# 120v wiring



## lilra (May 28, 2015)

Hi,
I am headed home (US to PI) and my devices are of course 110v. I have 1 transformer in the PI that I use every time I went home. This time I will be staying indefinitely so I am lugging all I can, plus need to ensure I can cope with the heat. Only my mother's bedroom has a/c.

I have read that we do have places in the PI with 110v installed. Is that something I will need a permit for?

I intend to bring home the switches, outlets, wiring, converter, inverter, breaker, etc. whatever is needed, and hopefully a handful of solar mats. I can't afford a full solar system, so I figure that if I can have enough for day use of computer systems (pc and mac, and peripherals), 3-4 ceiling fans, and several growing lights (to grow my plant hobby), I may be able to afford it, money wise and wattage-wise.

For a/c & 5cf freezer, I think I should just have a 110v on grid as I cannot afford more solar mats or panels. I actually do not have the a/c just yet but I know it requires pretty high wattage. The freezer needs 1.3 amps only, but will also need battery for night supply which I do not want to deal with.

I also want to take Magic Chef (750w) and George Foreman grill (?w). If I get rid of them, they'd be dirt cheap or giveaways, then I have to buy new ones there, so I might as well take them with me.

Somebody commented that 110v draws lower energy, which therefore lowers the bill. So buying it (US 110v) may be worth it than buying one in the PI with 220v.

I heard that Expats/Balikbayans may have certain items (esp electronics purchased 6 mos earlier) tax exempt. I do not have dual citizenship so not sure if I can avail of that.

Anyone with experience with these? Any concerns I may have overlooked?

Thank you so much.

Lilra


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## Gary D (Oct 28, 2013)

I'm sure more answers will come along, but just to answer a couple of points. Watts are Watts, it doesn't matter about the voltage. If an appliance take 100W at 110V it will take 100W at 220V, just the current will halve. Most countries use 220V because of the smaller gauge wiring that is required is cheaper and you get lower lines loses at the higher voltage. Also the availability of 110V is very limited. You may find in and around places like Bagio, Subic and Angelies, it was never taken out from the old US base days. There would be nothing stopping you getting a whole house transformer but I have heard that 110V appliances don't stand up well in the Philippines due to the general poor quality of the supply.


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## 197649 (Jan 1, 2013)

My question is WHY? It will only create in the future. The US is the only 110 volts. 
Shipping a refrigerator dryer washer etc. Will cost you then a transformer cost or wiring of the house. Seems it is more costly than to sell it and purchase new stuff here.


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## lefties43332 (Oct 21, 2012)

Lilra,its a complete waste of time and money. You would regret it.


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## Tukaram (Dec 18, 2014)

Yeah, I have heard that some of the old US base areas have 110, but I have not seen any anywhere. There is no real benefit to bringing 110 items here. Running a transformer so you can run an appliance is just double work. I brought a couple small things with me and used transformers - but electronics have a hard life here on such crappy power. Everything I brought over has been replaced, in under 3 years. (except my computers)

I use AVR's (automatic voltage regulators) to help smooth out the current, and they are not enough. I am still using my desktop PC but had to change the power supply within the 1st year. Both laptops are still running but they are dual voltage (110-240)


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## 197649 (Jan 1, 2013)

Tukaram said:


> Yeah, I have heard that some of the old US base areas have 110, but I have not seen any anywhere. There is no real benefit to bringing 110 items here. Running a transformer so you can run an appliance is just double work. I brought a couple small things with me and used transformers - but electronics have a hard life here on such crappy power. Everything I brought over has been replaced, in under 3 years. (except my computers)
> 
> I use AVR's (automatic voltage regulators) to help smooth out the current, and they are not enough. I am still using my desktop PC but had to change the power supply within the 1st year. Both laptops are still running but they are dual voltage (110-240)


True I lost a hard drive and the power supply to my CCTV. Now I got UPS's installed on my high dollar items. There are just to many eclectic fluctuations. Brown out which is going to stop your transformers then when it kicks back on that surge my only blow a fuse of the entire transformer. I just think that down the road you will regret using 110


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## M.C.A. (Feb 24, 2013)

Buy your fridges here, the Philippines has all sorts of restrictions and huge fee's on appliances. I'd keep the George Forman and Magic Chef, stuff like that, smaller appliances but seriously... you don't want to bring any type of large appliance, sell it off.

They have solar panels here so you can buy that stuff in several places but there's no way that a solar panel can't keep a fridge or AC unit running, it takes some serious amps to get the compressor to turn over.

In order to keep down your electrical bill, try to keep heavy duty appliances off from the hours of 8 am to 9 PM the rates are cut in half. They sell hot and cold water dispensers for around 4000 pesos plus, that will keep your water cold and you can use the hot side for other things. An Airconditioning unit is gonna set you back some they run about 15,000 - 20,000 pesos for Carrier minimum, 1 HP (buy a AC unit with a Japan compressor in it) same with a fridge, watch out the little fridges don't work so well here, with the tiny freezers, if this is your final stop try to by a side by side, if you don't keep much food in the fridge then I'd get a small fridge.

When you first arrive you'll have people trying to extend you credit by having you make payments on a fridge or AC unit, watch out these smiling syndicate members get 100% profit, sometimes 200% profit so buy it yourself.

