DIY Home Improvement Forum banner

European 220v Tools use with US 220v Outlet

60K views 41 replies 24 participants last post by  Reknik 
#1 ·
Hi,

I leave in the US.
I come from Europe and I have European home tools (Peugeot, Black & Decker and so on...) that I want to use in the US.

In my garage I have a US 220 volt outlet.
Can I use the European home tools in that US 220 volt outlet if I have an adapter?
If yes what adapter do I need? and where do I purchase it?

If there is no possible adapter, can I change the male plug of the European Tools by a US 220 volt male plug to fit the US 220 volt outlet?

TIA for your help :)
 
#2 ·
Can I use the European home tools in that US 220 volt outlet if I have an adapter?
If yes what adapter do I need? and where do I purchase it?
You probably could do it because 220 is 220, but it really is not a good idea. There's a few reasons why. One, US 220v outlets come in several configurations depending on the current capacity of the circuit, so there is no easy answer as to what adapter you need and there is no one adapter that will fit all. The main reason you should not do it is because almost all 220 circuits in the US have circuit breakers 30 amps or greater. If your tool develops a short you very likely will melt and burn the tool, and yourself, before the circuit breaker trips, if it trips at all. Your 220v circuit does not have ground fault circuit protection so if your tool leaks current into your body you have no protection. US electricity is 60 Hz whereas European is 50 Hz. Depending on what kind of motor your tool has, it could easily turn 20% faster than intended, which could easily be dangerous. European 220 circuits have one leg at ground, or earth as it's called there. Here, each leg of the 220 circuit is 110v to ground. Depending on how your tools are made, you might actually energize the grounded side, creating a shock hazard.

One option would be to have a transformer fixed up by an electrician that would convert US 110v or 220v to a European type of 220v circuit. This will work for tools that are rated for both 50 & 60 Hz.

Actually I'm surprised you have 220v tools. I thought Europe many years ago switched to 120v tools connected to transformers because 120 isn't as dangerous as 220v.

If by chance this discussion is more than you understand, then by all means be safe and buy or rent US tools and leave your European tools in the tool box.
 
#3 ·
I would like to point out that the US does not use 220 volts. Hasn't for years. Your utility provides 240 volts.

I do not know if Europe is 220 actual. I would check with the manufacturer to see if it is 240v compatible.
 
  • Like
Reactions: betelgeuse
#4 ·
Your utility provides 240 volts.
Most of the time that's the target anyway, but there is wide latitude in what the actual delivered voltage inside the house can be. Most everything is listed or rated 110-120v or 220 - 240v. I've always more or less equated 110 to 120 for all intents and purposes. American usage is inconsistent in that we generally use the terms, 110v, 120v, and 240v.
 
#6 ·
Many appliances and tools are rated 50/60Hz. Others will work but not run correctly or efficiently. I used a US microwave in England 20 yrs ago using a 240/120 transformer. Power was less, and the clock ran about 20% slow, but otherwise OK. Tools, such as drills, that have series wound motors with variable speed triggers don't care which frequency they're on. Other tools, like saws and fans, with induction motors will turn 20% faster on 60Hz than on 50Hz. Those could be dangerous to run on 60Hz.
 
#8 ·
Europe has many different standards. There are at least 5 converters for travelers to step down to 110-120v. I believe all of the countries are 50 hz yes, but some are 220v, some are 230v and some are true 240v. Some electronics (say low voltage transformers) rated for 220-230v will cook instantly at 240v. I dont know much about the European power tool market except that they are suppose to make some robust ones. It sounds like you already gave up but if you read the ratings of the specific tools you'll know for sure.
 
#10 ·
Most likely. You would have to use a transformer, but they are available to buy or rent, particularly for the construction business. The transformers have 120v US outlets on them. The only potential problem area I can think of would tools that have induction motors, i.e. no brushes, like some saws and fans. If they are not rated 50/60 Hz they will run about 20% slower on the 50 Hz current, which means they may pull more amps if loaded down. That could be, but wouldn't necessarily be, a problem.
 
#12 ·
Don't Dump your European tools! I know this is an old post, but there really is a very easy solution.

Easy Solution: buy a fused transformer that takes 110/120V 60Hz input and changes it to European 220/240V with 60Hz output. Mine has a standard European plug for its output. Works fine-the tools can tolerate the frequency difference just fine.
 
#13 ·
I have a bunch of 220 volt 50 HZ power tools. Several drills, a portaband, a couple of routers, a sawzall, and a few others. All work perfectly fine on 240 volts 60 HZ.

Some of these have seen quite a bit of use over the years, no trouble with any of them.

I have several 20 amp 240 volt receptacles in my garage, I cut the foreign plugs off and installed NEMA 20 amp 250 volt plugs on the tools.

