Exploding Coffee Machine

[JuanCarlosFandango]

Not sure if this is the right forum but...

I got a nice coffee machine for Christmas, and immediately blew it up. I realised too late that it is a US model designed for 110v rather than our 240v power supply. The foreign plug should have alerted me but since it slotted straight into the adaptor I didn't think to check.

Anyone done similar? Is there any chance it could be repaired and converted to UK voltage or have I just ruined it?

Thanks in advance

[dudleybloke]

You got a bang for your bucks!

[bristolracer]

Was it supplied by a uk retailer?

[JuanCarlosFandango]

Disappointingly small bang!


It was a present so not 100% sure yet but it looks like it was shipped from Amazon in the US. I can't imagine I will be covered by any sort of warranty.

[Teddy Lop]

What type of machine, ie basic or worth spending money on?

Might be lucky and its just a fuse inside. Unlikely that replacing all internals would be cost effective, It'll have a heater so you could run it off a chunky transformer like a building site 110v power tool jobbie but unless its something special...

[randlemarcus]

Given Amazon's fairly good returns policy, that might be a path to go down, though shipping it back to the US might cost more than just throwing it away, buying a UK model, and never mentioning it again Depends on your relationship with the gifter, and how strict your moral compass is - saying you blew the overvoltage protection by being a fool might be a bit too honest...

[JuanCarlosFandango]

It's a Braun multiserve 7, so not flash in PH terms but a nice thing.

It was a kind of peace offering present so would be awkward though not impossible to return. But yes I think paying the shipping would eat up a chunk of any saving.

[randlemarcus]

Oh. One of those machines - for people who just want warm, brown water, and don't care it was made in the morning

[JuanCarlosFandango]

It has a cup thingy as well. Not sure how that worked though!

Anyway I can quite easily get through a jug while it's fresh on a good day!

[Teddy Lop]

Filter coffee can be fine for what it is. But is it anything more than a gimmicky version of a £20 filter jug?

Good chance you've fried the electronics, If you feel up to popping it open you might be lucky and find some internal fusing or other componentry thats repairable but I wouldn't hold out. So you'll probably need America-only parts then about £60 worth of transformer - which weigh about 15kg - to get it working!

[JuanCarlosFandango]

Looks like I'll never know if it was better than a jug or not!

[NDA]

It will need a new transformer - it might be worth trying to take the back (?) off it and having a look. And then ebay for a replacement part in either 240v or 110v which you'd have to use with a step-down converter. I would assume that the internals are the same voltage with either transformer.

[JuanCarlosFandango]

I'm going to investigate the possibility of returning it before pulling it to bits. Wish me luck!