Hair Straighteners On Us Voltage

[Prudie]

Can anyone help, there must have been lots of ABers who've taken hair straighteners/curling irons to the US. If my OH tells me any more about volts and watts and transformers I'll deck him.

Anyway how do I ensure they will work on 110V? Mine have a 60W requirement and didn't work last year, don't want it happening again. If I buy new what should I look for?

[jomifl]

Unless you can buy dual voltage hair straighteners, your best bet is to buy them in the US, probably cheaper than a transformer. Your european straighteners will only have a quarter of the wattage in the US, but if you do buy them in the US on no account try to use them in Europe as they will self destruct dangerously.

[Old_Geezer]

If there is an indication on the item saying it will work with 110v as well as 230/240v then all is well. (Barring a plug convertor.) Or there may be a switch to go from one to the other. Otherwise they won't work without a transformer and you may as well leave them at home.

[EDDIE51]

UK electric items will NOT work in the USA ! You need a 110 volt straightener which is unlikely to be available in the UK. It would be cheaper to buy a set when you actually get to the USA.

[Prudie]

Thanks for the help so far. There are some 110V and dual voltage ones on amazon but they are really really expensive. I'm going to the Caribbean so buying there is not such a definite option.

[sunny-dave]

Get a Brazilian - end of problem ...

[Prudie]

Dave...it's not for down there :-)

[Referee-Observer]

It's not the voltage that's the issue, but the frequency. UK electrical goods are all rated at 50Hz (Hertz), whilst in the USA their electricity system runs at a frequency of 60 Hz and there is where the problem lies.

[lardhelmet]

My UK ones work in Bermuda but take twice as long to heat up.

[237SJ]

I agree with lardhelmet. I don`t use hair straighteners but have taken kettles, travel irons, hairdryers etc to the Caribbean, US and elsewhere with lower voltage. They work but they take longer to heat up. The Hz makes no difference with such small appliances. It`s ok when you are downsizing to lower voltage. If you came from the US/Caribbean with 110V appliances, it would be a different matter.

[buildersmate]

Referee Observer. You are completely wrong. The frequency is irrelevant, the 50% voltage results in a power reduction to 25%.
Back to the classroom, I'm afraid.

[Prudie]

Just to add some further info, I took mine last year and they wouldn't work at all, the lights just flashed and did nothing. Everything else electrical was fine.Thought they were broken but I'm still using them back home now.

[jomifl]

Ref.Ob. The frequency is pretty well irrelevant unless you are running an electric clock with a synchronous motor, which wil run faster on a US supply. Most domestic electrical appliances sold for use throughout the world do not have a frequency change switch even though a voltage change switch is present. Buildersmate is absolutely correct about the power output. As I said earlier, running a resitive appliance intended for use in the US on a European voltage will result in the power output increasing by 400% just before it either blows a fuse or bursts into flames.