where can I get the right converter to plug a 300W 120V US fan heater into a UK socket?

[Peter Parry]

Why not use an IR Bulb?

[Andrew Gabriel]

By far the best, as others have said, buy a new fan heater.

As an academic exercise, another factor is the fan is probably a shaded pole induction motor, and when run at 50Hz instead of 60Hz, it will run hotter, and possibly overheat depending on its design. To run at 50Hz, it should be run at 50/60th of its rated 60Hz voltage, but then it will only run at approx 50/60ths of its speed due to reduced torque and the heater will have less airflow than designed, and possibly overheat.

[George Miles]

o a UK socket.

as it gives no leeway.. I think the convert should support e.g. 400W or 50

0W.

here's no risk then as the heater is rated 300W. So if it goes to 380W i'll be ok.

[The Natural Philosopher]

Actually the link provided shows it has no fan.

[Terry Casey]

How do you know that your heater wasn't made in China?

Sorry, but there is '- 300w Heating Setting'

whilst at the bottom is makes the absurd claim that:

'This device saves you up to 300 watts of energy.'

The link to the user guide doesn't help much either. No rating is shown anywhere in the guide, nor is that any reference to the switch for the mythical 300W mode.

This, however, makes interesting reading:

'- Avoid the use of an extension cord because the extension cord may overheat and cause risk of fire. However, if you must use an extension cord, the cord shall be No. 14AWG minimum size and rated not less than 1875 watts.'!

1875W? So you need a 2kW step down transformer then, not a 300W one!

As others have said, it will be cheaper to buy a 2kW heater with a UK plug than a hefty 2kW step-down transformer which will also require you to change the plug on the heater.

I'm not convinced that you could do that both safely and correctly, either.

[Dave W]

The plug looks like this

Maplin have a converter that does 300W for ?40 but it's a bit risky as it gives no leeway.. I think the convert should support e.g. 400W or 500W.

I suppose it's a step up voltage converter that I need. According to maplin.

Maplin have a 1000W one but that is over ?100, and quite big, and overkill.

I emailed rswww and they said that they don't have anything more than 45W..

I certainly don't want to get some junk from china.. I don't want some random make.

I want to get something reliable that can handle up to 400W or 500W. As there's no risk then as the heater is rated 300W. So if it goes to 380W i'll be ok.

What are my options?

Thanks

----------------------------------------------------- There's a used 500VA autotransformer for ?50 here:

[Peter Parry]

$28.46 + $24.99 Shipping & Import Fees,

at £11 inc delivery seems to be functionally similar (400W rather than

300) and 240V.

[Tim+]

The transformer. You can tell by the weird ?waisted? shape of the plug. You can pretty much be sure that anything fitted with one of those is playing fast and loose with electrical safety.

Well no, not a fan heater at all. It?s a radiant dish heater. Rather more difficult to source outside America I imagine so if you?re really passionate about keeping it then I guess I can see why you want a transformer.

Just don?t go buying any dodgy Chinese transformers like the one mentioned earlier.

Tim

[DerbyBorn]

Keep is simple - ditch it an buy something that is fit for purpose here in the UK.

[Terry Casey]

Unfortunately there is a reference in the on-line user guide that suggests he'd need something with a rating 4 times that!

(1875W)

[Brian Gaff]

Hang on what possible use is such a small wattage heater? Are you sure its not 3000 wat, That is what most UK fan heaters are and you can get one far cheaper than anything to bodge an American heater to uk voltages. Also most of the fans are synchronous motor driven and probably meant to work on 60 hz in the other country not 50hz as here so would be running slower even if you got it to work. Brian

[Brian Gaff]

I would suggest he gets two of the same heater and wires them in series :-)

Brian

[Brian Gaff]

I have no idea what that is, but simply buy two and wire them in series then. Brian

[harry]

o a UK socket.

as it gives no leeway.. I think the convert should support e.g. 400W or 50

0W.

here's no risk then as the heater is rated 300W. So if it goes to 380W i'll be ok.

Buy a UK heater. Buy a 110V tool transformer.

[Johnny B Good]

That does look to be the case. Assuming that it is simply an infrared lamp with no fan motor to worry about in respect of the 50/60Hz issue, then a basic auto transformer could be used for the job.

If you can get hold of any 200VA transformer with a split primary (120

+120 volt windings) with any random low voltage secondary windings (30v or less for preference), you can wire the heater to the neutral end and the tapping point formed by the other primary winding when wired in-phase and in series for the UK's nominal 240v (Euro harmonised "230v" standard) supply.

The heater will see half UK voltage, circa 120vac 50Hz. The frequency in this case won't be critical unlike the case with a fan heater using an induction motor which will not only run slower but also overheat if its voltage isn't also reduced further by another 20v (i.e. run off a 100v

50Hz supply).

If you can find an isolating transformer (240v primary with a 120v secondary), it's possible to double the VA rating of its fully isolated windings mode rating by using the 120v secondary to buck the 240v supply making it equivalent to a non isolating stepdown transformer.

If you're prepared to accept the non isolated nature of an auto- transformer solution, you can choose a cheaper 200VA rated, 240 to 120 volt isolating transformer rather than shelling out for the more expensive 400VA rated isolating stepdown transformer.

A 400VA isolating transformer is likely to weigh a good 16 to 20 Pounds so the non isolating auto transformer option has a considerable benefit regarding its weight which, in this case, will be roughly half that of its fully isolated windings counterpart.

[The Natural Philosopher]

Or as I said, feed the while shebang via a 32uF mains rated capacitor. That will be a cheap lossless drop to 110V allright

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Plenty on Ebay.

[tabbypurr]

-US Voltage Converter 200W 1000W UK?

which I guess is fused, make it safe or safer?

gned to look a bit like a fan. I don't think it has any fan on there.

then why did you tell us it was a fan heater? It's a bowl heater. Use a ser ies capacitor dropper.

NT

[tabbypurr]

Maybe the OP isn't aware that bowl heaters have a long history of safety problems. It's why we rarely see them now. So you already have some 'random junk' safety-wise.

NT

[tabbypurr]

ie=UTF8&condition=used

300W is far more likely for a bowl heater.

NT