| General > General Technical Chat |
| Cheap, electronic US-to-EU mains converters |
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| tridac:
Anyone who claims 1Kw for $30 must have a bridge to sell you. Perhaps just a simple phase control, or a diode in series with the line, with a nasty output waveform, which could damge equipment. Steer well clear and check out Ebay for a s/hand isolation transformer, the only economic way to do that safely. If you are a dab hand with electronics, another solution might be to find a s/hand yellow case building site transformer, 240 to 115 volts, and use it in reverse, being careful to disconnect the 115v side center tap earth. Foolhardy to take risks with electrical safety... |
| wraper:
--- Quote from: tridac on November 05, 2023, 12:31:47 pm ---Steer well clear and check out Ebay for a s/hand isolation transformer, the only economic way to do that safely. --- End quote --- You want autotransformer. Or somewhat worse regular transformer with center tap in primary that you can use as autotransformer. Isolation transformer will be at least 2x the size of autotransformer for the same power. |
| AVGresponding:
--- Quote from: wraper on November 05, 2023, 09:55:07 am --- --- Quote from: AVGresponding on November 05, 2023, 09:33:10 am --- --- Quote from: BrokenYugo on November 04, 2023, 08:55:20 pm ---For cheap? Use the 240V already in the building. Sometimes you find a place with a 240V air conditioner socket (15-20A) already installed. Or if you're comfortable assembling such things buy a sub panel and plug it into the stove or dryer socket (240V 30 or 50A) and install a 15A two pole breaker to give a 240V 60Hz split phase supply to a socket of your choice. Note that in an apartment you sometimes get 2/3 of a 208Y 3 phase supply so you'll have 208V and not 240. --- End quote --- UK/EU devices are designed to work with a power supply that has the neutral bonded to the earth at the installation source. US 240V is split phase and there is no earth-neutral bond in this case. It might be ok, or it might cause problems, ie with the mains input filtering. Proceed with care and caution if you choose to do this. --- End quote --- It's a total no issue. EU devices that are earthed are just supposed to be earthed, nothing to do with neural bonded to earth. Plugs/sockets are not polarized so neutral can be on either of prongs. Not to say Norway uses IT earthing system. --- End quote --- I doubt very much that you would be prepared to take legal responsibility for that statement. Just because you are unaware of a case doesn't mean they don't exist. |
| Gregg:
If you have the common US 240-120V center tap grounded neutral power available, an industrial transformer like this https://www.ebay.com/itm/385206481442 would suit your purposes because it can be wired for isolation of the secondary 240V so that you can ground one side and call it neutral. Inrush protection may be needed depending on your circumstances and proper fuses and or circuit breakers should be used. |
| tom66:
I have given thought to the idea of importing a 3kW British kettle to the States if I ever were to emigrate there. I'd have a sparky install a NEMA 14-30, or whatever is legal, in the kitchen, and then wire the kettle to the right plug for this. I'd need to take care to find a kettle that isolated both live and neutral of course, given the split phase 240V compared to our single phase here, but it feels workable! ;D |
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