step up/down transformer
#16
Re: step up/down transformer
I'll be curious to find out how you get on with the Newfie dialect, and if coming from NI will mean you can understand the hard bits. Some of their speech is impossible for outsiders to decipher.
#17
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Joined: Jun 2016
Location: St. John's, Newfoundland
Posts: 44
Re: step up/down transformer
Thanks very much everyone for your help
#18
Re: step up/down transformer
Just buy a transformer. Believe me, almost EVERYTHING will work. For some things, maybe the Hz thingy might be a bit different, but unless you're running some sort of life enhancing gizmo, in my experience it really doesn't matter.
#19
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Joined: Jan 2015
Location: Northern Ireland
Posts: 311
Re: step up/down transformer
Hi Shirley,
My Family and I plan to move to Ontario in the New Year. We are also from Northern Ireland. Perhaps we could share our experiences to date as it is a very daunting process.
The chat would be interesting if nothing else.
Thanks
Farmboy
My Family and I plan to move to Ontario in the New Year. We are also from Northern Ireland. Perhaps we could share our experiences to date as it is a very daunting process.
The chat would be interesting if nothing else.
Thanks
Farmboy
#20
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Thread Starter
Joined: Jun 2016
Location: St. John's, Newfoundland
Posts: 44
Re: step up/down transformer
Shirley
#21
Re: step up/down transformer
Honestly transformers are such a faff you're better off buying new stuff imx. I've got a whole shelf full of those transformers for things I brought over from the UK and hardly use, e.g. paper shredder. I use them with drills as well and yes they do rotate at a different speed, not exactly a big problem though, just use a different setting.
#22
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Joined: Jan 2004
Location: Worcestershire
Posts: 4,219
Re: step up/down transformer
As a kettle is just a fixed resistive element (R) it willwork in Canada , it’ll just take a little longer to boil as the current will belower due to the lower voltage
If any care to post up the resistance of a Canadian kettle,I’m quite will to take a measurement of one here, I’m betting there’s not much difference
Interestingly I used an Old Dyson DC02, for an experimentyears ago I ran it on just 120v/60hz andit still out performed a traditional bag type cleaner J
If any care to post up the resistance of a Canadian kettle,I’m quite will to take a measurement of one here, I’m betting there’s not much difference
Interestingly I used an Old Dyson DC02, for an experimentyears ago I ran it on just 120v/60hz andit still out performed a traditional bag type cleaner J
#23
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Joined: Jun 2016
Location: Dartmouth, NS
Posts: 29
Re: step up/down transformer
I had an interesting chat with my house inspector about the voltages. This is all subject to further research and confirmation:
He explained that voltages are 240V coming to the house in two live lines, and that only one live line is generally used inside the house. There are two common exceptions, electric cookers/ranges and driers which run on the full 240V!
So in theory, a qualified electrician should have no trouble running additional 240V sockets with full British sockets.
However, thinking about it more, there is a difference in frequency, 60Hz over 50Hz, so something won't be happy I bet!
He explained that voltages are 240V coming to the house in two live lines, and that only one live line is generally used inside the house. There are two common exceptions, electric cookers/ranges and driers which run on the full 240V!
So in theory, a qualified electrician should have no trouble running additional 240V sockets with full British sockets.
However, thinking about it more, there is a difference in frequency, 60Hz over 50Hz, so something won't be happy I bet!
#24
Re: step up/down transformer
I had an interesting chat with my house inspector about the voltages. This is all subject to further research and confirmation:
He explained that voltages are 240V coming to the house in two live lines, and that only one live line is generally used inside the house. There are two common exceptions, electric cookers/ranges and driers which run on the full 240V!
So in theory, a qualified electrician should have no trouble running additional 240V sockets with full British sockets.
However, thinking about it more, there is a difference in frequency, 60Hz over 50Hz, so something won't be happy I bet!
He explained that voltages are 240V coming to the house in two live lines, and that only one live line is generally used inside the house. There are two common exceptions, electric cookers/ranges and driers which run on the full 240V!
So in theory, a qualified electrician should have no trouble running additional 240V sockets with full British sockets.
However, thinking about it more, there is a difference in frequency, 60Hz over 50Hz, so something won't be happy I bet!
The wiring for a 240v socket in North America though is quite unlike 240v wiring in the UK because in the UK all 240v is in one wire, whereas in North America you need two wires each of 120v to get a 240v socket. ..... So you (ideally) need four wires - two lives, a neutral and an earth, though it used to be acceptable to use two lives and a neutral for clothes dryers, with the ground (if any) connected to the neutral. .... So you are unlikely to be able to just swap out 120v sockets for 240v sockets (they're much bigger anyway), because the existing wire only has one live core. I have heard that some sockets have two lives wires - one connected to each half of a double socket, but I have never seen one installed.
Last edited by Pulaski; Oct 12th 2016 at 3:37 am.
#25
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Joined: Dec 2013
Location: Consolacion,Cebu
Posts: 1,928
Re: step up/down transformer
We're in the Philippines where our supply is, supposedly, 220V at 60Hz. I say suuposedly as it is a bit variable!! My wife brought her 5 sewing machines/ overlockers here and they all run perfectly , even the computerised one. Our only problem is they are all Janome and getting service here is difficult as the Janome agent is useless! However, I ship spare parts from UK and the computerised one goes to Singapore every 2 years for a full service. The 50/60Hz thing is not a problem for most items except for the speed - so if you have a speed dependent device it will run faster. We also have a few items brought from Canada, so 110V, but they all work fine on a step DOWN transformer. Oh, two of the sewing machines have 110/240v 50/60Hz brick power supplies so no problem other than changing the plugs!
