Author Topic: Help...son plugged 110v DC24 into 220v outlet (Read 13450 times)

Bmlove · « **on:** October 01, 2012, 09:06:16 am »

Experts...my absent minded 13 yr old son plugged my brand new (2 days old) DC24 into the wrong outlet last night. We have both 110v and 220v in our house here in Germany so we use a combination of our American appliances and European ones...I think he takes for granted the iPod and computers can be plugged into both and slapped an adapter onto the plug of my new Dyson and plugged it into the wall. I think they could hear my screaming "NOOOOOOOO" all the way across the pond!

Anyway, the question is how much damage do you thnk he did. We couldn't find a fuse of any sort and assume he fried the motor. Looks like a replacement 110v motor runs @$75 USD or a 220v motor for 45 GBP. Would we also need to replace the brush motor and maybe a circuit board? There isn't any type of wiring diagram or repair manual with the owners manual. Are we getting into the territory of the replacement parts costing more than a new one?

Thanks for your advise.

Mandi

MVacs · « **Reply #1 on:** October 02, 2012, 07:04:54 pm »

Was there any burning or anything else to suggest the motor had fried? Are we to assume the machine now doesn't work in the 110 outlet?

I am also more than a bit curious (nosey perhaps) how you come to have any 110v outlets in Germany? Is this a US military base?

Bmlove · « **Reply #2 on:** October 02, 2012, 09:24:39 pm »

Yes, we are military so they put 100v transformers on our quarters for us. The vacuum is not working on the 110v but there wasn't any burning smell after he plugged it into the 220v and turned it on. When we plugged it back into the 110v, the engine initially engaged for a second and then died completely.

MVacs · « **Reply #3 on:** October 04, 2012, 08:55:32 pm »

It is likely he has done the motor, yes.

It is also likely he has done the PCB and/or the cleaner head motor.

Depends how long he ran it really. Its hard to say without testing each component.

You could get a 240v motor and full cleanerhead, which would upgrade the machine to Euro voltage. I am not aware any other components differ.

You cant get 110v stuff in Europe that I know of, if you want to stay at 110v, you would have to order in the US and ship it (but you have military mail so that wont cost a lot).

Really, what *some* would do in this situation, if they wasn't inclined to take it to bits, is ship it back to a friend/family member the US with that nice military mail service, get Dyson to repair it under warranty because it had 'just stopped working' and ship it back again.

Question: When plugged in the 110v, even though the main motor doesn't run, recline it and see if the brush roll fires up?

Bmlove · « **Reply #4 on:** October 05, 2012, 10:48:46 pm »

So we had an amazing development today. I went back down stairs to vacuum with a borrowed vacuum and it made the exact same noise when it was plugged into the 110v...engine just barely starting and then nothing...thought this was weird and curiously exactly the same as what happened when we tried to plug in the Dyson to the 110 to test it after plugging it into the 220v on accident. Took the new vacuum upstairs and plugged it into a different 110v outlet and it worked just fine. Quickly went and grabbed the Dyson and plugged it into the 110v outlet upstairs and *poof* it worked!!!!!

Apparently we have a very sensitive circuit breaker on both the 110 and 220 outlets down in the basement (it's a new house so we're just getting some of these things figured out)...we noticed the flipped breaker a couple days later but thought the kids had tripped it with their Wii and XBox. It never dawned on us that the house circuit breaker would be tripped by the vacuum, we were so focused on the potential for burnout from the 220v.

Needless to say we're thrilled but confused. Is there a chance that Dyson builds in some type of protective circuiting?? Is it possible that Dyson actually only builds one engine but labels it 110 or 220 depending upon the market? There's no way I'm going to plug it back into a working 220v to figure out the mystery, but I have to admit I'm tempted because I'm perplexed!!! I guess it's possible that the sensitive circuit tripped before enough current could flow through the vacuum engine to hurt it...

MVacs · « **Reply #5 on:** October 08, 2012, 06:32:34 pm »

220-240 circuit breakers are way more sensitive than I imagine 110 ones might be.

Any resistance or anything not right will trip them easier.

The 110/220-240 motors are certainly different.

I suspect efficient German wiring and good quality circuit breakers saved your machine.