Anyone in Canada with advice re voltage transformer thingumies?

[jenrendo]

Just a quickie! I am in the UK on holiday but live in Toronto. I want to purchase something while I'm here that will make my sewing machine and magimix work over there. I am so un-technical that I don't really know what I'm looking for, or what the name of it would be but I do know that something must exist!! Most of the shops I've been into have looked at me blankly so I'm guessing that the internet is the way to go. It's not as simple as a travel plug. They don't work on the larger items. What exactly am I looking for please?! :)

You're looking for a voltage converter.
You can get STEP UP and STEP DOWN Transformers.

Am I understanding you right? I think you want to use UK equipment in Canada.
If so, you need a STEP UP TRANSFORMER.
You shouldn't find it too difficult to buy one. Just make sure that it's powerful enough to cope with the watt rating of the machines you want to use. You'll probably need one of 1000 or 1500 watts.

This site has some examples:

www.voltage-converter-transformers.com/step-up-down-transformer.html#vt1000-stepup/downtransformers1000watts

You need a step-up transformer (or something described as a N.America to UK Voltage converter) but it must be one that is rated high enough Wattage (power) for the motor on your mixer, which might be a struggle as they can be 1kW or more!

This would likely be what you're looking for: www.maplin.co.uk/1500w-usa-to-uk-voltage-convertor-265224 and Maplins are on many highstreets, but don't quote me on it definitely being powerful enough - some stand mixers can be even more powerful than that!

Ruthchan has a very good point with the site she linked to, above... I bought my step-up transformer(s) online, over here in Canada, and they were a fraction of the price of that one I linked to on the Maplin site! Also worth mentioning is that you should go a bit higher than the rating on your appliance to allow for any instantaneous surge as the appliance turns on. So, if your mixer is 1kW, go for the 1.5kW transformer, not a 1kW one.

Great thanks guys! I was looking yesterday but was a bit bamboozled by the wattage etc. I will wait until I get back to Canada then, as it seems they are cheaper, and yes Ruthchan it is UK equipment :)

Can I butt in here
when I visit my family in Canada my mum's hairdryer ,high wattage ...is like a mouses fart compared to mine here in the uk.

Is that something you have to put up with in canada?

how do you get a decent blow dry?
surely they must have powerful ones in salons?

Hi ggirl. I rarely blow dry my hair so that's not something that bothers me. What I still find bloody annoying, even after 6.5 years, is how long the kettle takes to boil compared to in the UK

yes that drives me nuts when I go back..not as nuts as the hairdryer though

I have a Canadian hairdryer that I bought from a salon stockist and also straighteners and they are ace. The kettle takes forever though and the ovens take a bit of getting used to I find. It seems to be difficult to make meringues as the electric whisks aren't as good. I borrowed my friend's sewing machine though and that seems fine. :)

ooh what wattage is your hairdryer jenrendo ?

Not sure. Am still in the UK but will check and post when I get back at the end of the week :)

thanks jenrendo

I have an English Kenwood mixer with a very powerful motor and dh found a step up transformer online (I think from ebay) sold by someone in Vancouver with Hong Kong connections (they have the same power supply set up as the UK). It's great, a little heavy duty (and very heavy!) box like those in Ruthchan's link. It did make me wish I'd brought our Henry too as we've not found a vacuum that we like at all here.

ggirl it says on it that it's 1875W. It's actually much better than the one I had in the UK. nooka I too am having trouble finding a vacuum that I like. We have one that is with our rental property and it's rubbish :(

thanks for getting back to me
that's the same as my mum's in canada and it's no where near as powerful as mine in the uk
I must have a rocket powered one here then.

Ha yes you must have. My MIL has just been and does hair and is a beautician and she liked it! :)