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Questions tagged [appliances]

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0 votes
8 answers
7k views

Can I utilize 3 phase power in a single phase appliance by connecting all 3 lines in parallel?

I can't seem to find an answer to this. Assume we have a 400V three phase power source. Connecting phase-to-neutral will give 240V. If you connect them in parallel you should still end up with 240V AC....
-2 votes
1 answer
59 views

Can the efficacy of an air conditioner be affected by a surge protector? [closed]

For years, I have had my 8000 BTU window air conditioner plugged into this CE TECH 8-outlet surge protector. It was the only item plugged into it. Recently, I switch it to this TROND 13-outlet surge ...
6 votes
2 answers
1k views

What is LED starter?

What exactly is LED starter? The producers ship it with only a vague explanation that it is needed to replace the original fluorescent tube starter when replacing the fluorescent tube with its LED ...
1 vote
1 answer
290 views

How does this 230/400 V induction hob draw current? [closed]

The instructions that came with a new Electrolux EIS62441 induction hob didn't specify any recommended breaker sizes or supply cable cross section requirements. The hob comes with more than 1 m of ...
3 votes
3 answers
1k views

Beginner: Solder won’t flow onto thermostat tabs

I’m trying to repair my espresso maker with a new thermostat but am unable to get the solder to flow. I’m a beginner but have had some experience soldering my own guitar pedals using stripboards in ...
0 votes
5 answers
1k views

Do 240V AC switches only need to open the active wire?

I want to add a simple inline switch to a small, mains powered lamp (~240V AC, 10W Max). It's earthed; it has a typical 3-core cable with a 3-pin plug. I bought a bunch of switches, expecting ...
1 vote
1 answer
104 views

How to Test Battery Health in GRUNDIG VCP 3930 with a Multimeter, Arduino, or Raspberry Pi?

As a follow-up to this question, I own a GRUNDIG VCP 3930 vacuum cleaner (which uses a 25.2V, 2000mAh Li-ion battery) that has stopped charging properly. I am being told that the battery on this ...
0 votes
2 answers
96 views

Determining which home appliances are plugged in based on their power consumption behavior

I placed a current sensor on the main power line going into my household and I am trying to use that data to determine if an appliance is plugged in such as a fridge or heater. It should be easy ...
1 vote
0 answers
111 views

Class III appliance with metal chassis connection

I am designing a SELV/Class III appliance (lab/industry type, IEC 61010), supplied via two-pin isolated DC power. For mechanical reasons, the chassis has to be metallic. As a result, there are going ...
0 votes
1 answer
658 views

Do thermal cutoff fuses wear out if used below rated temperature?

I tend to keep my electrical applicances alive for decades and have had several thermal fuses (the non-resettable axial kind) repeatedly wear out for no apparent reason, some of them in expensive ...
2 votes
1 answer
10k views

Is there a way to identify which wire is L and which is N on an appliance (the electrical device itself, not the wall socket)?

I have a specific question but I thought it could also be made more generic. I have this device, a Fakir HQ1200 heater: I am an idiot and disconnected the wires before taking a picture/marking them, ...
0 votes
1 answer
28 views

Maytag MDB9100 connector to circuit board

I'm replacing the circuit board on my Maytag MDB9100 dishwasher. I'm having trouble connecting the white and black connectors on the bottom edge of the new circuit board. Everything else has been fine....
0 votes
0 answers
281 views

How to determine whether a transformer is dead

My range hood broke, so I took it apart. I confirmed that 125V is arriving at the control board, which is connected to a fuse which is good, which is connected to a transformer. My voltmeter (AC mode) ...
3 votes
2 answers
1k views

3 phase induction hob, single phase wiring [closed]

While installing this 3-phase appliance I came across these diagrams which have been bugging me a bit, therefore it would be nice to find out what is the correct way to wire this up and what is the ...
2 votes
0 answers
96 views

EU appliance use on US circuit - grounding concerns

I've been reading through old posts about people wanting to use European kettles and other appliances on a 240v US circuit. Forget the 50hz/60hz frequency difference for resistive loads and universal ...
1 vote
1 answer
51 views

Sourcing an alternative strain relief adapter [closed]

I'm doing a simple modification of my old Sony sound system. It came with no earth wire and I wish to replace the cable and connect the earth to the metal chassis of the stereo. My issue is that the ...
0 votes
3 answers
858 views

Identifying Mains Connector for Bosch 300/500/800 Series Dishwashers

Bosch dishwashers do not ship with a simple junction box built into the front quarter, as most dishwashers do. Instead, they use a 3-pin connector; presumably because this approach allows them to ...
1 vote
1 answer
75 views

Why does my food mixer have voltage across input cable leads even when unplugged?

