I know which wires correspond to which from US to UK plugs but i need to reduce the voltage in the product. I bought something from the states and wish to use it here in England but its 110v and we are 220(ish)v. Can i buy a transformer or what do i need to do? I am not electrically minded!
USA to UK plugs
- Thread starter nola
- Start date
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You can buy plug-in transformers (I got mine off eBay, though you can get them in hardware shops too) which plug into 230v UK sockets and then have a 110v US socket on the back, so don't go cutting the plug off your equipment just yet.....
Or you can do what I did with my Christmas lights but, frankly, I don't recommend it
Or you can do what I did with my Christmas lights but, frankly, I don't recommend it
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I had my light in series aswell (when the icicle lights first cam out, but where not in uk).
As it was basically a 220v set (110 + 110) on more or less 240v, a lamp would blow very quickly, and kill a portion of the set. You would change it, just for another to go soon after, killing another section. Pain in the rectum - binned em.
As it was basically a 220v set (110 + 110) on more or less 240v, a lamp would blow very quickly, and kill a portion of the set. You would change it, just for another to go soon after, killing another section. Pain in the rectum - binned em.
To digress a little...Amercians permit mains voltage (110v) lights outdoors , admitedly they have separate outdoor sets, but they are not a lot different from the indoor sets, and some people use indoor ones outside, same things apply with extension cables
Its quite common for them to get shocks when working on them with the power on, and for them to trip the GFI (RCD) if a bulb gets broken, or the weather is quite inclement.
Its a hell of a difference from here, where most of our stuff is 24v/36v SELV, and what mains stuff we do have is all properly IP rated.
Have heard of people importing amercian stuff into this country and using 55-0-55 site transformers to run them, not quite sure how dangerous it is in practice, its certainly safer than what happens over the pond, but its more dangerous than our stuff usually is
, admitedly they have separate outdoor sets, but they are not a lot different from the indoor sets, and some people use indoor ones outside, same things apply with extension cablesIts quite common for them to get shocks when working on them with the power on, and for them to trip the GFI (RCD) if a bulb gets broken, or the weather is quite inclement.
Its a hell of a difference from here, where most of our stuff is 24v/36v SELV, and what mains stuff we do have is all properly IP rated.
Have heard of people importing amercian stuff into this country and using 55-0-55 site transformers to run them, not quite sure how dangerous it is in practice, its certainly safer than what happens over the pond, but its more dangerous than our stuff usually is
i remember my gran had a set of lights in florida - one end had a 110v plug, the other end had a 110v standard socket! (meant for daisychaining) and she put them outdoors! how do they get away with unfused plugs with dangerous setups like this!!!? and i dont think there were any RCDs of GFIs in her mobile home either!
and i dont think there were any RCDs of GFIs in her mobile home either!
The ones I had had a plug one end, and socket the other
Meant 100% for outside use, and said as much on the box........did trip my RCD several times.....another reason they where slung.
Meant 100% for outside use, and said as much on the box........did trip my RCD several times.....another reason they where slung.
Same as mine though, as a safety conscious kind of guy, I covered the socket end in silicone sealant for exterior use. There is a small fuse in the plug as well (though obviously not once I'd cut it off and wired them in series)....
There is a small fuse in the plug as well (though obviously not once I'd cut it off and wired them in series)....does the frequency not make any difference, 60Hz over there 50Hz here?
No to filament lamps...
frequency can make a difference but in practice most kit seems to survive it.
one thing to bear in mind is that most transformers sold for use with US appliances are autotransformers. Theese have a nasty failure mode: if the coil breaks in the wrong place you can get most/all of the input voltage on the output!
Some appliances are switchable or universal input, if yours is then just set it up for uk mains and use it directlyl
if your brinnging quite a bit of kit from the USA consider one of the big yellow isolating transformers sold for building sites. Much less chance of a failure that will destroy your kit.
one thing to bear in mind is that most transformers sold for use with US appliances are autotransformers. Theese have a nasty failure mode: if the coil breaks in the wrong place you can get most/all of the input voltage on the output!
Some appliances are switchable or universal input, if yours is then just set it up for uk mains and use it directlyl
if your brinnging quite a bit of kit from the USA consider one of the big yellow isolating transformers sold for building sites. Much less chance of a failure that will destroy your kit.
110v is 110v measured between 2 points. Quite a lot of ships are 220v three phase and 220 single phase, the single phase is wired from 2 phases and the three phase uses all 3. We could do the same here but can you imagine the regs for 415 house wiring
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