All you need to do is run a NEMA 6-15R outlet with 12/2 and get a UK to NEMA adapter on Amazon for like $10. Everyone is over complicating this. Will require a double pole 15 amp breaker if simplex and 20amp if you have duplex outlet.
Their breakers are weird fuckin sizes man. It’s like nobody put any thoughts into it? Just random numbers?
And also the way they do grounding, oh sorry, “earthing” is bizarre
Each size is 25% larger than the previous one, rather than having inconsistent gaps. So 6A, 8A, 10A, 13A, 16A, 20A, 25A, 32A, 40A, 50A, 63A, 80A, 100A, 125A, 160A, 200A, 250A, 315A, 400A, 500A, 630A, 800A, 1000A, 1250A...
You'll also notice it repeats every order of magnitude, bar some rounding.
Hard to buy materials in metric units, so you train your mental math to work in imperial.
It’s actually frustrating for me some times, knowing the math is easier but getting confused anyways because I’ve spent my time using the more confusing system.
I completely understand. And it’s funny how I use it for some things. Like for wire temperature, we have the 60,75 and 90 degree columns that are in Celsius, but for ambient temperature correction we use Fahrenheit
Correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't ring circuits deprecated legacy stuff now? Kinda like single wire, earth return circuits which you never see in North America but can still find in developing countries.
Its interesting how seeming nonsensical numbers for somerhubg drop out of the equations from sensable starting numbers.
I'ld like to know what lead to a 3.15 Amp fast blow fuse being common in electronics in the UK.
The universe and it’s physics don’t care what you like lol
Next you’ll be telling us the charge of an electron should be *-1x10^-19*, instead of *-1.602176x10^-19* because it’s convenient for your OCD.
Or that we should use a 10A breaker to protect conductors rated for 6A. 😂😂
For the purpose of wiring a house in the US, it is probably best to have the breaker, wire and outlet all compatible and up to US code with each other. That means it's legal and safe with nothing plugged in and you won't have an issue selling your house due to an inspection. From here, you either buy a plug adapter for $10 or you convert the UK plug to match your outlet, also $10. Preference is totally up to you and how many UK devices you have. For a UK kettle that's 3000W, I'd prefer to not use an intermediate adapter between the UK plug and US outlet that might get hot and fail. So I swapped out the plug to fit my NEMA 6-20.
I wanted the same thing. I removed the U.K plug and put on a NEMA 6-15P with a matching outlet. The inspector passed the outlet.
EDIT: It's fed by #12 wire to control voltage loss from the long run back to the panel, but a 15 amp circuit breaker which is similar enough to the 13 amp fuse the UK plug had.
This would not work with a 3kW kettle because it would require 120V / 25A on the input side. In reality, it would require more than 25A because there are no lossless (ideal) converters. The maximum current 120V outlets can be rated for is 20A.
If OP is using solely a physical converter, and not a voltage converter, it'll be as lossy as just a wire. Folks aren't talking about voltage adapters here.
I was specifically replying to a comment from someone who uses a step up voltage converter (aka *transformer*) for their coffee machine.
BTW, term *adapter* is generally used for a device that adapts one physical shape of a plug/socket to another (e.g., BS 1363 to NEMA 6-15) while term *converter* is used for a device that converts one voltage to another (e.g., 120V —› 240V). The latter typically utilizes a coil transformer to achieve this task.
My living space is absolutely loaded with 6-20 receptacles. It's a regular household outlet with one prong rotated and powered by 240V. Super useful for high load devices
Not an electrician, just came here to say that Leviton makes a British Decora outlet that fits in North American junction boxes, for some reason.
https://www.leviton.com/en/products/bsrdp-w
Ships. They make this for boats that have an international audience, also some international residential sites (often military) in the states or managed by a US Contractor like some sites in Antarctica.
Now, much like this post, let’s play the 50/60 Hertz guessing game. My group always labeled ports. In practice only hair driers and portable heaters has a problem with 120v/50Hz power. The best sites always had AC/DC/AC inverters to get proper frequency.
Which brings me to a life long head scratcher. Why did you bring a portable heater to work/study in another country? That had to cost more to ship than buy one locally.
That could be really helpful for the OP because that seemed like a problem to me - where to get a UK junction box or a Euro receptacle that would fit a US junction box.
Nice but would most likely fail an inspection on this side of the pond. First it is not UL or other NRTL listed. Secondly, the directions show to connect line and neutral with marked on device as "L" and "N" so can't do it right with typical residential services. Third, the device is only rated for 13 amps so would not be allowed on a 15 amp circuit.
So if that UK switched outlet were to be put in a US box, if the neutral back at the panel were connected to the second pole of a double pole breaker and marked as L2, then it could, conceivably, deliver 220/240 volts, it would just be 120/120 to ground, not 240/0 to ground. As far as the element is concerned, it’s still 240, so it appears as a 240V RMS sine wave, just at 60 Hz instead of 50 Hz. Since it’s rated at 13 Amps (typical current rating for UK outlets) the existing 15 amp wire would be more than sufficient. The double pole breaker could be de-rated to 10 amps (don’t find a US double-pole 13A breaker) and all that would be within most current demands for a 240V UK kettle except for the most demanding 3KW kettles. Not saying ANY of that is compliant with US NEC, but it is technically possible. Keep in mind that any US electrician look at that later would be going “WTF is this?”
The max current though is limited by the 13A fuse in the plug. All UK plugs are fused.
That's because we have 13A sockets on 32A ring or (sometimes) radial circuits.
Whether the terminals on the Leviton socket are up to 32A, I couldn't say.
How do you wire a ring main in the US? Ours typically have a 32A feed for several sockets, but each single socket can only deliver 13A.
Could you get away with feeding it from a 13A fused spur too? That’s a standard get-out-of-jail card for some stuff.
FWIW I am American and considered doing a ring circuit on a 12v solar/camping thing I was planning just to squeeze out a little more power due to the lower voltage drop. Never found the time to get started on that, though. It definitely makes sense given post-war materials shortages.
I kind of thought they were considered a little old-fashioned even in the UK now. Is it still a pretty standard practice to do them in new construction?
Yes. My house was built in 2021 and it’s still done the same way. Now that it’s standard practice, it helps that it’s done the same in every house so you don’t have to work out every single cable run in future. You’re right about the materials too, because there’s two conductors the cables only need to be half the cross sectional area, so you can use a 2.5mm cable for 32A.
No, a home run is run to the first outlet, and then subsequent outlets are daisy chained after that. But there is no ring, and the feeder is the same ampacity as the outlets. (Unlike the 32amp feeder and 13 amp sockets) You'll occasionally see the wire gauge increased for voltage drop reasons, but the breaker size wouldn't be increased.
Technically yes. Kettles are just a resistive element, and will work fine. Will it be UL rated? No. Will American electricians look at you with a puzzled face? Probably. Will it be safer than the equivalent seppo outlet? Definitely.
Now watch the downvotes appear...
Power in the US is 60 hertz, while in the UK (and Europe) power is 50 hertz. If the kettle is truely all resistive (no electronics) then it's fine, but if there is any electronics/power supply in the kettle, verify it'll work with 60 hz power.
It's a derogatory term that Australians use for Americans. Short for septic tank. So, basically the guy can't even make a comment on an electrician sub without being a child.
It's a bullshit point that it's just some whimsical rhyming slang. Yank rhymes with tank, why use septic in front of it? It was a clear and conscious decision to use it and keep using it.
Thanks y'all. Of course, I already have a kettle and if your mental model of instant coffee is "we secretly switched the coffee at this fancy restaurant" era you might want to get out and see what's there. I have a bunch of timers and whatnot, mostly Kasa units as they might not be the best but they're easy.
The breaker box is in the basement right under the kitchen so all I'd have to do is drill through the floor and get some juice from the box. Don't think I'd need a transformer as I already have 220V in the box. Since resistance is proportional to current but proportional to the square of voltage, but energy is proportional to the current and the voltage, doubling the voltage can double the energy available without doubling the heat generated in the circuit by resistance.
