How to Measure the Amperage on Home Appliances
Amperage is the strength of an electrical circuit. There are a couple of reasons to measure the amperage on a home appliance. You may have several appliances on a single circuit and wish to make sure you don’t overload that circuit by adding more. Or you may want to determine which appliances you need to change to improve home energy efficiency. Either way, it is easier to measure amperage on an entire device than in internal circuits because you don’t have to physically cut wires or otherwise break into the circuit. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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Obtain a clamp-on ammeter. These are available at most electronics stores. The clamp-on design (also called a current clamp) allows you to attach a sensor to the appliance power wire, rather than wiring the ammeter into the circuit.
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Attach the leads to the appliance power cord using the clamp. Designs vary slightly, so read the ammeter manufacturer’s instructions before you start.
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Set the ammeter to AC (alternating) or DC (direct) current so it matches what the appliance uses. Home appliances will normally use AC. Make sure the range is set to approximately the amperage the appliance draws. For example, a microwave oven will draw 5 to 10 amps, so you want the range to include tee current levels.
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Turn the appliance on. With many appliances, you will see a power surge initially, so wait a minute until the reading becomes stable.
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Calculate the amperage rather than measuring it directly if you don’t have a clamp-on ammeter, but you know the wattage and line voltage. Simply divide the total power usage in watts by the line voltage. For example, a space heater drawing 900 watts on a 120-volt line has a current of 900 watts/120 volts, or 7.5 amps.
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