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| Thread ID: 148271 | 2019-10-08 14:31:00 | I thought it may be a problem | Roscoe (6288) | PC World Chat |
| Post ID | Timestamp | Content | User | ||
| 1464380 | 2019-10-08 14:31:00 | We are holidaying in America where their power voltage is only 120v. With us running on 240v I thought that that may have been a problem, but not so. The only difficulty is that, like the UK, their plugs are different, so we need a converter. Apart from that everything works fine. So is there any difference? Is it the power (amps) that is the same that makes 240v devices compatible, or how does it work? I'd be interested to know. |
Roscoe (6288) | ||
| 1464381 | 2019-10-08 17:43:00 | The UK uses 240v for domestic power but on all building sites it uses 110v by law, its a real pain having to carry around a converter box. I still have some of my old 110v tools even over here as they work and it's costly to replace them so I wait until they expire then replace them. | gary67 (56) | ||
| 1464382 | 2019-10-08 17:44:00 | Most devices these days are designed to work on either so as long as you check first to make sure they work it's fine. The majority of devices run on DC anyway it's just a matter of having a wide enough input range on the AC-DC conversion circuit. That said there is only half the power available and some high drain devices won't work. Going the other way is risky though, connecting a 110V device to 240V might result in catastrophic failure if it hasn't been designed for it. |
dugimodo (138) | ||
| 1464383 | 2019-10-08 18:08:00 | I'd be interested to know. So was I once. From what I can understand (I'm no electrician) 110v was originally decided by Edison for H & S reasons. 110 wouldn't kill you, but 240 would. And 110 was enough to run a light bulb which was his fetish at the time. Then something happened that I'm lost on and DC changed to AC and then it was found that 110 AC could kill you, so therefore the 110 compromise was moot so people started rocking up to 200v+ as this required lighter cabling. I understand 110v and 240v appliances can work off either supply coz they have a converter within them that adjusts the voltage coming in from the power point to what it requires. |
allblack (6574) | ||
| 1464384 | 2019-10-08 19:32:00 | half way down: en.wikipedia.org Technical explanation of why and how. |
piroska (17583) | ||
| 1464385 | 2019-10-08 19:46:00 | In short, it all depends on the design of the appliance. | B.M. (505) | ||
| 1464386 | 2019-10-08 21:00:00 | A 110v toaster, a 230v supply and a nong= fire! www.youtube.com |
KarameaDave (15222) | ||
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