elctric appliances from US

[nataliaNewYork]

Hi!
I would like to know if the electric appliances bought in the US will work in Argentina....like TV, washer/dryer, toaster, microwave oven, etc...
thanks!

 

[gouchobob]

Yes they will work but you will have to get transformers to convert from 220 to 110. On TV's depending on what you have, Argentina is PAL format, versus NTSC in the U.S. although I understand a lot of the newer sets have tuners that can accept either, also a NTSC set is not a problem in Argentina if you have Direct TV.

I had an American washer and dryer, refrigerator, TV, Stereo, etc. I sold them when I decided to return to the states and got more for them 5 years old than I had paid for them new. American appliances are considered high-end in Argentina. A lot of the local stuff for sale there is expensive and not very good quality.

 

[ghost]

TV is not a problem, Washers are easy with a transformer. All of your
kitchen apps including the toaster are easy if you stop at Home Depot in the States, pick up about a 4 foot wire mold, plug strip and fasten the US wire mold [out of sight] under the kitchen cabinets, the plug the wire mold into a 2000 watt transformer and run the fridge and all other kitchen appliances. It is easy and works great.
Now............ the clothes dryer is a pain in the ass, many shops here will tell you that they can convert the dryer. And only one or two really know how. Argentine 220 is 50 cycle and single phase, US 220 is 60 cycle and two phase. And a US 220 dryer uses the 220 only for the cal rods, the motor, lights , timer and such are 110. So it's a tricky job. It will cost a fortune to convert properly. Bring a GAS dryer and save yourself a nightmare and allot of money and time.

 

[fred mertz]

Will there be a problem fixing EEUU appliances if parts are needed?

 

[gouchobob]

TV is not a problem, Washers are easy with a transformer. All of your
kitchen apps including the toaster are easy if you stop at Home Depot in the States, pick up about a 4 foot wire mold, plug strip and fasten the US wire mold [out of sight] under the kitchen cabinets, the plug the wire mold into a 2000 watt transformer and run the fridge and all other kitchen appliances. It is easy and works great.
Now............ the clothes dryer is a pain in the ass, many shops here will tell you that they can convert the dryer. And only one or two really know how. Argentine 220 is 50 cycle and single phase, US 220 is 60 cycle and two phase. And a US 220 dryer uses the 220 only for the cal rods, the motor, lights , timer and such are 110. So it's a tricky job. It will cost a fortune to convert properly. Bring a GAS dryer and save yourself a nightmare and allot of money and time.

Good point on the dryer, this could be a problem although I had a Kenmore and ran it without any major problems. Parts obviously could be a problem and I had one or two repairs where the local people where able to get the repair done without going back to the states for parts. One good thing in Argentina and South America in general as people still repair components versus the U.S. where broken components are simply replaced. The reason for this is labor costs are higher in the U.S. and spare parts are relatively cheap. In Argentina and elsewhere in South America it's just the opposite.

 

[ghost]

Will there be a problem fixing EEUU appliances if parts are needed?

Not much of a problem. Most of the repair shops have a pipeline to US parts. Try to bring new stuff if you can because the appliances here are junk and expensive junk at that. Or if you live in LA or Miami there are warehouse operations where you can buy new major and minor appliances already converted [but then you end up with items that you cannot move back with] . Plus, keep in mind that selling things here is a joke because no one whats to pay anything for value.

 

[nataliaNewYork]

Thanks to all!

 

[Ries]

just to nitpick-

American 220 is not "2 phase".

2 phase is something completely different, a very wacky flavor of electrical service that was used before the second world war in Buffalo NY, and around Philly.

American power is either single phase, or 3 phase, which is an industrial type not used in household appliances.

American dryers simply have some circuits that are 110, and some that are 220, and, since American power is two 110 volt hot wires, which add up to 220, while Argentine is one 220 volt hot, its a bit trickier to split up the power.
You can use a transformer for the 110 circuits of a dryer, but you have to know what you are doing, to go inside the dryer and rewire it accordingly.

Probably cheaper and easier to buy a dryer here, or, just do like the locals do, and hang a rack from the ceiling...

 

[TomAtAlki]

I'm not real sure about this (electricity is magic to me) but since you plug your dryer in to 220 in the US and you plug the dryer into 220 in AR I think the dryer takes care of any necessary conversion.

 

[ghost]

I'm not real sure about this (electricity is magic to me) but since you plug your dryer in to 220 in the US and you plug the dryer into 220 in AR I think the dryer takes care of any necessary conversion.

You should read my previous post. I've been down this road before. Argentine 220 is Single phase and 50htz, US 220 is Two Phase and 60 htz. A US dryer will not function for very long [hours] [unless radicaly modified]when pluged into AR 220. Take a look at the plugs also they are massively different, there's a reason for that.