How to get UK appliances to work in the US?

[Bella Ciao]

We are currently in the US on a leisure trip for the next month or so. The wife is carrying her favourite Dyson Airwrap Multi-styler, which unfortunately isn’t working here probably due to voltage difference.

I have tried searching Google for an answer but most of the articles suggest getting a voltage converter. I checked online and I am 15 minutes taxi ride away from the nearest Best Buy. If it is easier to buy it from Amazon, I can get it delivered to my hotel. I am living in a Marriott property and I have checked with the front desk, and they are happy to receive parcels for me.

Does anyone has any experience in getting such adapters before I take a punt on the cheapest one, because I don’t think we will ever need it again unless we travel to US/Canada again?

[NorthernLass]

How have you managed to travel so far without an adaptor plug, we always carry at least 2! Never bought one in America but I imagine any UK to US travel adaptor would be fine, if you can get them there.

Just looked on Amazon and they come with USB sockets now, might need to update ours!

[Bella Ciao]

Hello @NorthernLass – We have universal plugs which convert UK plugs to any form of international plugs including the US. The issue is that the Dyson still wouldn’t turn on possibly due to voltage difference. We have 240v back home but in the US they have 110v.

[davefl]

Googling it says there are specific 110 and 240 volt models. Crazy that something designed to be carried while travelling isn’t dual voltage these days. A basic plug adapter won’t help you

Finding a 110-240v converter in the US would be difficult as the americans don’t generally recognise that the rest of the word exists never mind that we have different standards to them. I did also see some references that say a voltage converter doesn’t work with that device anyway even if you could find one.

[Annie]

UK Dyson hair appliance will not work in the USA. I found that out the hard way, most annoying.

[Rui N.]

Do go to Best Buy but buy there a cheap replacement to use it while you are there.

[BA Flyer IHG Stayer]

In this case I’d physically go to a store when you can specifically check with a human that the plug is actually what you need rather than rely on what can be an incorrect Amazon description – common language separated by an ocean and all that.

And check on the Dyson website that using a converter actually works with the dryer (apparently not according to some) and that using one doesn’t invalidate any guarantee that may still be on it.

[Lyn]

I really wouldn’t recommend buying a voltage converter to use with an expensive favourite appliance. In my experience they aren’t always reliable and bad quality ones can damage the appliance.

When you say ‘it doesn’t work here’ does that mean you have actually tried plugging it in to 110 volts? If so, I don’t know whether that could have caused any damaged to the appliance already?

Some appliances that you’d normally expect to be single voltage are actually dual voltage and say so somewhere, e.g. on the handle. Sometimes there is even some type of a small switch to change this, like on inexpensive travel hairdryers. I imagine it is sometimes less expensive for the manufacturer to make a single model for multiple markets, albeit with different actual plugs.

Might there be an alternative travel version available in a dual-voltage version, even if it is less functional, that your wife could buy to just use while travelling, on this and future trips whatever the local voltage?

[Rui N.]

Given that the voltage is lower, likely not have damaged it. Other way around would be worst.
Probably has some protection system since it hasn’t turned on at all.
Not working with a voltage converter is simply not possible, an appliance cannot recognise that the 240V it is receiving come from a voltage converter or not. Most likely the voltage converter was of poor quality or not set up properly.

[can2]

You need a transformer. May not be worth the effort though

[dougzz99]

Classic Dyson. Marketing over function.

[Lyn]

can2 wrote:

You need a transformer. May not be worth the effort though

Yes, this is probably the correct terminology (a step-up or step-down transformer depending on the direction), rather than voltage converter. I think @Rui is right that plugging in to a lower voltage is unlikely to have caused any damage and there is probably some protection system in place.

[can2]

You need Something like this:

It may be not a big deal for a hair dryer but we had a similar issue when ours was an infant and we felt like we needed to take our bottle steriliser with us to the US. And a drama ensued…

500W Voltage Transformer, 220/240 Volts to 110/120V Step Up Step Down Voltage Converter, UK to US & US to UK https://amzn.eu/d/fjZb1zg

[Travel Strong]

Rui N. wrote:

Given that the voltage is lower, likely not have damaged it. Other way around would be worst.
Probably has some protection system since it hasn’t turned on at all.
Not working with a voltage converter is simply not possible, an appliance cannot recognise that the 240V it is receiving come from a voltage converter or not. Most likely the voltage converter was of poor quality or not set up properly.

Regarding damage, the appliance still tries to pull the power (Wattage) it desires regardless of voltage, and Watt / Voltage = Amps. Therefore a 500W appliance on US power supply draws a higher ampage through the wiring in the device, with a high likelihood of damage if the device is designed only for 240V.

