Expert: Edison - 1/19/2009

Question
Hi Edison,

I live in England and am going to Brazil and want to take back an electric fireplace for my mom and was wondering if it would work over there as I have had problems in the past with electrical items not working.

Would I only need to change the plug?

Thank you for your time!
Anthony.

Answer
Hello Anthony,

The voltage is 127 V (one phase) and 220 V (three phases) in most states in Brazil, but few use 220 V (one phase) and 380 V (three phases). The frequency is 60 Hz for the whole country.  

Please check the following site for plugs and other details:
http://users.telenet.be/worldstandards/electricity.htm

I recommend to ask the manufacturer in England if the equipment would work in Brazil with the above voltage and frequency.

The use of a transformer (to convert voltage) is very costly for equipment that consumes a lot of energy, such as electric fireplaces.

You need also to think about maintenace and support in case you have a problem in Brazil.

Good luck!

Edison