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Has anyone done any rewiring of electrical items?

Has anyone done any rewiring of electrical items?

Old Jun 5th 2021, 7:51 am
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Default Has anyone done any rewiring of electrical items?

I'm a Canadian living Down Under, I'm about to return home (FINALLY) and I have appliances and household things I would like to bring - but wondered if its possible to get them rewired for Canada. Please don't tell me to not bother, I'm attached to some of it lol Otherwise, I guess we'll use a transformer :-)
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Old Jun 5th 2021, 8:07 am
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Default Re: Has anyone done any rewiring of electrical items?

Originally Posted by paularn
I'm a Canadian living Down Under, I'm about to return home (FINALLY) and I have appliances and household things I would like to bring - but wondered if its possible to get them rewired for Canada. Please don't tell me to not bother, I'm attached to some of it lol Otherwise, I guess we'll use a transformer :-)
Depends on the appliance, I'd say. The main question would be whether an external transformer from your 220 appliance to 110 will do. Lamps or simple radios or other smaller kitchen equipment will do fine. Lamps can easily be rewired.

Anything else, like clock radios probably won't show the accurate time anymore as they take their clock from the Hertz, not the Volt. Washing machines are more an ampere issue I think. If the converter is strong enough, than it works, however the washing cycle might be longer or shorter?

If the washing machine isn't too heavy for transport and you have a perspective of using a decent transformer than take it with you. Washing machines in Australia tend to be better anyway than in Canada.
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Old Jun 5th 2021, 10:11 am
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Default Re: Has anyone done any rewiring of electrical items?

Try this link

https://britishexpats.com/wiki/Compa...f_Goods-Canada
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Old Jun 5th 2021, 1:18 pm
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Default Re: Has anyone done any rewiring of electrical items?

Originally Posted by OrangeMango
Depends on the appliance, I'd say. The main question would be whether an external transformer from your 220 appliance to 110 will do. Lamps or simple radios or other smaller kitchen equipment will do fine. Lamps can easily be rewired.

Anything else, like clock radios probably won't show the accurate time anymore as they take their clock from the Hertz, not the Volt. Washing machines are more an ampere issue I think. If the converter is strong enough, than it works, however the washing cycle might be longer or shorter?

If the washing machine isn't too heavy for transport and you have a perspective of using a decent transformer than take it with you. Washing machines in Australia tend to be better anyway than in Canada.
Thanks! I'm not worried about clock radios :-) My biggest one was my brand new washer. This move was unexpected, and meanwhile I bought a new washer and I hate to part with it and know that I'll never get what I paid for it if I was to try and sell it. There will be room in the container, I just was curious whether I could get it to work. I don't want to drag it over for it to only sit there, because I won't be able to sell it in Canada, and I'm not moving back to Australia!
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Old Jun 5th 2021, 1:24 pm
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Default Re: Has anyone done any rewiring of electrical items?

Great info! Thank you!
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Old Jun 5th 2021, 9:43 pm
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Default Re: Has anyone done any rewiring of electrical items?

It'll spin the other direction in the northern hemisphere, so may need wiring up backwards.
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Old Jun 6th 2021, 2:01 am
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Default Re: Has anyone done any rewiring of electrical items?

Short story…. Not entirely relevant, for that I apologize… took a job in Australia, half knowing it was a mistake, but too difficult to pull out (long story). Ended Up buying new - car, tv, washer, dryer, fridge too I think… hard to remember. Turned around and returned to the US 4 months later having sold all of them… my fault, but just too much hassle to transfer back and find there were issues (and I didn’t have to pay the relo!). The post above on insurance spooked me. I couldn’t imagine having a transformer hanging around a washing area… the funny thing is, the tv I still have. It said 110v/50hz and I used a transformer for 6 years only to find it actually was set up internally for dual voltage and frequency! Here in the US I think washer dryer areas are actually set up for 240v but how it’s wired I’m not entirely sure….
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Old Jun 7th 2021, 3:54 am
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Default Re: Has anyone done any rewiring of electrical items?

Originally Posted by paularn
Thanks! I'm not worried about clock radios :-) My biggest one was my brand new washer. This move was unexpected, and meanwhile I bought a new washer and I hate to part with it and know that I'll never get what I paid for it if I was to try and sell it. There will be room in the container, I just was curious whether I could get it to work. I don't want to drag it over for it to only sit there, because I won't be able to sell it in Canada, and I'm not moving back to Australia!
About the washer - most homes in Canada have what is called 'split phase' which means your washer "neutral" in fact can be wired to -120V while the "hot/live" goes to 120V, giving you 240V for your washer. Most electric dryers are in fact 240V so there is usually a 240V outlet in the laundry room. The voltage conversion is likely a non issue. I'm not sure how Australian washers are fused, are they simply fused at the breaker panel? If so, you will actually need to put it on a 240V circuit with the correct fuse (so hanging it off the dryer circuit which is nominally 30 Amps capacity in Canada is probably a bad idea).

With heavier electrical appliances, especially those with a motor, often the frequency also matters. So it may be a case of switching out some of the electronics or even the motor. It could end up being quite an expensive project.

And with all things being said, it needs to be safe, and insurable. That's ultimately what may trip you up.

Last edited by neill; Jun 7th 2021 at 4:02 am.
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