[Shop-talk] Wiring a 230v 50hz heater for U.S. 220v 60hz supply

[Thomas Coradeschi]

Your assumption that a simple resistance element doesn’t care about 50Hz vs 60Hz is spot on, Scott.

The only potential gotcha is the thermostat and how it works. Likely as not, it’s some kind of bimetallic strip type deal (I have a waffle iron which works this way) and that, too, is not going to care about the line frequency.

I’d go for it.

—
Tom Coradeschi
tjcora at icloud.com


> On 21 Oct 2022, at 6:29 PM, Scott Hall <scott.hall.personal at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> Guys,
> 
> I'm in France right now. I'd like to buy what amounts to a hot plate here. The company that makes these sells them all over the world. In France (where the manufacturer is located) they're about $300. In the U.S., they're about $900. A huge chunk of that is just how common they are in France and uncommon they are in the U.S.--at home they're sold through a partner licensee.
> 
> Anyway, the one I'd buy in France has a French plug on it for 230v 50hz supply. The specialty retailer offering it says I can replace the plug with a U.S. 220v plug and it'll work just fine. Either cut it and wire on a dryer plug or unscrew the plug in the unit and install a dryer plug. This is also coming from a sales guy.
> 
> The electronics are are literally an electric resistance coil sunk in an iron plate and a thermostat dial, and a light to indicate when it's at temp. I'm trying to come up with his any of those would change with the 10hz frequency difference.
> 
> The U.S. version is at least cosmetically identical, and literally the only parts aside from the coil are the thermostat dial and light. The function is the shape of the iron plate--the rest is just a heating blanket. I wouldn't want to switch it to 120v U.S.--it would take forever to get up to temp. and to recover during use.
> 
> Does it seem reasonable that I can just swap out the cord? Any thoughts?
> 
> Thanks fellas.
> 
> Scott
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