Appliances
#1
Thread Starter
Forum Regular


Joined: Apr 2012
Posts: 85

Hi. Will our UK appliances work in Calgary. Tv, washer, freezer, power tools ect ect. Wanted to ship them all over to rental property in Calgary. Thanks
#2
BE user by choice









Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 4,854
From: A Briton, married to a Canadian, now in Fredericton.











There are loads of threads on this subject on the forum and a quick search will bring forth a great number of responses....however...Europe has a different voltage system. In order to get anything to work in Canada, you need a voltage step converter. These can be found at voltageconverters.ca, they have a fantastic website with more info than you can shake a stick at, their service is great too and I ordered ours and they arrived the next day. Other companies sell them too.
With regard to power tools, some are dual voltage, check on the side, our bigger bits like the arc welder were. However we also have one big converter for the basement that will power all the more expensive tools till they give up the ghost. Angle grinders and drills, table saws etc, we didn't bring, wasn't worth it and the prices comparable.
A freezer is a big thing to bring, and I don't know if it will work, but somebody will be along who does. Things with a motor won't work, like a hair dryer, fan etc, but these are cheap as chips in any case. Oddly enough the one thing I really wanted a converter for, was a small music centre with MP dock because it is a super looking thing, and here they seem old fashioned and clunky. I brought a small flat screen television with us, simply because it was three months old. It is multi voltage and the built in DVD works perfectly, but not the telly bit, I know the picture is in there, but you can't watch it, its got something to do with the cycles. It's OK, because it lives in my bedroom and I can watch a Desperate Housewives in bed when it's snowing!
Lamps are fine you just change the battery and bulbs, and hey presto.
Best of luck.
With regard to power tools, some are dual voltage, check on the side, our bigger bits like the arc welder were. However we also have one big converter for the basement that will power all the more expensive tools till they give up the ghost. Angle grinders and drills, table saws etc, we didn't bring, wasn't worth it and the prices comparable.
A freezer is a big thing to bring, and I don't know if it will work, but somebody will be along who does. Things with a motor won't work, like a hair dryer, fan etc, but these are cheap as chips in any case. Oddly enough the one thing I really wanted a converter for, was a small music centre with MP dock because it is a super looking thing, and here they seem old fashioned and clunky. I brought a small flat screen television with us, simply because it was three months old. It is multi voltage and the built in DVD works perfectly, but not the telly bit, I know the picture is in there, but you can't watch it, its got something to do with the cycles. It's OK, because it lives in my bedroom and I can watch a Desperate Housewives in bed when it's snowing!
Lamps are fine you just change the battery and bulbs, and hey presto.
Best of luck.
Last edited by MillieF; Feb 17th 2013 at 1:42 am. Reason: This blasted ipad
#6
If in doubt, check the the Wiki - http://britishexpats.com/wiki/Compatability_of_Goods
#7
BE user by choice









Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 4,854
From: A Briton, married to a Canadian, now in Fredericton.











#8
Yipee!!! I LOVE this topic - never tire of it!. Repeat after me: "BRING IT BRING IT BRING IT!!!!!". Loads of stuff you think might not work - may well work. You may have 220 volts in your kitchen and/or garage anyway. Voltage converters are a lot cheaper than replacing things unnecessarily. Even our hand-held kitchen whisk thingy will work on 110v - albeit a bit slower. It isn't expensive to have 220v put into your house if you want it anyway.