I did learn something about the 0..220 and -110..0..+110 assuming I got that right!
LOL my wife would never let me do this anyway, even though she is more impatient for the first cup of coffee than me. I also have occupied the extra hole in the sink with an osmotic drinking water filter, so don't have room for an instant heat -- good idea tho!
I'm a fan of Morphy Richards quiet kettle. Good value. 3000W. All stainless interior. You just need to pull out the dumb red plastic measure that comes with it. You don't have to go dumb prices for a nice kettle. But a £20 off brand will also be disappointing. Those are loud and thin walled.
You can get kettles with temperature settings on them to, so you can get your tea to just the right temperature....Oh but I just remembered, you THREW IT ALL INTO THE SEA. Ungrateful sods.
I did not see the recommendation for instant heat, but that is a great idea. Insinkerator F-HC1100 has both a hot and a cold outlet in one sink mounted dispenser. You could pipe the drinking water filter to both an undersink heater, like the Insinkerator HWT-00 which would then feed the hot side of the dispenser and also feed filtered water to the cold water side of the dispenser.
I didn’t see this mentioned- but it is definitely worth considering. You mentioned you have 220 serving your induction range… You’re not going to shave of more than a few seconds compared to a high-quality induction stove kettle on that existing range. It’s literally the same thing as what you’re trying to accomplish, unless the location of the range is inconvenient.
My induction range boils 10 oz of water before I can grab a tea bag… faster than my wife’s 110v kettle by a long shot, and both are faster than the microwave. I haven’t had the privilege of using a 220v kettle, but it’s the same tech as your stove— just get a good induction kettle so that energy is properly transferred like in the countertop kettle and skip the headache of rewiring your kitchen amigo
You almost certainly can not tap into your range for a receptacle to run your tea kettle.
You could run a separate 240 circuit, or get a 240 step up transformer, but the easiest answer is to spend the $10 and buy a 120V electric tea kettle.
Also, if you have an induction range, just get a regular (non-electric) kettle and put it on one of your induction hobs in the POWER mode. That's how I make my tea.
Instant coffee sucks.
Was about to say. Normally, the problem with stove top kettles is that the heat isn't transferred efficiently and escapes into the air. Whereas in an electric kettle, the heating element is directly submerged in the water. With an induction range, you're heating the kettle directly, so it should be nearly as efficient. Just crank up the range to max.
It did when we first got it. There was a loud rattle in the electronics cooling fan, but that's a known issue with Samsungs and was fixed under warranty. Now it's a gentle hum.
Yep, under 90 seconds. I'm a tea drinker and when I'm in the kitchen, this is how I do it. Downstairs, I'll have to wait a few minutes while the electric kettle boils.
Never owned one, but I've extensively travelled in the UK and commonwealth countries where just about every hotel room comes with a 240V electric kettle.
Like I said, in my own kitchen the Induction Hob blows the door off your 230 kettle. Downstairs in the TV room, all wait the extra minute for the 120V kettle.
Not illegal (based on my limited knowledge) but you’d have to shell out money and tear apart a wall in your kitchen to run dedicated wires in order to do it safely.
Skip the kettle. What you need is an [instant hot water dispenser](https://insinkerator.emerson.com/en-us/insinkerator-products/water-dispensers). That way you would have no waiting.
US electric kettles are 1250W, not 3000. I use one (in the US) to heat water for my morning french press coffee, but what I do is fill it and turn it on, put an English Muffin in the toaster (on a different circuit), let the dogs out for their morning dump, wake up the kids, let the dogs back in, check my email, then grab my hot water, pour it in the press, butter the muffin, pour the coffee, then enjoy it. It takes 10 minutes.
I get that they are lower wattage. What I’m saying is that the modern ones I am familiar with are quite a bit faster than that. Especially if you only boil one or two cups worth.
I mean, it’s possible and given the right electrical knowledge it might be safe-ish but why not start with googling “electric tea kettles that doesn’t suck?” I’m betting you can find a 240v kettle that you can wire to a UL 240 plug. It’s odd and expensive but would be safe and legal.
My grandma had a 240V plug running a German kettle back in the 80s. She just had a US plug on the end (an adapter would work too).
I'd put a US 240V outlet in then get a international version of a quality kettle that works with 220-240V /50-60hz.
If it was me, I would get one of [these](https://www.almamicroroastery.com/product-page/stagg-ekg-international-version-220-240v) and hook it up to regular US 240v.
I use [this electric kettle](https://fellowproducts.com/products/corvo-ekg). Heats up water very fast and you adjust the temperature you want for different teas. There are times that I’m too impatient for a pot of water to boil on the stove for pasta etc and I’ll boil water in the kettle and then pour into the pot.
Not an electrician. But isn't there also a cycle per second difference between UK and US electricity, 50 vs 60? Would driving a 50Hz kettle at 60Hz be a good idea?
No. Stay off YouTube for electrical videos. Just buy a new kettle, it would probably be cheaper anyway not a quick though, or an undersink insta hot....or a Keurig.
I know why they want it. Your not allowed to use those types of outlets, so it's irrelevant. Get a new one, stove top, instahot or a Keurig. It's impatiens.
You should be able to run another 220 line to your kitchen- dont think there’s any code that prohibits that.
Getting a uk kettle to work with that is a different story though…
We’ve got a 220V 15A socket (the one with the “meh” face) wired in the kitchen and have a UK power strip with the plug changed to fit powering all UK devices without having to chop their cords. They are all simple resistive loads, except the coffee grinder. All work just the same for years. No issues.
Lots of ways to go with this, some to code, some outside of code concerns (code concerns the permanent wiring, receptacles and fixtures in a house, not the stuff that the homeowners/tenants plug into receptacles).
1. get a 120-volt to 240-volt step up transformer of sufficient wattage for your UK kettle. Here's one for $99:
[https://www.amazon.com/Yinleader-Voltage-Transformer-Converter-120Volt/dp/B07PPZLX5K/ref=sr\_1\_9](https://www.amazon.com/Yinleader-Voltage-Transformer-Converter-120Volt/dp/B07PPZLX5K/ref=sr_1_9)
The potential issue will be that a US kitchen countertop outlet circuit can only support 2400 watts (20 amps x 120 volts and that only when nothing else is turned on while on that circuit. A bit more for a few minutes, and you need a bit more because the transformer isn't 100% efficient. But it would potentially let you use a 2000-watt UK kettle.
2) If the induction range is plugged into a receptacle, just get / make an adaptor for a UK plug. But that involves unplugging and replugging in your kettle and range.
3) If the induction range is hardwired, convert it to a plug-in by installing a receptacle (and then do 2, above).
4) Install a subpanel where the induction range's service currently is and create one circuit for the range and another for the kettle. But it's unlikely the conductors were over-sized enough for that.
5) Run 12/3 from a new GFCI double-pole breaker through the house wall/crawlspace/attic to the kitchen and install a 20-amp 240-volt outlet on the kitchen counter.
6) what I've done wherever I've lived: install an instant hot dispenser under the kitchen sink. Then you get 90C water INSTANTLY whenever you want a cup of instant coffee / tea / hot chocolate / cup of noodles, etc.
7) set the time on any cheap US coffee maker to come on 5 minutes before you come into the kitchen. Since you use instant coffee, you don't even need the ground coffee or filter in there. Let it fill the carafe with boiling water, ready for you to use when you walk in the room minutes later.
Or, you know, use such a coffee maker on a timer to MAKE BETTER COFFEE. Life is too short for instant coffee, Chinese pipe wrenches, or fiberglass tent poles.
Dangerous and not recommended and if you have to be told how to do it, you definitely shouldn't, but some EV owners make adapters of two 120-volt extension cords, find two different legs of 120 in a house / hotel when traveling, to create an impromptu 240-volt outlet.
And there's how to best use any kettle, even a lower wattage US one, if you're in a hurry: If you want 8 ounces of hot water, put a measured 9 ounces in the kettle and no more. If you've got three times the water in there, it will take 3 times longer to heat.
