will LARGE American appliances run properly on a 5kva transformer

bostonmary

I would like to run a washing machine... 14kg or 16 kg and are 20 amps and the drier is about same size appox but not sure on the amps....I just would like a simple yes these will work or no they will not.... won't be running on same transformer at same time.... there is no point giving a lot of electrical details as to be honest they will not make an ounce of sense to me, hope people understand this.... aalso if anyone is able to convert and give me the exact watts this would be great

Victor

bostonmary wrote: »

20 amps

20 amps at what voltage?

Steve

No point in asking a question if you won't understand the answer.

American appliances mostly run on 105VAC but some run on 2-phase 210V. Without knowing what you have, it is unpossible to answer.

eeguy

Call an electrician

bostonmary

I just want to know if an someone has done this or is an electrician and can just tell me a simple yes or no

bostonmary

Victor it is on 110v the amp is 20 amps thanks

bostonmary

it is like I have said to run a washing machine

evosteo

bostonmary wrote: »

it is like I have said to run a washing machine

Its wont work without a step down transformer.

Steve

ok, assuming your traffo is 240 -> 100V, 5KVA is plenty and will work no bother.


*disclaimer* don't believe everything you read on the internet - especially if your house could burn down because of it'

bostonmary

Thank you... I have a multitude of transformers and as this is a rather large appliance I wanted to be sure before i even consider making an investment, many thanks guys..... the only thing I dont think I will chance is a tumble dryer...as while I can get large ones they are fire hazards at the best of times and with a transformer you have to unplug stuff when not in use unlike leaving 240 v stuff left plugged in when not in use which not many are aware of... and a dryer would be a big no no for me unless I can get a 240v type of which I managed t find one tthat is aimed at americans who move overseas... all are american appliances running on 240v but the washers a lot more expensive so it is cheaper for me to buy a 110v and have it shipped and run on the transformer

jeepers101

American appliances are designed to run at a different frequency. Transformers do not change the frequency.

bostonmary

yes they are n 60 hrt we are 50 and i have factred all f this into the equasion which means the washer will run fine but if was a tv then it may run slower... be like watching a very badly dubbed tv show if I am making sense... but for likes or radios etc etc you do not really notice it too much just in major things with graphics... laptops etc etc all run fine ... or touch wood have in my case

bostonmary

sorry the types.... unless i hit the keys really slowly then they are missing or slipping

bostonmary

PS.... would anyone know how to convert the amps... 110v to watts please??? I think i multiply one by the other but I am not 100pc sure, would anyne know ??

eeguy

bostonmary wrote: »

PS.... would anyone know how to convert the amps... 110v to watts please??? I think i multiply one by the other but I am not 100pc sure, would anyne know ??

Watts = volts x amps

All this sounds very dodgy.

Steve

eeguy wrote: »

All this sounds very dodgy.

Indeed.

If you have a working electrical background, then good. If not, then you will more than likely burn your house down through ignorance..

bostonmary

Thank you for your input everyone

Steve

bostonmary wrote: »

Thank you for your input everyone

You are welcome.

Would you care to share with us what electrical background, if any, you have?

Bruthal

Steve wrote: »

.... If not, then you will more than likely burn your house down through ignorance..

It's not as likely as many think. If it was, half of Ireland would be in ruins.

eeguy

Bruthal wrote: »

It's not as likely as many think. If it was, half of Ireland would be in ruins.

You probably won't burn the house down, but you may do more damage that it would cost to get an electrician in the first place.

Save yourself the time and hassle.

xband

American washing machines usually don't heat water. They're quite low power consumption but will empty your hot water tank very fast.

You'll need the wattages, not the Amp rating of the circuits. Check the labels on the back of the machines themselves.

The dryer would quite likely not work as it may need 120V + 120V split phase. That gives you. 120V live to neutral and 240V live to live.

They usually use 240V for the heaters and 120V for the motor and controls.

If it's a gas dryer you absolutely cannot use it here. There's a difference in domestic natural gas pressure and the burner would potentially go crazy and not ignite or fire way too high. It's also illegal (and potentially very dangerous) to connect non approved appliances or carry out any gas work yourself.

Also American electric dryers use up to 7000W so in Ireland would need to be connected much like a cooker on their own 32 amp circuit, that's assuming you can connect it at all as we don't have the same type of power system.

Irish wiring is 230V 50Hz with zero volt neutral.

US wiring is a 3 wire system with 120V phase to neutral and 240V phase to phase. (Systems like this were phased out in Europe in the 1950s in favour of 2 wire 230V service)

....

