Hoover
 

Hello all

Please excuse this rather silly question... But I defer to people who may have tried this ?!

We are suddenly moving to the US and have recently purchased a rather expensive hoover.

Will this UK bought hoover work (the same) in the US ?

Many thanks

Re: Dyson vacuum
 

Just curious why your thread title is about a Dyson, but the body of the text is about a Hoover. Not that it matters, I guess...if one works, the other would too, or vice versa. Just didn't know if you realized you mentioned two different brands.

Rene

Re: Dyson vacuum
 

Hoover is not usually mentioned as a brand it's something you do, eg: I'm doing the hoovering.

Re: Dyson vacuum
 

Saying Hoover is like saying Kleenex, it's just the generic term for vacuum cleaner.

To answer the OP, probably not a good idea unless it specifically says 120v on it which I doubt it does.

Re: Dyson vacuum
 

You can also hoover back beer.

Re: Dyson vacuum
 

I do not work for any vacuum manufacturer..... I mistakenly wrote the brand of the appliance that I purchased.

I assumed that this particular electronic appliance would not work or would work at a lesser degree. Just thought I'd post as someone may have come across this before.

Many thanks

hoover=vacuum
pictures=cinema
biscuit=cookie
football=rugby with commercials and shoulder pads

;)

Re: Dyson vacuum
 

Unless it is designed to run on 110-120v as well as 220-240v, that is one appliance I would NOT try running on a trsnsformer, because you move around the house with it and so you'd have to lug the transformer around as you move around the house, or run it on an extremely long (British) extension cord.

Unless it is 110-120v capable, if it runs at all it will be slow, with very poor suction, and may be a fire hazard as the motor will be running outside of its design parameters.

Get rid of it, a new Dyson here will run you around $450-$500 incl tax.

Re: Hoover
 

No one has answered your question yet, so let me take the opportunity to.

The answer is NO, your vacuum cleaner will not work in the USA. The US uses a lower current than the rest of the world (100-110v opposed to UK 220-240v).

This doesn't mean that you can't use your vacuum mind. It just means you need to purchase a step up transformer. Something like this will do the trick: http://amzn.com/B000MY02LQ

(I'm working on the assumption your Dyson is 2000w, so you really need 3000w to be safe)

Re: Dyson vacuum
 

I took the decision to bring my Miele vacuum over as the price of Miele's here is obscene ($800 for my model compared to £250 in the UK!)

Re: Hoover
 

Apart from me. ;)No! The US uses HIGHER current, but lower voltage. Voltage and current are inversely related for the same power (wattage).

Also your UK vacuum has a motor designed to run on 50Hz mains, so unless the specifications say "50-60Hz", even if you step down the voltage it may still not run right because US mains is 60Hz and transformers don't alter the frequency.

Re: Dyson vacuum
 

Many thanks to you all.

You confirmed what I thought was the case. Another thing to be sold.......

Appreciate your help

Re: Dyson vacuum
 

I still Hoover my floor and I have had a Dyson for the last 11 years. :)

Re: Hoover
 

Sorry, I think i literally just replied the same time as you to answer the question :)

And, oh bugger! I'm going to check my vacuum is 50-60Hz online, as my container is currently travelling up the east coast!

EDIT: just checked online, looks like i'm screwed? "Electrical connection 230V/50Hz/13A". Can't believe i've had it transported all this way and it's going to be useless? :(

Re: Dyson vacuum
 

Ah, I see, thanks. :)

Rene

Re: Dyson vacuum
 

I'm reliably informed by one of the physics guys here that my vacuum will work just fine on 60Hz, it just might run a bit faster ;)

Re: Hoover
 

If you only bought it recently, perhaps you could return it and get your money back? Just a thought.

Re: Dyson vacuum
 

He's probably right, but it might also be a fire hazard, and it might wear out faster. The first of those isn't likely as big a risk as for other appliances, given that there is generally no reason to run a vacuum cleaner other than when you're actually holding it, so turn it off if you smell smoke, and the second point is what it is, the vacuum might run for years, ... or it might not! :unsure:

Re: Dyson vacuum
 

I bought a Dyson a few months before we moved here. I gave it to my in-laws. I was as sick as a pig because in 1996 I couldn't find a bagless vac anywhere in New Jersey. Now they are readily available.

Re: Dyson vacuum
 

Not only that, it is a brand name that has become a verb meaning to perform it's purpose - such a successful marketing ploy, that many people don't even know it. Like Google from the 1950's.

