G a f f e r
Prominent Member
I thought this was easy but the more I look into it the more complicated it becomes.
Being part of the Eu means we "harmonised" mains voltages and new standards were set:
EU = 230V -10% +6% (i.e. 207V - 243.8V)
UK = 230V -6% +10% (i.e. 216.2V - 253V)
Both at 50Hz +/-1%
However, nothing actually changed. Physically, we were still on the old 240V (+/-10%) and the EU were still on the old 220V (+/-10%)
So the "harmonisation" was just a way to make things match "on paper", physically the same supply transformers were still being used in the UK for 216V-264V and in the EU for 198V-242V
So on to my question, I know voltages vary over the day and depending on who's using what on your street/grid etc etc, but testing my mains voltage I'm pretty much at 245V in my house.
This is within both "old" and "harmonised" UK spec, but is outside both "old" EU and "harmonised" EU spec.
I have my eye on a second hand hifi component from the 1990's rated as 220V. It has a green label on the back. The manufacturer also made the same product for the US (red label saying 110V) and the UK (blue label shown as 230/240V). That means the manufacturer themselves made a distinction between EU models and UK models.
If I buy the EU model rated at 220V, will I have an issue on my 245V (but sometimes possibly up to 253V) mains supply?
Should I buy a buck transformer to step it down our UK 240V mains supply to 220V or is that me overthinking things?
(P.S. by my calculations post-brexit duty/vat/handling charges means it'll cost about 1/3 more than buying from the UK which puts me off a bit but thought I'd ask in case I do go for it).
Being part of the Eu means we "harmonised" mains voltages and new standards were set:
EU = 230V -10% +6% (i.e. 207V - 243.8V)
UK = 230V -6% +10% (i.e. 216.2V - 253V)
Both at 50Hz +/-1%
However, nothing actually changed. Physically, we were still on the old 240V (+/-10%) and the EU were still on the old 220V (+/-10%)
So the "harmonisation" was just a way to make things match "on paper", physically the same supply transformers were still being used in the UK for 216V-264V and in the EU for 198V-242V
So on to my question, I know voltages vary over the day and depending on who's using what on your street/grid etc etc, but testing my mains voltage I'm pretty much at 245V in my house.
This is within both "old" and "harmonised" UK spec, but is outside both "old" EU and "harmonised" EU spec.
I have my eye on a second hand hifi component from the 1990's rated as 220V. It has a green label on the back. The manufacturer also made the same product for the US (red label saying 110V) and the UK (blue label shown as 230/240V). That means the manufacturer themselves made a distinction between EU models and UK models.
If I buy the EU model rated at 220V, will I have an issue on my 245V (but sometimes possibly up to 253V) mains supply?
Should I buy a buck transformer to step it down our UK 240V mains supply to 220V or is that me overthinking things?
(P.S. by my calculations post-brexit duty/vat/handling charges means it'll cost about 1/3 more than buying from the UK which puts me off a bit but thought I'd ask in case I do go for it).