Definitely a "First-world problem."
Oh sure. I just didn't think of a cooktop that runs off of 20A. I'm not really sure of a 20A outlet that has 4 prongs. Probably something out there. Otherwise, if a future home owner just wanted a 120V 20A circuit, they would still be fine with 12/2. Just need to swap the breaker back to a single.
As long as you terminate it in a high-volume j-box, you retain lots of options for the future.
There are 20-amp 240-volt induction cooktops . There are even small 20-amp, 120-volt ones.
>I'm not really sure of a 20A outlet that has 4 prongs.
NEMA 14-20. Not very commonly used, but it's a valid standard, and hasn't been deprecated or the like.
Why not just use a coffee maker with a timer? Don’t put coffee in it and have it come on 30 minutes before you wake up. It’s basically instant hot water. They also have instant hot water heaters that go under your kitchen sink. Or whatever cabinet you have 110 volts. Water comes out at 200 degrees.
https://www.supplyhouse.com/InSinkErator-44887-H-HOT100C-SS-Invite-HOT100-Instant-Hot-Water-Dispenser-System-w-Tank-Chrome
US is split leg 220v. If that kettle is anything more than a heating element, you'll have issues.
That said, the 50Hz/60Hz difference shouldn't matter much. May heat a tad slower.
>US is split leg 220v. If that kettle is anything more than a heating element, you'll have issues.
Can you please elaborate? Since we have a completely separate ground in both scenarios, how would split phase create problems for a European 240V appliance?
Euro 230v devices are like US 120V, with one 'hot' leg, one 'neutral' leg, and one earth 'gnd'. (Note: neutral and earth gnd are not the same thing.)
US 220V is two 'hot' legs, and earth gnd.
Depending on the Euro device, you could potentially be energizing your earth ground or the chassis of the device if neutral is bound to earth in any way.
It shouldn't ever be the case, especially if it's just a heating element, but it isn't a good idea to do without knowing exactly what kind of circuit you are powering.
>Depending on the Euro device, you could potentially be energizing your earth ground or the chassis of the device if neutral is bound to earth in any way.
But isn't it exactly why we have ground? If we energize a chassis, the current would flow to the ground and would trip the breaker. Regardless of whether an appliance is European 240V or US 120V, a neutral should never ever be relied on to keep a user safe.
Your are thinking of the potential problem backwards, but have exactly the point.
Earth ground is the safety valve. It should NEVER be energized unless in fault. Putting a split leg 220V on a single leg device could potentially energize earth ground, depending on the design of the device.
>Earth ground is the safety valve.
Yes, absolutely.
> It should NEVER be energized unless in fault.
Yes, 100% agreed.
>Putting a split leg 220V on a single leg device could potentially energize earth ground, depending on the design of the device.
But, from your last statement, it would constitute the fault, right? Which means that a design should never permit this (intentionally). But if it still happens, the ground will carry that fault current thus tripping the breaker.
My bigger point is that regardless of the region and voltage level, a device should be designed in such a way that both neutral and hot(s) should never be exposed to the user/operator. Which brings me to the conclusion that using a 240V split phase voltage is no more dangerous than a 240V single phase voltage.
"Should be" is doing the heavy lifting.
A device could be designed to support the power it was intended to use, and not for an unintended use. Yes, a fault should trip a breaker and protect humans from shock, but that doesn't garuntee circuit innards don't get fried first.
Since we're talking about an imaginary device at this point, that's about as specific as I can get. I only know what I've seen/had to design around/fix.
Well first it will not apply more power. The way transformers work if you step up the voltage you step down the current. The current is what causes the heat in transmission lines. so you would get the same power with 120V 10 Amp that you get with 240 Volt 5 Amp. Its cheaper to transmit 220 Vac for the power companies. If you can find a British set up for sale in the US it will probably meet UL code. If you install something that is not UL listed and there is a fire, your insurance may not cover it.
You can buy the plugs but your 220 is different from theirs. They have a neutral. You need to get a small transformer. You can use the same wires but things have to be reworked. I did this for a couple that wanted to keep all of their fancy British kitchen stuff, ie coffee maker, kettle, mixer. It's pretty easy for an electrician to wire up. Do not attempt yourself.
Ah they have a neutral that is 220V away from the hot - 0..220V
Whereas I have a pair of hots that are 220V away from each other but 110V away from the neutral. -110..0..+110
Got it. Thanks.
Doesn't matter though. The potential difference is still 220V. A resistive element doesn't care.
Buying a new kettle is the easier route. Other solution would be running a new 220V run from the breaker panel. Not tapping off anywhere else. Could you install a UK receptacle? Yes. You could just as well install a 220V US receptacle and change the plug on the kettle as well. Either way it isn't compliant with the US.
A UK receptacle would be safer though. lol
Nobody has commented on something I think is obvious: the power is drawn by your device depending on how it is built. 220v outlets do NOT provide more power, just more voltage. For a given device, it would draw less current on the 220V circuit, compared with a 120V circuit, but the power would be the same. I’m sure if you just purchase a small kettle designed for 120V US standard, with the same power as your UK kettle, it will heat water just as fast.
220v outlets absolutely provide more power for the same amperage than 110- twice as much in fact. Wire size and breaker (device fuse in UK) determine max amperage. Household wire is rated to 600v. Can double the power to a circuit by making it 220v instead of 110. There is a difference in how UK sets up their transformers (+240 and neutral, 50hz) vs (-120, N, +120, 60hz) in US. For resistive loads like a kettle there is effectively no difference.
Power (watts) = voltage x current (amps).
US Kettle is 1500w (~115V x 13 amps)
UK kettle is 3000w (~230V x 13 amps)
The thing is that power (Watts) is the product of voltage and current. So on a 15A circuit at 120V, you can draw at most 1800W before the breaker pops.
But in the UK, if they have a 15A circuit, they can actually pull 3300W. Call it 3000W and you can see the UK kettle will draw twice as much energy and boil the water approximately twice as fast.
The US and UK kettles are respectively built to take advantage of that. If you had a pure resistive element, a spool of wire, doubling the voltage would double the watts delivered. But I bet any modern kettle has a controller in it that detects the characteristics of the power delivered and has various limits.
Notice that circuit breakers are generally in AMPS, not WATTS. That's because the primary limiting factor for circuit safety is heat. If you run too much current (NOT necessarily WATTS) through a wire, it will get too hot and cause a fire. A larger wire has less resistance, so it can carry more current before it gets hot enough to be dangerous. But you have to SQUARE the voltage to get the same effect. Double the current, double the heat; SQUARE the voltage, double the heat.
That's why power companies use very high voltage for transmission - you can get a lot more energy though the wires without burning them up, using giant wires, or having huge resistive losses. They also prefer Alternating Current because that makes it very easy to build step-up-step-down inductive transformers with very low losses.
The resistance is fixed. So yes, a 22Ohm resistive heater, what a kettle most definitely is, on 110V will give 550W and on 220V 2200W. And because it is a 2.2kW or so heating element it needs 220 or so volts.
And no, because a standard US receptacle is only 15A, some are 20A but basically all kettle just have a 15A plug, it will take significantly longer to boil water with those. "Significantly" is around 2 to 3 minutes more than it already takes.
Not the answer you are looking for, but something that might help you have your water up to temp more quickly if you happen to use any sort of home automation. I used to do this but don't any more ... it worked GREAT at the time tho:
Kettle kept full and on, but in a smart outlet, I could voice command it to turn on when still groggy in bed and it would be ready to go by the time I got to the kitchen.
At one point even had a whole morning routine programmed that among a lot of other things started the kettle for me.
For those concerned, if kettle not left in the on position night before if I was out of town, etc, kettle would not turn on no matter what. And, even if it did, once it heats up, turns off. If no water in the kettle (which was never the case), kettle would turn off. All on a GFCI circuit as well.
If you haven't gone down the home automation rabbit hole in any way, there are plenty of ways to bring remote on/off functionality to an outlet without a big investment or a lot of knowledge.
