American electrics

[Bellringer]

I posted this elsewhere but this may be a better spot.
Can you use American electrical appliances in the UK?
In this instance, hair straighteners.

[Buenchico]

American electrical items are designed to use 120V. UK sockets supply 230V. If you were to plug American hair straighteners into a UK socket (assuming, of course, that you had a suitable socket adapter), the hair straighteners would heat up to a temperature far higher than intended. This could result in the wiring inside the straighteners burning out or, even more alarming, your hair being burnt by the straighteners.

It is possible to buy socket adapters which incorporate a transformer to drop the voltage to 120V but these can be quite expensive, especially if they're to be used with appliances which require a fairly large current. i.e. it would be cheaper to buy some new straighteners.

Chris

[BillyNoMates]

Yes, but you would require a transformer/adapter of some sort to step down the UK 230V to the 115V US appliances expect.

The cost of the adapter is probably more than a new pair of straighteners at the UK voltage.

[tezestwing]

hi BNM Isn't that what Chris posted no wonder you have no mates only joking Billy Tez

[BillyNoMates]

It was a duplicate posting - we hit the submit button at about the same time !

[terrywogan]

Does the same thing apply if you use UK electricials over in Canada. I took my camera and charger with me over Christmas and now my battery won't work. It holds the (supposedly full) charge for about 6 pictures and then needs to be charged again. The battery is about 6 months old and hardly used.