220V for 110V cooktop?

[gfretwell]

You need more info from the manufacturer. Doubling the voltage will square the heat output so a meltdown is likely.

[PaPaPeng]

I just bought a Salton tabletop two element cooktop. Cute little thing and it runs off a regular 120Vac supply. I don't see any wattage rating for one 7.5 inch diameter and one 5.5 inch dia hit plate. The heat build-up is a kind of slow . Heat from the 7.5" plate barely keeps the veggie soup aboil in a pan. But I can live with that and the appliance is the ideal size and shape for a basement kitchen nook. Its a keeper. Only $25.

Ok. I need just the technical explanation, not alarmists hysteria about blowing the world up.

What will happen if I plug it into a 220Vac power supply instead, the desire being that I would like it to heat up faster and hotter? A cooktop is a resistance device and they don't make hot plates with different materials for a 110V plate that will melt or catch fire at

220V. The obvious limitation will likely be overloading the control (knob) mechanism causing it to overheat or to blow, therefore constituting a fire hazard. But what if I replace them with 220V controls? Will that work? I know that will void the appliance warranty (who cares at $25) and my house insurance if it causes an house fire. But I can also experiment by having it in the backyard where a fire. won't hurt anything.

Back to the question. Will it work and what are the downsides?

[gfretwell]

Perhaps I misworded that ;-)

Double the voltage you get 4 times the heat.

[Chris Lewis]

According to PaPaPeng :

You'll probably burn out the elements. While the thermostat _may_ prevent it from being an immediate meltdown, driving double the rated amps through the elements will be very hard on them.

[Toller]

Years ago I was on an archeological dig in Israel. My razor was 120v and the Israeli voltage is 240v. However, they deliberately were dropping the voltage to conserve energy so I figured my razor ought to be okay.

It went up in a blue flash and smoked like crazy. I expect your cooktop will do the same.

I have done exactly the opposite successfully; I had to make room in my circuit box, so I changed a seldom used 240v heating circuit to 120v. The heaters don't product much heat, but that just means they run more.

[nicksanspam]

Wow... (1500)^2 = 2.25 megawatts.

Nick

[Joseph Meehan]

No you won't blow up the world, but you may burn down yours.

Where did you get the information that lead you to "they don't make hot plates with different materials for a 110V plate that will melt or catch fire at 220V."

[Edwin Pawlowski]

Element will be hottest just before they burn out.

[nicksanspam]

Smoke. How about a series diode or a 240 V lamp dimmer?

Or put both plates in series, if the powers are different.

Nick

[Doug Miller]

I'm sure you meant to say that doubling the voltage will quadruple the heat output.

I agree with your conclusion about the likely outcome.

[Doug Miller]

An entirely predictable result, of course. And you wonder why I give you grief when you try to give people electrical advice.

[Chris Lewis]

According to :

If the element power consumption is different, if you put them in series, the higher power one will produce _less_ heat than with 120V just before the other element burns out.

If you tried this stunt with a lamp dimmer (even a 240V one), you'd blow it up too. The dimmer would have to be rated for something on the order of 4000 watts. Lamp dimmers are usually 600W, occasionally 1Kw.

Dimmers don't adjust the voltage, they adjust how much of the sine wave is "omitted" from the feed - more or less determining duty cycle. Dimmers lop out the lower voltage part of the curve, so, the elements would still be seeing 240V.

A series diode would almost work, except that it only cuts the power by one half, you need it reduced by three quarters.

[Toller]

I was nineteen and it was try it or not shave; I knew it probably wouldn't work, but the potential benefit was worth the risk. Since you probably have never had to shave, you cannot appreciate the situation. I don't wonder why you give me a hard time; its because you are AlphaTurd!

[Wayne Whitney]

The whole point was to get more power from the hot plate, without burning it up. So you don't want to reduce the 240V power by a full

3/4, reducing it by 1/2 might be the ticket. Of course, doubling the power would probably still melt the sucker.

Cheers, Wayne

[thrugoodmarshall]

No, that's 2.25E+06 w^2 (square watts)--don't forget the units. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . On the off chance that somebody reading this takes it seriously, the change in power is related to the square of in the change in voltage. so, v*2 gives p*(2^2), which is p*4. In watts.

I have no idea what's measured in w^2, but I'm sure something is.

[Doug Miller]

First you say you figured it ought to be okay. Now you say you knew it probably wouldn't work. Which is the truth?

I see you still haven't gotten past junior high school insults. You get that one out of a book, Wade, or did you make it up all on your own?

No, I give you a hard time because the advice you give is dangerous. You don't understand enough about electricity to handle it safely -- as your incident with the razor proves -- and yet you persist in trying to tell other people how to handle it.

BTW -- I always figured you were lying when you claimed you killfiled me. Thanks for proving I was right.

[Toller]

Yeh, like that horrible dryer example where I suggested following the manufacturer's recommendation and you said I was wrong and dangerous. ooooh

A couple days ago I deleted all the blocks figuring they were probably all gone and there was no reason to check against them. Beats me how you have survived. Bye

[anoldfart2]

Wow, it's time to put our boots on, the shit is getting deep on here !!!

[Doug Miller]

You *still* don't have it right, Wade. It wasn't a dryer, and you didn't suggest following the manufacturer's directions. It was a range hood, I think, maybe a stove -- and your "advice" _directly_contradicted_ the manufacturer's directions that the OP quoted. Those directions said to attach the green wire to the grounding conductor. You told him to attach it to the neutral. That's why I say you're dangerous: because you don't have a clue, and yet you continue to give "advice".

Uh-huh. Sure.

[Ross Mac]

The dimmer would cost far more than the hot plate...probably not a solution...you think???....