Using UK electricals in the USA

[Eve]

Am off to New York tomorrow and have been told my hairdryer and straighteners won't work over there because of the voltage. Is that right and, if so, how do I tell which things will and won't work?

[buildersmate]

Jenna. The US uses 110V so, whilst your hairdryer will operate, it will produce only one-quarter of the power output. Things like ladies razors will work.
Mrs Buildersmate frets about this as well but has never not been able to borrow a hairdryer in the US - even if there isn't one in the room.
As a last resort, a new one costs only a few dollars.

[Eve]

Thank you :) Am fretting about having a New York hair disaster haha :)

So am I ok to take my current hairdryer and straighteners and they just won't work so well and it won't blow up or just not work at all or anything?

I have some old not so powerful/good ones I could take though would that be the same as not sure if power of them relates to voltage?

Sorry, I'm such a girl :)

[chazza]

Hi
When I went to New York I brought my straighteners with me (GHDs) but not my hairdryer as there was one provided by the hotel.

The straighteners worked fine, they took longer to heat up and didn't quite reach the same heat as they do at home, but they reached very close to it and definitely close enough for me to be able to style my unruly hair as normal!
(In fact it was only that the light did not flash that alerted me to the fact that they were not up to the same heat as home!)

Our voltage is 240 and the US is 110 so this is what makes the difference in power!

[Bazile]

It should work properly ,if you have the correct adaptor

see here
http://www.kropla.com/electric2.htm

I dont recall any problems when we were in the states

[Bazile]

Sorry

Try this

http://www.beststuff.co.uk/electrical_plug_ada pters.htm

[buildersmate]

Bazile, whilst the devices on that website will provide the mechanical plug and socket linkage, none of them will step-up the voltage from 110V to 240V at enough power-rating to run anything like a hairdryer or straighteners. These devices need about 1500W of power. A typical US to UK converter is rated at about 100W - enough for a PC or small non-heat producing appliance.

[rcl1]

I used to holiday alot in the Caribbean and USA so much so, that i actually bought american hairdryer and straightners with a uk adapter so i could still use them at home. The straightners blew up in the UK, but the hairdryer is stil going strong both in USA and UK.

[KILLER4GS]

could you use your hand some how as a transformer?