Converting frequency on US devices (60Hz - 50Hz)

Status
Not open for further replies.

Thread Starter

and.and

Joined Aug 13, 2023
16
I don't see how the device would know that it was being supplied by an converter that provided 120VAC/60Hc at 15A.

At least they made it clear that you can't operate at 50Hz.
exactly my point, i no want to do like the other guys: just try a step down voltage and burn the hair dryer lol
wasting the hair dryer, shipping fee, duty taxes and the transformer cost . i want to do a safe step for this project
 

Thread Starter

and.and

Joined Aug 13, 2023
16
I misunderstood, I thought you all ready had a unit you were wishing to use!?
Was there nothing locally that will do the job.
Yes sir needs to buy it, the choice of this investment is because that is a product that is very important to step up the game in my wife's hair salon.. :D
 

Reloadron

Joined Jan 15, 2015
7,891
I can share this much. During the early and mid 80s I lived in the Napoli area for 3 years. I got a great deal on a 20 cubic foot refrigerator/freezer US specification from a sailor going through a divorce. A trip to tutu per la casa got me a nice big transformer which worked fine on the fridge and everything dragged over from the US. The items with a motor just ran a little slower on the 50 verse 60 Hz power. Even the refrigerator compressor worked just fine. I have no idea why the manufacturer rules out a transformer. Some motors may run hotter at the lower mains frequency but we never had a problem. Matter of fact most appliances with a motor had a universal brush type motor. The heating element won't care as long as the voltage is correct and there is wiggle room there. Because of the large population of US military in the area transformers were very common. Hair driers have come a long way since then granted but a transformer should work I would think.

Ron
 

Alec_t

Joined Sep 17, 2013
15,121
So the manufacturer's support says
We've had people try to take the device outside of the US/Canada and use it in Europe only to have the device not work or to have the motor burn out
That indicates the motor needs 60Hz. Perhaps some electronics is also using the mains frequency as a timing reference for something critical?
 

Thread Starter

and.and

Joined Aug 13, 2023
16
I can share this much. During the early and mid 80s I lived in the Napoli area for 3 years. I got a great deal on a 20 cubic foot refrigerator/freezer US specification from a sailor going through a divorce. A trip to tutu per la casa got me a nice big transformer which worked fine on the fridge and everything dragged over from the US. The items with a motor just ran a little slower on the 50 verse 60 Hz power. Even the refrigerator compressor worked just fine. I have no idea why the manufacturer rules out a transformer. Some motors may run hotter at the lower mains frequency but we never had a problem. Matter of fact most appliances with a motor had a universal brush type motor. The heating element won't care as long as the voltage is correct and there is wiggle room there. Because of the large population of US military in the area transformers were very common. Hair driers have come a long way since then granted but a transformer should work I would think.

Ron
good evening mate, iam from Naples :D the Nato military base are still there, at Gricignano di Aversa lol
20 years ago the americans were all over the place the actually build a village for them Villaggio coppola in the place of ischitella - castel volturno.. since it was a top tier tuoristic- village place then the americans leave the place and it has turned to a ghetto.
very very incredible story around the amercican military there... they lead the illegal business of alchool and cigarette here lol

getting back to my project sir i have contacted the support and sadly they make very clear that only a trasformer would not work
 

Thread Starter

and.and

Joined Aug 13, 2023
16
So the manufacturer's support says

That indicates the motor needs 60Hz. Perhaps some electronics is also using the mains frequency as a timing reference for something critical?
thanks sir for the reply yes, i think if i will be able to solve this frequency headache around this product i will go for the safe route,
really dont want to burn it like this after i have been warned lol
ilike you sayd i think there must be something that make this 60hz frequency matter very crytical for thehair dryer to work mmmhhh..
 

Thread Starter

and.and

Joined Aug 13, 2023
16
So the manufacturer's support says

That indicates the motor needs 60Hz. Perhaps some electronics is also using the mains frequency as a timing reference for something critical?
thanks sir for the reply yes, i think if i will be able to solve this frequency headache around this product i will go for the safe route,
really dont want to burn it like this after i have been warned lol
ilike you sayd i think there must be something that make this 60hz frequency matter very crytical for thehair dryer to work mmmhhh..
 

Reloadron

Joined Jan 15, 2015
7,891
good evening mate, iam from Naples :D the Nato military base are still there, at Gricignano di Aversa lol
20 years ago the americans were all over the place the actually build a village for them Villaggio coppola in the place of ischitella - castel volturno.. since it was a top tier tuoristic- village place then the americans leave the place and it has turned to a ghetto.
very very incredible story around the amercican military there... they lead the illegal business of alchool and cigarette here lol

getting back to my project sir i have contacted the support and sadly they make very clear that only a trasformer would not work
Well some things apparently don't change. I lived in Ischitella right on the water and many months paid my rent with Agip gasoline coupons and Marlboro cigarettes. I enjoyed Napoli and my mother's family was from the Napoli area. My son was actually born there when the US hospital was in Agnano. :) Before living there I had several visits. I was not US Military but rather worked for the US Department of Defense so we had the same benefits.