I have a technical problem where the cable of a food mixer has voltage across its cable when unplugged. When I measure it with a multimeter at various times after being unplugged it shows a voltage ...
1 vote
1 answer
83 views

What kind of displays and processors are used in consumer electronic products (like a coffee machine)? [closed]

I am presently working on the development of a smart kitchen appliance, which will eventually be sold in the market. As part of this project, I need to incorporate a touch display for the operation of ...
1 vote
2 answers
173 views

Which circuit or device can I use to lower my electronics power usage

Resistance device uses 1.0 kW on standalone usage load measurement. I tried using diodes in series to half the power rate to 500 W, Wondering whether to use a 220V to 110 V step down or reduced the ...
0 votes
4 answers
10k views

Is it acceptable to connect a car battery and an AGM battery in parallel?

I power a 12V fridge in my car either via the car battery (when the vehicle is running) or via an AGM battery. There is an Anderson outlet in the car connected to the car battery to which I attach a 3 ...
0 votes
1 answer
100 views

Appliances and power station frequency compatibility [closed]

I am planning to buy an Anker Power Station. The US website it says that the power output is AC Output/AC: 110 V~ 4.54 A, 50 Hz/60 Hz, 500 W I'm buying the unit here in Middle East and the unit back ...
18 votes
4 answers
12k views

Can I safely use a 6 A, 600 V diode in place of a 6 A, 400 V diode?

Inexperienced electrical person here, but trying to save significant cost to repair an oven. The oven I have has a MR754 diode off the main convection heating element, that has failed. Unfortunately,...
0 votes
1 answer
282 views

How to drive an induction hob coil from AC mains

I have been looking into designing an induction hob circuit, but haven't really found complete answers to my questions. As I understand it, it's important to take advantage of the natural resonant ...
1 vote
2 answers
722 views

Why would bridging a varistor with the multimeter leads on any setting have caused the unit to turn on?

So I've been working on fixing this window AC unit for a while, and when I started I knew next to nothing about circuits. At present today, I know a bit about circuits -- enough that i at least know ...
0 votes
1 answer
206 views

How do I calculate a transformer's VA rating for a kitchen grinder based on its power consumption in Watts?

I imported a 110V kitchen grinder but a 220V one arrived instead. According to its included specs it consumes 150W and reaches 14500 RPM. In the case I start looking for a transformer for it, what ...
0 votes
2 answers
70 views

Electric panel heater to smart [closed]

I just bought a house that comes with these panels for heating. The panel has a timer but I’d like to explore if there is any smart option. The option I initially checked is those smart WiFi plug, but ...
-3 votes
3 answers
296 views

Why doesn't refrigerator start immediately after putting the switch on? [closed]

I've gotten something common. Please don't assume there is a malfunction or default with my refrigerator. The experiment asks what would happen if I turned off the refrigerator's power source and then ...
2 votes
1 answer
164 views

How can there be 0 volts difference and yet I can feel electrical tingle? [closed]

While the background for this question is quite practical and probably off-topic for this site, what I'm asking here for is why this happens and not how to fix it. I want to understand the electrical ...
0 votes
3 answers
1k views

Solving for using 120 V, 60 Hz washing machine and dryer in 240 V, 50 Hz environment

Thanks in advance for the feedback. My family will be building our dream home and moving to Europe in a few years. I’ve lived in various regions of the world and one of the biggest conveniences that I ...
-3 votes
1 answer
163 views

12V-only (and no 110V/220V) household electrical installation [closed]

Power outlets are in 220V/110V in houses for historical reasons (light bulbs and other appliances probably required >100V voltage) but nowadays as: we use a USB charger 220V->5V for phones, ...
0 votes
1 answer
288 views

Using electrical equipment made in the US, in Japan

A lot of (good) US stuff is available in Japan through international online sales (Amazon). However, most equipment purchased in Japan from the US are shipped as-is, without any change, while the ...
2 votes
2 answers
525 views

Can I safely remove the buzzer from a Philips air purifier?

