Power conversion

A step-up transformer would work, but it's big, heavy, expensive.

Better choice: new iron.

Thanks Roby. I am wondering if I plug in this iron into the 110V socket, will it malfunction or will it burn out?

I think that it will burn out because of the larger current and so 4 times heat losses. Am I correct?

Regards, Vijay

Roby wrote:

Not quite. Heating elements such as in your iron will not draw more current at the lower voltage. With simple resistance elements, P=E^2/R. So with

1/2 the voltage, you will get 1/4 the power / heat. Not a very useful iron, but it won't burn out.

Don't try the reverse though. Taking a US 110V iron to Europe and running it on 220V would be disasterous. The heating element would put out ~4 times the heat. And the thermostat switch inside may arc-weld inside.

As Roby said, best to just get a US iron.

daestrom

With the proper plug your iron should run quite well from the dryer outlet in most US houses.

I am not sure about the code reqirements for running portable items from the 240 volt outlets in USA.

Not a great idea. The 30A 250V North American receptacles are for stationary appliances are are likely to be 4 wire (2 hots, neutral, and a ground) and no ground fault protection. You are unlikely to find a (legal) adapter for a Euro-Style plug to a dryer outlet, plus, in many cases, you would have to move a large dryer and unplug it and insert a home brew adapter. Without the ground fault protection, you could kill yourself if there are any faults in your setup.

The best solution has already been mentioned. Buy a NA style 120V iron. Stores like Walmart would carry this item for a very cheap price. There are many other alternatives if you don't like Walmart. (Garage sales, Craigs list, eBay)...

Ordinarily, a step-up 120V-240V transformer would be suitable for certain Euro appliances, but an iron draws a pretty hefty wattage and the transformer needs to be sized accordingly, which means big, heavy, bulky, and expensive.

Beachcomber

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