UK electrical appliances in the US

[rebeccajo 14]

thanks, Kezzie and rkl57; that's very helpful

All righty then.

After all, it's your 10 grand. Not mine.

yes

I'm going to spend ten grand on bringing a kettle and a hair dryer to the US

egad

Apparently I missed that part. You said kitchen appliances. I thought you meant your cooker. My apologies.

[Jeraly 4]

Hehe - well you know what they say about the kitchen sink

[britty 1]

thanks for the replies, guys

what did you do, britty? I'm guessing you just used the plug adaptors?

and rkl57, what happened to the hair dryer?

Yeah I just used an adaptor. To be honest I could have got more heat from the hair irons by blowing on them. I had some pink (yes pink!) kitchen appliances which were really nice, but I left them at my mum's after finding out that the irons and hairdryer didn't do much. To be honest, your kitchen appliances will be a lot to carry or expensive to ship, so I would kiss them goodbye and find them a new home. If you have time before you are due to leave, put them on ebay and at least get some money back for them. You can buy really nice small appliances out here, and I recently found a pink food mixer so I am very happy indeed !

All I know is every one of my friends who have tried using GHDs in the US can't get them to work at all I don't use them luckily!!

Yeah mine were GHD's but GHD is now making irons in the US so of course I have a pair and they are just as fantastic as the UK ones. They cost me $150 but frankly I would have paid double that.

[Jeraly 4]

You can buy really nice small appliances out here, and I recently found a pink food mixer so I am very happy indeed !

Haha - but is your hubby?!

[VisaJourneyLady 33]

Just as an extra note, I might be just telling you something you already know, but in case there's anyone this will help:

Bringing 220-240v appliances from the uk to the us will probably only result in them not working very well. However going the other direction, bringing a 110-120v appliance, using a plug converter and plugging it in to a European socket will blow the appliance, and then you can kiss it goodbye.

xxxx

[Jeraly 4]

Yeah - we had issues when Jeremy brought over my puter from the US and built it for me a couple years ago - we ended up having to go through three kettle cords and two power supplies

[StillThePrettiest 3]

ach du je

I don't know what I'm going to take, yet... I'll be shipping some stuff anyway, so if there's a reasonable chance of some of the things being successfully converted I might put a few of them in, but it's not like I can't bear to leave them... just want to know all my options before I make decisions

hope my laptop and things work...

[VisaJourneyLady 33]

I've got a 4-way and an 8-way surge protector adapters, my plan is to bring them, so I would only have to get one or two step up converters to be able to plug in a bunch of stuff. Laptops, xbox etc.

[SMB x2 0]

Bit late to the party, but I've got a bit of experience with this with being involved in importing US video game consoles into the UK.

As mentioned, stuff which works on dual voltage (110v/240v) will be fine. This is generally stuff that runs on dc voltage internally with its own transformers etc. Think electronics, like an LCD or something. Motors, things with filaments and the like will run on ac and will suffer when going to 110v, if they're designed for 240v.

You could buy a transformer which steps up the voltage from 110v to 240v for your vacuum cleaner or kettle, but given the power (in watts) it uses and the transformer you'll need, I'd say it'll be much heavier on the electric.

That said, for items you're really keen to bring with you because, well, they're yours, the solutions exist. First thing to do is check the label and take it from there. If you're unsure, by all means post here and we can check it

edit -

I've got a 4-way and an 8-way surge protector adapters, my plan is to bring them, so I would only have to get one or two step up converters to be able to plug in a bunch of stuff. Laptops, xbox etc.

See, you need to be careful here. An xbox needs about 100W if memory serves. I'm guessing a laptop is gonna knock around 100W for a newish one. Your step up converter needs to have enough power to drive the power requirements of all the things connected to it with the 4-way adaptors.

Your laptop power supply is probably dual voltage, for people travelling. Check the label on the bottom.

Stu

Edited March 3, 2008 by SMB x2

[PlatyPius 5]

I wouldn't even consider a step-up converter for a computer (most are dual-voltage, though) or laptop. Too likely to fry it. A new laptop power adapter is pretty cheap, really. I bought one for Mags' Dell laptop for around 20 bucks. You only need a new power adapter...the guts of the laptop are the same.

[Laura+Tom 2]

I'm making sure, if I do buy any new electrical items between now and moving to the US, that they are travel/dual voltage. My GHDs are dual and so is my hairdryer. Not too bothered about the hairdryer as it was a cheap one but don't fancy forking out another £100 for GHDs! Laptop should also work and I know my digital camera will as I bought it from Amazon.com and use a US to UK plug adapter for it here.

[ginger1981 0]

I'm making sure, if I do buy any new electrical items between now and moving to the US, that they are travel/dual voltage. My GHDs are dual and so is my hairdryer. Not too bothered about the hairdryer as it was a cheap one but don't fancy forking out another £100 for GHDs! Laptop should also work and I know my digital camera will as I bought it from Amazon.com and use a US to UK plug adapter for it here.

Hair dryers seem to be especially problematic travelling either way. I brought a US one to the UK, and when I plugged it in (with the converter of course) and turned it on a flame shot out of the back of the hairdryer. And then it was toast.

So I got one from Woolie's and when I brought it back to the US and plugged it in w/ a British converter it could barely blow hot...or blow at all.

So yes...hairdryers...don't bother traveling with one!

[Trompe le Monde 1,107]

I actually set my hair on fire using an American hairdryer in Britain with a converter. Since a cheap one only costs about 6 squids at Boots, that's probably a better solution.

[ginger1981 0]

I actually set my hair on fire using an American hairdryer in Britain with a converter. Since a cheap one only costs about 6 squids at Boots, that's probably a better solution.

Oi Vey! Nothing worse than the smell of burning hair...you were ok I hope?

[Trompe le Monde 1,107]

I actually set my hair on fire using an American hairdryer in Britain with a converter. Since a cheap one only costs about 6 squids at Boots, that's probably a better solution.

Oi Vey! Nothing worse than the smell of burning hair...you were ok I hope?

I was fine! Just a litttle shaken and had to endure a bad hair day as I had no hair dryer