting.

[jcnbkk]

If you use a converter, buy a good one. I brought several 110v personal grooming appliances from the US, including my Water Pic, which I love and consider an essential. They cost under $50 in the US. I guess the converter I bought wasn't good quality, it burned out and took my Water Pic with it. Wanted to find a 220v replacement since I was staying here. Whether at a Bangkok shop (local distributor or the store in Bumrumgrad Hospital) or online, the 220v version was around $200 US. Even when I asked an Ozzie friend about bringing one from there, the price was $200. What's up with that? Identical item, just different voltage. Burned me up.

Anyway, use a quality converter.

And yes, some items with motors ran slower with my original and replacement converter.

Edited July 26, 2014 by jcnbkk

[ableguy]

Normally you buy a transformer to change the voltage and plug them into it. But make sure transformer is larger enough (wattage of VA rating) and remember the frequency of alternating voltage is 50 here rather than the 60 in US so motors (and some timers) will run slow and motors often overheat if used for any period of time.

Simply google transformers thailand ten a penny in usa, because I suspect of usa forces in Asia.

[siamike]

I brought several appliances with me from the US, and as long as I use a step down transformer for the ones that must have 120v, they all work just fine on 50Hz. As already stated, motors will run a little slower, but they're very unlikely to burn up; I've been running two 120v 60Hz fans which I brought with me from the states, for 8 hours a day (sometimes longer) and they dont even get warm running on 120v 50Hz. I brought my air compressor with me which also works just fine on the transformer stepped down voltage of 120v at 50Hz. Electric coffee grinder & coffee maker both work fine on a step down transformer.

And after you have been here for more than a few weeks, you will probably have a different conclusion.

I've been using the above mentioned motors for the last 6 months here in the LOS,...no problems at all with overheating.

[kerrysum]

Normally you buy a transformer to change the voltage and plug them into it. But make sure transformer is larger enough (wattage of VA rating) and remember the frequency of alternating voltage is 50 here rather than the 60 in US so motors (and some timers) will run slow and motors often overheat if used for any period of time.

This true, it is the cycles between 50 and 60 that count, and the size of the appliance..... kilosierra

[tao40]

You can purchase the transformers at Ace Hardware stores, I saw them at the location in Pattaya. Likely to be better quality than local brands.......