Using american flat iron in France

Had to say. The most important question is that you did not indicate the wattage capability of the transformer. It is very important that wattage of both units match. Most heating devices require a high wattage transformer. Even with a high wattage transformer the heating device will not function as well as it would on the regular voltage. So it is possible that her flat is working as well as it did at home even with the appropriate transformer. And if the transformer is too small, then it will not work at all. But doubt it it would have a negative effect on the household.

Assuming their wiring was up to standard the worst that your transformer should have been able to do would be to pop the breaker for whatever circuit it was plugged into.

If it did do any more damage then your daughter has probably done them a favour by highlighting an existing problem with their wiring.

Thank you guys for making me feel better!

Here's the exact information on the box the transformer came in:
Brand: Travel Smart by Franzus

50 Watt International Transformer
Converts 220V foreigh electricity to 110V U.S. electricity for use on most appliances rated 0-50 watts.

For use with applicances rated 0-50 watts: Electric shavers, radios, calculators, etc.
-Thermal fuse for temperature protection

(Made in China)

50W is far to low to run an iron, they usually take 1000's of watts.

Your daughter did get lucky here, using a low power transformer, even advertise as for Electric shavers, radios, calculators... to run a high power device. If the house did have a wiring fault she could have caused a fire.

But the iron said 32W. I'm confused. And could she really have started a fire? Maybe that's what happned?!? Like in the wall? OMG!! Now I'm really worried again!

Peter is correct. For a heating element 32W is way too low. I missed it in your earlier post. My general advice is not to use a heating device on a transformer. But some hair dryers for example design for dual voltage operation and work fine. If a flat is critical to her well being I would encourage her to buy something local. Also if fused the transformer may have blown which is the first level of protection.

I just called the manuafacturer of the flat iron and they said it's 35W, which even so, still made me think that a 50 watt transformer was adequate. The company said that they do not recommend using the flat iron outside of the US and that the warranty is void if you do. Okay, we took a risk and ruined the appliance. It was a bad idea and I accept that. My bigger concern is still whether we could have caused an electrical problem in the household by attempting to use it with the transformer I described. If the flat iron is truly a 35W appliance, should it have caused this problem or do you think it really uses a lot more wattage than that?

Lynn, you state that the iron draws 32W but that seems hardly possible. That would be like trying to iron with, say, the family cat.

It's quite likely that the transformer has burned out due to the internal resistance created by plugging in the iron. Did your daughter observe the transformer getting hot or any hot smells emanating from it? Also, it's possible that the home power panel consists of screw-in fuses which need to be replaced if blown instead of breakers which can be simply reset. Some (almost all) of those French homes were built before circuit breakers. If the electrical problems are confined to a specific area of the house or a specific circuit, it should be a pretty simple deal to troubleshoot. But first they should check the fuse box, something they might never have had reason to do before.

In the meantime your daughter may have to wear wrinkled clothes like, presumably, the iron-less host family.

I think you may have misread something. 32W seems far to low powered for any kind of iron (unless it takes about a week to heat up!) Your looking at about 800W for a small travel iron and 1kW to 1500W for a full size.

I wouldn't worry too much (anything that would have happened would have been right away) but I would not use that transformer again.

It is very important though to carefully read the power rating on any appliance that you attempt to use and make sure any transformer has the correct rating.

Edited to add: Cross posted with the last few. If the thing really is on 35W then a 50W transformer should work but it still sounds odd.

Just for my interest what make and model is the iron?

I know. The whole thing of taking the flat iron was a bad idea. It's hard to convince a 17-year old girl that a flat iron is not a necessity! She left her "good one" at home, (which we read on the flat iron itself that it was 72W) and opted to take the lower wattage one on the trip, which whether it is 32W or 35W, as the operator at the company just told me, still seemed like it should be fine using the 50-Watt rated transformer. She did not take her 1000-watt hair dryer with her, which we clearly understood wouldn't work with the transformer.
Either there's something I'm not understanding or this whole situation should have been okay, I would have thought.

FHI Heat
Platform Special Edition
Professional Ceramic Tourmaline Styling Iron

The actual electrical specifications are 35W, 120V, 60Hz

I've just had a thought - I was assuming you meant the type of iron you iron clothes with (and I think the other responders were too).

