Home Appliances

Home appliance wattage is important information not just for those who are looking to shave a few bucks off of their electric bills, but for anyone running a generator or installing new electrical into an existing circuit. Understanding the difference between starting and sustained load is equally important if you're running numerous large appliances on the same circuit.

Wattage

Most appliances have a tag that contains at least four pieces of information: the operating voltage, the required amperage, the power consumption in watts, and the starting load if applicable. Wattage is equal to volts multiplied by amps; almost all household appliances run on 120 volts, so to get the wattage you multiply the amperage by 120.

Starting Load

Also known as surge load or initial load, starting load refers to how much power it takes to get the appliance going. If you've ever had to push a car, you know that getting it moving is a lot harder than keeping it moving. Most appliances that use an electric motor work the same way; surge load can be anywhere from two to four times the sustained load.

Large Outdoor Appliances

A well pump will consume between 750 watts (1,400 and 3,000 surge watts) and 1,000 watts (2,100 and 4,000 surge watts). Air conditioners are typically rated in British thermal units; if you divide your air conditioner unit's Btu rating by 3.5, you get a ball-park estimate of its sustained wattage. Surge amps are difficult to determine because of air conditioner design, so check your unit's service tag for "locked rotor amps" and multiply that by the voltage.

Large Indoor Appliances

A refrigerator consumes around 600 to 700 watts, while a dishwasher will use between 1,200 and 2,400 watts (depending on whether or not you use the drying feature). A water heater burns through around 5,000 watts when it's running, and a washing machine requires between 350 and 500 watts. An electric dryer will eat a whopping 1,800 to 5,000 watts. All of these with the exception of the water heater impart a surge load of two to four times their sustained ratings.

Small Appliances

A microwave uses between 500 and 1,500 watts depending on size. Your coffee maker percolates to the tune of 900 to 1,200 watts, and the toaster burns through 800 to 1,400 watts. Your computer is currently eating about 250 watts, the ceiling fan between 65 and 175 watts, and your TV/DVD player around 110 and 25 watts, respectively. Surprisingly, a large aquarium can consume as much as 1,200 watts and an average clothes iron will steam through about 1,800 watts.

Tools

A portable drill uses between 500 and 750 watts, and a shop vacuum will suck around 1,000 watts from the plug. A portable grinder will eat its way to between 750 and 1,500 watts. Various saws will consume between 1,200 and 1,800 watts, and an air compressor will need about 1,000 watts per 1 horsepower. Welders are by far the hungriest of all shop tools; a big one can burn through a shocking 55,000 watts.

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