OrangeMango

Just wondering, with a converter or transformer, is it ok to bring a stereo system or a microwave, both for 220 volt to Canada?

Did anybody try this? Or is this completely unadvisable?

dbd33

I brought my record player, it needed a new capstan for the different cycles here but works fine.

Pulaski

I can't imagine a microwave so fancy it would be worth shipping, and then faffing around with a transformer, and microwaves draw enough power that they need a transformer, not a converter. I suspect that, like the US, a typical microwave in Canada is about 1.7cuft and 1Kw. Such microwaves are permanently mounted to the wall over the cooker, and have a fan and controls to work as a vent hood for pans on the cooker.

Now I can imagine a stereo system worth bringing as I brought mine when I moved (to the US) 21 years ago, but it was a fairly fancy component system, that had cost about £2,000 in the late 90's. I bought a 2Kw transformer, to give ample headroom for the dynamic range. So unless you have a fairly fancy component system that you feel attached to, or your budget is so tight that it might be a year or more before you can replace it, honestly, I'd not bother bringing that either.

Former Lancastrian

WTF is a stereo system Yeah I know there are still some vinyl record aficionados out there so to them a turntable is important as well as speakers and a good receiver. I ditched vinyl over 30 years ago and went with those new fangled compact disc thingy's. Got a fairly decent collection but sadly they just gather dust now as everybody just downloads music onto USB thingy's or their smart phones. Even new vehicles don't come with a CD player (well mine didn't). Yes listening to Tubular Bells by Mike Oldfield is not the same on some portable bluetooth speaker or even a soundbar hooked up to a new smart TV but this is the modern world.

As for microwaves they are a dime a dozen unless going for one of the mounted ones above a stove as mentioned by Pulaski. I rarely use one unless it is for reheating a cup of tea that I let go cold by typing some non sensical reply on a BE thread.

OrangeMango

It's a Sony micro stereo system, consisting of two speaker boxes and one CD player, just to clarify.

Thanks for all the answers. I did some research as well. It depends on the Watt, so the stereo works with a converter, but the microwave will be difficult, as it has 800 Watt.

Pulaski

I beg to differ, the power needs of an amplifier have substantial power peaks, so you need a power supply that can deliver substantially more than the nominal power rating of the amplifier.
You are clearly out of touch with the trends of today. Vinyl is back, baby!

Records are a booming, if niche business, and records, including new releases, repressings, and original albums not tossed out 20 years ago, are selling for premium prices. My 15 year old daughter decided to start collecting Records a couple of months ago, and now has 15, none of them cost less than USD20. She asked for a turntable for Christmas, and has another record coming for her birthday tomorrow.

On a recent weekend away we enjoyed an experience that I had never expected possible, when I took my daughter record shopping, and in a recently opened record shop no less, that does not even stock CDs. I had long assumed that ship had sailed at least 25 years ago. ... Anyway, I indulged in a couple of purchases - a Def Leppard reissued picture disc of High n Dry, which cost USD30 IIRC, and a reissue on blue vinyl of Deep Purple in Rock, on blue vinyl, in g/f sleeve, for USD56. No that is not a typo but that was the first hard rock album I ever heard, so it was a nostalgic purchase for me.

CanadaJimmy

Electric stoves in Canada connect to NEMA-14-50 220v outlets, and Clothes Dryers to NEMA-14-30 220v outlets, so in Canada we do have 220v, just in very limited areas. However it is AC 60Hz not 50Hz, but many 220v devices do support 50 or 60 interchangeably.

In theory if you wanted the microwave near an electric stove - and it supports AC 60Hz - you could get a splitter for that outlet type and rewire the microwave to have a NEMA plug on it, and then sit it next to the stove. Not sure it's worth the trouble though unless you really love that microwave though.

Pizzawheel

I'd say not worth the effort. The 60Hz might throw the music system (its not just about the voltage).

As for the American 220 that's been debated to death here, someone has used it for a workshop iirc with no issues but scares the crap out of me. Euro 230 is one hot (AC +230) and a neutral return. The 220 here is basically one hot +110 and one hot -110 to give the 220... Your equipment might not be expecting that...

Pulaski

I agree, it's supposed to work, but I am sceptical about how at least some appliances might deal without having a neutral, when modern north American 220V appliances have four wires - two lives, a neutral and a ground. .... and older US clothes dryers scare the crap out of me, with two lives and a neutral, so you have a large metal-cased appliance used in an area with a ready water supply, and no earth/ ground connection!

Some years ago a new neighbour asked me to help with his laundry appliances, specifically that his dryer had three pins and the dryer socket had a completely different four hole design, and he wanted help changing the socket, i.e. losing the ground connection! I agreed to help, but politely declined to switch the socket, and instead swapped the power cord for one with a ground wire and pin. He watched in bemused amazement as I hooked up the live and neutral wires to the terminals in the back of the dryer, then drilled a hole for a ground wire and used a small sheet metal screw to connect the ground wire to the frame of the dryer. I don't think he would have looked more surprised if I had pulled out chicken entrails and starting chanting spells!.

calman014

First take a close look at your devices...some (even quite old ones) are dual voltage.

Pulaski

True, for many things, especially with a screen or are some sort of "computer" (actual computers may just need a new "power brick" and cord with pins for a north American socket). But as a group, (small) kitchen appliances seem to be ones that are not dual voltage.

Kingsboy48

Electrial code dictates that microwaves MUST be on a dedicated breaker, cannot split it with a stove or anything else (legally).

dbd33

That's interesting. I don't think I've ever had a microwave on a dedicated breaker. They've always been plugged in to whichever socket was most convenient, usually the same one as the kitchen lights.

Pulaski

I think he's talking about the over-the-stove type of microwaves, which pull 1,000-1,200 watts and are "permanently" plugged into a socket typically located in the cupboard that the microwave is partially suspended from, not the smaller microwaves that sit on the kitchen counter.

Atlantic Xpat