Are you talking about the hair straightener type of iron? 32W is quite reasonable for one of these.

Yes, I'm sorry. It is for the hair! In my days we used curling irons, now they try to make their hair as flat and smooth as possible using this heated appliance that flattens it out!

Cross posted again!

Yep, that should work with a 50W transformer. But the low power ones are really only for low powered electronics and aren't really designed for the type of continuous draw from a heating element.

I'm just hoping the host family's electrical problem is not due to my daughter and wonder 1. Whether there is now a safety hazard in their home, which my daughter caused, and, 2. Whether we might need to offer to pay to have their home rewired!

A faulty transformer should not cause any permanent issue in a properly wired home. So I think you are off the hook. She should stop using the transformer if has proved to be a problem in the past.

If there has been permanent damage it would be due to an existing wiring problem and could have come to a head with any faulty appliance.

Looks like there have been a lot of posts since I started writing this. Some of this has already been posted.

First place, when I grew up, a "flat iron" was something you used to iron clothes, and I think that is what a lot of people here are also assuming. Clothes irons were around 1600W.

However, when I want to a couple retail websites, it appears that a "flat iron" today is for ironing hair. The one I saw was 250W.

The Franzus Foreign Travel Adapter says it is for 0-30W continuous, 31-50W intermittent. Transformers produce heat and could get too hot in continuous use. That could could cause the insulation to melt and the wires to short. Proper home wiring should protect against damage if this happened. And, the Franzus website also says the transformer has thermal protection.

I don't see anything on the Franzus website to say it is a "CE" product, and I'm sure the flat iron isn't.

Peter, what is the law in the EU concerning CE? I'm sure you can't sell an appliance in the EU without it being CE, but is it legal to use a non-CE appliance?

I don't know off the top of my head. My instinct is you are right that they can't be sold but I'm not sure about using them.

I assume the US has an equivalent standard?

I guess you are always going to have that problem with travel electronics. American appliances conform to American standards, EU to EU, Australian to Australian... I just checked around the house and all the multi voltage stuff I've got (phone , Nintendo etc.) show CE marks but no foreign stuff. Kind of defies the point of making it take 110V if I'm not allowed to use them outside the place of sale.

Peter, don't those devices have the letters UL in a circle on them somewhere. That is the U.S. equivalent of CE.

I just look at the power supply for my new Acer Aspire One netbook computer. It must have 20 symbols on the back, including UL, CE, and TÜV.

Not on the small stuff - phone(s), DS.

I didn't think to check the laptop before (which would have actually been the easiest as I am using it now) and that does have marks galore including your UL. I wonder if it is a space issue? The laptop power brick is about 5 times the size of my phone charger so maybe they prioritised local marks?

Looking at the Franzus converter on the website, I'm wondering how she plugged it in. French receptacles are recessed (cylindrical depression) so the converter would have had to have had a cylindrical protrusion to fit into the receptacle. The French receptacles also have a grounding pin sticking out. In addition to provide a grounding means, which the converter apparently doesn't use, it would prevent the converter from being plugged in upside down, which would defeat the polarized (wider prong) feature of the iron.

I don't know if you can tell from this picture what the transformer looked like well enough but it did have the cylinder-shaped prongs on the back that fit into the french receptacle.

http://www.home-improvement-superstore.com/conair-franzus-division-f11-50w-mini-elec-converter.html?utm_source=TheFind&utm_medium=cpc&zmam=8568711&zmas=4&zmac=66&zmap=258376

Lynn-
I studied in Italy two summers ago and dealt with the same problem with my hair drier and flat iron. Sometimes it would work with a transformer, sometimes it wouldn't, sometimes it would pop the breaker in the house we were staying in. With all these problems I figured it was a good investment just to buy a European straightener. I found one at a local gadget store for only 22 euros and it saved me the headache of dealing with those transformers. I was only there for 6 weeks and considered it a good investment. You might pass along the suggestion to your daughter.

