New Maytag Satellite/Hoover Constellation with UK plug **HELP**


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Thread Number: 45423 / Tag: Recent Vacuum Cleaners from past 20 years
New Maytag Satellite/Hoover Constellation with UK plug **HELP**

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Post# 470243 3/22/2024 at 15:46 by AerusLux99 (New Brunswick, Canada )
Checkrate/Likes Hi guys, I’m new here and need some advice. I just bought a brand new 2005 Maytag Satellite online and it came from the UK, but I’m from Canada so I have North American style wall sockets/plug-ins. This has a European UK style plug, so you see my problem. I now know I need a step up/down transformer but I need to know what voltage I need. The vacuum says it has a 2000 watt motor. Does that mean I need a 2000 watt transformer? I was looking at another post that said for vacuums you need a transformer that supplies double the voltage, so that would be 4000 watts. So, which size transformer/converter do I need? Any help would be appreciated, thanks!

Post# 470272 , Reply# 1 3/23/2024 at 21:40 by eurekaprince (Montreal, Canada)
Checkrate/Likes 1 You just need to be able to insert the three-prong UK plug into the compatible outlet on your step up transformer. There are many plug adapters available on the internet to adapt any plug to any outlet in the world. It’s kind of funny that this UK Maytag retro Hoover Constellation started off at a factory in Canton Ohio (or maybe they were made in Hoover’s plant in Mexico?) and now it’s back in North America! 😀

Post# 470307 , Reply# 2 3/25/2024 at 20:32 by huskyvacs (Gnaw Bone, Indiana)
Checkrate/Likes 2 The step-up/down transformer you need will be a carry-around box type. Not the little travel case of plugs, those are for small stuff like DVD players. The general rule is to take the maximum power rating of the vacuum, and double it by two, and that will be the power rating you need on the transformer. That way you can safely use the vacuum without overloading the circuit. These things are so cheap it never hurts to go way over the rating. This is a nice one I like, as it actually shows you the input and output power being supplied: CLICK HERE TO GO TO huskyvacs's LINK View Full Size

Post# 470310 , Reply# 3 3/25/2024 at 23:49 by vgwpg (Winnipeg, Manitoba)
Checkrate/Likes Hi Ethan, Congratulations on your purchase! I'm a little jealous! I really like those Maytag Satellites. I love the modern twist on an old classic with the stainless steel. I wish that they had released them here too. I do see your conundrum with the UK plug. Typically, yes, you would just need a step-up transformer to bring our 120 volts up to 240 volts. Depending on the brand depends on how much you would want to oversize it. A cheaper one (like a Chinese one on Amazon) I would double the wattage. If it's a good quality one that is made in North America, you may only need to add 30% or 50% of the wattage. However, that vacuum being 2000 watts is a different problem, which you might want to think about before even getting a transformer. Our normal outlets are rated for 15 amps, so you wouldn't really want to plug in anything rated over 1800 watts on a regular 15 amp circuit. I wouldn't anyway. That being said, 2000 watts is the maximum power draw, and the average watts would be different. I have never used a 2000 watt vacuum, so I don't know how much they would typically draw. Maybe someone else on here could chime in. You could get a watt meter and measure how many watts it uses. If it's 1800 or less on average, it will be fine on a normal outlet if the breaker is not too sensitive. Just make sure you don't have anything else running off of that cicruit while you use it. If it uses more than 1800 watts though, you will have to put in a new outlet. If you happen to have a newer house, you may have 20 amp (or around 2400 watts) outlets in the kitchen. (These can be identified by one slot having a horizontal slot also.) If you don't, then it would also be a good idea to install a new outlet on a new 20 amp circuit for the vacuum and/or any other future high wattage vacuums or high draw devices you acquire. Just keep in mind that the only difference between a 15 and 20 amp outlet is the amperage. Both are still putting out 120 volts and would need a transformer. If you're installing a new outlet, you could also put in a 15 amp 240 volt outlet, which can handle up to 3600 watts. Then you wouldn't need a transformer. But I wouldn't do that unless you are 100% sure that they don't have the metal body of the vacuum connected to the neutral. (That's because our 240 volt outlets use two hots and a ground vs their one hot, one neutral, and one ground. If that body was connected to the neutral, since that neutral would now be hot, the body would be energized and could kill you if you touched it.)

