Electrical Engineering - North American micro-wave ovens in 220 Volt envioronments

Author

North American micro-wave ovens in 220 Volt envioronments

Len.Parliament@gmail.com

2006-05-28, 9:21 pm

Hi,

I would like to buy a microwave here in Canada to send to Tehran, Iran.

I know that the power is 220 Volt, 50 Amp.

I have a few questions I'm hoping this group can help me with:
1) Will a step down transformer (power converter) work well with a
microwave oven?
2) Does the quality of the power converter affect the appliances
performance?
3) Will the microwave oven be damaged or work badly in this kind of
environment?

Thanks for any help/advice you have in this.

L P

Beachcomber

2006-05-28, 9:21 pm

On 28 May 2006 16:36:54 -0700, Len.Parliament@gmail.com wrote:

>Hi,
>
>I would like to buy a microwave here in Canada to send to Tehran, Iran.
>
>I know that the power is 220 Volt, 50 Amp.

You probably mean 220 Volt, 50 Hz unless you are talking about one
hell of a big microwave oven.

There are several issues here that will be difficult to determine and
may influence your decision.

1. Will the oven operate safely and effectively at 50 Hz vs. 60 Hz?
A step-down transformer will convert voltage, but not frequency.
Power systems for microwave ovens are extremely touchy. They are
fused for so much primary current and no more. Many inductive type
appliances (and most microwave ovens have a large step-up transformer
for the magnetron) will draw more current at 50 hz than at 60 hz.
Typically this transformer is designed cheaply to operate within very
narrow parameters of current-limiting inductive reactance and the 50
Hz power may upset these tolerances.

2. Even if the frequency turns out not be be a consideration, your
step-down transformer will have to be large and heavy to provide the
equivalent of a 120V. 15A circuit. (I'm assuming you have one of the
large 1000 watt oven models that actually draws 1250 watts or so from
the line).

Recommendation - Purchase a 220 V. 50 Hz model from Britain, France,
or Germany and have it shipped there. In some US cities with high
numbers of ethnic immigrants like Chicago or New York, there are
specialty appliance stores that sell 220 V. appliances. This might be
another option.

Beachcomber

>
>I have a few questions I'm hoping this group can help me with:
>1) Will a step down transformer (power converter) work well with a
>microwave oven?
>2) Does the quality of the power converter affect the appliances
>performance?
>3) Will the microwave oven be damaged or work badly in this kind of
>environment?
>
>Thanks for any help/advice you have in this.
>
>L P
>

**THE-RFI-EMI-GUY**

2006-05-29, 1:21 am

There are export appliance dealers in Miami who can help you as some of
the caribbean islands use 220 V 50 Hz.

Len.Parliament@gmail.com wrote:

>Hi,
>
>I would like to buy a microwave here in Canada to send to Tehran, Iran.
>
>I know that the power is 220 Volt, 50 Amp.
>
>I have a few questions I'm hoping this group can help me with:
>1) Will a step down transformer (power converter) work well with a
>microwave oven?
>2) Does the quality of the power converter affect the appliances
>performance?
>3) Will the microwave oven be damaged or work badly in this kind of
>environment?
>
>Thanks for any help/advice you have in this.
>
>L P
>
>
>

--
Joe Leikhim K4SAT
"The RFI-EMI-GUY"©

"Treason doth never prosper: what's the reason?
For if it prosper, none dare call it treason."

"Follow The Money" ;-P

Andrew Gabriel

2006-05-29, 6:21 am

In article <447a3646.778359@news.verizon.net>,
invalid@notreal.none (Beachcomber) writes:
> On 28 May 2006 16:36:54 -0700, Len.Parliament@gmail.com wrote:
>
>
> Recommendation - Purchase a 220 V. 50 Hz model from Britain, France,
> or Germany and have it shipped there. In some US cities with high
> numbers of ethnic immigrants like Chicago or New York, there are
> specialty appliance stores that sell 220 V. appliances. This might be
> another option.

Also, you'll find a better selection and more features available in
Europe. Many microwave oven models are not made available in the US
because they draw too much power for a standard US socket.

--
Andrew Gabriel

LinkBot