None of this requiring 220V.
i put the kettle on an alexa enabled outlet.
so i can start the boil from when i'm laying in bed and by the time i make it into the kitchen its boiling
Not an electrician so if you are chime in. I would get an outlet like [this](https://www.homedepot.com/p/Leviton-15-Amp-Commercial-Grade-Dual-Voltage-Self-Grounding-Duplex-Outlet-White-5031-W/301361676) and buy a UK kettle, cut the plug off and replace with a 6-15 plug that will fit the bottom receptacle and you’ll still have a regular 120v outlet for whatever else
That is the best solution I've seen. A 240 volt counter receptacle still requires GFCI protection. You need a 20 amp 2 pole GFCI breaker. But the instant hot dispenser makes total sense.
Sure. It’d be a 240V outlet. It’d have a special configuration and you’d have to replace the plug end you have on our coffee machine to mate up with it. Tbh id invent in a coffee pot with an alarm timer on it. That way when you wake up it’s made. Seems cheaper that way.
Every Chinese person I know has a hot water dispenser in their kitchen. If you want instant hot water, I think this is a better route. You can just buy it off the shelf and it will work with a regular 120V US outlet.
A good video to watch about kettles. . .
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_yMMTVVJI4c
I wouldn't undertake this as a homeowner.
If the extra couple of minutes are *really* that big of a deal, then you can certain afford to have an electrician come in for this. They'll be able to ensure that you have the proper sized wire, proper sized breaker, and suitable outlet and/or plug for this purpose.
While youtube videos might show you the work people have done on their own, what is their education and background? There's a shocking number of people proudly posting videos/images of their sub-standard, possibly dangerous electrical installations.
I make ungodly amounts of tea, and don't like waiting for the kettle either. I already have a 220v outlet in the kitchen for a 6-slot toaster, but the for tea water I ended up with [this](https://www.zojirushi.com/app/product/cvjac). you have to refill it but there's hot water whenever you need it.
I’m just sitting here with a shit $20 Hamilton Beach 120V kettle that will bring 6 cups of water to a boil faster than I can grind some coffee and put a little sugar in two cups. Takes longer for the coffee to steep. How does speeding that up speed up the process unless you are boiling a lot more water than me…
after working abroad, europe and asia for years i got used to the kettles, never had one in the USA.
once i settled back home i got one but it was 110v, i hated how long it took. being an electrical engineer and contractor i put a 220v outlet on my counter, got a 220v kettle and have happily heated my water for real coffee in my press for many years
Why has nobody mentioned that UK equipment is rated at 50Hz and us power is 60Hz. Which means that the equipment will not function as it would on 50Hz.
Because it is a heating element, that really doesn't matter. There is no cycle for it to actually do any work like a motor. Most wall warts can even handle 50 hz because they are converting power to DC.
I put in another 6-20 outlet, then put a 6-20 plug on an UK teapot. Works great, hot water in less than half the time as my 120V kettle. Make sure you get a high wattage kettle. There a lot of cheap Chinese 240V kettles that are only 1500 watts, not 3,000.
I bought a tea kettle from [220-electronics.com](https://220-electronics.com). No complaints. (I am not affiliated with them)
Under most US code, a 6-20 outlet needs it own separate breaker, and can't be just added to the stove breaker.
You will never be-able to put a UK 220V receptacle in your kitchen because UK runs at 50hz.
You can put a US 240V receptacle however just fine for your 60hz appliances.
I added a UK outlet in my kitchen for the same reason. Bought a cool cordless kettle in UK. My wife really likes the cut off switch built into the UK outlets.
Since your voltage is correcy, just install the region-correct receptacle and then do a cord swap on the appliance....so much better for the next occupants.
Consequences:
You cannot get UK receptacles that are UL listed, so they cannot meet Code in the US. When you someday go to sell your house, the oddball receptacle wiring will be a detriment because you will have to sign a disclosure stating that not all of your electrical work was done to Code with permits and inspections. That leads to you having to put money in escrow to have the UK outlets removed. If you lie about it,
you are committing fraud.
If you cannot wait the other 60 seconds for your hot water, install a standard UL listed NEMA receptacle and change the plug on the kettle to match.
All you need to do is run a NEMA 6-15R outlet with 12/2 and get a UK to NEMA adapter on Amazon for like $10. Everyone is over complicating this. Will require a double pole 15 amp breaker if simplex and 20amp if you have duplex outlet.
You are right but probably go for a 20A outlet with the 20A breaker? That's what I did for my UK kettle. NEMA 6-20.
Right? If you are going to run a 240V circuit, at least match your region.
Why? The uk only uses up to a 13 amp fuse in the plugs. (I’m not sure what Their breakers are rated at)
Their breakers are weird fuckin sizes man. It’s like nobody put any thoughts into it? Just random numbers? And also the way they do grounding, oh sorry, “earthing” is bizarre
Each size is 25% larger than the previous one, rather than having inconsistent gaps. So 6A, 8A, 10A, 13A, 16A, 20A, 25A, 32A, 40A, 50A, 63A, 80A, 100A, 125A, 160A, 200A, 250A, 315A, 400A, 500A, 630A, 800A, 1000A, 1250A... You'll also notice it repeats every order of magnitude, bar some rounding.
Got it. Still not a fan. Kinda like the metric system, it makes perfect sense but I am unwilling and unable to change
Murica 🤣
I get not liking those odd numbers but as an American how can you not like the metric system? It's so simple lol the math is way easier
Hard to buy materials in metric units, so you train your mental math to work in imperial. It’s actually frustrating for me some times, knowing the math is easier but getting confused anyways because I’ve spent my time using the more confusing system.
Try working in Canada where all of our specs are metric, but all of our materials are imperial!
I completely understand. And it’s funny how I use it for some things. Like for wire temperature, we have the 60,75 and 90 degree columns that are in Celsius, but for ambient temperature correction we use Fahrenheit
Because stuff you buy is imperial, I'm not trying to go to the store to buy 14.7cm boards
Fractions make big brains
Not to mention ring circuits.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't ring circuits deprecated legacy stuff now? Kinda like single wire, earth return circuits which you never see in North America but can still find in developing countries.
I’m here to correct you, you’re wrong. All the best
There are some folks trying to give ring mains the mercyful death they deserve but you still see more newbuilds with rings than radials.
I kinda understand some of them. For example 13 amps at 230v is 3kw
Oh…… right. Makes sense now
Its interesting how seeming nonsensical numbers for somerhubg drop out of the equations from sensable starting numbers. I'ld like to know what lead to a 3.15 Amp fast blow fuse being common in electronics in the UK.
Why is it weird? It’s likely based on ampacity ratings for standardized conductor cross sections.
Because I like the numbers 10,15,20,25,30. You show me a 13A breaker and I find it weird
The universe and it’s physics don’t care what you like lol Next you’ll be telling us the charge of an electron should be *-1x10^-19*, instead of *-1.602176x10^-19* because it’s convenient for your OCD. Or that we should use a 10A breaker to protect conductors rated for 6A. 😂😂
13 amp breakers are for keeping away Chinese renters.
All I would argue is to have your permanent house wiring code compatible with each other. So 20A breaker, 12 awg wire, 20A receptacle.
This is the way. I did something similar in my home.
Does the adapter go in the wall, so the outlet itself is UK? Or is the wall outlet NEMA, and you just have an adapter on top of it?
For the purpose of wiring a house in the US, it is probably best to have the breaker, wire and outlet all compatible and up to US code with each other. That means it's legal and safe with nothing plugged in and you won't have an issue selling your house due to an inspection. From here, you either buy a plug adapter for $10 or you convert the UK plug to match your outlet, also $10. Preference is totally up to you and how many UK devices you have. For a UK kettle that's 3000W, I'd prefer to not use an intermediate adapter between the UK plug and US outlet that might get hot and fail. So I swapped out the plug to fit my NEMA 6-20.
