Electricity Voltage

Hi all,

Our electrician has recently produced a boletin certificate for our house we have purchased.  He informs us though that the voltage supply  of the wires in the house is only 125 volts so we will not be able to use many modern appliances.  He said that we could have a rewire or we could use transfomers to step the voltage demand down,  he said that many people use these in the area in which we have bought.

 I wondered if anyone has had any experience of using these transformers in Spain and if they are easy to purchase in the shops? I was thinking of buying a couple just to get me by when I come over, until I make the decision of how I want the rewiring done, I need to be over there before I decide this.   I would ask the electrician but he only speaks spanish and I am talking to him through a third party.   So any information or feedback received will be really appreciated.

 Spam post or abuse? Please let us know

Never heard that one before. Sounds a bit far fetched. The voltage supply in spain is definately 230 volts, nominal.

The wiring in the house does not have a voltage rating, but does have a current supply rating, and this is to the incoming board.

I would certainly get a second opinion from an electrician who you can understand

 Spam post or abuse? Please let us know

Not that far-fetched. We once moved into an apartment and all our appliances went haywire. On investigation, we discovered we had two separate supplies running through the place, one @125 volts, the other @ 230 v. Strange, but true, so nothing surprises me. This was about 10 years ago, and in an old building, in Plama de Mallorca. We used "step-down" transformers until we had the whole place upgraded, but I don't know how readily available they are. Curious, where (in time and place!) is your property?

 Spam post or abuse? Please let us know

Hi there both,

Our house is about 150 years old and it is in Alhama de Granada, so maybe we are experiencing the same as you did 10 years ago Roberto.  The lights are fine but apparently we won't be able to use many modern  the appliances.   Did you use transformers on each individual appliance or did you have a couple of transformers that you just plugged each appliance into when you needed to use that appliance?

It may prove to be difficult to get another opinion as most of the people who live and work around Alhama are Spanish.  I do trust the electrician as he has done some work for a friend of mine, it would just be nice to know what it all means and the best way to go round it.

 Spam post or abuse? Please let us know

I remember the fridge was permanently connected to one transformer, I guess we must have used another for other appliances as and when - sounds odd, but I don't think we actually had many appliances at that time! The cooker was gas, anyway, of that I'm sure!

I'm no sparky so I can't really advise you. I think you need some local help, but I'm sorry, I have no suggestions. Good luck, I'll be watching this thread with interest.

 Spam post or abuse? Please let us know

Thanks for info Roberto, I will let you know how I get on, I am only thinking of using the transformers for a short time.

 Spam post or abuse? Please let us know

Hi there,

I recently read that the electricity supply in most of Spain is 220 volts AC, 50 hertz , but some areas still have a 110 volt suppy  and sometimes  dual voltage  110 & 220  volt systems exist in the same house or even room!
Assuming you have 110 volt supply then you can buy converters or step-up transformers to convert appliances rated at 220 volts to 110 volt usage. Some appliances are fitted with a 110/220 volt switch, other small items such as chargers for digital camera batteries and mobile phones may have a  dual voltage power supply that can be used  safely with either voltage.
However for small high-wattage appliances such as kettles, toasters, heaters and irons you will need quite large transformers because in all cases you must make sure to match the power rating of the transformer with the total maximum power draw of the equipment connected to it.  For bigger items such as cookers, refrigerators, washing machines, dryers and dishwashers it is probably impractical to consider using a transformer because of size needed and cost. The best solution would be to arrange for upgrade of your electriicity supply to 220 volts asap.  As always, where electricty and safety are concerned, if in doubt check with a professional. Hope this helps!

 Spam post or abuse? Please let us know

Hi there,

Thanks for information, going over tomorrow to sort it out.  Will have it up upgraded to 220volts as it sounds far to much trouble with these transformers.

 Spam post or abuse? Please let us know