is it possible? 1600W step-down transformer so tiny!

[James Sweet]

It's not a transformer, it's a converter which is just a big resistor. In
order for it to work, it must disapate the electricity that would have gone
into the applicance. A worthless piece of junk.

Geoff,

No it doesn't have a resistor in it, it doesn't dissipate the extra
power, it effectively controls the duty cycle.

 

[Roy L. Fuchs]

My understanding is that the tiny converters are basically TRIAC
switches which switch at a point to deliver the correct amount of RMS
power (but a really funky waveform) to a purely resistive load.

They are not good for sensitive electronics. They might not even be
good for a hairdryer's blower. But, assuming your cooker is just a big
resistive load I think it'll be OK.

I had a co-worker with a "fuzzy logic" rice cooker once and always
kidded him about having to reboot it. So at least some cookers have
some smarts in them and not all are just stupid resistors!

Tim.

Good answer!

There is certainly no transformer in that device!

It would be a very bad thing for electronic circuits with brains.

 

[frischmoutt]

Auto-transformers are smaller than transformers because they use the same
windings for primary and secondary.
Iron sheet volume follows.
The reverse effect is that there's no isolation.

 

[Robert Obermayer]

I wouldn't be so quick, the converters are simple and fairly robust.
They should be fused and will be perfectly safe to use.

The converter has no ground connection.
The oven has a large metal case that normally is grounded.
Running a oven with a large metal case without ground connection isnt
exactly what i think of being perfectly safe, especially not when the
line/ground voltage is twice of what it was made for.

Also, the oven states it has a automatical timer, which will not like
being run off such a converter and will likely fail.

 

[Dave Plowman (News)]

I've recently moved to London in the UK and brought along my trusty
cooker. It states that it requires 120V @60/1235 watts. After some
research on the net it was apparant that transformers that provide >
1000W are at least the size of a shoebox and around $70-100. However, I
later came across a transformer sold by jWin which rates upto 1600W and
is as small as an average 100w transformer and costs about $10. You can
see it here - http://tinyurl.com/hra3r I called the shop selling them
and they confirmed the specs.... am I wasting my time? You get what you
pay for right? Any help would be much appreciated.

It doesn't have the standard UK plug for a start...

 

[Slurp]

Do you have a 3700 W kettle? What do you use it for?

My kettle is 240V 3000W. I use it for heating water.

Can you please go read what's the current rating (in amps) of your
domestic energy meter? Multiply that by the nominal voltage in your
country, and you will get the max instantaneous power that your
installation is "oficially" allowed to carry. Compare that with the
number you wrote.

Um let me see. aha 60A at 240V, that's um err 14400W.

And that's official.

Do you have a problem with that????

 

[Slurp]

12,350W? That would draw more than 50A at 240V and produce over 42,000
BTU's, that's enough to heat a small house!


1,235W on the other hand is perfectly reasonable for a cooker.

Really? My cooker is rated at 12500W, it has a 60A feed at 240V, quite
normal in the UK

That said, these converters are not transformers, they're essentially
triac light dimmers and will only work for purely resistive loads, such as
an electric cooker.

I did not say it wasn't.

 

[Mochuelo]

My kettle is 240V 3000W. I use it for heating water.

Well, that's about the max total power I'm entitled to, at my place
(more exactly, 3450 W).

Um let me see. aha 60A at 240V, that's um err 14400W.

And that's official.

Do you have a problem with that????

Yes, that you probably read the _peak_ maximum current, not the max
current that can be delivered in steady state. Mine says "15 (60) A",
which means that it can provide 15 A in steady state, and peaks of 60
A. Forget about the peak specification, which is of no use in this
dicussion, because a cooker needs continuous supply. Can you please go
back to your energy meter and see if there's a smaller number next to
the "60"?

Independently on what the actual capacity of your electric
installation is, there's one funny thing here, and is that you called
"more reasonable" to one single domestic appliance consuming 12.35 kW.

 

[Mochuelo]

Really? My cooker is rated at 12500W, it has a 60A feed at 240V, quite
normal in the UK

How can that be normal where you live if, as you say in another post,
your energy meter is rated for a max of 60 A?

 

[Mochuelo]

How can that be normal where you live if, as you say in another post,
your energy meter is rated for a max of 60 A?

