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What electric items work in Canada
I was wondering what elertic items work in Canada if any, IE laptops PC,s any advivce please.
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Re: What electric items work in Canada
Originally Posted by johnmc
(Post 8696493)
I was wondering what elertic items work in Canada if any, IE laptops PC,s any advivce please.
Here's the direct link for basically what you're looking for. :) http://britishexpats.com/wiki/Compat...f_Goods-Canada |
Re: What electric items work in Canada
Originally Posted by johnmc
(Post 8696493)
I was wondering what elertic items work in Canada if any, IE laptops PC,s any advivce please.
and every one is a liabilty and possible ifire hazzard if you don't... Read the Wiki |
Re: What electric items work in Canada
Almost all computers are dual voltage. I have travelled to the UK several times with my Canadian laptops. All I need is an adapter (2-pin US to 3-pin UK). I find that most items that are frequently used by travellers (shaver, hair curler, etc. have dual voltage.)
Most other items can be used by using a voltage converter. However, not EVERYTHING! Most notably, you may find that electric clocks gain (or lose) time because the alternating current in North America differs from most of the rest of the world. In the UK, and most other countries, the frequency of AC is 50 cycles, whereas in the US and Canada it is 60 cycles. That 20% increase can cause your clocks (and record players) to run 20% faster! Most other items, such as irons, radios, etc. simply run a little warmer. |
Re: What electric items work in Canada
I brought Laptops, hair straighteners, PSP, DSi, Wii and my desktop PC (with monitor and printer too)...the only problem I had was that there was a sticker on my PC tower that said 100-240v and I assumed it would be fine...it was only after getting it here and then I couldn't get it to work that I opened it up and my power supply was 220v. Easily sorted though by installing a new power supply. I did read about step up and down inverters or converters or whatever they are called but I wasn't going to take the risk so I sold almost everything back in the UK that had a plug on it.
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Re: What electric items work in Canada
I want to know about this too as I have £800 of John Lewis vouchers from our wedding and was hoping to buy a nice LCD TV which we want to take to Canada with us. I've emailed Sony, but not heard anything yet.
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Re: What electric items work in Canada
Originally Posted by TheBear
(Post 8697895)
I want to know about this too as I have £800 of John Lewis vouchers from our wedding and was hoping to buy a nice LCD TV which we want to take to Canada with us. I've emailed Sony, but not heard anything yet.
If you not clear on what they are, spend the money on something else |
Re: What electric items work in Canada
Originally Posted by TheBear
(Post 8697895)
I want to know about this too as I have £800 of John Lewis vouchers from our wedding and was hoping to buy a nice LCD TV which we want to take to Canada with us. I've emailed Sony, but not heard anything yet.
but it would be a bit of a waste otherwise, although the current exchange rate means that Canadian TVs probably won't seem like the cheap bargain that they used to be. We moved the other way, but the issues are probably the same. We ended up selling one of our Sony's and keeping the other because Sony are rather inconsistent with their support for the different voltages and encoding systems. Things to look at are: Voltage. Just personal preference, but I wouldn't want to keep anything continuously connected to a voltage converter. Properly rated it shouldn't get warm, but they are ugly and some hum. Digital Tuner. Nothing watchable in Canada via the airwaves so not an issue, but you wouldn't be able to receive the transmissions with the UK tuner. PAL/NTSC. Even if the UK TV supports NTSC as well as PAL, you need to make sure that it supports 60Hz as well as 50Hz otherwise at best you will get a shifted/distorted/black and white picture. At worst you won't see anything. Sockets. Apart from HDMI and the various ancient low quality connectors, UK TVs will tend to have Scart sockets whereas Canadian TVs tend to have Component Video connectors. May cause issues hooking up to DVD players, Satellite boxes, extc. |
Re: What electric items work in Canada
Originally Posted by Posidrive
(Post 8700572)
A TV is one of those things that you might want to take and try and get it to work with the various converters and adaptors if you already have the TV,
but it would be a bit of a waste otherwise, although the current exchange rate means that Canadian TVs probably won't seem like the cheap bargain that they used to be. We moved the other way, but the issues are probably the same. We ended up selling one of our Sony's and keeping the other because Sony are rather inconsistent with their support for the different voltages and encoding systems. Things to look at are: Voltage. Just personal preference, but I wouldn't want to keep anything continuously connected to a voltage converter. Properly rated it shouldn't get warm, but they are ugly and some hum. Digital Tuner. Nothing watchable in Canada via the airwaves so not an issue, but you wouldn't be able to receive the transmissions with the UK tuner. PAL/NTSC. Even if the UK TV supports NTSC as well as PAL, you need to make sure that it supports 60Hz as well as 50Hz otherwise at best you will get a shifted/distorted/black and white picture. At worst you won't see anything. Sockets. Apart from HDMI and the various ancient low quality connectors, UK TVs will tend to have Scart sockets whereas Canadian TVs tend to have Component Video connectors. May cause issues hooking up to DVD players, Satellite boxes, extc. |
Re: What electric items work in Canada
Originally Posted by johnmc
(Post 8696493)
I was wondering what elertic items work in Canada if any, IE laptops PC,s any advivce please.
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Re: What electric items work in Canada
we brought over a few things electrical with us. we use a conventional plug adaptor to get the power for them.
the only note worthy issue i have found, is that things take a very long time to charge up. i also understand that in instances of fire, many home insurance providers will deny any claim, if such foreign products were being powered. overall, i would suggest leaving as much as you can tolerate in the UK and buy new here. its just easier that way (if you can afford it). |
Re: What electric items work in Canada
Originally Posted by paolosmythe
(Post 8701236)
i also understand that in instances of fire, many home insurance providers will deny any claim, if such foreign products were being powered.
Nonethless, I wouldn't bring anything that heats up or anything that turns. |
Re: What electric items work in Canada
Depends on the input, just look at whatever it is, phones and laptops etc. usually can accept all kinds of voltage inputs so you just need a plug adapter, but things that use a lot of power like hairdryers and electric fires, kettles, etc. forget it.
Just buy transformers, I move around so much I couldn't be arsed to replace everything yet again so I bought a pile of step-up transformers. When I lived in the US I actually knew a French electrician and he'd wired his house with 220V outlets in certain rooms, which is actually easier than you might think. |
Re: What electric items work in Canada
Originally Posted by dbd33
(Post 8701425)
This has been beaten to death here before. It's bollocks.
Nonethless, I wouldn't bring anything that heats up or anything that turns. <sorry> |
Re: What electric items work in Canada
Originally Posted by TheBear
(Post 8697895)
I want to know about this too as I have £800 of John Lewis vouchers from our wedding and was hoping to buy a nice LCD TV which we want to take to Canada with us. I've emailed Sony, but not heard anything yet.
OTA HD is pretty thin on the ground in Canada at the moment, btw, outside of the GTA and Vancouver. |
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