230v power tool to 240v mains?

[devonutopia]

Trying to find out if this is possible, but I think it is

Locally I bought a 2 pin plugged drill from someone emigrating. Was cheap and I assumed at the time it was a 110v one and needed a transformer. Today I noticed it said 230v, so I assume its a mains powered drill designed for use in Europe. So, I assume I just need a 2 pin to 3 pin converter and job's a good 'un? Drill isn't a monster thing - just a 550w hobby drill really.

Google is not helping when trying to answer this

[rover220]

Just cut the plug off and put a uk plug on it if its deffo 230v

[@Lee]

what he said. SWMBO came over from Germany with two pin kettle, coffee maker, iron etc. I just topped the plugs off and changed for UK ones and no probs. Some stuff is even earthed.

[devonutopia]

ah - well, I've spent £3 on a ebay converter before thinking about the snipping option - I have some spare plugs too/ D'oh! Will see how the converter goes and if need be, cut and shut a plug on it later

[Octygone]

Just stick a rcd plug or rcd adaptor on just to to sure Jase....voltage is fine as most of the UK is almost down to that anyway, it's just the "no earth option" that the rcd plug will deal with

http://www.screwfix.com/p/masterplug-rcd-adaptor/63731

[gadgetman]

230v is fine http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mains_electricity#section_3

[Robjon]

As long as the drill bears the "double insulation" symbol (a square within a square), you'll be fine.

[rover220]

Most power tools and some appliances are double insulated so no earth anyway.

[nickguzzi]

Earth? Only good for driving on!

[GentleGiant]

UK 240v is +/- 10%, so 230v is well within tolerance.

MOST equipment these days is 220v anyway, as that is European standard voltage, and it all works fine here in the UK.

The only thing to watch out for is US stuff, as it is 60 Hz and not 50Hz; some things will work, some things will go too fast and some things will catch fire or explode!!!!

[gadgetman]

I thought the UK adopted the EU 230v standard and dropped 240v over a decade ago?

[BJM]

UK 240v is +/- 10%, so 230v is well within tolerance.

MOST equipment these days is 220v anyway, as that is European standard voltage, and it all works fine here in the UK.

The only thing to watch out for is US stuff, as it is 60 Hz and not 50Hz; some things will work, some things will go too fast and some things will catch fire or explode!!!!

Mostly Rubbish - lets get a few FACTS correct.

1. As gadgetman says the Standardised voltage(s) for the UK used to be 240v / 50Hz, and that of most of the the EU used to be 220v / 50Hz. It was standardised across the then 11 members of the EU at 230v +/- 10 / 50Hz in 1996.

2. USA voltage is 110v / 60 Hz

For God's sake don't plug US equipment directly into UK supplies - it will explode or catch fire.

[GentleGiant]

Mostly Rubbish - lets get a few FACTS correct.

1. As gadgetman says the Standardised voltage(s) for the UK used to be 240v / 50Hz, and that of most of the the EU used to be 220v / 50Hz. It was standardised across the then 11 members of the EU at 230v +/- 10 / 50Hz in 1996.

2. USA voltage is 110v / 60 Hz

For God's sake don't plug US equipment directly into UK supplies - it will explode or catch fire.

UK voltage is 240v PLUS OR MINUS 10% - as an effing industrial electrician I know what I am talking about.

Therefore the voltage can legally vary from 264v to 216v. European voltage is 220v +/- 10% - 244v to 200v. The KEY word when reading the voltage specs is "Nominal", no country changed its voltage, just adopted the 230v moniker as a piece of legal jargon.

YES US is 110v (+/- 55v), but you cannot simply run mains power equipment through a transformer because it ALSO uses 60hz frequency which can bugger up timing and/or deliver too much power to devices without suitable power regulators.

A lot of modern electronic equipment WILL work, because most modern electronic equipment uses intelligent power supplies; the manufacturers figured out years ago that it is a lot cheaper to make one slightly more expensive standardised psu, than make cheaper psu's for each different voltage/frequency throughout the world; if you dont believe me, go and read the blurb printed on the power block for most laptops built in the last 10 years, it will say "100-240v 50/60hz"

[ckyliu]

Have to be careful with electrical things from China, the company I work for has done a bit of importing from there and they tend to fail in short order in the UK if they were built for Mainland China where the voltage is (legally, technically and anything else either) 220 volts. Heater elements are a favourite for failing, tend to work for 2 or 3 months before dying.

[cheezemonkhai]

Already posted by another post..