The more I read about this hair drier I am also starting to wonder about the motor verse frequency. These things are different today than 40 years ago. The manufacturer should know their product and if they say no I would not run with it.

Ciao
Ron
 

Thread Starter

and.and

Joined Aug 13, 2023
16
Well some things apparently don't change. I lived in Ischitella right on the water and many months paid my rent with Agip gasoline coupons and Marlboro cigarettes. I enjoyed Napoli and my mother's family was from the Napoli area. My son was actually born there when the US hospital was in Agnano. :) Before living there I had several visits. I was not US Military but rather worked for the US Department of Defense so we had the same benefits.

The more I read about this hair drier I am also starting to wonder about the motor verse frequency. These things are different today than 40 years ago. The manufacturer should know their product and if they say no I would not run with it.

Ciao
Ron
ciao Ron i agree things dont really change down there lol
that Agnano hospital was close since then only re-opend again for Covid, but wecant keep to maintain it maybe will close again lol
thanks for the interest in the hair dryer mate, yes i think thos new products are very different from the old one, i have read on REDDIT tha people tryed a step down votage trasformer but they burned it.
 

MaxHeadRoom

Joined Jul 18, 2013
30,684
Reading the Manuf blurb and watching the demo video it works on vacuum rather than heated forced air blowing like a common type of dryer. It sucks the hair into the device itself.
Also one user mentioned it sounds like a small vacuum cleaner when running, which tends toward the motor being a Universal version?
I am wondering if the unit was developed in N.A. that the OEM is worried about different performance in other countries? But no substantial proof how it will react?
It certainly does not seem to be any revolutionary electrical methods involved?
 

Alec_t

Joined Sep 17, 2013
15,121
I see from the RevAir's spec that the Wattage rating is 800W. Not clear if that includes the vac motor.
I also see the motor has a speed (suction) control with 7 settings. Does that point to it being a universal type, or perhaps a BLDC type?
 

Alec_t

Joined Sep 17, 2013
15,121
If motor burn-out has been experienced when using a 240/120 transformer at 50Hz rather than the original 60Hz, it looks like there is no spare iron in the motor to prevent magnetic saturation at the lower frequency. Stepping down to 120V x 50Hz/60Hz, i.e to 100V, might solve the problem, but at the expense of weaker vacuum than originally. That might be tolerable, given that there are 7 vac settings anyway.
 

Alec_t

Joined Sep 17, 2013
15,121
I have a couple of concerns over the safety of this dryer.
1) Given the way it works, the heating element must be in the side-arm of the hand-held part. Hence the wiring to it (assuming it is mains powered) presumably runs down inside the flexi vac-tube (I don't see it outside). If the wiring is exposed to 105°C (the max setting of the dryer), or even 70°C, how long will it be before the insulation fails?
2) Can any parts which might reach 105°C or 70°C be touched?

I do hope the designers/manufacturer have considered these matters.
 

Thread Starter

and.and

Joined Aug 13, 2023
16
it looks like there is no spare iron in the motor to prevent magnetic saturation at the lower frequency.
thank you so much mate for the analisys i believe once the machine arrive in Italy and i open it to send picture we will discover also this :D
 

Alec_t

Joined Sep 17, 2013
15,121
How many of these dryers are planned for the salon? If each one sounds like a vacuum cleaner (post #31) the combined noise may be intolerable :(.
i believe once the machine arrive in Italy and i open it to send picture we will discover also this
A visual inspection probably wouldn't indicate the likelihood of magnetic saturation by a coil current 20% above the original design value.
 
Last edited:

Thread Starter

and.and

Joined Aug 13, 2023
16
it looks like there is no spare iron in the motor to prevent magnetic saturation at the lower frequency
but at the expense of weaker vacuum than originally
happy Sunday sir i like that explaination very well!


How many of these dryers are planned for the salon?
:D
sorry for the late reply sir, i actually thought i had write on this thread , but i didnt (i was distract)
actually i only need one fully working :D , that will not be a problem becouse the air chair isolated from the rest of salon where they also do make up, so for each client that is interested in the revair treatment they will have a isolated chair.
Its not excluted in future to put more revair machine and increase the music volume ahah since the foreign women that are interested in this air threatment are a lot in my area .. little by little .. for everithing there is a solution
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top