[Bella Ciao]

can2 wrote:

You need Something like this:

It may be not a big deal for a hair dryer but we had a similar issue when ours was an infant and we felt like we needed to take our bottle steriliser with us to the US. And a drama ensued…

500W Voltage Transformer, 220/240 Volts to 110/120V Step Up Step Down Voltage Converter, UK to US & US to UK https://amzn.eu/d/fjZb1zg

Thank you everyone for your responses. We saw something like this in the Best Buy and decided it’s not worth the palaver. So the OH ended up using the hairdryer our hotel supplied, although she is disappointed at not using her expensive Dyson curler.

[QwertyKnowsBest]

Bella Ciao wrote:

can2 wrote:

You need Something like this:

It may be not a big deal for a hair dryer but we had a similar issue when ours was an infant and we felt like we needed to take our bottle steriliser with us to the US. And a drama ensued…

500W Voltage Transformer, 220/240 Volts to 110/120V Step Up Step Down Voltage Converter, UK to US & US to UK https://amzn.eu/d/fjZb1zg

Thank you everyone for your responses. We saw something like this in the Best Buy and decided it’s not worth the palaver. So the OH ended up using the hairdryer our hotel supplied, although she is disappointed at not using her expensive Dyson curler.

Good move, voltage is only part of the issue. Most appliances in the are designed to use the standard US DC (direct current) power supply, UK/much of the rest of the world is AC (Alternating Current), with other diffences. For many appliances, those that are dual voltage or use a a power supply (PSU) for example items that charge, AC or DC and 110V or 240V will not matter, they are designed to cope with the difference, but some appliances are not.

[Froggee]

Where are you finding a standard DC power supply in the US?

I bet you 20 10ml sachets of Lakeland UHT milk that they are long gone. Edison lost that battle round about 1890 and according to wiki the last DC distribution was axed (not literally, that would probably have been dumb) in 2007.

[Lula]

I have a Dyson Airwrap too. Great appliance but they should have supplied it with a dual voltage option. Especially as they supply it with a “travel pouch.” In every other aspect I love it though and would recommend it. Just means there’s no point taking it to the US.

[Andrew.]

Consumer transformers are unlikely to manage an appliance that draws 1300 watts.

But 220-250V sockets (outlets) are very actually very common across the USA, every property gets a 220V supply (the 110V is “tapped off” it) – they are just not very obvious.

You’ll find them in laundry rooms, kitchens, boiler rooms, outdoors by air conditioning units and car chargers.

They usually have a 4-pin socket, and need a special plug. UK & European ex-pats in the US and Canada often have an extra 220V socket installed near their stove to use an imported kettle with a suitably changed plug.

[robkeane]

“Crazy that something designed to be carried while travelling isn’t dual voltage these days.”

“I have a Dyson Airwrap too. Great appliance but they should have supplied it with a dual voltage option”

Small electronic devices like chargers and the like step down the voltage from mains to 5/9/12 volts to actually do the charging, ie. the device uses a really small voltage. The current drawn by these devices is relatively small, so it is trivial to have the power supply capable of taking in both 110V and 240V.

Large devices like hair dryers or curling tongs actually power the device using the mains itself, i.e. the heating element/blower uses a 240V motor/elment in the UK and a 110V one in the USA. They are entirely different heating elements. It is therefore a lot more complex to do dual voltage on these type of devices.

I have seen travel kettles that have a dual switch, but most of them are a fudge, and when you take them to the USA, they simply power the heating element with 110V instead of 240V, and it takes 3 times as long to boil the water.

[Tiger]

I have a kettle with the following ratings: 1200W, 230V, 50Hz

I wonder if my kettle will work in the US. I am okay if I have to wait twice the amount of time it will take to work in the US compared to the UK, but the question is will it even work in the US?

[strickers]

@Tiger It may or may not, it may not even generate enough power to heat the water or the 60Hz will mess with the internal electronics. Considering how cheap travel kettles are I’d just buy one for the trip.

[BA Flyer IHG Stayer]

@Tiger – just aorder a cheap kettle off amazon .com

[davefl]

@tiger, if it’s not labelled for 110v, then no it could even be dangerous to plug in. If the voltage is halved the current drawn is doubled and could burn out the wiring, potentially being a fire hazard.

You can buy voltage converters but one that would handle a kettle would be pricier than a kettle.

Amazon.com will ship to lockers near your location. Just allow 3-4 days for delivery to the locker, then you get 4 days to pick up.

[Tiger]

Thanks @strickers @davefl @BAFlyerIHGStayer. I will order one off Amazon then.

Tigresses was eyeing a Dyson and a Shark Hairdryer in the US, considering how cheap electronics usually are in the US. But after reading the problem OP has posted about, I guess buying such expensive hairdryers are out of question because they might blow up if we plug them here in the UK?