You can buy very large capacity washing machines in Ireland - up to 13+ kg front loaders and American top loaders that are built for 230V 50Hz.

Also American dryers are huge energy hogs. The electric versions would absolutely eat through your wallet at European rates. That's why most new better quality Irish / European dryers use heat pumps.

Top loader washers are extremely water heavy machines too. So, if you're on a metered supply and rates ever increase here, you're looking at a big cost.
Euro machines are very light on water consumption.

Also bear in mind that the US machine will draw hot water, so unless you've solar or similar hearing, you'll be paying full gas / electric rates to heat it in your immersion tank.

On top of that in general American machines rate poorly for washing and spinning performance. So, you're largely relying on a very hot dryer to remove a hell of a lot more water than a euro machine would leave.

Then if they break down, you'll have no local support and will have to fix the machine yourself.

All in all, I wouldn't bother bringing them and spend the money you'll waste on shipping on getting a decent pair of euro machines here.

Stoner

Hi Bostonmary

My first attempt to post here was eaten by the boards app. The above post covers my thoughts on same here too, but here it is anyway


We've often given advice on using step down transformers here, usually for smaller items. This forum grew from DIY roots.

Just to let you know that many types of electric motor run slower on 50hz than 60hz as its how they operate (let this point go guys!!)

Transformers are usually rated in VA as explained so current * voltage
But contineous load and proper ventilation would be an issue here as your units are large and will run for long periods

My understanding from reading your post is that you expect better value in the states and that the units are suited to Americans more than our European styles.

You can buy top loading units here. Its also sale time. For example our siemens dryer AAA energy rated cost 800 Euro and not 1250 in the sales.

IMO you'd be better looking for the best value European models sized to run on our system. This is an unusual request and that's because people don't often make it. The appliances in the american embassy are 220Vac

You'd have better maintenance and warranties too.

If it's purely cost than I'd look at secondhand units, adverts.ie being a good source.

I think that the general opinion here would be to buy your appliances locally.

2011

I agree with Stoner and xband.

Just to add:

Some people use transformers that are intended for site use to get a 110V supply. One of the issues with this is that many site transformers are not rated for continuous use. This may cause a thermal overload to trip out the transformer one power is drawn from it for an hour or two. Worse still it could overheat leading to more serious issues.....

Transformers are bulky and heavy by nature. Sometimes the buzzing from a transformer can be quite annoying too.

xband

A lot of washing machines these days are heavily electronic too and some of those systems can get really fussy about frequency, to the point they'll even detect it's not correct and display an error.

In general, you'll get really good appliances in Europe. It's a different market, and they're different shapes, but they actually do hold a decent amount of laundry.

We've a 12kg (26.4lb) capacity machine and you would struggle to find enough clothes to fill it. It would easily wash almost two large laundry hampers of towels without any fuss.

European machines are also standardised sizes (almost all anyway) so they will fit into a 600mm x 900mm slot. They vary in depth and make better use of the cabinet to squeeze more in and they are also designed to be packed tighter with laundry than typical US machines - they often use scoops, recirculating pumps and will run longer cycle times to achieve that.

If you particularly want a larger shape machine they are available.

I've lived both sides of the atlantic and there's nothing really dramatically different in terms of these kinds of devices.

Also, very large format fridges and freezers are widely available and very common in Ireland. You can pick up a fairly huge range of them.
Don't even think about importing a fridge. You'd most likely be importing some 110V version of a Korean built Samsung anyway that's probably widely available here.

European cooking appliances are also almost entirely built in. You tend to combine them so, you might go for a wider hob (cook top) and ovens maybe side by side, under-counter, eye level.. double /single etc..

They're all modular designs and you kind of buy to suit your needs - that could be a tiny Parisian apartment or a big sprawling bungalow in rural Ireland with tons of space.

In general, I simply wouldn't bring any appliances unless it's something you've some really serious sentimental attachment to.

xband

bostonmary wrote: »

yes they are n 60 hrt we are 50 and i have factred all f this into the equasion which means the washer will run fine but if was a tv then it may run slower... be like watching a very badly dubbed tv show if I am making sense... but for likes or radios etc etc you do not really notice it too much just in major things with graphics... laptops etc etc all run fine ... or touch wood have in my case

No:
1. Large appliances - too awkward to convert. Don't.

