I have a 1800 watt hair dryer that is suppose to be used with a 110v, what size transformer do i need for 220v

Question

I really dont want break the hair drayer or mess up the electricity. i have never used the hair dryer but i broke a transformer using it with an electric skillet. it smelled really bad. please help!

i just want to know what size transformer to use... i have one that is 500 (i dont know what units). will this work? i cant buy a 220v hairdryer b/c i live on a primitive island and the dryer would cost more than the transformer- they are like $40 us.

Answer 1

The transformer you have is probably rated 500 VA. Far too small to handle the hair dryer on its highest setting.

You will need a transformer with a 2:1 ratio that is rated for at least 1800 VA. The link below offers a 2000 VA transformer for US $50 plus shipping. If you check around on the internet you can probably find one for about $30.

The hair dryer is rated 1800 watts, and is nearly all resistive load. Therefore we can consider the load of the hair dryer to be 1800 VA.

If you look closely, I think you'll see that the hair dryer is rated at 1800 watts at 125 V ac. 1800 VA ÷ 125 V = 14.4 amps. 125 V ÷ 14.4 A = 8.7 ohms. Basically a 9 Ω resistor.

If you energize the 9 Ω "resistor" at 220 volts, the result will be 220 V ÷ 9 Ω = 24 amps. 220 V x 24 A = 5280 VA. The hair dryer will be instantaneously destroyed.

Good luck!

Answer 2

What you have is most likely rated at 500 watts. You need a transformer that will divide the voltage by 2, that is, 220 volts in, and 110 volts out, at the current needed to power the hair dryer. The transformer will have a 7.5 to 8 amp primary current rating, and a 15 or more amp rating for the secondary side from which you get the desired 110 volts. There are transformers called "auto-transformers" which should be less expensive, and tend to be fairly common. The primary and secondary share the same windings. The ground, or common lead is common to both voltages. You could also get a 28 volt DC power supply rated at 1800 watts. This has the same power as the desired 110 volts ac, but is a DC voltage. 2 car batteries connected in series with a rating of 100 amps for each battery would suffice, if you chose to use batteries as an alternative. Someone who is knowledgeable about electricity should be able to help you with connecting the batteries, and how to keep them charged.

Answer 3

Usually transformers are sized in KVA or VA. For a hair dryer which is resistance heating VA = watts so you would need an 1800 VA transformer or larger. However, hairdryers are not used long so choose any transformer of 1.5KVA or 1,500VA or larger.

Probably the 500 is 500 VA so it would be too small unless you don't turn the hair dryer on high.

You can test the transformer by using it with the hair dryer. If the transformer starts to get too hot to the touch, it is not large enough. Otherwise, it should be fine.

Answer 4

You will need a transformer that can supply at least 10 and preferably 15 amperes at 220 volts. (1800 watts divided by 220 volts = 8.2 amps plus a margin of safety). This will be quite heavy and much, much more expensive than a new 220 volt hair dryer. It is only worth getting such a transformer for really expensive or rare equipment. Get another hair dryer.

Answer 5

if it didn't blow a fuse or trip a circuit breaker, then something is wrong somewhere. if the transformer blew, (it's located on a pole outside, not inside a house or apartment), it would have ,made a heck of a noise as well as smell bad, and knocked out power to everything and everyone on that transformer. if all you got was a bad smell, the item you plugged in was bad, or the wiring inside the wall was. household electrical appliances, except for electric dryers, electric water heaters, electric furnaces, central air conditioners, and electric stoves all use 120 volt power supplies, such as from wall plugs, as do inside lights, lamps, televisions etc. if you ho0ok up a 120 volt hair dryer to a 220 volt supply, it will burn up in seconds, and could actually catch on fire.
you have a 220 volt supply inside the house at the breaker box, but unless a 220 volt article is hooked in, there will only be 120 volt breakers. to get 220 volt power for those items needing it, two equally rated breakers are hooked together. don't mess with anything inside the box, if you don't know what you are doing. call an electrician, or someone who knows what they are doing.

Answer 6

A new 220V hair drier would be a lot cheaper than the right transformer.

Answer 7

you need no less than 2kva transformer, 220/110 volts

Answer 8

9 min/day x 365 days/year = minutes per year minutes per year / minutes per hour (60) = hours per year 1800 watts / 1000 = kilowatts (1.8) 1.8 x hours per year = kilowatt hours per year You should be able to figure it out from here

Answer 9

You need a transformer, 220VAC, 1800watt or higher. Why making it so difficult?