Here's an example of the prices here, its spot called price dot com, you can also do a search for appliance items, the prices look correct.

Air Conditioners Price List - Prices in Philippines | Priceprice.com

Another popular spot (but you can go to any appliance center and get this stuff) here's another online spot for some prices.

Refrigerator Philippines - Refrigerator for sale - Price list & Reviews | Lazada

Bring all your fillet knives and I'd buy some more from those thrift stores, real cheap but stuff like that is hard to find and real expensive.


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## M.C.A. (Feb 24, 2013)

Those Igloo cooler fridges don't work here, the kind you can run off your car battery or in run it in the house "Been there done that" if that's one of your options, it's a bad one, I tried that once and ruined allot of food, here's a link to what I'm talking about. 

http://www.amazon.com/Igloo-Portable-Thermoelectric-Iceless-Cooler/dp/B00BTS648O

I would buy regular Igloo coolers for sure and Igloo water containers, much cheaper stateside that stuff is way overpriced here.


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## lilra (May 28, 2015)

Thank you so much to all of you for your insights. I sure have not thought about the power fluctuation. All the more I want some solar system even just for the computer systems so it will be power regulated (comes with certain brands). It turned out both iMac and MacBook Pro have dual lines, but now I do not want them plugged to a fluctuating power source.

My mom has a small fridge. It will not suffice for my needs. Here, the packing alone overwhelms me. It feels easier to just ship everything I want to have so when I get there, I have what I need. We do not have a car yet. So that's priority in shopping and spending and I do not want to think about shopping for anything. I do not want to go out in the heat. (Yes, it's the same PI, only warmer, but then it is so in many places now). And there's not much to spend anyway. 

I am mindful of wattage because of the solar thingy I am toying with which I get confused with other things. Also, I was not thinking that 110v is only supplied in certain places. I thought it's upon demand. With off-grid solar dc, I should be able to have 110v as wished even for a small system only. 

Your inputs will help me re-configure what I want/can/cannot do. Thank you all very much.


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## Gary D (Oct 28, 2013)

Here in the UK we have solar connected to the grid which cost about $15000 and when the sun shines at its peak gives us about 1.8KW. The grid supports us when the sun doesn't shine. Adding batteries to replace the grid would be several thousand dollars. The sort of solar you seem to be talking about would be ok to charge your phone. Practical solar is very expensive. Oh and unless your US fridge is suitable for tropical climates it won't be much good in the Philippines.


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## M.C.A. (Feb 24, 2013)

*Power supply sold here*



lilra said:


> Thank you so much to all of you for your insights. I sure have not thought about the power fluctuation. All the more I want some solar system even just for the computer systems so it will be power regulated (comes with certain brands). It turned out both iMac and MacBook Pro have dual lines, but now I do not want them plugged to a fluctuating power source.
> 
> My mom has a small fridge. It will not suffice for my needs. Here, the packing alone overwhelms me. It feels easier to just ship everything I want to have so when I get there, I have what I need. We do not have a car yet. So that's priority in shopping and spending and I do not want to think about shopping for anything. I do not want to go out in the heat. (Yes, it's the same PI, only warmer, but then it is so in many places now). And there's not much to spend anyway.
> 
> ...



There's several places such as hardware stores D.I.Y. or a computer gadget chained place called CDR King and you can buy a battery backup system for your laptops and if your laptops fail, your really out of luck because nobody can fix a laptop here, they only break those and give it back with a sad look... the good news is that you can build a brand new desktop computer here ASUS motherboard and if anything goes wrong the parts are cheap and so is the labor, I had mine built for 14,000 pesos and a 19" monitor.

The computer technician wannabee's ruined my HP Pavillion laptop it cost me $1000 stateside, each business took their turn telling me how they can fix it only to break worse. Laptops are for people on the go, I'm not on the go and I want a stable platform that can remain on 24hrs a day, laptops aren't really designed like this, I guess some are .


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## pijoe (Jul 21, 2015)

If you are on Facebook, there is a group that is doing solar experiments in the Philippines that I belong to. PM me and I will send you the details. Most of the stuff is salvaged from other used electronic items to keep the costs down. My buddy runs a ceiling fan,laptop and small ref on a simple system that was a couple hundred bucks to build.


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## lilra (May 28, 2015)

*solar system*

pijoe
I unfortunately do not subscribe to fb. If it's public, I will check it out.
Me here still a newbie, so can't pm yet. Will do once I am allowed to. 

Thanks for the info.


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## galactic (Dec 2, 2014)

Here in Subic the voltage are 220 and 110.
US appliance voltage is 120.
It takes longer to pop those popcorns using 120volt microwave.


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## hogrider (May 25, 2010)

Gary D said:


> Here in the UK we have solar connected to the grid which cost about $15000 and when the sun shines at its peak gives us about 1.8KW. The grid supports us when the sun doesn't shine. Adding batteries to replace the grid would be several thousand dollars. The sort of solar you seem to be talking about would be ok to charge your phone. Practical solar is very expensive. Oh and unless your US fridge is suitable for tropical climates it won't be much good in the Philippines.


Agree 100%, solar is a very poor return on the investment you will need to make. Best bet by far is a small UPS, 1 or 2 kVA, to run your voltage sensitive electronic equipment.


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