Post# 470312 , Reply# 4 3/25/2024 at 23:58 by tolivac (Greenville,NC)
Checkrate/Likes I have a step up-step down transformer for 120 or 240v 2200W You can use it on 15A if you don't pull more than 1800W.I use mine for a 1000W MH lamp fixture whose ballast primary is 240V.Works just fine.And of course you can use it the other way to step 240V to 120V.

Post# 470321 , Reply# 5 3/26/2024 at 18:47 by AerusLux99 (New Brunswick, Canada )
Checkrate/Likes *Hmmm…* So basically I would need to make modifications on my houses wiring to use this safely? I think not lol…I don’t know about replacing outlets and wouldn’t dare trying to do it. I’ve had many small electrical fires in my lifetime so I’m terrified of that sort of thing. I thought it would be as easy as buying the little transformer, plugging it in and using it. Since it’s 2000 watts and our plugs cannot support that I’ll be sending it back to the UK or selling it. Thanks for the help anyways guys. I definitely needed that bit of information.

Post# 470326 , Reply# 6 3/27/2024 at 01:29 by huskyvacs (Gnaw Bone, Indiana)
Checkrate/Likes Vincent doesn't seem to understand how an up/down inverter works. You don't need to rewire your house or do anything to the outlet. Just plug the inverter in and then your vacuum into the inverter and set the appropriate voltage for what you are running. That's it. The inverter does all the rest. It has its own circuitry, breaker box, hence why they weigh upwards of 20 lbs and up. The power is being drawn from the inverter, not the wall. It functions the same as a car stereo amplifier that takes a 12V DC battery source and bumps it up to 120V AC source to run amplifiers and subwoofers and such.

Post# 470329 , Reply# 7 3/27/2024 at 06:50 by eurekaprince (Montreal, Canada)
Checkrate/Likes I agree with Huskyvacs. It’s not that complicated - I used a transformer when I temporarily moved overseas from Canada. I used the same 2000 watt transformer when I moved back to Canada with all my 220 volt appliances. Just buy a nice 5000watt voltage transformer and an adapter for UK plugs and you will be able to safely use your Maytag Satellite. You may want to buy a nice long UK extension cord so that you can extend your cleaning reach from where you plug in the transformer. As mentioned above, the box is heavy so once you plug it in, you are going to want to keep it on the floor and not move it from plug to plug while vacuuming. If you don’t want to bother with all this, why not keep your eye out for a retro stainless steel Hoover Constellation for sale on eBay? It’s the same vacuum with a 120volt motor.

Post# 470334 , Reply# 8 3/27/2024 at 16:18 by AerusLux99 (New Brunswick, Canada )
Checkrate/Likes *So…* Would this transformer from Amazon work? It’s $177, and there’s others on there up to $500 for the same voltage and I can’t afford $500 for something I’ll only be using for one thing. It seems to have a UK plug already installed, but I do have one of the small wall plug adapters if I needed to use it. I’m confused since someone said 1800 watts is the max our plugins could use. I’m thinking of it like if it uses 2000 watts, and our wall plugs & breakers/fuses can only support 1800, how could a transformer/inverter make a difference. Unless it generates extra electricity not supplied by the outlet. I was with the understanding that transformers only had the ability to lower power output, not increase it. Or are you saying it doesn’t need to increase it and that the wall plugs (which to my understanding are only 120 volts) will support 2000 watts fine on their own? When I heard the max our plugs can handle is 1800 watts the first thing I thought of is hair dryers, which I’ve never seen use more than 1875 watts, so that made sense. So I’m a bit confused. I don’t want to order the transformer, get it set up and turn the vacuum on only to have it trip the breaker. View Full Size

Post# 470338 , Reply# 9 3/27/2024 at 22:37 by Lesinutah (Utah)
Checkrate/Likes *Hey* The link step up would work. Europe I'm assuming England is under the same jurisdiction. If it's new it's not 1800 watts. It's not going to be over 1200 watts I believe they lowered it to 1000 watts 7.5 amp approximately. The power runs at 30 hz a second as opposed to 60. I'm not saying everyone on here is wrong but the power output is more than likely wrong.

