From a purely consumer/user perspective, what is the better choice when choosing between the same appliance that is available in 110v & 220v models?

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Most of the answers to this question that I’ve searched for here and on google get into a lot of technical stuff, intended more for people who are building electronics. I want to understand – from a consumer perspective, someone looking to purchase whichever model is best for them – the pro’s & cons, and if there’s any particular reason to choose 100v over 220v when given the option, for something like a house fan.

In that context – a house fan for example – would the 110v model be less strong/effective than the 220v model?

Is there anything important to note if buying from a bargain site vs. a well known tech company?

Thanks!

In: Technology

4 Answers

Anonymous 0 Comments

It depends on which country you live. Most countries use 220v but if you are living in the usa, get the 100v. If you’re wondering why usa uses 110v, one of the main reasons is because usa has built a large network for 110v when 220v was invented and would be costly to convert all lines so they opted to stay with 110v unlike the UK, they first built 110v lines but their network was still fairly small so they had the opportunity to change lines.

Anonymous 0 Comments

Power = voltage * current. Since the voltage is “standard” per country, more power means more current, and current typically heats up the wires and/or may trip the circuit breakers.

Typical household circuits for 110 volts trip at 15 or 20 amps, so you’re looking at 2000 watts of power. A fan or quite a few aren’t gonna be an issue. A TV, most electronics are 100 watts, light bulbs are 30-100 watts, etc. The big consumers are: AC units, area heaters, electric stoves, refrigerators, and electric water heaters. These may need 220 volts just so the current doesn’t trip the breakers.

The big advantage of 110 volts over 220 volts is, 110 volts is very painful but likely won’t kill you, 220 volts can kill you.

In any case, I’m not sure if you’re going to have a choice: most countries have a “standard” for their power grid, and that’s that.

Anonymous 0 Comments

Honestly, it is more a question of where you are located than performance.Only USA and few other countries use 120v voltage as a standard voltage. Most other countries use 220v. So unless you are planning to custom wire your home stick to what is standard in your country.

Anonymous 0 Comments

220 V versions of appliances can use more power than the 110 V versions.

The tradeoff is that you need a 220 V outlet, specific wiring, the right breaker, and enough power to your house to run the appliances.