http://www.gson.

org/stepdown/ Never Use a Surge Protector with a Step-Down Transformer

Background
Step-down transformers are commonly used to convert the 220 volt electricity found in most parts of the world to the 110 volts required by North American equipment. For e ample! they are popular with American e patriates who don"t want to throw away their American appliances when movin# to $urope.

A step-down transformer %nfortunately! when used incorrectly! step-down transformers can be dan#erous. &his article is a cautionary tale of one incident that could have ended in disaster.

The pro !em with step-down transformers

'ost step-down transformers (certainly all ine pensive ones) are actually autotransformers! meanin# they have only a sin#le windin# with a center tap rather than two separate! electrically isolated windin#s.

Schematic of step-down transformer! one plu# orientation *hat this means is that the 110 volt output is not electrically isolated from the 220 volt input. *hat"s worse! in many $uropean countries the power plu#s can be plu##ed into the outlet two different ways! which leads to another problem+ there is a 50 percent chance that the voltage between neutral and ground will be 220 volts.

Non-polari,ed -schu.o- power plu#

Schematic of step-down transformer! opposite plu# orientation

The pro !em with surge protectors

%sually! havin# 220 volts between neutral and #round in an appliance desi#ned for 110 volts is not a problem / the insulation has a lar#e safety mar#in. 0owever! if you connect a sur#e protector (or a piece of equipment with built-in sur#e protection) on the 110 volt side! bad thin#s can happen. Sur#e protectors contain varistors! components which protect a#ainst sur#es by effectively shortin# out any e cess volta#e. Some sur#e protectors contain only a sin#le varistor connected between hot and neutral1 those will wor. fine with a step-down transformer. 0owever! many sur#e protectors have additional varistors connected between hot and #round and between neutral and #round. *hen a sur#e protector of this .ind is used with a step-down tranformer! one of these varistors can be sub2ected to the full 220 volts. &his is enou#h to tri##er the varistor into its conductin# mode! effectively treatin# the 220 volts as a sur#e. 3aristors are desi#ned to absorbed short-lived sur#es! but they can"t handle a persistent overvolta#e. A varistor sub2ected to twice its rated volta#e will quic.ly be destroyed! usually causin# a short circuit and a blown fuse.

"hat happened to me
4 had moved bac. to $urope from the %.S. and brou#ht with me some electrical appliances and a step-down transformer. 5ecause the transformer had only one outlet and 4 needed to connect multiple appliances! 4 used a %.S. power strip connected to the 110 3 output. 6i.e most power strips sold in the %.S.! it had built-in sur#e protection. &his wor.ed fine for several wee.s. &hen 4 went travellin# and unuplu##ed everythin# 2ust to be safe. *hen 4 returned and plu##ed the step-down transformer bac. in! there was a ban# and the li#hts went out. A fuse had blown in my apartment"s brea.er panel. 4 replaced the fuse and tried plu##in# in the step-down transformer a#ain1 the fuse instantly blew for a second time.

4 opened up the power strip and found that it contained three varistors! one of which was charred. 'easurin# the charred varistor with a multimeter showed that it was shorted out.

4nnards of the sur#e protector! with charred varistor

"h# it happened
&his is what must have happened+ *hen 4 returned from my trip! 4 plu##ed in the sur#e protector the opposite way from before the trip. 5efore the trip! there was no more than 110 volts over any of the hidden varistors in the power strips! but with the plu# oriented differently! the volta#e rose to 220 volts! causin# the varistor to short out.

Schematic of connections at time of incident

"hat cou!d have happened

4t could have been much worse. For one thin#! if the varistors in the power strip had been sturdier! the one #ettin# the e cess volta#e mi#ht not have shorted out instantly and blown the fuse! but instead slowly overheated and started a fire. 5ut what concerns me most is the followin# scenario+ After the initial incident! the blown varistor was completely shorted out. &his left the power strip with a short between hot and ground! a very dan#erous condition. 4f at that point 4 had plu##ed the step-down transformer into an un#rounded outlet! the chassis of any grounded 110 volt equipment connected to the power strip would have been live with 220 volts! and 4 would have stood a #ood chance of bein# electrocuted.

$onc!usion
Never use a sur#e protector on the 110 volt side of a 220-to-110 volt step-down transformer if the power plu# can be plu##ed in two different ways. 4t could .ill you. 4f you must use a power strip! ma.e very sure it doesn"t have sur#e protection built in. 4f you are in a country with polari,ed power plu#s! such as the %7! this problem is less li.ely to affect you! but it"s still possible if either the wall outlet or the power plu# of the transformer has been wired with incorrect polarity. $ ercise care.

85ac. to #son"s home pa#e9