Korean Job Discussion Forums

[JFuller317]

I brought some U.S. electronics with me to Korea - my laptop, an external harddrive, an ipod with charger, a PS3 and an Xbox 360. When I first got here, I went out and bought a large transformer/power converter thing. It looks like a big white box about one cubic foot in dimension, and it weighs about 10 pounds. It's supposed to be able to handle up to 1000 watts.

Anyway, I connected my 6 outlet U.S. power strip to the converter, and it will run my laptop concurrently with the ipod charger and external harddrive. However, if I try to plug the 360 or PS3 into the power strip along with the laptop, the power in my apartment will go out, and I'll have to unplug something and then go flip the circuit breaker switch again. This is strange, because I checked the wattage, and my PS3 or 360 combined with my laptop shouldn't be drawing enough power to short out the power converter or circuit breaker. Even together, they should be drawing well below 1000 watts.

Last night, I wanted to watch a movie on my PS3, so I unplugged everything from the power strip, but when I plugged in the PS3, the power shorted out again. I thought that was pretty ridiculous, since the PS3 was the only thing plugged in there, so I flipped the circuit breaker switch a few times, but it wouldn't work. I unplugged everything and plugged it all in again, and this time the PS3 would turn on, but the only thing that would show up on my TV was horrible lines of black and white static. So now I have either a broken PS3 or a broken TV thanks to this.

So I'm not sure what the problem is here. Is my apartment just wired horribly, or are U.S. electronics really this problematic even with a high wattage power converter?

[tired of LA]

[bassexpander]

It doesn't sound like your converter is the problem -- rather your house wiring or circuit breaker. It's a possibility to consider, anyway. Check the amp number printed on your circuit breaker. It could be that the circuit is also shared with other appliances around the house, and that sum is tripping your circuit.

[JFuller317]

Good ideas. I will try that.

[sojourner1]

Yes, look at the plugs on all your electronics and see if you see, "100v-240v" If so, then it's dual voltage to work worldwide where you just need a plug to fit the foreign wall outlet; not a transformer.

I remember back in the 90's in Europe how we all had those heavy boxy metal transformers to run our American electronics as they were not yet dual voltage. The Playstation 1 was not dual voltage nor were the stereos and TVs. I learned the hard way shortly after arrival when I was borrowing a PS1, so I had to buy an extra one of those.

You shouldn't need a heavy transformer today to step down the power. Only something like a hairdryer, coffee maker, hot plate, vacuum, and other home appliances you wouldn't travel with would need a transformer box.

Unplug that thing now as it makes your electric bill very expensive just have it plugged in. That transformer is pulling too many watts making your breaker switch cut off.