Should the fridge come with you? Voltage and appliances when leaving Panama
Panama runs on 110V and much of Europe on 220V. Before paying freight on a fridge that will not switch on there, it helps to know what adapts, what does not, and what is worth selling here.
It is the question that comes up most during the home survey, usually halfway through the kitchen: “can I take this?”. The honest answer is rarely yes or no, because it depends on three separate things that people tend to collapse into one.
Three things to check, and they are not the same
Voltage. Panama runs on 110-120V. So do the United States, Canada, Mexico, Colombia and much of Central America. Europe, the United Kingdom, Australia and most of Asia run on 220-240V. A 110V appliance plugged into 220V burns out, usually within seconds and for good.
Frequency. This is the one almost nobody checks and the one that ruins most appliances. Panama runs at 60 Hz; Europe at 50 Hz. A transformer converts voltage but does not change frequency. Anything with a motor (fridge, washer, dryer, blender, air conditioning) turns slower at 50 Hz, runs hot and wears out early. It may work for a while and die within a year, which is the worst of both worlds because by then you have already paid the freight.
The plug. The only one of the three that five dollars solves. A plug adapter converts nothing: it just lets the appliance fit the wall. If the voltage is wrong, the adapter simply lets you burn it more comfortably.
What travels well and what does not
Most modern electronics are dual voltage: laptops, phone chargers, consoles, routers, cameras. You can tell from the label or the power supply. If it says 100-240V and 50/60Hz, it travels anywhere and only needs a plug adapter.
| Usually worth shipping | Usually not worth it |
|---|---|
| Laptops, tablets, phones and their chargers | Fridge and freezer |
| Recent consoles and audio equipment | Washer and dryer |
| Cordless tools (the charger is what travels) | Microwave |
| Recent televisions, after checking the label | Air conditioning |
| Small appliances without motors, if dual voltage | Vacuum cleaners and motor blenders |
The practical rule: anything with a motor or a large heating element is better sold here. Consumer electronics almost always travel.
The transformer is not the fix it looks like
Transformers that step 220V down to 110V exist, and they work. The problem is the whole package: one rated to run a fridge is heavy, expensive, draws power on its own and has to stay switched on permanently. And it still does not fix the frequency.
For one small, low-draw appliance it makes sense. To run a whole house, it costs more than buying the appliances at destination, with a worse result.
The sum worth doing first
Freight is charged by volume, not by value. A large fridge takes up roughly a cubic metre and a half of the container. Before shipping it, the useful question is:
- What does that volume cost in my quote?
- What does an equivalent new one cost at destination?
- What can I sell this one for here?
When (1) plus (3) approaches (2), shipping it stops making economic sense, and that happens more often than people expect. At the survey we tell you what each item takes up, which is the number missing from that sum.
What you should always take
The things with no equivalent: whatever carries sentimental value, whatever was made to measure, whatever you cannot buy there. An appliance is replaceable in any country; the piece you inherited is not. When container space is tight, that is the right order of priority.
A word on gas appliances
Gas cookers are calibrated for a specific gas type, and not every country uses the same one. Many accept a conversion kit and some do not. And mind the obvious: the gas cylinder does not travel, full or empty. It is dangerous goods and it does not go in a move.