Yes, I know it's an old thread, but I think it's still valid.

Rob
 
#31 ·
I have a bunch of 220 volt 50 HZ power tools. Several drills, a portaband, a couple of routers, a sawzall, and a few others. All work perfectly fine on 240 volts 60 HZ.

Some of these have seen quite a bit of use over the years, no trouble with any of them.

I have several 20 amp 240 volt receptacles in my garage, I cut the foreign plugs off and installed NEMA 20 amp 250 volt plugs on the tools.

Yes, I know it's an old thread, but I think it's still valid.

Rob
Hi Rob, I don't know if you are still active in the forum, but I am moving from Austria and want to keep my tools. I'm just curious as to how one actually wires the NEMA plug that you mentioned. I can find them on Amazon no problem. I'm just not sure about the connection. I'm familiar with 4-pole 220V in the US, but not 3-pole. I think my tools (all modern) are double insulated. Does that mean that the Neutral is wired to the Ground on the Euro socket (I will bring some wall outlets to install)? Or, I wire the Neutral to the ground on the NEMA plug? Either way, same difference and is that not dangerous?

Thanks!
John
 
#14 ·
Back in the 1950s Ontario, Canada used 25~ power and the switched over to 60~.
There were many 25~ motors that were missed during the conversion process.
I happened to acquire one of these missed motors and used it for my table saw, for many years. It did run faster than it was rated for, but it made little difference for sawing!
 
#17 ·
Could either of you elaborate on how to make a two-wire 220 into a three-wire 220?
Why don't you first explain what you mean by this?
What are you calling a two-wire and three-wire "220"?
 
  • Like
Reactions: jbfan
#16 · (Edited)
Generally you can take 50 Hz tools and run them on 60 Hz. (Not vice versa)

Easy to convert. Get a 250 volt rated appliance cord, 2 wire with ground if you wish. Use a cord rated for 20 amps and a "20 amp" 240 volt plug unless you are sure that the tool is rated for more. You can use a lesser rated cord if you are sure the tool is rated for less.

Using a grounded appliance cord and 3 prong plug, connect the green wire to the frame or body of the tool. (A cord with red, white, and black wires only is for 120/240 volt ungrounded use, not 240 volt grounded use.)
 
#19 · (Edited)
If the 220/240 volt appliance has no 110/120 volt internal components then it needs just a 3 wire cord, two hots for 220/240 volts and a ground. Generally you can keep the existing cord even if there is no ground wire in it but you must use a plug with no ground pin (just two prongs for 220/240 volts only).

Branch circuits in the U.S. must be grounded. This requires 3 wires and ground for equipment using both 120 and 240 volts and 2 wires plus ground for 240 volts only.
 
#21 ·
You're fin running a German cooktop on US 240V. Just connect blue and beige to the two hots (black and black, or black and red). You're right that it's somewhat different than the European system, but it will work. The European system expects one wire to be gounded and the other to be 220V. Here, each hot wire is 120V with respect to ground, and 240V between the two hots. The appliance will work fine though. Just be aware that some electronic timers will run 20% fast due to the frequency difference.
 
#23 ·
I'm not entirely clear by your description. You need to take the two 'hot' wires (240v between them) and connect each to a round pin. Ground to ground.

You are on your own for whether the machine will be happy at 60Hz. It's not usually a destructive test to try. (At least not for the euro power tools I have tried to date).
 
#30 ·
"In 1980, the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) rationalised the 220 V, 230 V and 240 V nominal voltage levels around the world to a consistent 230 V.
This rationalisation was ostensibly made to improve the economics of making appliances by allowing manufacturers to produce a range of items with a rated voltage of 230 V.
Not all countries have yet converted to the new standard."

However, in practice, countries where (say) 240 V was the "nominal" voltage "got over" this by specifying the Supply Voltage in terms such as these : -
"The "Standard Voltage" is 230 V, with a +10% to –6% variation at the point of supply, i.e., 253 V to 216.2 V." (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AS/NZS_3112 )

That works out to be about 240 V +5.5% to -10 % (Simples)

Any electrical "device" which cannot tolerate a 10 % voltage variation should not be allowed.

The "nominal" Voltage supply in North America has "crept up" from the "safe" (?) (+ and -) 100 V DC - beloved by Edison - to
the 100/200 V AC (split phase) of Westinghouse (Peak = 141 V) to
the 110/220 V and then 120/240 V (split phase) (Peak = 170 V) supplies of today.
 
#33 · (Edited)
Beware that there is an obsolete line of plugs and sockets called NEMA 10, with angled pins. These do not have a safety ground and are fairly dangerous. These were banned in 1965 except for dryers and ranges (hobs) and were banned for those as well in 1996. However there are many legacy installations and the socket is still sold widely to fools, because Freedom (tm) lol.

