Originally Posted by
Terpe
Solely in terms of voltage there's usually no major problem for many items.
Plenty of people have sent electrical items to Phils without issues.
But, in terms of domestic appliances there is some caution needed that you should be aware of.
UK electricty supply is 240V@50Hz (technically specified at 230 V +10% /- 6%).
Philippine electricity supply is 220V@60Hz (sorry no idea on the technical spec )
Problems might crop up due these differences in frequency.
When the required power is low, say for example less than 50 Watts, then it's virtually a plug and play scenario.
There's also plenty of domestic equipment and 'gadgets' such as computers, chargers for phones and camera's etc that are actually designed to work safely with a range of input voltages and frequencies.
When this is the case it will almost certainly be indicated somewher on the equipment, transformer or the adapter.
It's interesting to see by simple calculation:-
{ [(60Hz – 50 Hz)/ 50 Hz] * 100 = 20 % }
That clearly shows that plenty of appliances/equipment will run 20% faster than their normal rated capability.
This situation may not always be safe, especially if insulation, windings and electronic circuits burn-out.
There's also quite a large range of equipment these days that have some or other form of electronic timer or micro-processor control system in-built
These devices will, at best, run 20% faster than they are designed for. This may or may not be a problem, but it certainly makes electronic alarm clocks pointless.
You'll also need to develop new recipes and cooking times for your electric breadmaker or microwave
Some larger items (eg washing machines etc) may well work without major issues for a time and others will very soon not work at all. Depends on the motor configuration and internal wiring.
All 'motor-driven' appliances are going run 20% faster and produce an equivalent increase in heat output. Period.
My advice would be to seriously consider the likelihood of problems, the age of the equipment and cost of shipping versus the cost of buying new in Philippines.
Always double-check. Not only for the protection of the equipment but also for the safety of home and body.
Lots of domestic electronics will be able to automatically adapt to operate on either 50Hz or 60Hz frequency, but there are still plenty that won't.
Newish TV's are more likely to automatically adapt than older ones, if it doesn't, the different frequency is going to impact the refresh rate and picture quality. Many newish TV's also have built in capability to switch from PAL to NTSC, but not all. Do your research, ask the manufacturer and discover how the 'switch' works if it's not included in the set-up menu.
Do not be fooled into thinking it's all OK based on solely on anecdotal evidence. The calculation shows you what you need to know. Period.
Finally, read the instructions and technical specification
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