Did you know that Mexico doesn’t have the same line voltage as they do in the United States and Canada?
Without proper protection, the life of appliances made for north-of-the-border (NoB) markets could be greatly shortened when connected to the local power grid. NoB standard line voltage usually varies from about 110 to 120 volts. In Mexico voltages are higher. Here, your voltage is considered acceptable if it is within 10 percent of the ideal level of 127 volts. Therefore anywhere between 114 and 140 volts is considered acceptable.
An incandescent light bulb or electrical appliance manufactured to operate at 110-120 volts, will not last as long when exposed to the high end of what is standard in Mexico. Appliances built to Mexican specifications, on the other hand, will have no problem operating at these higher voltages.
Your actual line voltage will vary by neighborhood. For the first 10 years my neighborhood line voltage hovered between 113 and 127. Later, when the electric utility (CFE) replaced the neighborhood transformer the voltage varied between about 129 and 143, so high that we were able to get the CFE to step down the transformer to voltages closer to 129. If you don’t know your line voltage, buy a voltage meter for 100 to 200 pesos — one that plugs into the wall and continuously displays your line voltage, and check your house voltage at various times of the day.
Next, check out the voltage requirements of your sensitive equipment. According to the tech manuals, my satellite receivers, computers, etc., purchased in the United States require about 110 to 120 volts. If your residential line voltages are outside the ranges of acceptability, buy a voltage regulator, one that is set to regulate to 120, not 127 volts. The typical small unit that you might place between the wall plug and your sensitive equipment will have at least 4 outlets, with a capacity of 700 to 1,200 watts, and cost between 300 and 600 pesos. These are available at most hardware, computer, and electronic stores.
What about equipment built for use in Mexico? My Mexican 34-inch Sony TV has been plugged directly into the wall for 13 years, and I haven’t had a problem. The same thing goes for my refrigerator and other appliances designed for the Mexican market. I can’t say the same for the U.S.-made satellite receiver that I kept on frying before I started using a voltage regulator.
Check your house line voltage. Maybe your voltage is stable and at an acceptable level. If not, buy a voltage regulator to place between your power outlet and that sensitive piece of equipment.
Warning. The typical voltage regulator is nothing more than a step-up or step-down transformer that will do nothing when the voltage is OK and will step-up or step-down the voltage by perhaps 8 percent should the voltage be too low or too high. This regulator does not protect you from brownouts where the voltage may drop to 90 (It will increase the voltage by only about 8 percent) or from surges of electricity perhaps from a nearby lightning strike, the topic of a future article.
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