Here are the 30-amp versions of each. Green you are familiar with. Blacks are your 240V, white is useless neutral.



You can use either of the other two families.

NEMA 6 does not provide neutral, which you do not need anyway. They come in NEMA 6-15, 6-20, 6-30 and 6-50.

You can also use the NEMA 14 family of plugs (hot-hot-neutral-ground) which come in 14-30 and 14-50.

Since our plugs do not have fuses, we size the circuit breaker closely to the tool's demands (not like Australia). We also use different plug shapes to prevent high-current appliances from plugging into low-current circuits. Take the running amps of the tool (disregard startup/LRA amps), multiply by 125%, and you want the next size up for that. So

0-12 amps uses NEMA 6-15
12-16A uses NEMA 6-20
16-24A uses NEMA 6-30 or 14-30
24-40A uses NEMA 6-50 or 14-50

Here are the smaller NEMA 6 sockets on the right, which use the same junction boxes and wires as our 120V sockets on the left. Note how our 20A sockets also accept 15A plugs, hence the T-shaped slots. That is a one-time exception for that size only.



If you want to plug a NEMA 6-15 plug into a NEMA 14-30 socket, they make adapters for that, and the adapters have 15A fuses in them as required by UL. We do not trust manufacturer self-certification (CE). Anything sold at retail in America must be certified to national standards (written by UL) by an independent testing lab - typically UL but others are also certified - CSA, ETL, BSI, TÜV etc.

Anything sold mail order bypasses our consumer protections, and Amazon Marketplace (like eBay, but blended in with Amazon search results) is the worst offender. They have made themselves a conduit for sneaking these dangerous goods around Customs. in fact 99% of the items listed on Amazon are dangerous cheap Cheese junk from sellers with no assets to sue.
 
#37 ·
Beware that there is an obsolete line of plugs and sockets called NEMA 10, with angled pins. These do not have a safety ground and are fairly dangerous. These were banned in 1965 except for dryers and ranges (hobs) and were banned for those as well in 1996. However there are many legacy installations and the socket is still sold widely to fools, because Freedom (tm) lol.

Here are the 30-amp versions of each. Green you are familiar with. Blacks are your 240V, white is useless neutral.



You can use either of the other two families.

NEMA 6 does not provide neutral, which you do not need anyway. They come in NEMA 6-15, 6-20, 6-30 and 6-50.

You can also use the NEMA 14 family of plugs (hot-hot-neutral-ground) which come in 14-30 and 14-50.

Since our plugs do not have fuses, we size the circuit breaker closely to the tool's demands (not like Australia). We also use different plug shapes to prevent high-current appliances from plugging into low-current circuits. Take the running amps of the tool (disregard startup/LRA amps), multiply by 125%, and you want the next size up for that. So

0-12 amps uses NEMA 6-15
12-16A uses NEMA 6-20
16-24A uses NEMA 6-30 or 14-30
24-40A uses NEMA 6-50 or 14-50

Here are the smaller NEMA 6 sockets on the right, which use the same junction boxes and wires as our 120V sockets on the left. Note how our 20A sockets also accept 15A plugs, hence the T-shaped slots. That is a one-time exception for that size only.



If you want to plug a NEMA 6-15 plug into a NEMA 14-30 socket, they make adapters for that, and the adapters have 15A fuses in them as required by UL. We do not trust manufacturer self-certification (CE). Anything sold at retail in America must be certified to national standards (written by UL) by an independent testing lab - typically UL but others are also certified - CSA, ETL, BSI, TÜV etc.

Anything sold mail order bypasses our consumer protections, and Amazon Marketplace (like eBay, but blended in with Amazon search results) is the worst offender. They have made themselves a conduit for sneaking these dangerous goods around Customs. in fact 99% of the items listed on Amazon are dangerous cheap Cheese junk from sellers with no assets to sue.
Thanks! this is also super helpful. I already have US-spec 240V tools in storage that I will be coming back to, but needed to know what correct wiring and plug configurations should be used for these euro tools. I really appreciate the advice and will purchase from a reputable retail or commercial electrical supply once I get back and have a garage again :)
 
#34 ·
My concern with this is that if the European tool is designed for one wire to be hot at 230V and the other 0V, make sure the 0V one is not grounded in the tool. Ideally, a 3-wire cable with the two "hot" wires going to the 230V and 0V wires of the tool, and the green wire going to the tool's case. And, unless it's a higher current tool, use the NEMA 6-15 or 6-20 connectors.
 
#38 ·
Thanks! I think that video that tedindystries sent really explains it all. Putting the 1 hot on each pole simply replaces the neutral in the european setup. The tools I have include one that's rated for 60Hz as well as it has electronically controlled speed and torque (Bosch drill press), and the others are just circular saws and grinders. SHould not be to much of a problem.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top