# Installing a US 240v 60hz dryer in European voltage



## del schisler (Aug 22, 2010)

yavieli said:


> I moved from the US to Israel and brought with me a brand new Bosch WTVC8330US dryer. I figured, hey, its rated 220-240v so it should work fine.. so what if the hz are not the same, the cycle times will be a bit off (clearly i am a novice at this electricity stuff).
> 
> Well, since the dryer came with no power cord, a local installer attached a 3 cord wire to the back of the dryer and plugged it into the wall. There was a nice flash of light and dryer will no longer turn on.
> I don't know if it blew a fuse or something worse. Local Bosch is no help either.
> ...


Just a guess Can's see it from here. A 3 wire is fine if it is hooked up right. Now if ground was put on wrong. Thing's happen not for the good. Maybe blowed out the 110 motor Or put 220 on the insterment panel or 220 across the 110 motor ?? Look's like you are done Unless you have a volt-Ohm meter and ohm out the motor . Or know how to hook up 110 and see if the motor will run. Now as far as the insterment panel . If some solid state part's we will say on a board . That is bad new's . Sorry can't be more help.


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## rjniles (Feb 5, 2007)

Since this dryer is rated as 208/220-240 @60Hz, there are no 110/120 volt components to burn up with over voltage. I assume your installer wired the 2 hot legs and the ground (there is no neutral on the dryer). The only difference is the 50 vs 60 hz. While this may have caused issues in the long run, I doubt that it would cause an instant smoke reaction. Possible that something went wrong with rough handling during shipment. 

Suggest you get a appliance repairman.


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## yavieli (Sep 5, 2010)

new update- Dryer does turn on, but for some reason shuts off immediately. One theory a tech gave me was that because its a US 220-240v and 22A, that a regular 220v outlet in Israel can't supply enough power and that's why it shuts itself off. 

Another tech came and said it will never work because it requires two 110v circuits in the US and I can't create that here.

Another tech said that I need to split up the ground wire?

Does that make any sense? Anybody has any other ideas? Why am I getting the feeling the only way to resolve this is by getting an appliance repair man and an electrician in the same room at the same time?


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## rjniles (Feb 5, 2007)

If you were trying to draw to much power (current) from the 220 receptacle it would trip a circuit breaker or blow a fuse.

Since this is a 208/220-240 volt device, no 110 circuits are required. 

Splitting up the ground wire makes no sense. The ground wire is connected to the frame of the dryer. What would you split up?

In the North American power grid, a 240 volt supply is 2 hot conductors (at 120 volts) each fom the opposite side of a center tapped transformer. The 2 legs are 180 degrees out of phase from each other, so the voltage across them is 240 volts.
Neither of these conductors is grounded. The center tap of the transformer (the one you see at the top of the utility pole) is the neutral conductor and it is grounded. Also on this side of the pond, a 120 volt circuit is 1 hot conductor (at 120 volts) and the neutral conductor. 

I will make a stab at a possible issue as I am not totally familiar with the European power grid. The 220 volt supply you are getting is a single 220 volt conductor and a grounded neutral. The dryer may sense that there is continuity between the grounded neutral and the frame equipment ground. And shut off as a safety precaution. 

A test to prove: DO NOT USE THIS AS A PERMANENT REPAIR - IT IS DANGEROUS

Disconnect the ground wire at the receptacle or at the back of the dryer.
Turn the power on, plug in and test the dryer. If the dryer runs, it proves my theory.

While this may be the cause, I see no way to fix it unless BOSCH has an answer. DO NOT LEAVE THE GROUND DISCONNECTED.

Maybe the "Frenchelectrician" will chime in as he is familiar with the power systems over there.


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## engnenk (Oct 13, 2010)

I have the opposite problem. When I moved back to the US from England, the movers packed my Miele dryer and now it sits in my garage. In the manual, it says that the 3 wires are hot, neutral and ground and that the required voltage is 208-240v. Ignoring the whole 50 hz/60 hz thing, how can I wire an outlet so that this thing will work?


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## rjniles (Feb 5, 2007)

engnenk said:


> I have the opposite problem. When I moved back to the US from England, the movers packed my Miele dryer and now it sits in my garage. In the manual, it says that the 3 wires are hot, neutral and ground and that the required voltage is 208-240v. Ignoring the whole 50 hz/60 hz thing, how can I wire an outlet so that this thing will work?



Verify with an ohmmeter there is no continuity between the hot to ground and the neutral to ground. If there is a neutral to ground connection you are out of luck. If both of the above test show now continuity, proceed as follows:
Connect both the hot and neutral to a 30 amp (check the name plate to verify my guess at the amperage) 2 pole breaker and the ground to the ground bar. You will have no connection to the neutral bar(unless you panel uses a common neutral/ground bar).


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## HVAC_NW (Oct 15, 2007)

The drum motor is frequently 120v. In the US, it is setup 120/208 or 120/240 with the motor and electronics getting power from a leg and neutral.

In Europe, the power is generally derived from three phase 400Y/230 and you're getting a neutral and a hot lacking 120v needed for everything other than the heating elements.


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## rjniles (Feb 5, 2007)

European appliances are 220-240 devices without any requirement for 120. The motor and all the controls are 220-240


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## hardwareman (Oct 9, 2010)

I guarantee you fried just about every electronic controller in that machine, Europe does not use 110 volts circuits as we do here. generally on an American made dryer, the incoming 220 volts is split into 2, 110 volt circuits at a terminal block. electronic controls, timers, switches and the motor all run on 110 volts the only thing to utilize 220 volts is the heating element. In Europe however everything is run off 220 volts. I am amazed it even runs at all even for a second or two.


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## Jacques (Jul 9, 2008)

Yeah it's done and HZ does matter. when you change the HZ you change the impedence[resistance in an A/C ckt].. i thought one could buy converters for overseas??


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## rjniles (Feb 5, 2007)

hardwareman said:


> I guarantee you fried just about every electronic controller in that machine, Europe does not use 110 volts circuits as we do here. generally on an American made dryer, the incoming 220 volts is split into 2, 110 volt circuits at a terminal block. electronic controls, timers, switches and the motor all run on 110 volts the only thing to utilize 220 volts is the heating element. In Europe however everything is run off 220 volts. I am amazed it even runs at all even for a second or two.


His dryer is not 120/240. it is 220/240. There are no 120 volt component to burn up. The 50/60 Hz thing may well be the issue.


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## HVAC_NW (Oct 15, 2007)

rjniles said:


> His dryer is not 120/240. it is 220/240. There are no 120 volt component to burn up. The 50/60 Hz thing may well be the issue.


Older dryers were L-N-L with the chassis bonded to neutral. new outlet by code requires L-N-L + G. 
Why do you think it isn't L-L and G? 

My dryer has a simple mechanical control, but the drum motor is 120v. It is drawn off of one of the legs and neutral.


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