#26
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Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 1,274
Re: step up/down transformer
Pulaski's post #24 is correct to heed a warning...the 240VAC supply in USA/Canada is different to that in UK and could be dangerous to simply connect a UK appliance to this source....
The Canadian 3-wire 240VAC is supplied as two 120VAC live wires and one safety ground. The neutral is the phasing shift between the two live wires.
Therefore, it will NOT supply a UK 240VAC appliance without some serious re-wire as the internals of these appliances are wired for one live 240VAC, one neutral and one safety ground.
A transformer will work as its 240VAC output conforms to the UK 3 wire system.
The Canadian 3-wire 240VAC is supplied as two 120VAC live wires and one safety ground. The neutral is the phasing shift between the two live wires.
Therefore, it will NOT supply a UK 240VAC appliance without some serious re-wire as the internals of these appliances are wired for one live 240VAC, one neutral and one safety ground.
A transformer will work as its 240VAC output conforms to the UK 3 wire system.
#27
Re: step up/down transformer
Pulaski's post #24 is correct to heed a warning...the 240VAC supply in USA/Canada is different to that in UK and could be dangerous to simply connect a UK appliance to this source....
The Canadian 3-wire 240VAC is supplied as two 120VAC live wires and one safety ground. The neutral is the phasing shift between the two live wires.
....
The Canadian 3-wire 240VAC is supplied as two 120VAC live wires and one safety ground. The neutral is the phasing shift between the two live wires.
....
If you are correct then the difference only in presentation, because the neutral and the ground are identical any way, as both are at ground potential.
#28
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Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 1,274
Re: step up/down transformer
Are you sure? The wiring for 240v that I am used to seeing in the US has either four wires (two lives, a neutral, and a ground) or three wires (two lives and a neutral, with NO ground - IIRC this became obsolete in 1994).
If you are correct then the difference only in presentation, because the neutral and the ground are identical any way, as both are at ground potential.
If you are correct then the difference only in presentation, because the neutral and the ground are identical any way, as both are at ground potential.
I thought the 4 wire system was gradually phased out...I had those plugs in my own house but that was from 30 years ago. My understanding is they used 2 phases of a 3 phase distribution system....but I'm not sure.
Copy from internet...
"First we do not use a 2 phase system, that proved ineffective years ago or maybe it was politics.... What we use in residential is a transformer with a secondary of 240 volts single phase center-tapped step down type. Primary voltage is generally around 2.4 KV to 7.2 KV from a 3 phase source. This allows us to serve both 120 volt loads and 240 volt loads. So our systems for single family dwellings are actually 120/240 volt single phase 3 wire sometimes called the edison system."
Last edited by Davita; Oct 12th 2016 at 1:13 pm.
#29
Re: step up/down transformer
The subtle difference is that the neutral conductor is intended to carry a current during normal usage. In UK wiring code it's treated the same as a live conductor. The ground isn't and can in some cases be bare- and is also directly connected to the casing.
Because a UK-spec neutral is treated as a live you should get away with connecting it to one leg of a 120V system to yield a net 240V. I'm just deeply unhappy with people blithely doing it without understanding exactly what they've done.
On that quote, you do sometimes see 208V single phase here, which I'd think of as two-phase, ie two legs of a 3phase 208 supply connected to a motor or somesuch. Conceptually it horrifies me but the continent hasn't burnt down yet so I guess in practise it works.
Because a UK-spec neutral is treated as a live you should get away with connecting it to one leg of a 120V system to yield a net 240V. I'm just deeply unhappy with people blithely doing it without understanding exactly what they've done.
You are correct in that a 3 wire 240VAC neutral is also grounded...but it is considered neutral as it completes the circuit to the centre tap of the grid split-phase transformer that sources the 240VAC and the 120VAC simultaneously. If the third wire just went to ground it would not allow the 120VAC to be used...that's why it is recognized as a neutral. i.e. return circuit wire to the center-tap.
I thought the 4 wire system was gradually phased out...I had those plugs in my own house but that was from 30 years ago. My understanding is they used 2 phases of a 3 phase distribution system....but I'm not sure.
Copy from internet...
"First we do not use a 2 phase system, that proved ineffective years ago or maybe it was politics.... What we use in residential is a transformer with a secondary of 240 volts single phase center-tapped step down type. Primary voltage is generally around 2.4 KV to 7.2 KV from a 3 phase source. This allows us to serve both 120 volt loads and 240 volt loads. So our systems for single family dwellings are actually 120/240 volt single phase 3 wire sometimes called the edison system."
I thought the 4 wire system was gradually phased out...I had those plugs in my own house but that was from 30 years ago. My understanding is they used 2 phases of a 3 phase distribution system....but I'm not sure.
Copy from internet...
"First we do not use a 2 phase system, that proved ineffective years ago or maybe it was politics.... What we use in residential is a transformer with a secondary of 240 volts single phase center-tapped step down type. Primary voltage is generally around 2.4 KV to 7.2 KV from a 3 phase source. This allows us to serve both 120 volt loads and 240 volt loads. So our systems for single family dwellings are actually 120/240 volt single phase 3 wire sometimes called the edison system."
#30
Re: step up/down transformer
.... Because a UK-spec neutral is treated as a live you should get away with connecting it to one leg of a 120V system to yield a net 240V. ....
.... I'm just deeply unhappy with people blithely doing it without understanding exactly what they've done.
Last edited by Pulaski; Oct 12th 2016 at 1:49 pm.