2. TVs - Television system in Europe is completely different. You *might* be able to use your TV plugged into an Irish Cable or Sat box using HDMI, but you will not be able to tune into Irish digital broadcast television as the US uses ATSC and Europe uses DVB-T. They're not compatible at all.
TV refresh-rates linked to mains frequency are no longer relevant with LED/LCD panels.

Most modern HDMI-connected TVs will happily work with various formats of image:
Although, you cannot be 100% sure about this either. Some US-spec TVs may not be capable of viewing European formats - all depends on the software and hardware, but I suspect it should work OK with a HDMI connection.

You could test it by connecting your laptop to the TV with HDMI and playing out a 576i/25 stream or 1080i 50Hz. If the TV works, it'll work fine with an Irish cable or sat box. If not, forget it.

TVs here are similar and prices are not too high these days. Might be better off just buying something here that works than adapting a US one.

3. Small appliances - they're hard to convert, expensive to ship and are easily replaced with equivalents here that are designed for 230V 50Hz. I wouldn't bother bringing things like hairdryers, clothes irons, mixers, vacuum cleaners etc..

YES:

IT equipment and phones:

Simple plug change / new power cord:

Laptops usually have a transformer that accepts 100V to 240V (so work worldwide and don't care where you are).
Most (but not all) desktops are similar.

Mobile phones and tablets - generally these will work if they are GSM-based although you need to check that they support the common European and Irish bands and are unlocked:

GSM: 900MHz and 1800MHz (2G)
UMTS: 2100MHz and 900MHz (3G)
LTE: Band 20 (800MHz) Band 3 (1800MHz)

Verizon and Sprint phones use a different family of technologies for 2G and 3G called CDMAOne and CDMA2000. These are totally incompatible with European networks and will not work here at all.

Fixed line phones - Wired works fine, same plugs as US etc.
Cordless - Please do not bring or use here as they are likely to clash with other services on air in Ireland as European and US radio frequency allocations aren't the same.

Lamps and lights : these can be rewired, but I wouldn't bring anything that you don't absolutely love and can't part with. In all likelihood you won't bother rewiring them.

The thread sizes for light bulbs in Europe and North America are deliberately different to prevent the wrong voltage bulbs in the wrong fittings. So, if you do bring a US lamp, the bulbs here won't fit. So, you'd need to put in new bulb holders and fit a new plug.

bostonmary

hi guys

not been on in a while

I would like to assure people I am not ignorant nor intend to burn my house down, I know that you can't re wire stuff as appliances run on a motor to suit the 11ov , and the same with japanese products which are 100v. I do know hwever that large appliances will run here as I know of people who have shipped stuff home and all runs perfect but I just wanted to be 100pc sure on everything

as regards american washers not heating the water yes this is correct they run in the way the old washers used to run here....I still have one running on the hot water supply and then one that runs direct from the cold supply so this aspect doe not worry me at all

I have brought back a lot of the smaller stuff and run them on converters did not bother re wiring lamps they run perfect on the converters and have dvd players lamps radios, game consoles laptops etc etc etc and a small tv set it is just the bigger stuff I wanted to make an enquiry on

the reason half of ireland is not using it is largely down to the shipping costs, however I have intended on getting a quarter container so Im all good that way

have not read all of the comments yet as boards keeps skipping still

bostonmary

This thing really is gone crazy

I have an electrician so no worries there, just cost me the wiring..... I had worked out the dryer since I was on here and changed my mind due to how hard they would be on electricity, even tho they are mighty and the ones here not a patch on them in terms of drying tme and capacity of them

I will read the posts now to see if any further info many thanks

bostonmary

I am going to give a few things some serious thought having read the comments..... I have nearly every small appliance can think of from hairdryers straightners tv laptop ect ect and in years and all work perfect for me touch wood just the cost of the large appliances here when I googled them were absolutely crazy and for sake of a few extra cubic feet this is why mainly I was giving thought.... I was going for a front loader washer as they have a higher spin than the toploaders but toploaders are mighty for huge duvets and cmforters, toploaders do use more washer and can actually destroy your clothes by the agitator so have to be careful which type of a toploader to use but I was eyeing up a 16kg washer and TRUST ME i could fill it all day long with amount in this household day and night, so would anyone know where in europe would be the cheapest way to buy a large and I do mean large washer and then ship it.... not the uk the stg is far to bad to even consider it and yet again many mnay thanks for everyones input....... PS just cos Im a girl does not mean I don;t know much or that Im blonde.... just saying

Sam Russell

http://www.beko.ie/lifestyle/large-capacity-9kg-washing-machines