At 725 watts and 15 to 20 amps, the ordinary refrigerator can account for up to 10% of your home’s total electricity consumption. Technical phrases are necessary to comprehend the subject matter thoroughly.
The rate at which energy is converted to electricity is expressed in watts, with one watt equaling one kilowatt-hour. The wattage of your refrigerator should be listed on the energy consumption label that came with it. To figure out how current your device has, you’ll need to know this number.
It’s easy to figure out your refrigerator’s amperage once you know the wattage of your appliance. A unit’s amperage equals the unit’s wattage divided by its voltage. The standard voltage in every American home is 120 volts.
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What Are Refrigerator Amps?
The electrical current used by the compressor in a refrigerator is measured in amps. When the voltage is 120 volts, the amperage of typical home freezers ranges from 3 to 5.
A dedicated 15 to 20 amp circuit is needed because the in-rush amperage is higher. KWH is a standard unit of measurement for calculating average amperage because the compressor doesn’t work all the time.
How To Check Amperage?
When diagnosing your refrigerator’s compressor, comparing the expected and actual current loads is critical. Only one easy computation is required to convert from one to the other, and the compressor’s identification tag lists its power draw more frequently than its current draw. Know more about the Will Solar Panels Keep your House Cool.
With a clamp meter, it is the simplest method to determine the appliance’s real current draw. Breakout cords must be installed between the refrigerator and the power socket to utilize it.
- Locate the refrigerator’s compressor with a flashlight by removing it from the wall. The wattage of the compressor’s identification tag should be stated. The average household refrigerator uses 725 watts of electricity, as stated by the United States Department of Energy.
- To calculate the refrigerator’s amperage draw, divide that figure by 120 volts, which is the voltage of your power source. A 725-watt refrigerator consumes six amps since 725/120 = 6 amps are required.
- Connect a breakout cable to the refrigerator’s power cord, then plug the breakout cable into the receptacle. You can reach the wires in a breakout cord since they are not encased in plastic. Insulation has not yet worn off.
- A 40-ampere clamp meter should be set to read current, and the sensitivity should be set to the maximum. Wrap the breakout cord’s black wire in the jaws of the clamp. Note the temperature once the refrigerator has cycled through its entire cycle.
Things You’ll Want To Bring With You
- Flashlight
- An escape route from the wire
- Measurement devise with a clamp
Tip:
To get a sense of how much electricity your refrigerator consumes over time, you can connect it to an hour-meter and then the hour-meter to the outlet. The meter keeps track of how much power the appliance uses at any given time and from when you first plugged in the meter until the current time.
The voltage at the receptacle can vary from 115 to 125 volts, allowing for a 10% variation in the expected and actual current readings.
How Many Amps Refrigerators Use -Ways To Measure
Refrigerators are an excellent place to start if you’re trying to save energy. It’s not uncommon for these appliances to consume the most power, especially if they are older models. The number of watts your refrigerator consumes over time can be determined in one of three ways:
Method 1- Do A Calculation Using The Nameplate Amperage.
To figure out how much electrical equipment like a refrigerator uses, you’ll need to look up specific numbers.A refrigerator’s amperage can be determined by following the steps outlined below.
Measure the Refrigerators Power Supply’s Capability.
- This information is frequently printed on or near the device itself.
- Check the owner’s manual for your refrigerator if you cannot locate the wattage on the appliance itself.
- It’s also possible to check the wattage by searching the manufacturer’s website.
Determine the voltage of the power source you are using.
- A dedicated circuit can power appliances like refrigerators in a conventional socket.
- Every outlet in the United States home provides 120 volts as the standard power supply voltage (V).
Work Out The AMPS
- Divide the watts by the voltage, which is 120 volts, to find the amperage of your refrigerator.
Method 2- Buy An Energy Metre To Measure Power Consumption
Suppose your refrigerator does not have an energy star rating. In that case, you should either get in touch with the refrigerator maker (who may have this information) or invest in a KWH meter (most vaccine and commercial refrigerators do not). The power usage of your home’s various appliances can be measured quickly and precisely with an energy meter.
- Meters typically come with user manuals, but they are usually relatively straightforward.
- The refrigerator is plugged into the meter, and the meter is plugged into a wall socket. This is how these devices get their power.
- The device’s power consumption will be tracked over time by the meter.
You can save money on your energy bill by utilizing a meter like this one, which is often affordable and can help you better understand how much electricity your appliances are using.
Method 3- Using The Energy Star Rating To Figure Out The Average Power Consumption
Please enter the model number of your refrigerator into a search engine such as Google to determine whether or not it has earned the Energy Star certification. If it does, it’s common to see an estimate of how much electricity it will need each year. A typical Energy Star Label might have something like this in terms of its overall aesthetic. you should also read about solar panel .
Using the label from above as an example:
- 227 kWh per year – (or 227,000 Watts hours per year) in energy usage
- A daily average of 621.91 watt-hours is calculated by dividing 227,000 by the number of days in a year (365), which results in the value.
- It is possible to get an average running wattage of 25.91 by multiplying 621.91 watt-hours by the number of days in a week (24).
- WATTS/VOLTS = AMPS is the formula for calculating how much power is used. If you take the average wattage of 25.91 and split it by 120 volts, you will see that the refrigerator averages. (25.91 / 120 =.21 amplification).
What Is A Duty Cycle?
The compressor found in a refrigerator does not continue to run continuously. It does not remain on permanently all of the time. The amount of time the compressor is operational is called the duty cycle.
Because of the high duty cycle of the refrigerator, the operating wattage of the appliance will be noticeably slower than the typical wattage and far lower than the wattage it uses when it is running.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. How many amps does a mini fridge use?
For the most part, a conventional 120VAC small fridge uses less than one ampere when running, but it can use up to three amps to get up and to go.
2. Can I run refrigerators on the same circuit?
Theoretically, you can connect a freezer and a refrigerator to the same circuit, but the combined amp draw would be less than what most circuits can tolerate (most standard circuits run around 20 amps). According to NFPA, though, the figures may be too close to comfort.
3. How many amps does a microwave use?
As previously stated, the power consumption of a microwave oven ranges from 9 to 15 amps at 120 volts. The quantity of current drawn by the microwave oven depends on the microwave’s INPUT power rating. More current is drawn when the INPUT power rating is higher.
4. Can a refrigerator be on a 15 amp circuit?
A dedicated individual circuit (in other words, a single breaker) that feeds the refrigerator outlet can be either 15 amps or 20 amps. Refrigerators must also be equipped with GFCI circuits located in a garage or unfinished basement of a residential unit.
Conclusion
In the previous paragraph, it was stated that newer appliances are far more efficient than their predecessors. Buying a more recent appliance will pay for itself in a matter of a few years or less simply due to the savings in energy costs; this does not even consider the costs of maintenance that can be anticipated.
You can reduce your refrigerator’s power consumption by following the manufacturer’s recommended maintenance schedule as the last resort. For instance, if you clean the coils and check the seals, you can save significant energy.