Post# 470340 , Reply# 10 3/28/2024 at 03:00 by AerusLux99 (New Brunswick, Canada )
Checkrate/Likes *All I know is the box says the motor is 2000 watts…* So if our wall plugs in North America can only handle 1800 watts being drawn, this will trip my breaker (with what knowledge I now have) regardless of the step up/down transformer. Because the transformer simply could not draw more than that 1800 watts from my wall to supply 2000 watts to this vacuum. Unless I’m missing something. If that’s wrong and someone can say for sure I’m safe using it, and it will not trip my breaker, then all I need to know is what wattage the transformer needs to be. If it needs double what the vacuum pulls that would be 6000 watts. Would the one I posted that’s 5000 be okay? Clearly I’m very confused. I just need someone to answer a.) will this work safely and b.) how much power do I need in terms of wattage for the transformer. Will a 5000 watt work okay or do I need a 6000. If I need to pay more than $200 for a step up/down transformer that’s out of my price range. I’ve already spent around $400 for the vacuum after converting CAD (Canadian dollars) to GBP (British pounds), shipping, import charges, etc. And it seems impossible to find a 6000 watt for $200 which is my max. View Full Size

Post# 470341 , Reply# 11 3/28/2024 at 06:11 by eurekaprince (Montreal, Canada)
Checkrate/Likes Why not contact these guys - see link below - to ask them transformer questions and allay any concerns you have? These voltage transformers are designed to be plugged into a North American household outlet - they are designed not to trip any circuit breakers. But I’m sure the guys at this Canadian website can answer all your questions - they are experts. CLICK HERE TO GO TO eurekaprince's LINK

Post# 470342 , Reply# 12 3/28/2024 at 06:23 by eurekaprince (Montreal, Canada)
Checkrate/Likes They are actually located in St. Laurent, Quebec - which is a suburb of Montreal. If you have a car, why not make a trip here with your Hoover and show them what you need?

Post# 470344 , Reply# 13 3/28/2024 at 14:27 by kirbylux77 (London, Ontario, Canada)
Checkrate/Likes Ethan, I have a MUCH BETTER idea that nobody here has suggested so far....Why not put a new 120 volt motor, cord and switch in your cleaner and convert it to 120 volts? If you take it apart, you will see what the size of the motor is, and it is just a common Chinese motor that lots of other 120 volt cleaners use. Will probably cost about $250-$300 for the parts, but this way you don't have to worry about voltage converters and all the possible problems you may encounter.

Post# 470347 , Reply# 14 3/28/2024 at 16:46 by eurekaprince (Montreal, Canada)
Checkrate/Likes 1 Better still: here’s an ebay Canada listing for a white retro Hoover Constellation - base only. It’s only $80. You can harvest all the wiring and the motor from this and install it in your Maytag version…. CLICK HERE TO GO TO eurekaprince's LINK on eBay

Post# 470348 , Reply# 15 3/28/2024 at 17:33 by huskyvacs (Gnaw Bone, Indiana)
Checkrate/Likes As was already clearly stated before - the wattage is what the inverter is rated for, not what is coming from the wall socket. Hence why it's called an INVERTER. And the inverter will be 20% less than what is printed on the case, due to differences in power consumption and over-rating the current for safety buffers. The inverter has its own circuit breaker. The model I linked to is what you need and is perfectly cheap. And changing the motor is inherently stupid because number one, it ruins the vacuum and the value of the vacuum completely. You would never be able to sell it again. and number two, that's the entire point of collecting imported vacuums, to have something that was never available in your country, to have something unique.

Post# 470351 , Reply# 16 3/28/2024 at 18:56 by kirbylux77 (London, Ontario, Canada)
Checkrate/Likes Brian - Good idea! Ethan could even transplant the Hoover handle and all the trim to make it a Stainless Steel Hoover Connie. Huskyvacs - Valid points there. BUT, if Ethan took all the trim off as well and made it into a Stainless Steel Hoover Connie, the value would NOT be ruined, as the stainless steel version was sold under 2 different names with 2 different voltages. So as long as you removed the rating plate when you sold it, nobody would be none the wiser....they would think they had a original Stainless Steel Hoover Connie. Then again, none of that would even matter if Ethan never intends to sell it to begin with....just use it as a "daily driver" and run it into the ground. And while it may be nice to have something "unique", it's not practical to have something you can't use or have a huge heavy behemoth of a transformer box just to use it.