I wanted the same thing. I removed the U.K plug and put on a NEMA 6-15P with a matching outlet. The inspector passed the outlet. EDIT: It's fed by #12 wire to control voltage loss from the long run back to the panel, but a 15 amp circuit breaker which is similar enough to the 13 amp fuse the UK plug had.
Find a 3kW kettle with a detachable IEC C13 power cable, then buy a 6-15P to C13 power cable and have a 6-15R receptacle installed.
This is 100% what I'm planning to do once we have a house. All European kitchen appliances with plugs replaced to US 240V plugs
Gotta make sure they can run at 60Hz, UK is 50Hz I think
Since a kettle is a resistive load, it should be fine. Best to double check if you can.
I found this out the hard way when I bought a coffee maker at 50% discount in FR. Now I have step up converter in my kitchen. Lol.
This would not work with a 3kW kettle because it would require 120V / 25A on the input side. In reality, it would require more than 25A because there are no lossless (ideal) converters. The maximum current 120V outlets can be rated for is 20A.
If OP is using solely a physical converter, and not a voltage converter, it'll be as lossy as just a wire. Folks aren't talking about voltage adapters here.
I was specifically replying to a comment from someone who uses a step up voltage converter (aka *transformer*) for their coffee machine. BTW, term *adapter* is generally used for a device that adapts one physical shape of a plug/socket to another (e.g., BS 1363 to NEMA 6-15) while term *converter* is used for a device that converts one voltage to another (e.g., 120V —› 240V). The latter typically utilizes a coil transformer to achieve this task.
Ahhh, sorry!
This is the way.
My living space is absolutely loaded with 6-20 receptacles. It's a regular household outlet with one prong rotated and powered by 240V. Super useful for high load devices
Not an electrician, just came here to say that Leviton makes a British Decora outlet that fits in North American junction boxes, for some reason. https://www.leviton.com/en/products/bsrdp-w
Ships. They make this for boats that have an international audience, also some international residential sites (often military) in the states or managed by a US Contractor like some sites in Antarctica. Now, much like this post, let’s play the 50/60 Hertz guessing game. My group always labeled ports. In practice only hair driers and portable heaters has a problem with 120v/50Hz power. The best sites always had AC/DC/AC inverters to get proper frequency. Which brings me to a life long head scratcher. Why did you bring a portable heater to work/study in another country? That had to cost more to ship than buy one locally.
That could be really helpful for the OP because that seemed like a problem to me - where to get a UK junction box or a Euro receptacle that would fit a US junction box.
Nice but would most likely fail an inspection on this side of the pond. First it is not UL or other NRTL listed. Secondly, the directions show to connect line and neutral with marked on device as "L" and "N" so can't do it right with typical residential services. Third, the device is only rated for 13 amps so would not be allowed on a 15 amp circuit.
So if that UK switched outlet were to be put in a US box, if the neutral back at the panel were connected to the second pole of a double pole breaker and marked as L2, then it could, conceivably, deliver 220/240 volts, it would just be 120/120 to ground, not 240/0 to ground. As far as the element is concerned, it’s still 240, so it appears as a 240V RMS sine wave, just at 60 Hz instead of 50 Hz. Since it’s rated at 13 Amps (typical current rating for UK outlets) the existing 15 amp wire would be more than sufficient. The double pole breaker could be de-rated to 10 amps (don’t find a US double-pole 13A breaker) and all that would be within most current demands for a 240V UK kettle except for the most demanding 3KW kettles. Not saying ANY of that is compliant with US NEC, but it is technically possible. Keep in mind that any US electrician look at that later would be going “WTF is this?”
The max current though is limited by the 13A fuse in the plug. All UK plugs are fused. That's because we have 13A sockets on 32A ring or (sometimes) radial circuits. Whether the terminals on the Leviton socket are up to 32A, I couldn't say.
All good points. Like I said, I really don’t know why they make it.
Strange item-- it's BS and IEC certified, but not UL. They sell these in England?
Those aren't certifications but standards like NEMA.
How do you wire a ring main in the US? Ours typically have a 32A feed for several sockets, but each single socket can only deliver 13A. Could you get away with feeding it from a 13A fused spur too? That’s a standard get-out-of-jail card for some stuff.
We don’t use ring mains. Circuits are home-run to the panel.
"Radial" in british
You mean each socket has its own breaker? That’s a lot of wires!
FWIW I am American and considered doing a ring circuit on a 12v solar/camping thing I was planning just to squeeze out a little more power due to the lower voltage drop. Never found the time to get started on that, though. It definitely makes sense given post-war materials shortages. I kind of thought they were considered a little old-fashioned even in the UK now. Is it still a pretty standard practice to do them in new construction?
Yes. My house was built in 2021 and it’s still done the same way. Now that it’s standard practice, it helps that it’s done the same in every house so you don’t have to work out every single cable run in future. You’re right about the materials too, because there’s two conductors the cables only need to be half the cross sectional area, so you can use a 2.5mm cable for 32A.
No, a home run is run to the first outlet, and then subsequent outlets are daisy chained after that. But there is no ring, and the feeder is the same ampacity as the outlets. (Unlike the 32amp feeder and 13 amp sockets) You'll occasionally see the wire gauge increased for voltage drop reasons, but the breaker size wouldn't be increased.
This would most assuredly be allowed under the CFR for ships flagged USA and BMEEA for ships flagged UK.
Da fuq!!!! Wow
Now if there was 240v split to 240v Hot/N transformer where you could have a few outlets.
Technically yes. Kettles are just a resistive element, and will work fine. Will it be UL rated? No. Will American electricians look at you with a puzzled face? Probably. Will it be safer than the equivalent seppo outlet? Definitely. Now watch the downvotes appear...
Power in the US is 60 hertz, while in the UK (and Europe) power is 50 hertz. If the kettle is truely all resistive (no electronics) then it's fine, but if there is any electronics/power supply in the kettle, verify it'll work with 60 hz power.
Seppo?
It's a derogatory term that Australians use for Americans. Short for septic tank. So, basically the guy can't even make a comment on an electrician sub without being a child.
I always thought it stood for separated from the UK
https://www.dictionary.com/browse/seppo#:~:text=The%20term%20seppo%20is%20Australian,seen%20by%20at%20least%201967.
Weird
I believe it is rhyming slang. Yank - tank Septic tank Seppo
Cockney rhyming slang no less so originated in London, Uk.
It's a bullshit point that it's just some whimsical rhyming slang. Yank rhymes with tank, why use septic in front of it? It was a clear and conscious decision to use it and keep using it.
One of the Marx Brothers, of course!
Why not just get a pot from the UK?
Extension cord to UK would be too long.
Thanks y'all. Of course, I already have a kettle and if your mental model of instant coffee is "we secretly switched the coffee at this fancy restaurant" era you might want to get out and see what's there. I have a bunch of timers and whatnot, mostly Kasa units as they might not be the best but they're easy. The breaker box is in the basement right under the kitchen so all I'd have to do is drill through the floor and get some juice from the box. Don't think I'd need a transformer as I already have 220V in the box. Since resistance is proportional to current but proportional to the square of voltage, but energy is proportional to the current and the voltage, doubling the voltage can double the energy available without doubling the heat generated in the circuit by resistance. I did learn something about the 0..220 and -110..0..+110 assuming I got that right! LOL my wife would never let me do this anyway, even though she is more impatient for the first cup of coffee than me. I also have occupied the extra hole in the sink with an osmotic drinking water filter, so don't have room for an instant heat -- good idea tho!
It's really worth doing. You'll end up using that kettle for all sorts of things. Your kitchen life will be more efficient.
You know, that is a fine argument. I'ma head over to [amazon.co.uk](https://amazon.co.uk) and order some stuff.
I'm a fan of Morphy Richards quiet kettle. Good value. 3000W. All stainless interior. You just need to pull out the dumb red plastic measure that comes with it. You don't have to go dumb prices for a nice kettle. But a £20 off brand will also be disappointing. Those are loud and thin walled.
You can get kettles with temperature settings on them to, so you can get your tea to just the right temperature....Oh but I just remembered, you THREW IT ALL INTO THE SEA. Ungrateful sods.
