Voltage convertors

My family is moving to Madrid in July (my wife is Spanish!) and we’re wondering whether we should ship some of the "big ticket" items we’ve accumulated over the years, like our Kitchen Aid mixer, our food processor, our camcorder, etc. Our question: Can we use these items in Spain without burning down the apartment (or without destroying the mixer, camcorder, etc.)

The converters we’ve found here in the U.S. for use in Spain have a ton of disclaimers (i.e. "Do not use with radios, camcorders, computers, or anything with electric circuitry, etc.") and, in fact, it sounds like the voltage converters are actually really of limited use. We’re concerned that the stuff we have here either won’t work there or will be fried when we plug it into the converter. Has anybody out there successfully used converters for anything other than a razor or a hairdryer?

I know there was a recent post on this very topic only the other way around (Spain to U.S.). I found my laptop stopped working after a few years and they said it was from using a converter???? Also, the camcorder didn't seem to recharge fully??? Maybe these were due to other circumstances, who knows. You could try buying your converters in Spain- then just use some adapters. I had a microwave hooked up so I can't believe that a mixer wouldn't fly...uh, you know what I mean!
At the moment I have the entire house set up on the different voltage with a main adapter/converter. I've got a washer, dryer, refrigerator, microwave, TV, stereo, you name it. No problems.

Since I work with electronics, perhaps I can address this issue. Coverters are useful for limited use applications (like electric razors, hairdryers, etc), but should not be used for extended periods of time (they're not lying in their little stickerized warnings). Would it kill your Kitchen-Aid to run it off a converter? No, but it wouldn't run as fast, as efficiently, and probably would have its lifespan shortened with continuous use. The problem is that in the US, we run 120 volts at 60Hz, while Europe runs at 240 volts and 50 Hz. The problem is not in stepping down the voltage, but in converting the line frequency (Hz). Items with AC (alternating current - the stuff that comes out of the wall) motors were designed with a specific frequncy in mind, and the motor runs according to the line frequency. So, converting a 60Hz appliance to 50Hz makes it run slower, and less smoothly. Non-motorized items can suffer too, depending on the type of power supply they contain. In a nutshell - it all depends. Many electronic items have transformers inside which make allowances for 220V operation (regardless of line frequency), and many appliances can be safely converted to the European standard by exchanging a few parts out - but, this MUST be done by a qualified technician. Take your stuff with you, and find a good appliance service center, electronics technician etc that can help you, but don't be too sad if you end up having to sell some of it off. Best of luck.

-Richard

Buenmozo: I bought a converter in Spain in '99 (I forgot mine) and was surprised. It's about five times bigger than the little travel ones, and is much more sturdily built. I've used this to recharge camcorder batteries, as well as run the camcorder out of the wall there (in Spain), in addition to the normal other uses, without problems.

I think if you buy the cheesy American version, you're in danger of burning down your piso...this particular one, though, is made for long-use. It cost me about 1275 ptas. ($6.50). at Corte Inglés, and looks like an electromagnet, not a tic-tac box.

That's my suggestion, especially if you're not into refurnishing all electronics right off the bat.

Wow - what a great introduction to the message board! *Gracias* for the help. (Richard, you should teach Electricity 101!)

Transformers 240v to 120v nominal are readily available in Spain. I would suggest not to ship any old major appliances from the US since parts will be hard or impossible to find. Also with the present high rate of exchange for the dollar, new appliances here are very comparable in price to those in the US.
Both my laptop & PC bought in the US can run on both 120 60Hz and 240 50HZ. Check your instruction manuals.

I know that you've already thought of it, but I can stop myself. Remember that we use (in Europe) a colour system. Unless it is a multisystem one, your TV will be only useful for watching videos recorded in the US.

Videos suffer from the same illnes.

[ 06-13-2001: Message edited by: Antonio ]

I never heard of a multisystem TV. However, there are multisystem VCRs able to play both PAL and NTSC tapes. The output you get from them is in NTSC (if it's a multisystem VCR bought in the US) or in PAL (if bought in Europe).

Note that there is a previous post regarding this matter of VCRs and TVs. Please, do a search.