120VAC lights in 240VAC

[Joe Cage]

Hello,

I was wondering if I could buy 120VAC lights from the US and use them in Europe in 240VAC. I would probably need a converter to not let them overheat. Would that work? If so any recommendations? Did anybody experience any problems setting it up this way?

Thanks!

 

[Ulf Krentz]

What kind of lights? You may need a step down transformer which is heavy and also expensive. If they are electronic devices they may be multi voltage. No way to give proper advice with no details. Cheers!

 

[Nick Gardner]

You just change the plugs and the globes. There are a few tungsten lights that no 220v globes exist, par 36 fay globes come to mind, the solution is you rewire them in pairs of parallel, so your nine light becomes an 8 light with a hole in the middle. Most HMIs have switchable ballasts. Notable exceptions are irem 2.5k magnetic ballasts. They are only 110 or 220 not switchable.

Nick

Edit - series, not parallel