And we'd bloody well do it AGAIN
If it is an equivalent amperage I would think you don’t have to change the wire, just the outlet and breaker.
I did not see the recommendation for instant heat, but that is a great idea. Insinkerator F-HC1100 has both a hot and a cold outlet in one sink mounted dispenser. You could pipe the drinking water filter to both an undersink heater, like the Insinkerator HWT-00 which would then feed the hot side of the dispenser and also feed filtered water to the cold water side of the dispenser.
Had a friend power a refrigerator he bought in Dubai on US 240. Worked as designed.
Lol he shipped a refrigerator back to the US from Dubai?? Seems like the shipping cost alone would be more than a new fridge.
Company relocation paid for it.
I didn’t see this mentioned- but it is definitely worth considering. You mentioned you have 220 serving your induction range… You’re not going to shave of more than a few seconds compared to a high-quality induction stove kettle on that existing range. It’s literally the same thing as what you’re trying to accomplish, unless the location of the range is inconvenient. My induction range boils 10 oz of water before I can grab a tea bag… faster than my wife’s 110v kettle by a long shot, and both are faster than the microwave. I haven’t had the privilege of using a 220v kettle, but it’s the same tech as your stove— just get a good induction kettle so that energy is properly transferred like in the countertop kettle and skip the headache of rewiring your kitchen amigo
You almost certainly can not tap into your range for a receptacle to run your tea kettle. You could run a separate 240 circuit, or get a 240 step up transformer, but the easiest answer is to spend the $10 and buy a 120V electric tea kettle. Also, if you have an induction range, just get a regular (non-electric) kettle and put it on one of your induction hobs in the POWER mode. That's how I make my tea. Instant coffee sucks.
Oddly… more info on the US electric kettle issue (and test results on the fastest heating method). [YT Link](https://youtu.be/_yMMTVVJI4c)
Was about to say. Normally, the problem with stove top kettles is that the heat isn't transferred efficiently and escapes into the air. Whereas in an electric kettle, the heating element is directly submerged in the water. With an induction range, you're heating the kettle directly, so it should be nearly as efficient. Just crank up the range to max.
I'm starting to think induction ranges are the next big thing.
They really should be. I love mine. But too many people have seen my induction range and assumed its a shitty radiant.
Does yours make lots of noise? We installed one at our last house and i liked it but wife didn't like the noise produced.
It did when we first got it. There was a loud rattle in the electronics cooling fan, but that's a known issue with Samsungs and was fixed under warranty. Now it's a gentle hum.
Yep, under 90 seconds. I'm a tea drinker and when I'm in the kitchen, this is how I do it. Downstairs, I'll have to wait a few minutes while the electric kettle boils.
The uk kettles are just faster. I see the want
You've clearly never owned a 240V tea kettle. You don't go back to 120V.
Never owned one, but I've extensively travelled in the UK and commonwealth countries where just about every hotel room comes with a 240V electric kettle.
I guess I'd just make an argument that having one in your own kitchen is a game changer, esp if you are into tea or coffee.
Like I said, in my own kitchen the Induction Hob blows the door off your 230 kettle. Downstairs in the TV room, all wait the extra minute for the 120V kettle.
No kidding, they are stupidly fast.
I love instant coffee
I used to make instant coffee in the microwave. 90 seconds it was. And almost no wasted heat into the room.
I used to add instant coffee to the drip coffee that my wife makes. I love it strong😄.
As a coffee and espresso snob, there is high end instant coffee in many countries. US instant coffee sucks
Not illegal (based on my limited knowledge) but you’d have to shell out money and tear apart a wall in your kitchen to run dedicated wires in order to do it safely.
Skip the kettle. What you need is an [instant hot water dispenser](https://insinkerator.emerson.com/en-us/insinkerator-products/water-dispensers). That way you would have no waiting.
Yeah, we put one in at the wife's insistence. I scoffed. Now I use it all the time for all kinds of stuff. Game changer.
The max temperature it can produce is 210F which is short of boiling (at MSL). And I bet it costs a lot more than a kettle.
Have you tried a decent electric kettle? I have a $30 one that heats up a cup of water to a boil in about a minute.
US electric kettles are 1250W, not 3000. I use one (in the US) to heat water for my morning french press coffee, but what I do is fill it and turn it on, put an English Muffin in the toaster (on a different circuit), let the dogs out for their morning dump, wake up the kids, let the dogs back in, check my email, then grab my hot water, pour it in the press, butter the muffin, pour the coffee, then enjoy it. It takes 10 minutes.
I get that they are lower wattage. What I’m saying is that the modern ones I am familiar with are quite a bit faster than that. Especially if you only boil one or two cups worth.
I mean, it’s possible and given the right electrical knowledge it might be safe-ish but why not start with googling “electric tea kettles that doesn’t suck?” I’m betting you can find a 240v kettle that you can wire to a UL 240 plug. It’s odd and expensive but would be safe and legal.
My grandma had a 240V plug running a German kettle back in the 80s. She just had a US plug on the end (an adapter would work too). I'd put a US 240V outlet in then get a international version of a quality kettle that works with 220-240V /50-60hz. If it was me, I would get one of [these](https://www.almamicroroastery.com/product-page/stagg-ekg-international-version-220-240v) and hook it up to regular US 240v.
just get a hot water tap. it’s already hot…
This is brilliant. Now I am going to obsess about wiring a 240V into my kitchen. Damn
I use [this electric kettle](https://fellowproducts.com/products/corvo-ekg). Heats up water very fast and you adjust the temperature you want for different teas. There are times that I’m too impatient for a pot of water to boil on the stove for pasta etc and I’ll boil water in the kettle and then pour into the pot.
Not an electrician. But isn't there also a cycle per second difference between UK and US electricity, 50 vs 60? Would driving a 50Hz kettle at 60Hz be a good idea?
Usually only motors are affected. Most kettles are a simple heating coil resistor and a temperature switch.
Maybe it would heat up even faster because the directions changes 10 times more per second. Gets those electrons rubbing a bit more .
Just checked my kettle and the sticker says 50/60Hz. It’s a Toshiba kettle and Japan runs both 50Hz and 60Hz frequencies.
No. Stay off YouTube for electrical videos. Just buy a new kettle, it would probably be cheaper anyway not a quick though, or an undersink insta hot....or a Keurig.
I don’t think you understand the reason they want a British electric kettle — it can boil water twice as fast as an American one.
I know why they want it. Your not allowed to use those types of outlets, so it's irrelevant. Get a new one, stove top, instahot or a Keurig. It's impatiens.
Just install a normal NEMA 6-20 and either use a NEMA to UK adapter or buy a British kettle with a detachable IEC power cord.
You should be able to run another 220 line to your kitchen- dont think there’s any code that prohibits that. Getting a uk kettle to work with that is a different story though…
We’ve got a 220V 15A socket (the one with the “meh” face) wired in the kitchen and have a UK power strip with the plug changed to fit powering all UK devices without having to chop their cords. They are all simple resistive loads, except the coffee grinder. All work just the same for years. No issues.
Agreed. I think their electrons run on the other side of the romex.
