Stand corrected, thought that for years!

No problem, mate. Had me scratching my head for a second until things clicked - been a long time since I did physics. Product labels tend to mislead by specify a wattage as if that's a fixed value (although it has to be stated of course).

To put it in perspective, there have been people on here - or possibly coffeegeek - CONVINCED that they had disproved the laws of thermodynamics and arguing against and refusing to accept anything to the contrary. (The old chestnut that it uses less energy to leave a machine switched on 24/7 rather than only when you need to use it).

Ummm...no they hadn't as it tuns out.

Darn - yet another perpetual motion machine design scrapped ;o(

All the best.

Let an electrician answer: A resistance heater will put out less heat, use less power at lower voltage. Electronics and anything using a winding (motor or transformer) will not be happy. If your transformer was properly sized it should do the job, it may have failed from being too small or just burnt up as anything may do. What kind and rating was it? An autotransformer also called a boost-buck would be the right thing and smaller for the desired voltage change. It will use less power until the machine is turned on where a standard transformer will be using more power as long as it is energized (winding loss, iron loss, hysteresis).
KDM

Hello all. I purchased a Rancilio Miss Silvia from a U.S. dealer two weeks ago. They shipped it to me in Japan. Unfortunately, the machine does not work when plugged into the wall.

All three lights illuminate and the machine heats up but the pump does not work. Water trickles out of the basket--that's all. I do not hear the characteristic pump whir when I turn it on.

At first, I thought the problem was an incompatibility between Japanese and U.S. electrical systems. So, I tried using a step-up/down 2-way converter, which worked well in Europe, but the only result of that was a blown 15Amp fuse in the converter. Actually, I replaced the fuse twice. The converter is rated 1500W, and the Silvia is only 1100W, according to the electrical schematic.

Then I discovered that Eastern Japan uses 110V/50Hz, while western Japan has the same voltage but a higher frequency--60Hz. (That a country could have different electrical systems is utterly mind-boggling but I digress)

Could anyone offer a suggestion as to why the machine does not work. Is it all because of the frequency difference? Should I take the machine to Western Japan and see if it works there?

What could be a potential solution?
Many Thanks, Jason