Having Multiple 120V Sockets

[Jill Lyons]

Hi,

I am moving back to the UK after 10 years in the US. I want to know if it's possible for me to have an electrician put a few sockets in the house I am buying spepcially for my US appliances, like my TV, washer and drier.

I would appreciate any advice you can give.

Thanks

 

[steptoe]

what frequency does the USA use?

I know some Canadian stuff on 60Hz wont work properly, ie, some TVs etc......

you could get 120V sockets installed, maybe, but they probably wont fit your USA plugs,

USA sockets probably wont comply with British Standards ,

so your electrician will have to be competent enough to make a deviation from BS7671 and justify it.

 

[ProDave]

Where I used to live was close to a US air base and a lot of the former USAF housing was sold off privately.

A friend of mine bought one.

As well as the normal 230V sockets, there were 110V US type sockets in every room, all fed from a stonking big auto transformer.

That's the sort of thing you would be looking at, though probably only a small transformer if you are talking about low power appliances (the AF tenants used to bring their 110V washing machines with them!!)

But is it worth it?  Is the cost of bringing that stuff over here worth it?  Why not just get new stuff here.  Their tv's won't work properly, at best they will be AV monitors not necessarily suporting all the input formats you want.  I wouldn't dream of paying to ship a 110V washer dryer here, so that leaves small stuff like laptops. Just buy new PSU's for them if they are not already universal input voltage. 

 

[NozSpark]

I remember using an auto transformer to supply a "Biddle Hi Pot" test set years ago... and that was the size of a bag of sugar

Oh ****,,,, should I have said that... official secrets act and all

 

[Andy™]

a lot of small electronics are rated between 110 & 230v, 50 or 60hz. so you may well be able to just remove the plug and fit a UK plug. as for the washer & dryer, probably easier to just buy a new one here. what happens if it breaks in a years time? i import another one?

 

[Blue Duck]

Where I used to live was close to a US air base and a lot of the former USAF housing was sold off privately.

A friend of mine bought one.

As well as the normal 230V sockets, there were 110V US type sockets in every room, all fed from a stonking big auto transformer.

That's the sort of thing you would be looking at, though probably only a small transformer if you are talking about low power appliances (the AF tenants used to bring their 110V washing machines with them!!)

But is it worth it? Is the cost of bringing that stuff over here worth it? Why not just get new stuff here. Their tv's won't work properly, at best they will be AV monitors not necessarily suporting all the input formats you want. I wouldn't dream of paying to ship a 110V washer dryer here, so that leaves small stuff like laptops. Just buy new PSU's for them if they are not already universal input voltage.

The power of the American army is to provide their personnel with whatever they need wherever they need it.

First experienced in ww2 the Germans found it alarming that the American troops had coca cola on the front line when they were struggling to find bullet's and basic supplies.

 

[ProDave]

The power of the American army is to provide their personnel with whatever they need wherever they need it.

First experienced in ww2 the Germans found it alarming that the American troops had coca cola on the front line when they were struggling to find bullet's and basic supplies.

Yes my point. Fine to bring your fridge, washing machine, dryer etc if your employer is paying the cost to ship it over the Atlantic. But if you have to pay that cost, definitely not worth it.

 

[Blue Duck]

Agreed.

Jus get a load of 230>110 site transformers they'll look pretty lying around the place :|

 

[septiclecky]

Ditch the washing machine and buy one over here as it is a well known fact that US washing machines use about 4-5 times the amount of water than european makes and models, if your on a water meter when you come over and do a lot of washing it will be an expensive water bill.

 

[SLIPSHOD & SLAPDASH]

Will the TV work here now we are Digital ?

 

[ProDave]

Will the TV work here now we are Digital ?

I mentioned that earlier. Almost certainly not as a tv.  It might work as  an av monitor, but the range of inputs might or might not match what he wants. So  certainly wouldn't bother bringing the tv.

 

[kme]

TV wouldn`t work on our systems; unless you are connecting to a set-top-box capable of producing an NTSC frame sync; rather than the phase alternate line (PAL) system used in this country.

 

[Richard-the-Ninth]

American washing machines use cold water only, they don't heat the water, which also means any UK soap powder will not work properly (Honest)

 

[Steve3948]

Where I used to live was close to a US air base and a lot of the former USAF housing was sold off privately.

A friend of mine bought one.

As well as the normal 230V sockets, there were 110V US type sockets in every room, all fed from a stonking big auto transformer.

That's the sort of thing you would be looking at, though probably only a small transformer if you are talking about low power appliances (the AF tenants used to bring their 110V washing machines with them!!)

But is it worth it? Is the cost of bringing that stuff over here worth it? Why not just get new stuff here. Their tv's won't work properly, at best they will be AV monitors not necessarily suporting all the input formats you want. I wouldn't dream of paying to ship a 110V washer dryer here, so that leaves small stuff like laptops. Just buy new PSU's for them if they are not already universal input voltage.

Dave back in the 80''s we did around 30 houses for the USAF and as you say adjacent to every 230V Socket was a US 110V Socket. On the floor below the 110V Fuseboard was a metal enclosed transformer about 600X600mm.

10 Years later the yanks had gone.