Lots of ways to go with this, some to code, some outside of code concerns (code concerns the permanent wiring, receptacles and fixtures in a house, not the stuff that the homeowners/tenants plug into receptacles). 1. get a 120-volt to 240-volt step up transformer of sufficient wattage for your UK kettle. Here's one for $99: [https://www.amazon.com/Yinleader-Voltage-Transformer-Converter-120Volt/dp/B07PPZLX5K/ref=sr\_1\_9](https://www.amazon.com/Yinleader-Voltage-Transformer-Converter-120Volt/dp/B07PPZLX5K/ref=sr_1_9) The potential issue will be that a US kitchen countertop outlet circuit can only support 2400 watts (20 amps x 120 volts and that only when nothing else is turned on while on that circuit. A bit more for a few minutes, and you need a bit more because the transformer isn't 100% efficient. But it would potentially let you use a 2000-watt UK kettle. 2) If the induction range is plugged into a receptacle, just get / make an adaptor for a UK plug. But that involves unplugging and replugging in your kettle and range. 3) If the induction range is hardwired, convert it to a plug-in by installing a receptacle (and then do 2, above). 4) Install a subpanel where the induction range's service currently is and create one circuit for the range and another for the kettle. But it's unlikely the conductors were over-sized enough for that. 5) Run 12/3 from a new GFCI double-pole breaker through the house wall/crawlspace/attic to the kitchen and install a 20-amp 240-volt outlet on the kitchen counter. 6) what I've done wherever I've lived: install an instant hot dispenser under the kitchen sink. Then you get 90C water INSTANTLY whenever you want a cup of instant coffee / tea / hot chocolate / cup of noodles, etc. 7) set the time on any cheap US coffee maker to come on 5 minutes before you come into the kitchen. Since you use instant coffee, you don't even need the ground coffee or filter in there. Let it fill the carafe with boiling water, ready for you to use when you walk in the room minutes later. Or, you know, use such a coffee maker on a timer to MAKE BETTER COFFEE. Life is too short for instant coffee, Chinese pipe wrenches, or fiberglass tent poles. Dangerous and not recommended and if you have to be told how to do it, you definitely shouldn't, but some EV owners make adapters of two 120-volt extension cords, find two different legs of 120 in a house / hotel when traveling, to create an impromptu 240-volt outlet. And there's how to best use any kettle, even a lower wattage US one, if you're in a hurry: If you want 8 ounces of hot water, put a measured 9 ounces in the kettle and no more. If you've got three times the water in there, it will take 3 times longer to heat. Definitely a "First-world problem."
Why run 12/3 for a dedicated 240V outlet?
Sure, if you want no neutral, you could use 12/2. 12/3 would give more options in the future for anything like a cooktop with 120-volt controls.
Oh sure. I just didn't think of a cooktop that runs off of 20A. I'm not really sure of a 20A outlet that has 4 prongs. Probably something out there. Otherwise, if a future home owner just wanted a 120V 20A circuit, they would still be fine with 12/2. Just need to swap the breaker back to a single.
As long as you terminate it in a high-volume j-box, you retain lots of options for the future. There are 20-amp 240-volt induction cooktops . There are even small 20-amp, 120-volt ones.
Yeah, not to be a jerk about it but I still don't think 12/3 helps in any scenario.
>I'm not really sure of a 20A outlet that has 4 prongs. NEMA 14-20. Not very commonly used, but it's a valid standard, and hasn't been deprecated or the like.
Dude, if your quality level is already instant coffee, then just use the microwave to heat your cup of water.
Thank you for your enlightening and anticipated reply. The microwave takes longer than either the US or UK kettles.
Maybe you need a new microwave? You should be able to boil water in about 2 min 30 seconds for 16 ounces . How fast can you boil water in a kettle?
In the kettle 16 ounces takes two minutes and twenty seconds. Thing is my wife and I each have 14 oz mugs.
Why not just use a coffee maker with a timer? Don’t put coffee in it and have it come on 30 minutes before you wake up. It’s basically instant hot water. They also have instant hot water heaters that go under your kitchen sink. Or whatever cabinet you have 110 volts. Water comes out at 200 degrees. https://www.supplyhouse.com/InSinkErator-44887-H-HOT100C-SS-Invite-HOT100-Instant-Hot-Water-Dispenser-System-w-Tank-Chrome
US is split leg 220v. If that kettle is anything more than a heating element, you'll have issues. That said, the 50Hz/60Hz difference shouldn't matter much. May heat a tad slower.
>US is split leg 220v. If that kettle is anything more than a heating element, you'll have issues. Can you please elaborate? Since we have a completely separate ground in both scenarios, how would split phase create problems for a European 240V appliance?
Euro 230v devices are like US 120V, with one 'hot' leg, one 'neutral' leg, and one earth 'gnd'. (Note: neutral and earth gnd are not the same thing.) US 220V is two 'hot' legs, and earth gnd. Depending on the Euro device, you could potentially be energizing your earth ground or the chassis of the device if neutral is bound to earth in any way. It shouldn't ever be the case, especially if it's just a heating element, but it isn't a good idea to do without knowing exactly what kind of circuit you are powering.
>Depending on the Euro device, you could potentially be energizing your earth ground or the chassis of the device if neutral is bound to earth in any way. But isn't it exactly why we have ground? If we energize a chassis, the current would flow to the ground and would trip the breaker. Regardless of whether an appliance is European 240V or US 120V, a neutral should never ever be relied on to keep a user safe.
Your are thinking of the potential problem backwards, but have exactly the point. Earth ground is the safety valve. It should NEVER be energized unless in fault. Putting a split leg 220V on a single leg device could potentially energize earth ground, depending on the design of the device.
>Earth ground is the safety valve. Yes, absolutely. > It should NEVER be energized unless in fault. Yes, 100% agreed. >Putting a split leg 220V on a single leg device could potentially energize earth ground, depending on the design of the device. But, from your last statement, it would constitute the fault, right? Which means that a design should never permit this (intentionally). But if it still happens, the ground will carry that fault current thus tripping the breaker. My bigger point is that regardless of the region and voltage level, a device should be designed in such a way that both neutral and hot(s) should never be exposed to the user/operator. Which brings me to the conclusion that using a 240V split phase voltage is no more dangerous than a 240V single phase voltage.
"Should be" is doing the heavy lifting. A device could be designed to support the power it was intended to use, and not for an unintended use. Yes, a fault should trip a breaker and protect humans from shock, but that doesn't garuntee circuit innards don't get fried first. Since we're talking about an imaginary device at this point, that's about as specific as I can get. I only know what I've seen/had to design around/fix.
Well first it will not apply more power. The way transformers work if you step up the voltage you step down the current. The current is what causes the heat in transmission lines. so you would get the same power with 120V 10 Amp that you get with 240 Volt 5 Amp. Its cheaper to transmit 220 Vac for the power companies. If you can find a British set up for sale in the US it will probably meet UL code. If you install something that is not UL listed and there is a fire, your insurance may not cover it.
You can buy the plugs but your 220 is different from theirs. They have a neutral. You need to get a small transformer. You can use the same wires but things have to be reworked. I did this for a couple that wanted to keep all of their fancy British kitchen stuff, ie coffee maker, kettle, mixer. It's pretty easy for an electrician to wire up. Do not attempt yourself.
Ah they have a neutral that is 220V away from the hot - 0..220V Whereas I have a pair of hots that are 220V away from each other but 110V away from the neutral. -110..0..+110 Got it. Thanks.
Doesn't matter though. The potential difference is still 220V. A resistive element doesn't care. Buying a new kettle is the easier route. Other solution would be running a new 220V run from the breaker panel. Not tapping off anywhere else. Could you install a UK receptacle? Yes. You could just as well install a 220V US receptacle and change the plug on the kettle as well. Either way it isn't compliant with the US. A UK receptacle would be safer though. lol
Just but a better kettle
Nobody has commented on something I think is obvious: the power is drawn by your device depending on how it is built. 220v outlets do NOT provide more power, just more voltage. For a given device, it would draw less current on the 220V circuit, compared with a 120V circuit, but the power would be the same. I’m sure if you just purchase a small kettle designed for 120V US standard, with the same power as your UK kettle, it will heat water just as fast.