Lynn, I'm not talking about the pins. The receptacle has a recess, about 1¼ inch diameter with the holes for the two round pins (prongs) at the back of the recess. The plug is supposed to have a mating, slightly smaller diameter boss from which the two pins extend. That's supposed to make it impossible to touch the pins until they are completely disengaged from the receptacle. Converters that are just flat on the backside won't fit into this recess, and thus there pins won't engage the holes.

Edit: You can see what the Frence receptacle looks like here (Type E, halfway down the page).

Hmm. I really don't remember for sure what the back looked like, I guess. We bought the transformer only two days before she left on her trip and I sent along the instruction pamphlet(that might have had pictures)with her. Would she even have been able to get the transformer plugged into the outlet if the transformer didn't also have that rounded protrusion? She also had just a small plug adaptor with her which I don't think she was trying to use because we discussed the fact that the transformer was necessary if she was going to be using her flat iron and I don't think that little adaptor plug can even accept an american plug that has a wider plug on one side.

Oh, one other thing. The transformer box also says "This transformer has round (Continental) pins that will fit most European outlets. However, there may be occasions when an adapter plug will be needed depending on where you are staying." It shows a picture of an outlet with a circle around two holes for the prongs but doesn't show the back of the transformer to see how it looks in the back. It's just a rough two-dimensional drawing anyway so you can't tell for sure that the round circle is actually an indentation.

I had no idea how many variables were involved in all of this. Had I realized it, I think I would have planned to take Melissa's suggestion!

That adapter to which you refer is commonly called a "Europlug", because it fits in receptacles all over Europe. It usually accepts, in addition to a two-flat-blade, American plug, two round pins, just like it has on the other end. They are often used to provide spacing between the back of a receptacle and a flat plug, like the converter. If your daughter had an adapter with her, I suspect that is what she did.

The problem with that is that it allows you to put in the converter two ways. The French receptacles are polarized (German ones are not), that is, the hole for one prong is connected to ground at the junction box. The shock prevention system in some appliances depends on the correct pin or blade being grounded.

I don't mean to make light of the situation. But this reminds me of the scene in "Just Married" with Ashton Kutcher and Brittany Murphy when they tried to plug in a certain naughty appliance and completely blew out the entire electrical system in a French castle that was a hotel. It was really funny. But that was just a movie, not someone's home!

After reading this... I have come to the conclusion. to not take my flat iron from home... The search is now on for one that has the dual voltage.. does anyone know off the top of their head, if one exists? If I find one.. I'll post to this topic again.

Worst case~ I will have a bad hair day for 12 weeks.. or cut it all off.. we'll see...LOL ... however I would prefer a flat iron built for travel.

thanks
Viv

OK that was a quick search.. I found one on a web page called Magellans (anyone heard of it.. it is a new name to me) it is 59.00 for the dual voltage.. has a six foot cord... for 68.00 you can get the same thing with four diff. adapters... any comments out there? Has anyone used this site...

My Chi at home was about 100.. I would hate to fry it.

here is a link...
http://www.magellans.com/store/Health___Hygiene___Hair_CareEP109?Args=

thank you for any comments..

I have a flat iron I bought from Magellan's--it's wonderful! I looked at the website, it appears to be the same brand, but the model looks slightly updated. Yes, it has a 6' cord, it functions well (sometimes I find travel-sized appliances inferior, but not this one) and is very small and light. Good for US business travel too.

Regarding the function, it has narrow plates, but the "teeth" give it good performance. I can't see if the latest model is exactly the same-- looks similar.

Oh, and I haven't started any fires...

Hi Linda.. thank you for posting to the Magellan questions. I think I will order it today. I like the idea of not having to guess about it.. is it safe? Is it not?

thank you!

Viv :o)

Hi Viv, yes the iron is safe. It is designed for international travel and is dual voltage. It automatically senses which voltage to use, so you do not need to manualy switch the voltage. Cool, because I take it everywhere.

It does not need a transformer (converter is actually the word). You only need to pick up a adaptor plug for the country you are visiting.

Finally, it has polarized plug for US use and it looks like a an interruptor circuit in the plug-- this should shut if off if there is contact with water to prevent electrocution (GFIC). I don't know if it also shuts off when the voltage is way out of whack too.

I looked at the website again, and it is definitely a newer model than I have and actually it look like a better quality product.

