110v in NZ?

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slliwgd

216 posts

Master Geek

Topic # 114556 23-Feb-2013 11:31
Hi guys. Is it possible to have a socket in my kitchen re-wired to 110 volt to use US appliances with it ? My thought would be there would need to be a step down transformer wired into the line somewhere (?) Does anybody know if this is possible and would it be expensive ? Thanks.

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1534 posts

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Reply # 768106 23-Feb-2013 11:35
I'm pretty sure having a hard-wired in step-down transformer in the wall would be highly illegal in NZ. Something like this http://www.jaycar.co.nz/productView.asp?ID=MF1091&keywords=step+down&form=KEYWORD would be your best bet.

Gilco2

709 posts

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Reply # 768107 23-Feb-2013 11:36
I would say its possible but the cost might outweigh any advantages. The workshop I worked in for last 33 years had 32volt wired around for safety and we had 32 volt electric drills and grinders. This before days of cordless battery drills etc. Used 32 volt stepdown transformers at the main switchboard. So a house would be possible but at what cost. May not be cost effective and of course would need to check whether it is legal these days or not as well HTPC AMD A4-5300 cpu, Gigabyte ga2fa75m-d3h motherboard, , 4GB DDR3 ram, onboard graphics. Hauppuage HVR 3300 tuner, Antec 2480B case, Windows 7 home premium 64 bit using media center

slliwgd

216 posts

Master Geek

Reply # 768130 23-Feb-2013 12:04
dontpanic42: I'm pretty sure having a hard-wired in step-down transformer in the wall would be highly illegal in NZ. Something like this http://www.jaycar.co.nz/productView.asp?ID=MF1091&keywords=step+down&form=KEYWORD would be your best bet. Awesome, thanks dontpanic42. That will do the trick.

khull

643 posts

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Reply # 768155 23-Feb-2013 13:07
stop down transformers are highly inefficient to run appliances off

richms

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Reply # 768160 23-Feb-2013 13:36
quality transformers are pretty efficiant. But no way will you be able to put a US outlet on your fixed wiring - not approved and a really shoody outlet. Yellow ceeform ones might me doable. big and ugly tho. One of my stepdowns has that as the outlet since its real common in the uk for worksites. Richard rich.ms

Niel

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Reply # 768188 23-Feb-2013 15:12
There are a few issues with a stepdown transformer. One of them is it will not convert the frequency from 50Hz to 60Hz, so your 110V products will have a different impedance (which is dependant on frequency) and will get stressed when run at 50Hz. Another issue is that a stepdown transformer does not provide dialectric isolation from 240V, and there are risks if a 110V appliance like say an amplifier is connected via an audio cable to a 240V TV set. 110V stepdown transformers should be limited to lab use, it is not really a consumer item. You can never have enough Volvos!

Niel

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Reply # 768189 23-Feb-2013 15:15
richms: quality transformers are pretty efficiant. But no way will you be able to put a US outlet on your fixed wiring - not approved and a really shoody outlet. Yellow ceeform ones might me doable. big and ugly tho. One of my stepdowns has that as the outlet since its real common in the uk for worksites. Agree, an "auto" transformer is much more efficient than a normal transformer at the expense of no galvanic isolation. Just wondering if a 110V shaver socket for hotels can be used for residential? You can never have enough Volvos!

slliwgd

216 posts

Master Geek

Reply # 768191 23-Feb-2013 15:32
Niel: richms: quality transformers are pretty efficiant. But no way will you be able to put a US outlet on your fixed wiring - not approved and a really shoody outlet. Yellow ceeform ones might me doable. big and ugly tho. One of my stepdowns has that as the outlet since its real common in the uk for worksites. Agree, an "auto" transformer is much more efficient than a normal transformer at the expense of no galvanic isolation. Just wondering if a 110V shaver socket for hotels can be used for residential? I never thought of the Shaver Socket. It would be installed and used in my kitchen for bench top appliances if we went ahead.

nickb800

1193 posts

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Reply # 768194 23-Feb-2013 15:35
slliwgd: Niel: richms: quality transformers are pretty efficiant. But no way will you be able to put a US outlet on your fixed wiring - not approved and a really shoody outlet. Yellow ceeform ones might me doable. big and ugly tho. One of my stepdowns has that as the outlet since its real common in the uk for worksites. Agree, an "auto" transformer is much more efficient than a normal transformer at the expense of no galvanic isolation. Just wondering if a 110V shaver socket for hotels can be used for residential? I never thought of the Shaver Socket. It would be installed and used in my kitchen for bench top appliances if we went ahead. Most kitchen appliances would exceed the current rating of a shaver socket - dont try this without comparing the specs of the outlet to the specs of your appliance. My guess is that perhaps a stick blender would work but nothing else

RunningMan

1394 posts

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Reply # 768195 23-Feb-2013 15:38
Buy some new appliances locally. Surely the total cost of ownership taking in to account importing, voltage conversion, warranty and safety has got to be higher using US appliances.

dontpanic42

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Reply # 768198 23-Feb-2013 15:47
RunningMan: Buy some new appliances locally. Surely the total cost of ownership taking in to account importing, voltage conversion, warranty and safety has got to be higher using US appliances. +1. What kind of appliances are you trying to run at 110V? Surely you could buy the same locally at lower cost and hassle than trying to get 110V working.

Niel

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Reply # 768199 23-Feb-2013 15:48
Agree with RunningMan. One of the main issues would be insurance claims which is getting much tighter. You are not really covered if you are using appliances that do not comply with NZ standards (or were not tested). You can never have enough Volvos!

sbiddle

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Biddle Corp

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Reply # 768205 23-Feb-2013 16:11
slliwgd: Niel: richms: quality transformers are pretty efficiant. But no way will you be able to put a US outlet on your fixed wiring - not approved and a really shoody outlet. Yellow ceeform ones might me doable. big and ugly tho. One of my stepdowns has that as the outlet since its real common in the uk for worksites. Agree, an "auto" transformer is much more efficient than a normal transformer at the expense of no galvanic isolation. Just wondering if a 110V shaver socket for hotels can be used for residential? I never thought of the Shaver Socket. It would be installed and used in my kitchen for bench top appliances if we went ahead. I can't find the specs for the PDL unit online but from memory these supply about 20W and are designed only for a shaver or other extremely low wattage devices. This is going to exclude pretty much every kitchen appliance. The best solution is to buy new appliances. *Need help configuring your Linksys ATA or IP Phones for New Zealand? Check my blog post

DarthKermit

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Reply # 768234 23-Feb-2013 18:00
sbiddle: I can't find the specs for the PDL unit online but from memory these supply about 20W and are designed only for a shaver or other extremely low wattage devices. This is going to exclude pretty much every kitchen appliance. The best solution is to buy new appliances. Here it is: http://www.pdlglobal.com/data/product_documents/675%20Declaration%20of%20Conformity.pdf

Niel

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Reply # 768328 23-Feb-2013 22:09
sbiddle: I can't find the specs for the PDL unit online but from memory these supply about 20W and are designed only for a shaver or other extremely low wattage devices. This is going to exclude pretty much every kitchen appliance. The best solution is to buy new appliances. Thanks, was just wondering if it can be used in a home, not that it would be rated for appliances. You can never have enough Volvos!

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