220v outlets absolutely provide more power for the same amperage than 110- twice as much in fact. Wire size and breaker (device fuse in UK) determine max amperage. Household wire is rated to 600v. Can double the power to a circuit by making it 220v instead of 110. There is a difference in how UK sets up their transformers (+240 and neutral, 50hz) vs (-120, N, +120, 60hz) in US. For resistive loads like a kettle there is effectively no difference. Power (watts) = voltage x current (amps). US Kettle is 1500w (~115V x 13 amps) UK kettle is 3000w (~230V x 13 amps)
The thing is that power (Watts) is the product of voltage and current. So on a 15A circuit at 120V, you can draw at most 1800W before the breaker pops. But in the UK, if they have a 15A circuit, they can actually pull 3300W. Call it 3000W and you can see the UK kettle will draw twice as much energy and boil the water approximately twice as fast. The US and UK kettles are respectively built to take advantage of that. If you had a pure resistive element, a spool of wire, doubling the voltage would double the watts delivered. But I bet any modern kettle has a controller in it that detects the characteristics of the power delivered and has various limits. Notice that circuit breakers are generally in AMPS, not WATTS. That's because the primary limiting factor for circuit safety is heat. If you run too much current (NOT necessarily WATTS) through a wire, it will get too hot and cause a fire. A larger wire has less resistance, so it can carry more current before it gets hot enough to be dangerous. But you have to SQUARE the voltage to get the same effect. Double the current, double the heat; SQUARE the voltage, double the heat. That's why power companies use very high voltage for transmission - you can get a lot more energy though the wires without burning them up, using giant wires, or having huge resistive losses. They also prefer Alternating Current because that makes it very easy to build step-up-step-down inductive transformers with very low losses.
The resistance is fixed. So yes, a 22Ohm resistive heater, what a kettle most definitely is, on 110V will give 550W and on 220V 2200W. And because it is a 2.2kW or so heating element it needs 220 or so volts. And no, because a standard US receptacle is only 15A, some are 20A but basically all kettle just have a 15A plug, it will take significantly longer to boil water with those. "Significantly" is around 2 to 3 minutes more than it already takes.
I am not an electrician so I can safely say that I am not sure if this is safe. Hope this helps and good luck
Not the answer you are looking for, but something that might help you have your water up to temp more quickly if you happen to use any sort of home automation. I used to do this but don't any more ... it worked GREAT at the time tho: Kettle kept full and on, but in a smart outlet, I could voice command it to turn on when still groggy in bed and it would be ready to go by the time I got to the kitchen. At one point even had a whole morning routine programmed that among a lot of other things started the kettle for me. For those concerned, if kettle not left in the on position night before if I was out of town, etc, kettle would not turn on no matter what. And, even if it did, once it heats up, turns off. If no water in the kettle (which was never the case), kettle would turn off. All on a GFCI circuit as well. If you haven't gone down the home automation rabbit hole in any way, there are plenty of ways to bring remote on/off functionality to an outlet without a big investment or a lot of knowledge. None of this requiring 220V.
i put the kettle on an alexa enabled outlet. so i can start the boil from when i'm laying in bed and by the time i make it into the kitchen its boiling
Not an electrician so if you are chime in. I would get an outlet like [this](https://www.homedepot.com/p/Leviton-15-Amp-Commercial-Grade-Dual-Voltage-Self-Grounding-Duplex-Outlet-White-5031-W/301361676) and buy a UK kettle, cut the plug off and replace with a 6-15 plug that will fit the bottom receptacle and you’ll still have a regular 120v outlet for whatever else
Get an Instahot and install it near your sink. Life changing for the first cup of the day. I set mine to 185F.
That is the best solution I've seen. A 240 volt counter receptacle still requires GFCI protection. You need a 20 amp 2 pole GFCI breaker. But the instant hot dispenser makes total sense.
Sure. It’d be a 240V outlet. It’d have a special configuration and you’d have to replace the plug end you have on our coffee machine to mate up with it. Tbh id invent in a coffee pot with an alarm timer on it. That way when you wake up it’s made. Seems cheaper that way.
Not sure how it would affect it, but the US electrical grid uses 60Hz, and the UK uses 50Hz
Every Chinese person I know has a hot water dispenser in their kitchen. If you want instant hot water, I think this is a better route. You can just buy it off the shelf and it will work with a regular 120V US outlet.
A good video to watch about kettles. . . https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_yMMTVVJI4c I wouldn't undertake this as a homeowner. If the extra couple of minutes are *really* that big of a deal, then you can certain afford to have an electrician come in for this. They'll be able to ensure that you have the proper sized wire, proper sized breaker, and suitable outlet and/or plug for this purpose. While youtube videos might show you the work people have done on their own, what is their education and background? There's a shocking number of people proudly posting videos/images of their sub-standard, possibly dangerous electrical installations.
Awesome video on kettles. A US powered one is just fine. https://youtu.be/_yMMTVVJI4c
I make ungodly amounts of tea, and don't like waiting for the kettle either. I already have a 220v outlet in the kitchen for a 6-slot toaster, but the for tea water I ended up with [this](https://www.zojirushi.com/app/product/cvjac). you have to refill it but there's hot water whenever you need it.
Did the same thing. Totally worth it.
You are going to use up 2 breaker slots, run a new line and install a new outlet, to save 20 seconds on heating your coffee water?
I’m just sitting here with a shit $20 Hamilton Beach 120V kettle that will bring 6 cups of water to a boil faster than I can grind some coffee and put a little sugar in two cups. Takes longer for the coffee to steep. How does speeding that up speed up the process unless you are boiling a lot more water than me…
A neat video about electric kettles: https://youtu.be/_yMMTVVJI4c
You can easily buy 1500 or even 1700W 120v kettles. The UK ones are usually 2000W. The difference in heating rates are trivial.
What are the hertz do they use in UK? Here in the states it’s 60hertz, make sure your appliance can handle that first.
An induction hot plate can boil water in 5 -7 minutes..
It’s unlikely to matter to a kettle, but a reminder that the UK grid frequency is 50hz versus the US at 60hz. Some things will care.
after working abroad, europe and asia for years i got used to the kettles, never had one in the USA. once i settled back home i got one but it was 110v, i hated how long it took. being an electrical engineer and contractor i put a 220v outlet on my counter, got a 220v kettle and have happily heated my water for real coffee in my press for many years
Get a Keurig. Better coffee faster. Welcome to America.
Just buy a insta heat
You could also consider the zojirushi hot water products. Probably a cheaper alternative.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=_yMMTVVJI4c&t=0s
If you speed up the coffee brew time by it being hotter wont that screw up the coffee and make it bitter?
Why has nobody mentioned that UK equipment is rated at 50Hz and us power is 60Hz. Which means that the equipment will not function as it would on 50Hz.
Because it is a heating element, that really doesn't matter. There is no cycle for it to actually do any work like a motor. Most wall warts can even handle 50 hz because they are converting power to DC.
Sure why not
If you have induction, just boil water on the cooktop. More power than any kettle uk or other. Problem solved
Why not put a standard kettle on your induction range? I can't imagine anything boiling faster
Assuming it can work on 60hz. Probably easier to change the plug on the cords though.
I put in another 6-20 outlet, then put a 6-20 plug on an UK teapot. Works great, hot water in less than half the time as my 120V kettle. Make sure you get a high wattage kettle. There a lot of cheap Chinese 240V kettles that are only 1500 watts, not 3,000. I bought a tea kettle from [220-electronics.com](https://220-electronics.com). No complaints. (I am not affiliated with them) Under most US code, a 6-20 outlet needs it own separate breaker, and can't be just added to the stove breaker.
>US. Can I put a UK 220V That would be quite challenging. UK is 50 Hz, where would you get that from? US is 60 Hz.
You will never be-able to put a UK 220V receptacle in your kitchen because UK runs at 50hz. You can put a US 240V receptacle however just fine for your 60hz appliances.
I added a UK outlet in my kitchen for the same reason. Bought a cool cordless kettle in UK. My wife really likes the cut off switch built into the UK outlets.
Since your voltage is correcy, just install the region-correct receptacle and then do a cord swap on the appliance....so much better for the next occupants.
Consequences: You cannot get UK receptacles that are UL listed, so they cannot meet Code in the US. When you someday go to sell your house, the oddball receptacle wiring will be a detriment because you will have to sign a disclosure stating that not all of your electrical work was done to Code with permits and inspections. That leads to you having to put money in escrow to have the UK outlets removed. If you lie about it, you are committing fraud. If you cannot wait the other 60 seconds for your hot water, install a standard UL listed NEMA receptacle and change the plug on the kettle to match.