I may have missunderstood the meaning of "feed" here. Please ignore.


Ok, I may end up believing that you have access to 60 A @ 240 V. But I
find it... surprising... that you guys use 12.5 kW cookers. That's a
hell of power. And ok, even if that was the case, I could never call
that "reasonable."

Best,

 

[Rich Grise]

hmm.. That sounds like a good idea.. you still have the 50/60 hz issue
with the timer but as long as that is dc it won't matter. I think you
might not even have any probs with it even if it is an ac timer.

Wiring them in series is very easy, but you will need to have 2 cookers
and run them both at the same time for everything to work.

- Mike

And either thermostat will turn them both off, and they definitely
won't voltage-share properly, so it will blow up the control electronics
in both.

IOW, a very very very bad idea.

Thanks,
Rich

 

[I.F.]

And either thermostat will turn them both off, and they definitely
won't voltage-share properly, so it will blow up the control electronics
in both.

IOW, a very very very bad idea.

Thanks,
Rich

You of all people should have spotted I was pulling the OPs leg!

 

[Slurp]

Well, that's about the max total power I'm entitled to, at my place
(more exactly, 3450 W).


Yes, that you probably read the _peak_ maximum current, not the max
current that can be delivered in steady state. Mine says "15 (60) A",
which means that it can provide 15 A in steady state, and peaks of 60
A. Forget about the peak specification, which is of no use in this
dicussion, because a cooker needs continuous supply. Can you please go
back to your energy meter and see if there's a smaller number next to
the "60"?

Independently on what the actual capacity of your electric
installation is, there's one funny thing here, and is that you called
"more reasonable" to one single domestic appliance consuming 12.35 kW.

Please download the brochure for my cooker if you wish.

http://www.belling.co.uk/PageComponents/LinksList/Files/3/Belling_Bro_v4.pdf

Turn to page 32 for the specification for a Forum 317 cooker. The hotplates
are 2 x 2kW and 2 x 1.5kW. The grill is 2kW,Main oven 1.8kw and 2nd oven
1.8kW. The cooker is rated at 12600W (oops I was 100W out). Granted the
grill and 2nd oven may not be on at the same time, but cooking a sunday
lunch for a family of 4 means the rest of the rating stands. My supply is
rated at 60A continuous.
This cooker and the supply are entirely representative of what is available
in the UK.

 

[Dave D]

I wouldn't be so quick, the converters are simple and fairly robust. They
should be fused and will be perfectly safe to use.

On double insulated appliances maybe, definitely *not* on a cooker which is
no doubt meant to be earthed. The robustness of the unit is secondary.

Dave

 

[Dave D]

I've never seen any sort of portable cooker that had a ground connection
anyway, mine has a standard 2 prong cord.

Maybe so, but I'm willing to bet you are in North America, *not* the UK,
which is where the OP is based. Earthed metal bodied kitchen appliances like
bench top cookers are commonplace here.

Different country, continent for that matter- different regulations to
conform to.

dave

 

[James Sweet]

Really? My cooker is rated at 12500W, it has a 60A feed at 240V, quite
normal in the UK

Aren't we talking a small portable cooker? A fullsized kitchen range is
normally 50A in the US, but I thought we were discussing a single burner
hotplate type thing or toaster oven?

 

[James Sweet]

Maybe so, but I'm willing to bet you are in North America, *not* the UK,
which is where the OP is based. Earthed metal bodied kitchen appliances like
bench top cookers are commonplace here.

Different country, continent for that matter- different regulations to
conform to.

dave

But isn't the cooker a NA model? Otherwise he wouldn't be needing a
converter in the first place.

 

[Roy L. Fuchs]

Auto-transformers are smaller than transformers because they use the same
windings for primary and secondary.
Iron sheet volume follows.
The reverse effect is that there's no isolation.

The device he showed a pic of has NO transformer in it, you top
posting, Usenet retard.

 

[Ken Taylor]

But isn't the cooker a NA model? Otherwise he wouldn't be needing a
converter in the first place.

Which of course leads to the obvious comment that it would be illegal to use
in UK anyway, just in case someone thinks that's worth considering. Coroners
do......

Ken

 

[DecaturTxCowboy]

You of all people should have spotted I was pulling the OPs leg!

Which leg? The hot or neutral?