240V -> 208V -- How to?

Take a look at the "buck / boost" autotransformers available from any electrical supply place. Typically used to make relatively small adjustments like you need. Also going to run the $200 unless you can find a suitable used one.

I'm not familiar with the washer in question, but I doubt it is sufficiently better than other decent units to justify the hassle of voltage conversions.

Pete C.

The specs for the washers on Meile's site seem to indicate that the washer will run on either 208V or 240V. Which would make sense, since that vast majority of homes in the US have 240V rather than 208V service.

As for what the adaptor might be: hard to say, maybe a buck transformer.

Charles Perry P.E.

Jeff, the standard and safe way of making such a conversion is to use a transformer. I really wouldn't choose to use anthing else at the power level used by a dryer which for long periods of time will run unattended.

I'd check prices at your area electrical distributors because $200 sounds a bit high.

Harry C.

Don't forget to check the frequency specs. As manufactured, the unit is likely to be designed for a 240 VAC 50 Hz circuit. Whether it will run correctly or malfunction on a 208 or 240 VAC 60 Hz circuit needs to be determined.

For any given voltage, the motor(s) will draw less current at 60 hz due to the increase inductive reactance at the higher frequency. There are also likely to be electronic sub-systems, timers, power-supplies, etc. that may or may not be sensitive to use on a different-from-the-rated frequency.

Beachcomber

According to the Miele (USA) site, the unit comes with a NEMA style plug. That does not sound like a 50Hz product to me.

It does say that you need an adaptor if you want to run both a washer and a dryer from the same 30amp supply.

Charles Perry P.E.

From the manual:

The washing machine is supplied with a

5' 3" (1.6 m) long, 4 wire cord, ending in a NEMA 14-30 P plug, ready for connection to a 120/208-240 V, 15 A, 60 Hz, AC power supply. The proper outlet can be purchased from an electrical supply dealer or from Miele (request a NEMA 14-30 R receptacle).

Looks like it is meant to run on 240V/60Hz right out of the box.

Charles Perry P.E.

I didn't believe it until I saw it for the first time, but many, if not most, European appliances like that use DC motors and drives to work out the voltage/frequency issues. I'd bet that the washer has a DC shunt motor rather than an AC induction motor. Very strange to those familiar with American practice.

---------- Which boils down to the fact that European designers are going to design machines for North American markets on the basis of North American supply systems as they aren't stupid.

That is my take on it also. Heck, manufacturers are not stupid. If they were they wouldn't stay in business long. We do quite a bit of testing for equipment manufacturers to make sure their equipment runs on both North American and European service voltages.

Charles Perry P.E.

I'd be a little careful before using a buck transformer to drop 240V to

208V. Its quite possible that the 208V configuration is intended to be used on two legs of a 120/208V three phase service (quite common in apartment buildings). If the connection includes the neutral (another post on this thread mentioned a 14-30 plug which does), then some internal 120V loads may be connected from line to neutral. Bucking a 240V single phase down to 208 might end up putting low voltage on these loads.

-- Tzortzakakis Dimitrios major in electrical engineering, freelance electrician FH von Iraklion-Kreta, freiberuflicher Elektriker dimtzort AT otenet DOT gr Ï "Jeff Dantzler" Ýãñáøå óôï ìÞíõìá news:1128277669.21578@yasure...

What do you mean an "adaptor"?The heating element power of a european style washing machine (like the miele) exceeds 2 kW and a transformer for that power is enormous.I think your washing machine would be very happy to work with 240 volt, the operating voltage is anyway between 210 and 240 volts.

I don't think that's enough for doing mains wiring, as there's a specialized major for electrical engineering.

I'm not certain about the $200 bit, but here a 100 W 12 V 10 A halogen transformer cannot be had for under 30 euro.If you insist that your washing machine (specially designed for the US market, mind you)needs a transformer, then you must find someone that wires transformers by hand, to construct a hand-made transformer (or auto transformer) for that power and ampacity.You might need a 240 V primary 210 V secondary 6.3 kVA transformer.That could be expensive and hard to find.Why don't you just ask a local electrician?He might have already installed a miele washing machine for someone else.BTW, I have a miele washing machine, which IMHO is the best european brand in home appliances, and is wired with 2.5 mm^2 copper wire, and a 16 A circuit breaker.

Thanks to all for responding.

I made an erroneous assumption about the unit needing

208V.

It turns out that it will run just fine on 240V.

The "easy install kit" that allows you to use an existing

30A dryer outlet does not have a transformer at all. This $250 "kit" just splits the one 30A line into 2 individually fused 15A lines. It turns out that the machines each want their own 15A line and fuse. And I always thought the breaker was supposed to protect the wiring...

My panel is 6' from the laundry area, so I will be able to sort things out for a lot cheaper than $250.

Thanks again.

Cheers--Jeff

Look at page 3708 on mscdirect.com (in the search on top) or part number

00659904 It is a 1.5 kva dry transformer - 67 pounds. 120 or 240 primary with a 16 or 32 volt secondary. An electrical supply house in town will supply you with one as well.

Martin Martin Eastburn @ home at Lions' Lair with our computer lionslair at consolidated dot net NRA LOH, NRA Life NRA Second Amendment Task Force Charter Founder

Jeff Dantzler wrote: