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Electrical Formulae
Electrical Formulae
How to convert electric power in watts (W) to electric current in amps (A).
You can calculate amps from watts and volts. You can't convert watts to amps since watts and amps
units do not measure the same quantity.
DC watts to amps
AC single phase watts to amps
AC three phase watts to amps
INDEPENDENT 1.0
LOAD IN W :
100
NO. OF PUMPS 3
LOAD IN W :
2000
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very rough
calculation. Remember, electricians and designers use rules that are much
more complicated, so don't get ahead of yourself. Let's look at a simple
formula.
BASIC LOAD
include lighting, outlets, and smaller appliances including oil or gas furnaces,
central vacuums, pool pumps, waste disposals, etc., but NOT baseboard
heaters
LARGE APPLIANCES
SPECIAL LOADS
BASIC LOAD
LARGE APPLIANCES
A typical house has an electric stove and dryer, and an electric water heater.
Note: Include these in the calculation even if the house presently has a gas
stove, for example, if you plan on changing appliances. Allow 6,000W for the
stove. Allow 1,000W for the dryer. Allow 750W for the electric water heater.
Allow 1,500W for any additional stoves. The total of these gives you the
LARGE APPLIANCES LOAD, in watts.
Add the BASIC and LARGE APPLIANCES LOAD, and divide by 240V to get a
subtotal, in amps.
SPECIAL LOADS
Find out any special loads the house may have. The load in amps is read off
the data plate on each appliance. Common special loads are a. sauna b.
electric furnace c. electric baseboard or wall mounted heaters add up the
wattage on each data plate; divide the total by 240V to get amps d. central air
conditioner use the FLA (full load amps) e. kiln If you can't find or can't read
the data plate, use the amp rating of the supply cable to the appliance, or the
rating of the fuse or breaker.
HOUSE LOAD
The
house load
is the sum of the Subtotal and the Special Loads. Let's run through an
example with a 2-story, 1,500 square foot home with 100-amp service.
BASIC LOAD Each story is 750 square feet (1,500 2). Seventy-five percent of
the basement area is: 75% x 750 = 562 sq. ft. Total area for calculations =
1500 + 562 = 2062 sq. ft. Use 5,000W for first 1,000 sq. ft.: 5,000W Use
1,000W for next 1,000 sq. ft.: 1,000W Use 1,000W for the last 62 ft.: 1,000W
BASIC LOAD: 7,000W
SPECIAL LOADS 2-ton air conditioner with full load amperage rating (FLA) =
12 Amps 2 x 1,000W baseboard heaters = 2,000W 240V = 8.3 Amps Sauna
data plate says 25-amps
HOUSE LOAD TOTAL (Subtotal plus special loads) 58.3A + 12A + 8.3A +
25A = 103.6 Amps
This house doesn't look like it has quite enough electricity. It's close, though,
so we recommend that the homeowner try it before committing to a service
upgrade. Remember that the baseboard heaters won't be on when the A/C is,
and the sauna will only be used occasionally. But this service cannot support
any additional loads.