EU vs US electric

[Dave22q]

Thinking about trans Atlantic cruise. What is the minimum I need to do to adapt to 240v EU power. I know my wire sizes and fuses should be good and my battery charger, AC outlets and alternator may not be. I understand ohm's law but am no electrician. Help, please use very basic science.

[StuM]

Apart from the voltage, you also need to think about the frequency.
50 v 60Hz can be a problem with some AC equipment but not with all (primarily induction motors such as fridges/ aircon etc).

What do you mean by "adapt to 240v power"? Rewire your boat to 240V and replace appliances? Or just safely get 240V shore power to feed your existing system?

Depending on your setup, you may be able to get away with a "site transformer" to convert the UK power to 120V before feeding it into the boat.

[donradcliffe]

If you want to minimize, buy a cheap 220v battery charger, run the dock power to it, and use your 110v inverter.

[travellerw]

Originally Posted by donradcliffe

If you want to minimize, buy a cheap 220v battery charger, run the dock power to it, and use your 110v inverter.

This is the answer for a simple cheap solution! As long as you don't want to run big draw devices (like AC).

[Adelie]

Since you are in the US I assume you have an existing system that produces 110v-AC for on-board use.

I assume that you don't want to replace all the AC equipment you already have unless you are moving to Europe permanently.

There are 2 ways to do this economically:

1] Get a step down transformer that converts 220v to 110v. The limitation to this is that Europe runs 50Hz AC compared to the US 60Hz. You will want to look into whether equipment you want to use are sensitive to power frequency. My guess is that your smart battery charger might have a problem and SOME electronics might have a problem. If you want to use power tools or a small electric heater they will probably be fine.

2] Get a charger that works off of 220v and run all 110v loads on the boat from your inverter (I assume you already have one). The limitation to this is that you will only be able to run smaller loads unless you have a really big inverter. Running an electric heater would be tough. Also you would only be able to run a few medium sized loads at once. If you wanted the heater your might get one locally as well as the charger and run the heater and charger off of shore power and any other loads off of the inverter.

I do not see a reason to change your alternator unless you change your whole electrical system.

[Adelie]

A simple step transformer for 3kw is in the range of $90 or so.

A 1700w that also changes frequency is in the range of $150-200.

A 220v 80a smart charger is in the range of $300-400 or 220v-7a for $140

Assuming you have some solar aboard the cheapest route would be a simple step transformer for running hand tools, a small 7a smart charger to charge 24/7 when on shore power and a locally procured electric heater running on local current.

If you want A/C then you need to reconsider your whole electrical system.

[sy_gilana]

Hi, all the above answers are good, but if you want to save yourself some trouble, there is an ex cruiser and friend of ours who lives in La Linea, in Marina Alcaidesa (google it) and has a company doing just this, he is an honest guy, get hold of him, Eric, at gatewaynautica.com

Sometimes he takes back transformers as the US boats leave the Med again, and he passes them on to boats just entering. You can trust him, and he has loads of local knowledge etc.

[Dave22q]

Adapt means use EU shore power with minimal changes. if I start by putting a EU socket on an American 12v/30a shore power cable what else is necessary? Smaller fuse at socket, install an inverter to step down the voltage, reset or replace my pro mariner 1240 charger, etc. I know the cycles change but am not sure it matters, my AC equipment is reasonably basic - microwave, coffee pot, refrigerator, freezer, laptop, Cruiseair air conditioning, tv. Additionally can I set this up so I can still run everything off my Westerbeke 4KW generator when not on shore power?

[Adelie]

Fridge and freezer probably won't like 50hz. They need to run off the inverter or the house 12v system.

[travellerw]

Originally Posted by Dave22q

Adapt means use EU shore power with minimal changes. if I start by putting a EU socket on an American 12v/30a shore power cable what else is necessary? Smaller fuse at socket, install an inverter to step down the voltage, reset or replace my pro mariner 1240 charger, etc. I know the cycles change but am not sure it matters, my AC equipment is reasonably basic - microwave, coffee pot, refrigerator, freezer, laptop, Cruiseair air conditioning, tv. Additionally can I set this up so I can still run everything off my Westerbeke 4KW generator when not on shore power?

Whoa my friend, that is anything but basic. That is quite complex for AC needs.

First off, your microwave, Air Conditioner and possibly fridge and freezer will have problems with 50hz. Unless the fridge and freezer are 12V devices.

A quick look at the manual for the pro mariner 1240 charger shows that it can accept anything between 120-240V. You could just wire a 240V pigtail to that device and power it directly from the dock. Then use all 12V devices. Unfortunatley no microwave or AC.

Unfortunatly there is no simple answer to the question you are asking. Some are easier and cheaper than others. You could buy an isolation transformer that will step the voltage down to 120V. You could then try your devices on it, but there is a risk of burning things out (especially the AC motors). This is especially problematic when you go from 60hz devices to 50hz devices as they turn slower and have less cooling.

Here is another thread that discusses this exactly.
http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...na-123601.html

[mitiempo]

Originally Posted by Dave22q

Adapt means use EU shore power with minimal changes. if I start by putting a EU socket on an American 12v/30a shore power cable what else is necessary? Smaller fuse at socket, install an inverter to step down the voltage, reset or replace my pro mariner 1240 charger, etc. I know the cycles change but am not sure it matters, my AC equipment is reasonably basic - microwave, coffee pot, refrigerator, freezer, laptop, Cruiseair air conditioning, tv. Additionally can I set this up so I can still run everything off my Westerbeke 4KW generator when not on shore power?

Your charger should work on EU voltage and 50 cycles, so any 12 volt is fine. Since you have a generator anything you can power with it is ok - microwave for example. Buy a 240 volt heater in the EU and run it off an extension cord, avoiding the boat's AC. The last thing you want to do is plug 240 into the boat's shore power inlet. For any other AC appliances - like a coffeepot - buy in the EU and run off the extension cord.

[robbievardon]

Gentlemen please take note, not all eu country voltages are the same as the UK. France for example is 110 volts as are many other of the eu members.

[donradcliffe]

Originally Posted by robbievardon

Gentlemen please take note, not all eu country voltages are the same as the UK. France for example is 110 volts as are many other of the eu members.

Maybe you can find a reference for your statement--probably not

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mains_...ity_by_country

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by robbievardon

Gentlemen please take note, not all eu country voltages are the same as the UK. France for example is 110 volts as are many other of the eu members.

Sorry, this is not true. Standard mains voltage in every European country without exception is 220v or 230v and 50 hertz frequency. France included.

There is very limited 110v power just for power tools used outdoors, generally supplied via transformers. Not relevant to us.

[Alita49DS]

Not remotely interested in 110v240v, but can you tell me a bit more about Eric? I am having my boat lifted out at Alcaidesa next week. His, not very informative, web site says he does more than just electrics.