Convert Electrical Appliances from 120 to 220 Volt

[KhnomKhnom]

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.

v The big one top center is what they good ones look like or bigger. The one you want should have a two wire cord on one side, with two pin plug on it and a two pin socket on the other side where your appliance goes in. Go to transformer shop in Bon Mor. Easy. sorry the picture I put here got cut by the thaivisa system.

[KhnomKhnom]

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.

v The big one top center is what they good ones look like or bigger. The one you want should have a two wire cord on one side, with two pin plug on it and a two pin socket on the other side where your appliance goes in. Go to transformer shop in Bon Mor. Easy. sorry the picture I put here got cut by the thaivisa system.

Photo at https://www.google.co.th/search?q=photo+of+an+electrical+transformer&rlz=1C2GGGE_enTH465TH465&tbm=isch&imgil=JbAdsGSI21aG3M%253A%253Bhttps%253A%252F%252Fencrypted-tbn1.gstatic.com%252Fimages%253Fq%253Dtbn%253AANd9GcQvEkw1gZyGOngpjjt3vQGxXt8JcIfeBNKZ9LAkokwvDIHNsJxh%253B360%253B275%253BT27QhTggVd_zFM%253Bhttp%25253A%25252F%25252Fwww.isomatic.co.uk%25252Fsmtraf.htm&source=iu&usg=__iyGY4Dot4ulrbSaRa9XWmmjmI5k%3D&sa=X&ei=BkHUU-7YCc3IuASgnoGgAw&ved=0CD4Q9QEwCw&biw=945&bih=505#facrc=_&imgdii=_&imgrc=JbAdsGSI21aG3M%253A%3BT27QhTggVd_zFM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.isomatic.co.uk%252Fimages%252Fsmtraf-11.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.isomatic.co.uk%252Fsmtraf.htm%3B360%3B275

[KhnomKhnom]

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!

likely one does not save money by lowering the voltage in use. The electric meter that becomes the basis of your bill, your cost, measures based on CURRENT drawn by the house, the voltage being mostly fixed. The usage of electricity in the house draws current and current/Amps multiplied by voltage equals watts. When one lowers the voltage, the current draw has to increase to deliver the same wattage. Lowering the voltage does not automatically yield a lower cost for electricity.

[KhnomKhnom]

I forgot one more way to make adaptation and use a 110VAC appliance on 220VAC.

Some devices, like cordless telephones, a Rico, a charger for a camera battery and thousands of other uses...... these devices operate on a voltage much lower than 110 or 220. They use a little black box that is marked, for USA, "INPUT 110VAC.... OUTPUT 6VDC" or some such low number like 12VDC. A standard electric wire is on one side of the little box and a more thin wire comes out of the other side of the little box and this one has a little silver round, cylinder, shaped plug that fits in the appliance, camera, or whatever.

If this box label states INPUT of no more than 120 volts, then it must be used with a transformer as I explained in another posting here....... OR, you can buy a different or new little black box that matches your appliance.

Take the 110 black box with you to hold up and show shops inside Panthip Plaza. The shop person will search his stock for the same voltages OUT, but with 220volts IN. Use this instead of your 110 and throw away the 110.

These little black boxes also come with 110 two flat pins to plug directly into a wall socket. These are called "wall warts" and only have one wire coming out of them, which plugs into your appliance. Use the same method to replace this 110 wall wart that I tell you to use above.

So you can use the 110 little black box plugged into a step down transformer or just buy a new little black box that works on at least 220 volts.

[facthailand]

Well... It is certainly a bummer that most devices make you choose 110 or 240V. However, most computers and peripherals are multi-voltage, as are shavers and personal care items.

My experience with step-down transformers is that it's only a matter of time before you forget and plug your device into mains power and fry it.

I brought an electric chainsaw for garden pruning from Canada and, in due course, fried it. My local shop converted it to 240V.

There are a lot of appliances which are simply not available in the Land of Smiles. My suggestion is to order them from the UK or Australia.

[p_brownstone]

My experience with step-down transformers is that it's only a matter of time before you forget and plug your device into mains power and fry it.

This would be my concern too. You can bet that one day you will forget - or your Wife or Maid will forget - and plug the appliance directly into 220 VAC.

Best to buy new - and I can't think of any appliance which is not available in Thailand either!

Patrick

[Crossy]

likely one does not save money by lowering the voltage in use. The electric meter that becomes the basis of your bill, your cost, measures based on CURRENT drawn by the house, the voltage being mostly fixed. The usage of electricity in the house draws current and current/Amps multiplied by voltage equals watts. When one lowers the voltage, the current draw has to increase to deliver the same wattage. Lowering the voltage does not automatically yield a lower cost for electricity.

This probably isn't the place to discuss the science (and not so science) behind voltage-optimisation but a couple of points:-

The electricity meter does not measure only current, it measures voltage, current and power factor (the phase angle between voltage and current) and based upon these determines the actual power being used.

