Samovar: where to buy?
David Borgmeyer
dmborgmeyer at HOTMAIL.COM
Sat Sep 2 01:46:51 UTC 2006
For what it’s worth, there isn’t any magic to converting voltage up; it’s
simple physics: the relation of the number of windings in the primary coil
of a transformer to the number of windings in the secondary coil produces
the ratio of the step up or down in voltage. In fact, if you have large
fluorescent fixtures in your office, they all probably have step-up
transformers/ballasts in them that produce 220V from 110V, albeit with
smaller currents than a samovar.
And, given Ohm’s law, E=IR, where E= voltage, I=current, usually measured in
amperes or amps, and R=resistance or load, measured in ohms, the issue is
not whether it is possible to step up the voltage, but given the two numbers
you have determined, (i.e., the resistance/load the heating element the
samovar needs to operate properly, and the required 220V), that leaves only
one number missing: the current required. Because you have the relatively
high resistance/load generated by a heating coil and the voltage stepped up,
you need a relatively large current on the primary side of the transformer,
(which might exceed the rating on the circuit and trip the breaker or fuse,
especially if there’s already a lot of stuff on the circuit). There would
be never be a need for “storing” and “releasing” electricity to run a
samovar (as in a capacitor).
To figure our how large your transformer should be, see if the samovar gives
an indication of how many amps it pulls and multiply by 220, (using P=IE,
where P is power in watts, I and E as above); that’s your wattage. Then use
the same P and use 110 for E, then solve for I, which will tell you how many
amps you’ll pull from your wall plug. If the number is over 20, that is
probably too much, depending on the wiring and fusing.
One minute’s google search yielded the following (no endorsements implied,
of course)
http://appliances.safeshopper.com/45/cat45.htm
http://www.eastwestintl.com/showprod.asp?catid=220
http://www.familyonboard.com/powerbrightpwrconverters.html
By the way, I’m not an electrician, either. If anyone starts a fire, it
isn’t my fault …
DB
>From: Emily Saunders <emilka at MAC.COM>
>Reply-To: Slavic & East European Languages and Literature list
><SEELANGS at LISTSERV.CUNY.EDU>
>To: SEELANGS at LISTSERV.CUNY.EDU
>Subject: Re: [SEELANGS] Samovar: where to buy?
>Date: Fri, 1 Sep 2006 13:17:49 -0700
>
>I spent a bit of time looking for a converter that would convert up and
>was told by dealers that this sort of things work for appliances that
>don't need much electricity to operate (computers, CD players), but is
>problematic for heating appliances that are much more energy intensive.
>It's like you'd need some converter that could suck up electricity store
>it and then put it out in large chunks so that the electric coil could
>actually put out enough heat to get the water up to temp. These dealers
>told me that I was just fine plugging my samovar in with just a plug
>converter (which I have done) since there isn't enough juice coming out of
>the wall to make an impression on my samovar. I would treat with a degree
>of healthy skepticism the ads that say they have an up/down converter that
>can do 1000W. My guess is that the 1000W capability applies to the down
>conversion from 220 to 110 and not in the opposite direction.
>
>But then I am not an electrician. If you do manage to get yours to work,
>please let me know as I'd like to be wrong. I've wanted for years to use
>my samovar the way it was supposed to be used.
>
>Best of luck!
>
>Emily Saunders
>
>
>
>On Sep 1, 2006, at 12:18 PM, Edward M Dumanis wrote:
>
>>One just needs a voltage converter. 1000W should be okay.
>>Check, e.g.,
>>http://www.dvdoverseas.com/store/index.html?loadfile=catalog6_0.html
>>Disclaimer:
>>It is just the first one that Google brought up.
>>This message is not intended to advertize any particular dealer.
>>
>>Sincerely,
>>
>>Edward Dumanis <dumanis at buffalo.edu>
>>
>>
>>On Fri, 1 Sep 2006, Peter Scotto wrote:
>>
>>>Well! All the sites that say sell Russian-made samovars say they work
>>>fine with
>>>110v - they just take a little longer to boil.
>>>
>>>Thanks for the tip!
>>>
>>>>Just a note: I possess a working electric samovar, purchased in
>>>>Russia, and have discovered the following point. Because of the
>>>>110/220 difference and because the samovar is a heating unit, you won't
>>>>actually be able to heat water to boiling in a Russian (or even
>>>>European) made samovar if you plug it in in the US or Canada. You can
>>>>vaguely keep previously heated water warm in it, but... it'll
>>>>ultimately serve a more decorative than functional purpose. There is
>>>>just no adaptor that'll make a 110 electrical source provide enough
>>>>juice to get a 220 heating coil up to temp. I suppose that an
>>>>electrically minded person might be able to change out the heating
>>>>coil, though.
>>>>
>>>>;-)
>>>>
>>>>Emily Saunders
>>>>
>>>>On Sep 1, 2006, at 6:25 AM, Peter Scotto wrote:
>>>>
>>>>>Can anyone recommend a nice, reliable distributor of working Russian
>>>>>electric
>>>>>samovars in the USA or Canada (so the shipping doesn't kill me)?
>>>>>
>>>>>I would like to purchase one for our Russian Department.
>>>>>
>>>>>Peter Scotto
>>>>>Mount Holyoke College
>>>>>
>>>>>
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