Post# 470427 , Reply# 17 4/3/2024 at 07:10 by Vgwpg (Winnipeg, Manitoba)
Checkrate/Likes HuskyVacs and EurekaPrince, how many watts are the devices that you are using with your transformers rated for? If you’ve used 2000 watt cleaners before with yours, then it’s obviously fine. While I do like to think that I have decent knowledge when it comes to electricity, I am most certainly no expert. I am just going by what I have learned from my grandpa and dad, as my grandpa was an electrician and my dad worked for him. As I live in Canada and am only familiar with our power, unfortunately, when it comes to international electrical devices, I don’t really know how that all works. I am not much help. What I do know is that electricity is not something to be messed around with as it can be very dangerous. However, I do understand how transformers work, despite HuskyVacs thinking that I don’t. Transformers change the voltage. That is it. They are big and heavy because transformers are literally massive coils of wire. The more watts that they can handle, the larger those coils are. However, those coils are not producing their own electricity and are therefore limited to the wattage that is available from the outlet that they are pulling power from. The wattage that a transformer is rated for is how much that transformer can handle. If a transformer is rated for 5000 watts, it can indeed output 5000 watts. (Minus the downsizing percentage.) That Vevor one would be easily capable of supplying the power for your satellite. However, it can only provide 5000 watts (or 2000 watts in this case) if it has that wattage available from the outlet. As I mentioned earlier, you generally don’t want to go much above 1800 watts as that is roughly 15 amps. You could do a search on Google and look at a site or two to confirm this. This is why things like kettles, toasters, heaters, hair dryers, etc. are less wattage in North America versus Europe. Their regular outlets can handle that, but ours can’t. Your theory regarding why our hair dryers don’t go higher than 1875 watts is correct. I really would not recommend plugging in something more than that simply for safety. Electrical fires do happen. The wires in the walls are rated for not much more than 15 amps. If you are pulling more than that, they can overheat and catch fire. A fire in a wall can easily spread. While a breaker should trip if too much current is being pulled, there are instances that it doesn’t. The breaker on the transformer would be no help in this situation because it would only trip if there is more than 5000 watts being pulled, which is far more than 15 amps. The thing is that your 2000 watt Satellite is probably rated for max watts. Unlike a resistive load, like a heater or hair dryer element which always pulls the max load on full power, a motor’s consumption changes depending on the motor’s load. There is a good chance that it may not pull any more than 1800 watts while running normally, which means that it could run fine on our outlets. However, I have never used a 2000 watt vacuum, so I unfortunately do not know how many watts it would actually pull. Now, if HuskyVacs or EurekaPrince or anybody else here has used a 2000 watt appliance with their transformer here with a regular outlet and never had the breaker trip or anything, then it is safe to say that you can safely use your Satellite. However, they never mentioned if they have used 2000 watt cleaners with theirs, so I don’t know if they have. I would recommend what EurekaPrince recommended and reach out to a transformer company and see if they can help you. That way you know the definite answer. I wish that I could be more help.

Post# 470428 , Reply# 18 4/3/2024 at 07:19 by Vgwpg (Winnipeg, Manitoba)
Checkrate/Likes I don’t know what motor that Satellite has, but if you know its model number, you may be able to find a data sheet for it. Some data sheets (Ametek ones at least) have a chart that shows how many watts the motor pulls depending on the orifice. So if you looked at how many watts it would pull with a 1.25 inch or 32 mm orifice (the diameter of the hose), you would know the actual watts.

Post# 470559 , Reply# 19 4/8/2024 at 14:08 by AerusLux99 (New Brunswick, Canada )
Checkrate/Likes *If I took it to a vacuum repair shop…* Say Aerus/Electrolux…which is the one I normally go to. To purchase new machines and get my old ones repaired. They’ve replaced motors and cords as well as switches and electrified hoses on a few different vacuums I’ve had. Mostly Electrolux Epic upright and canister style machines, but I’ve heard them say multiple times as well as advertise that they service all makes and models of vacuums. However the “we service all” might mean only very basic rudimentary repairs like burnt out light bulbs or loose belts for vacuums that are not Aerus/Electrolux brand. I’m not sure. Since I’d be likely to get it apart and never be able to get it back together again (even if I could find a Constellation motor to fit it—and a cord to re-wire it with) do you think they’d be able to take it apart and find a North American motor and cord to fit? I’m thinking it may be a question/problem that they’re unfamiliar with but may be able to do it…what do you guys think? I could call and ask but don’t know if they’d even know what to tell me. It’d also likely be quite expensive, since even getting a cord replaced there is usually over $100 if I remember correctly…

Post# 470593 , Reply# 20 4/9/2024 at 21:29 by eurekaprince (Montreal, Canada)
Checkrate/Likes I am pretty sure your vacuum repair shop could harvest the proper 120 volt motor and wiring from old trade-ins they might be collecting. My concern is that the uniqueness of your request - having bought a 220-volt Maytag from Europe because it is unique - will cause the shop to take advantage of you and charge an exhorbitant price to transform your Connie so that it can be used in a Canadian home.

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