How to find wattage of appliances in 2 easy steps

How to find wattage of appliances in 2 easy steps

3 Min Read

If you’re a homeowner then you know that there are many appliances in your home with a variety of wattage ratings. But what if you need to find out the wattage rating for one of these appliances? Or what if the label has been removed from your appliance, but you know it’s about 5 years old and was made by GE? Fear not!

This post will teach you how to find and estimate the wattage of any appliance or device in less than 5 minutes.

Step 1: Look for the manufacturers label

Manufacturers labels can be found either on the bottom, back, or inside of an appliance or device. The Amps listed is the maximum power drawn by the appliance.

Manufacturers label can be found on the bottom, back, or inside your appliance

Manufacturers would not be allowed to sell appliances or electronic devices in the US without a manufacturers label. These labels provide the details that help identify important specifications, such as the following:

  • Model number
  • Serial number
  • Manufactured date
  • Electrical rating requirements
  • Any certifications such as SA or UL

Step 2: How to calculate watts from amps

Manufacturers labels will always list Amps requirements not wattage. Amperage(Amps) is a measure of how much electricity it will take to power your appliances or device. Most homes in America have outlets that produce 120 volts. If you live in the UK then the typical outlet produces 230 volts.

To determine the wattage requirements of any appliance or device, use Amps multiplied by the voltage.

Written out formulaically it’s: Amps x 120 volts = Total wattage power needed.

What if no manufacturers label?

If the appliance or device doesn’t have a manufacturers label then check the owners manual. Lost your owners manual you say? No problem, head over to Manuals Online and give it a search.

Still no luck? Google your appliance details, chances are the manufacturers site or one of the big box store sites will return the results you are looking for.

If you’re still having trouble, don’t hesitate to contact the manufacturer. In my experience they are more than happy to help no matter how old the appliance or device may be. Here are links to the support sections of the top appliance brands:


Finding the wattage of appliances is easy

In this post we’ve covered how to find the manufacturers label on each appliance and device as well as given some equations for calculating wattage requirements. Hopefully these tips have been helpful!

Brian

Brian

Brian has spent over 30 years as a general contractor, and in that time seen and faced many challenges. He brings all his knowledge of portable generators, battery powered tools, and outdoor equipment to every post he writes through real life experience. Learn more about us.

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