Linda,
Perfect! I will order it tonight~ Thank you for your help with this..

Have a nice weekend
Viv :o)

I guess I can't believe all this discussion. With all the money spent to go there, buy one there! All it takes is one appliance to fizzle out (with me it was a hair dryer) to never bring another unneccesary electrical gadget again! And I had the correct plug and converter. I doubt that this incident caused the housewide electrical problem. Personally, I get my hair cut just before I go and bring mousse; it works like a charm and saves time, too!

I am amazed by all the discussion--including mine--too. Clearly, it was a great purchase for me.

The reason not to buy one there is because travel appliances are small and lightweight (VERY important) and PERFECT for someone who travels 5 to 8 times a year (in the US though..). So, it depends on your needs. I love it.

PS Good quality travel appliances aren't as vulnerable to fizzling out. I wouldn't bother to take a US appliance that required a voltage converter.

I've brought this up on other posts about flat irons, and I still can't believe I'm still the only one who has mentioned this idea... For less than $59.00, you can get a salon quality flat iron from a European Ebay. I found some on there from reputable sellers that ship to the US. Why would you buy a dual voltage flat iron if you already have one for the US? I'm going to buy one off of Ebay and then I'll only have to get a plug adaptor depending on which country I'm in (i.e., if I buy one for the UK and go to Germany). I had a Conair that was dual voltage, but it did not work very well over there despite the fact that it was the correct voltage. After using a Chi, I canNOT go to some no name brand... But that's just me! ;)

Sorry, but that Magellens "dual" voltage... WASTE. Seriously, just buy one when you get to Europe. Cheaper and will work better!

And has Lynn heard from her daughter? Curious minds want to know.

(I took a group of 10 teens to Europe. Several flat irons, both dual voltage and with transformers/adapters. None of them survived the trip!)

I did end up hearing from my daughter. The power was out for about 36 hours but my daughter claims it had nothing to do with her flat iron. I guess I'll never know for sure but it sure seemed like an awful coincidence... she says her host family is very nice. If my daughter did cause the outage, they don't seem to be holding it against her!

I wasn't keen on going through this thread but it still shows up on the front page :p. Is it just me or did everyone here fail to notice this?

She took her flat iron with her (120V, 32W) and a transformer to use.

In one place (on the box) it said it converted 110V to 220-240. Another place (the actual instructions) said 110-120V to 220-240.

I believe you need a transformer that converts 220-240 V input to 110-120 V output. I am not sure if Lynn just typed it wrong.

My bad, i didn't read all the posts. But hey, few more days on the front page doesn't hurt anyone ;)

On that first post I had it backwards typing the info straight off the top of my head (shows you what I know)! On the third post I actually had the box in front of me and gave the exact info, which had it in the right direction.

I noticed the "inversion" on the original post almost immediately, but by the time I saw the posting, she corrected it.

I took my flat iron to Austria last summer and bought the proper electrical conversion items for it to work. My flat iron melted. :-( So, I decided for my recent Rome trip to just buy one that was made for Europe. I bought one from www.folica.com. Best decision I made. It was about $100 and now I have one for my European trips. All the high school girls I brought with me were clamoring to use mine!

Sure, I can't use it at home and it's only for European travel. I'm ok with that.

Robin, what was the exact model that you bought? And was it a high quality or was it comparable to a Conair? $100.00 is a lot to pay, but it may be worth it if it's salon quality...

I got this one: http://www.folica.com/Sedu_Pro_Ionic__d1783.html

Sedu Pro Ionic Ceramic Tourmaline Straightener (1", 220-240V, Plug Type C)

It's definitely salon quality. I wouldn't buy anything other than that, the cheap ones are much worse for your hair.

I am SO glad I found the other thread that refered me to this thread!! As I had said I would take my CHI with us on our trip in Sept. NOT HAPPENING!! I don't really need one and was going take it because my friend said she HAD TO HAVE ONE. Well if she HAS TO HAVE ONE!! Then she can deal with it! Thanks for the heads up!

Now a good hair dryer is another story. hmmmm!

Search in folica.com, They have dual voltage ones as well as ones with 220V made for europe
I am not sure how good the dual voltage ones are ...!!