Edited 4 March, 2013 by cheezemonkhai

[Holmesie]

if it says 230v you will be fine .... the cable will be standard win core with no earth. most power tools are class 2 (square inside a square logo) and do not require earthing.

[GentleGiant]

Have to be careful with electrical things from China, the company I work for has done a bit of importing from there and they tend to fail in short order in the UK if they were built for Mainland China where the voltage is (legally, technically and anything else either) 220 volts. Heater elements are a favourite for failing, tend to work for 2 or 3 months before dying.

That is more probably because it is badly made tat then the voltage issue. Stuff my wife brought with her is still working perfectly - over 14 months after we arrived in the UK, and a friends wife has stuff she brought over 5 years ago that still works. On the other hand, a cheap Chinese-made USB charger I bought through a UK company a few months ago exploded after 8 hours (REALLY - it blew the cable across the floor).

I never checked the exact voltage in China, but everything I took with me worked properly, even a cheap, plug-in mosquito killer from Lidl.

[fabdavrav]

heres a spanner in the works..................................

Back in mid 80's I lived in USA for a few years...........................

My mum took her UK Singer sewing machine and her UK Kenwood mixer out to USA with her.................

Electrician just wired one "USA industrial" 220V? socket (by "strapping" two 110V cables together) in the kitchen and fitted respective plugs to the mixer and sewing machine.

Both appliances worked well.............and were still working after several years back in the UK when we came back!..the Hz difference didn't make any noticable effect on them!

[TeflonTom]

Electrician just wired one "USA industrial" 220V? socket (by "strapping" two 110V cables together) in the kitchen and fitted respective plugs to the mixer and sewing machine.

!

yes that is entirely plausible, on USA three phase installations you can obtain 220v by wire across 2 live terminals, it's not good practice though especially for domestic stuff..

I've been thinking about the scaremongering that the 50/60hz brigade have been bleating about too and o can't even think of a good reason why you can't run a drill or a blender from either a 50 or 60 hz main, basically in a power drill there is a "universal ac-dc" motor which is probably half wave rectified and the way the speed is varied is by tapping into the field coil in various places, that just means the thing would run slightly faster on a 60hz supply.. This is all just theory though don't try this at home folks.

[Trev2]

I had a rice cooker which I bought when I lived in Hong Kong in the late 70's. It lasted thirty years before it packed in, and even then the electical side of things were still working fine, the aluminium bowl got a hole in it.

[roo]

heres a spanner in the works..................................

Back in mid 80's I lived in USA for a few years...........................

My mum took her UK Singer sewing machine and her UK Kenwood mixer out to USA with her.................

Electrician just wired one "USA industrial" 220V? socket (by "strapping" two 110V cables together) in the kitchen and fitted respective plugs to the mixer and sewing machine.

Both appliances worked well.............and were still working after several years back in the UK when we came back!..the Hz difference didn't make any noticable effect on them!

Heavy duty appliances such as washing machines, cookers and possibly fridges in the USA are designed and wired for 230V running anyway as the 110v on it's own cannot cope (Anyone who's ever boiled a 110v kettle will know how long it takes),

[fabdavrav]

Heavy duty appliances such as washing machines, cookers and possibly fridges in the USA are designed and wired for 230V running anyway as the 110v on it's own cannot cope ,

Not when i lived over there...............fridge, freezer, washing machine, tumble drier etc all 110v!.................................220V is USA version of our 480v 3 phase industrial.

[roo]

Not when i lived over there...............fridge, freezer, washing machine, tumble drier etc all 110v!.................................220V is USA version of our 480v 3 phase industrial.

The in laws live in the California and their washing machine is definately 230v as it's hooked up to a step up transformer for the supply voltage.

[VWD]

And look out for any US kit that says "110 -230v AC" . It might well be switched mode, but the input RF capacitors will most likely be rated at 110 ,and on connection -unit goes bang . Son had it with some kit he bought in US ( Californi to be precise). Think it was a PS3 -lot cheaper than here . Said "110-230" ,so he pluged it in for PSU to go bang . I opened it to find input cap had blown and deposited it's innards on most of the inside . New PSU for a few quid and all was well . If the drill is not metal ,then it's probably double insulated . If metal ,might be worth opening up and fitting three core cable ,and then get it PAT tested .

[David 8]

UK voltage is 240v PLUS OR MINUS 10% - as an effing industrial electrician I know what I am talking about.

You're not Dr Richard Kimble by any chance are you ??

Is there anything you have NOT done in this world ??