The key to making a successful purchase is to be aware of how much power your refrigerator uses. To make sure you have the right outlet circuit on a dedicated circuit breaker for your refrigerator, you should adhere to the energy rating guides.
You should keep track of your living expenses, including your electric bills, in order to carefully manage a household. Every home appliance and electronic device you own adds to this expense.
Among these, the refrigerator is one of the devices that regularly use a high amount of electricity.
How many amps does a refrigerator use? The typical refrigerator uses between 10 and 20 amps and 725 watts of power. This may be equivalent to 10% of your home’s overall energy use.
Let’s examine what it takes to comprehend a refrigerator’s amp usage.
Table of Contents
What Are Refrigerator Amps?
The number of amps a refrigerator uses to cool its interior is determined by the electrical current that its compressor draws. If the voltage is 120 volts, the typical household refrigerator’s amperage ranges from 3 to 5. Because the in-rush amperage is much higher, a 15 to 20-amp dedicated circuit is necessary. The average amperage, which is frequently expressed in kilowatt-hours KWH, is lower because the compressor isn’t running constantly.
How to Find Refrigerator Energy Usage?
Method 1: Using the Energy Star Rating to Figure Out the Average Power Consumption:
The simplest method is to simply Google the model number of your refrigerator to see if it has an Energy Star rating. If it does, an estimate of the annual electricity consumption is typically given.
Energy consumption: 227 kWh per year – (that is 227,000 Watts hours per year);
The answer is 621.91 watt hours per day (227,000 / 365), or 227,000 divided by the number of days in a year (365).
Average running watts are calculated by dividing the number of watt hours (621.91) by the number of hours in a day (24), which equals 25.91.
Method 2: Buy An Energy Meter to Measure Power Consumption:
You will need to get in touch with the refrigerator’s manufacturer (who might have this information) or buy a KWH meter if your refrigerator does not have an energy star rating (most vaccine and commercial refrigerators do not). The best and most accurate way to gauge the power consumption of your appliances is with an energy meter.
Although they usually come with user manuals, meters are generally very simple to use. In order for this device to operate, the refrigerator must first be plugged into the meter and then into a wall outlet. Over time, the meter will determine how much power the appliance is using.
By making you more conscious of how much power your appliances are using, these meters, which are typically inexpensive, may even help you save money on your electric bill.
Method 3: Do a Calculation Using the Nameplate Amperage:
Another approach is to try performing a calculation using the nameplate amperage. The outcome of a calculation based on the refrigerator nameplate amperage rating is essentially an educated guess based on an estimated duty cycle.
What is a Duty Cycle?
The compressor in a refrigerator does not run continuously. Instead, it turns on and then turns off. Duty cycle is the measure of how much of the time the compressor is running. The appliance’s nameplate amperage represents how many amps it consumes when the refrigerator’s compressor is operating, but because of the duty cycle, the average amperage will be significantly less than the nameplate value.
According to the insulation value inside the refrigerator, each refrigerator’s efficiency level will differ. A refrigerator typically operates at 35% duty cycle (65% for a freezer). This means that you can estimate how much power the average running amps will be if you take the nameplate amperage and divide it by 35%.
For instance, if the duty cycle is 35% and the nameplate amperage is 4 amps, the average running amperage will be 1.4 amps.
How Much for the Proper Refrigerator Circuit?
You have selected the next refrigerator after reading the labels. Fortunately, changing a circuit breaker is quick and inexpensive. Additionally, your circuit breaker is typically a standard 120 volt, 20 amp device. The most crucial thing is to make sure that your circuit is set aside for the refrigerator.
Depending on the hardware store you buy from, circuit breakers could cost you anywhere from $9.00 to $12.00. It’s a good idea to hire a professional electrician if you don’t enjoy working with electricity.
Here are some basic items that you will need to ensure the refrigerator is on a dedicated circuit:
- Circuit Breaker – Make sure to select the appropriate size based on your refrigerator.
- GFCI Outlet – 20 amps circuit
- Volt Tester – to test the voltage
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Other Recommended Maintenance
Everything on the circuit inside the home’s electrical panel is controlled by circuit breakers. from furniture to light fixtures, including things like your refrigerator. Just like with anything, circuit breakers can go bad. Circuit breaker replacements may be reasonably priced if you can identify this early.
Making sure that your metal breaker box is grounded is also very important. Your top priority is to avoid electrical power surges that could result in electrocution. To avoid electrocution and electrical fires, a grounded metal breaker box is required.
While you are looking into your refrigerators amp usage and how your circuit breakers are set up, you might want to explore whether or not your gas water heater requires electricity.
When Should I Call a Professional?
Calling a professional whenever you need to deal with electrical work is always a good idea. To find out if your electrical outlet can support the amp requirements for your refrigerator, it is best to call a certified electrician. The electrician can work more quickly than you can because they have the experience and knowledge, and they can also save you money by keeping your refrigerator from getting damaged.
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FAQs
How Many Amps Does a TV Use?
A large screen TV with 50 or more diagonal display inches can consume about 200 W. That would work out to about 1.6 Amps at 120V or 0.8A at 240V.
How Many Amps Does a Microwave Use?
A typical microwave oven uses on average 1000 watts of power, which is equal to about 8.3 amps. This means that your microwave will use about 8.3 amps of current if you have a standard 120-volt outlet.
How Many Amps Does a Washing Machine Use?
A washing machine typically uses between 12 and 15 amps of electricity, while a fridge typically uses about half that amount.
How Many Amps Does a Dishwasher Use?
An average home dishwasher will use around 10 amps. Depending on the brand and model, different amps will be used.
How Many Amps Does a Dryer Use?
Residential electric clothes dryers use between 7.5 amps and 30 amps.
Conclusion
In fact, a refrigerator is a necessity of modern life. The typical refrigerator uses between 10 and 20 amps and 725 watts of power.
If buying a new appliance is not an option, performing the recommended maintenance on your refrigerator is another way to lower its energy usage. Significant energy can be saved by performing simple tasks like coil cleaning and seal inspection.
Read More: What is a Kitchen Range?