Power does not always equal voltage X current (in fact in an AC system it rarely equals voltage X current), Google Power-Factor.

Very few conventional loads are constant power, lowering the supply voltage lowers the current too, the power consumed goes down as a square law. Electronic loads (your PC, compact fluorescent lamps etc) do tend to be constant power, lowering the supply DOES increase the current to compensate.

Over-volting induction motors causes odd effects with the power factor. Some schools of thought suggest that reducing the voltage to the actual rated voltage of the motor can save money, the jury is still out on whether real savings can be realised in a domestic environment.

[Langsuan Man]

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.......

There are no Ace Hardware stores in Thailand

There are True Value stores in Thailand, for a list see their web site:

http://www.truevalue.co.th/location.php

BTW. The transformers at True Value are sourced locally, so why pay the premium, for what you can easily get at any Thai store

[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.......

There are no Ace Hardware stores in Thailand

There are True Value stores in Thailand, for a list see their web site:

http://www.truevalue.co.th/location.php

BTW. The transformers at True Value are sourced locally, so why pay the premium, for what you can easily get at any Thai store

I stand corrected! Thanks for that, I had thought that they were "imported models".

[atyclb]

I had a mid-high end audio amplifier converted to 220 but it was already designed for this.

Another solution to fix the hrtz / cycles issue is use a 220v AC step down transformer to 12 v dc. connect the dc 12 v output to a 110 volt inverter designed for usa.

[Pattaya Lous]

Don't waste your time and money.

You will loose performance and their life will be reduced, and you will never use the transformer again.

Buy new when you can afford to do so, electrical appliances can be purchased very cheaply here if you shop around.

[IMHO]

I had a mid-high end audio amplifier converted to 220 but it was already designed for this.

Another solution to fix the hrtz / cycles issue is use a 220v AC step down transformer to 12 v dc. connect the dc 12 v output to a 110 volt inverter designed for usa.

clever workaround for the cycles issue

[tifino]

I had a mid-high end audio amplifier converted to 220 but it was already designed for this.

Another solution to fix the hrtz / cycles issue is use a 220v AC step down transformer to 12 v dc. connect the dc 12 v output to a 110 volt inverter designed for usa.

clever workaround for the cycles issue

why not throw a big car battery in the middle of that, and - dejavu -we've again got an UPS eh!!

[atyclb]

I had a mid-high end audio amplifier converted to 220 but it was already designed for this.

Another solution to fix the hrtz / cycles issue is use a 220v AC step down transformer to 12 v dc. connect the dc 12 v output to a 110 volt inverter designed for usa.

clever workaround for the cycles issue

why not throw a big car battery in the middle of that, and - dejavu -we've again got an UPS eh!!

In a way yes, but a car battery is not a reliable way to run an inverter for long duty use. There would need to be UPS circuitry added also.

Can a 110v 50hz when fed to a 110v60 UPS change the freq from 50 to 60 ???

Most hotels on payam island use car batteries and inverters to run blenders and other low watt appliances.

[tifino]

I had a mid-high end audio amplifier converted to 220 but it was already designed for this.

Another solution to fix the hrtz / cycles issue is use a 220v AC step down transformer to 12 v dc. connect the dc 12 v output to a 110 volt inverter designed for usa.

clever workaround for the cycles issue

why not throw a big car battery in the middle of that, and - dejavu -we've again got an UPS eh!!

In a way yes, but a car battery is not a reliable way to run an inverter for long duty use. There would need to be UPS circuitry added also.

Can a 110v 50hz when fed to a 110v60 UPS change the freq from 50 to 60 ???

Most hotels on payam island use car batteries and inverters to run blenders and other low watt appliances.

Input frequency tolerance would vary depending upon the Specs of a particular 110V UPS, but something of the order between 40 - 70hz can be expected.

This could mean that 110v50Hz at the Input will be tolerable for obtaining a 110v60hz output.

btw the mention of a battery into the equation, was meant to be (not as a power source) but paralleled. So the battery would be both Charging from the 12V line, whilst maintaining the capability of short duration buffering against input power fluctuation or temporary loss of Mains.

[Crossy]

In order to use a UPS to change frequency you would need a true online / double-conversion UPS http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uninterruptible_power_supply where the battery, charger and inverter are operating continuously.

If were getting into this kind of cost it's almost certainly going to be cheaper to buy a purpose built 220V 50Hz appliance.

[tifino]

handy link, that - crossy ta!!

...just about answers a myraid of past Posts I'd say.

I guess it all comes down to, your expense versus the importance of the particular equipment/application.

Ranging from Home entertainment, dad's old workshop tools, Medical, and right up to Industrials...

For the household side of things, I've always kept away from autotransformers for example, as most of the stuff I play' with is Double-Insulated - and that began back in 1981 when I got into colour tv repair hobby, with all those dangerous switch-mode units in the equation... when all one had to 'protect' himself was an Isolating Transformer