I am trying to silence my air purifier (Philips AC5659/10). I think it uses a piezo-buzzer (front & back of PCB visible on page 4 of this document). In a similar vein to this question, I would ...
1 vote
1 answer
154 views

Are there non-unscrewable microwave oven bulbs? [closed]

I recently emptied a Samsung microwave oven of its components and came across the lightbulb, which appeared at first glance to be fitted in a diamond shaped holder. Though when I looked through the ...
0 votes
3 answers
580 views

Can I reduce the power used by an AC heater? [closed]

I have a 2000W resistive heater that plugs into 220V AC. Is there any device that I can place between the heater and the outlet that will make it, simply speaking, not heat as much, and behave as it's ...
1 vote
2 answers
211 views

Laptop battery - Appliance class - Is it safe for ungrounded outlet? [closed]

I have some ungrounded receptacles in my house that are GFCI/AFCI protected. I wanted to check if my laptop (power brick) can be safely used on these receptacles. On the power brick I see this ...
1 vote
3 answers
4k views

Wattage in US vs AU/EU household appliances

This oven is listed in both the US and Australia. You can see that it's the exact same model (BOV845). Yet if you open the specifications, the only difference is that the US model uses 1800 Watts ...
2 votes
1 answer
2k views

Why do we need a waveguide in a microwave oven?

Why do we need a waveguide to move microwave power from the magnetron to the microwave cavity? Can't we just push magnetron antenna into the cavity? Why does it have to go through a waveguide?
1 vote
1 answer
117 views

What causes an induction cooker to lower heat level by itself [closed]

It's more than 5 years old. It is difficult to cook in high temperature because the minus sensor appears to be activated all the time. I end up going from 1600 to 400 every time. What must be the ...
4 votes
1 answer
101 views

Why do European motorized appliances draw less inrush current than their American counterparts?

I have been trying to tease apart the history and evolution of arc fault circuit interrupter requirements, and in the process, came across a curious historical sidenote early in its genesis, namely ...
0 votes
1 answer
49 views

Rated voltages for the Cage clamp connectors?

what does the rated voltage for a connector means? How should we select the connector for a 230V AC application? Let us say can I use this connector for my 230V AV application? https://www....
2 votes
3 answers
369 views

How to discern earth from neutral?

I have a three cable circuit in the kitchen1, I know that one is live, one neutral and one is ground. However, there is no colour2 matching between the standard and the real cables, so I can't use the ...
0 votes
1 answer
103 views

Calculating wattage of electrical appliances

I need some help from you. I don't know how to calculate wattage of my refrigerator. It has a warmer part and cooler part. Below is its configuration. Also, if you guys don't mind, please roughly ...
0 votes
1 answer
101 views

Securing a very, very old 220V switch

We recently acquired a very old saw that accepts either 220V or 120V. It came with a suicide (male-male) cord, in turn going to a female-socket cable: which in turn goes to a DPST switch: in turn ...
0 votes
5 answers
863 views

Why do household appliances use DC motors? [closed]

Couldn’t appliances like fans also use AC motors? What is the advantage of converting to DC?
2 votes
1 answer
650 views

Need help designing a hairdryer

I'm designing a hairdryer as project for a university class, but I'm having trouble regarding the choice of the motor. I need it to have two possible speeds. My first idea was to use an AC motor and a ...
1 vote
2 answers
67 views

Switches and functions of microwave oven unresponsive on cold start

I have an old microwave oven which performs most of its functions, considering its age. There is a slight problem that the switches go unresponsive and the LCD display fails to operate correctly if I ...
2 votes
1 answer
440 views

How could one "inverter control" convector heater be more electrically efficient than another?

I'll have to explain it step by step so that you have no chance to misunderstand what I'm asking about. First, what a convector heater is. It's a plasma TV shaped box usually made of sheet steel. ...
0 votes
3 answers
115 views

Wiring for solar powered house [closed]

I am trying to design electrical wiring for a small 1-bedroom house which will be only powered from solar panels. The minimum appliances in a house would be: Appliances available in 12V DC: LED ...
0 votes
3 answers
476 views

Is most of non-isolated power supply "safe"?

I need a large power supply (a little over 1kW) for a consumer appliance that only has a single on/off switch and some non-conductive handles. An off-the-shelf isolated supplies run at least $60 for ...