Re: Hoover
 

The power of the vacuum motor would be less as voltage = current x resistance , if we ignore the impedance and capacitance, we can assume the resistance is constant therefore as the voltage is halfed so the current would also be halved.
Hence the power would be a quarter of the UK power as power = voltage x current.

Re: Hoover
 

Agreed, except that I said "for the same power" i.e.if you buy a US Dyson of the same model with the same power, the current drawn by the US appliance will be twice that drawn by the UK appliance because the voltage is halved.

Re: Dyson vacuum
 

I have heard that Dysons are modular and designed to be easy to change out parts - I don't know if this is true. If so, you may be able to buy an American motor module and replace it.

Re: Dyson vacuum
 

Dyson had a US spec motor made by Mitsubishi I think for the US market.

UK one won't be much use and even if you did want to lug a transformer around the house, the motor won't last nearly as long and home owners insurance might think twice if you made a claim after your house burnt down in case of a fire.

Re: Dyson vacuum
 

You could, but that would be the bulk of just buying a new Dyson in the US.

Can get a refurb Dyson for $200 which is less than a new motor....plus it's a bit of a mammoth ball ache to take apart unless you've got a set of those torque screwdrivers and taking it to a shop to do would probably cost you as much as the motor.

Re: Dyson vacuum
 

There's just something inside me that regards Dyson's as marketing junk, rather than first class works of engineering like a Miele. This is my current model http://www.amazon.com/Miele-S5281-Ca.../dp/B0038JPDJI and I'm loath to give it up for a Dyson here in the US.

I'm still staggered at the huge price differences between Miele appliances in the UK and US!

Re: Dyson vacuum
 

I was sceptical about the Dyson, but it works, and ours works as well today as it did 6-7 years ago when we bought it.... it is still capable of pulling a strange grey paste-like dust out of the carpet. You could not pay me to take a Miele instead, though I suspect the Miele might survive falling down the stairs, when I'm fairly certain the Dyson would not! :)

Re: Dyson vacuum
 

++ Three dog household and our Dyson handles it with ease. Wouldn't even consider anything else.

Re: Dyson vacuum
 

I can confirm that a DC14 and DC41 will both survive going down the stairs. However, if you plan on doing it on a regular basis I would go for the more tank luke DC14!

Re: Dyson vacuum
 

iRoomba FTW!

Re: Dyson vacuum
 

:thumbsup: Roomba...we have wooden floors and I wouldn't have anything else. I loved the Dyson I had in the UK...4 dogs and carpets.

Re: Dyson vacuum
 

I bet I'm the only one who, reading the title of this thread, thought it had something to do with physics.

Re: Dyson vacuum
 

It does, my Dyson doesn't work by chemistry, neither does any directly competing cleaning device.

Re: Dyson vacuum
 

Mine sucks.. like Gravity. And Magnets.

:)

Re: Hoover
 

Hungyhorace - not picking on you personally but you really should stick to things you know about, and volts, amps and watts is apparently not one of them.... :lol:
US voltage is notionally 120VAC, 60Hz
A step-up transformer for 2000 Watts of power is a big, heavy and hot beast. I have one to run some power tools and it is not luggable in any reasonable sense of the word
You will not get more that about 1800 Watts out of a US 15 amp wall socket. Some rings in the kitchen MAY be on a 20A circuit.
Finally the 50Hz UK frequency and 60Hz US frequency may have some effect on the performance of the vacuum, even if it is running at the correct voltage

OP - If you are adventurous you might be able to extract 220V from a wall socket in the kitchen or garage (with a lot of caveats). Since you asked the question it is probably safe to assume this is beyond you. As others have said, sell and buy one when you get here. We have the Animal (DC-07, sorry not sure of the exact model as it is the Mrs dept.) and it works.

Re: Hoover
 

No, no, i'll give you that one :)

Re: Dyson vacuum
 

Ours is about to hit 10 years old and still just as good too. Bit of a faff cleaning the front roller bit as it tends to get long hairs building up and remembering to rinse out the blue foam filter, but that's just a air filter for the motor.

They've certainly gotten lighter and more nimble over the years though.

Re: Dyson vacuum
 

Unlike me. :)

Re: Dyson vacuum
 

Might I suggest reducing the serving size of Devil Dogs to "six"? :sneaky:

Re: Dyson vacuum
 

Well, I don't see how that would work at all. :(

Re: Dyson vacuum
 

Use the Dyson to suck it out of you...there's probably a nasty picture in that one :/