Last updated on August 14th, 2022 at 01:24 pm
Amperage is the standard unit for the amount of electrical current an appliance needs to be fully functional. The power supply always determines the Amperage of any appliance.
A microwave is a powerful kitchen appliance that can strain your electrical connections if the proper measure is not in place. It can severely damage your kitchen connection.
Furthermore, it is essential to know your appliance amperage to keep it safe. Knowledge of the Amperage also helps you to be able to run your wiring according to its electrical requirement.
It is best always to use an ampere gauge wire to coordinate the correct electrical power the microwave needs.
The amperage of a microwave depends on the wattage of the appliance. A low-wattage microwave would use a low amperage; likewise, a high-wattage microwave would use a high amperage. It is essential to know that the higher the Amperage, the faster the cooking capacity of the microwave.
How Many Amps Does an 800W Microwave Use?
An 800 Watt microwave uses 6.67 Ampere at a 120 Volt power supply. Therefore, a standard household outlet can supply enough power for an 800 Watts microwave to operate.
However, the wire and breaker size of the appliance is difficult to fix. Therefore, you should run a dedicated circuit with a 20 Ampere breaker for an 800 Watts microwave even if the power requirement is medium.
Furthermore, you need to adjust your recipe to cook perfectly in an 800 Watt microwave because it has an efficiency rate that cooks food evenly at medium speed.
Many microwaves are 800 Watts, one of the most common appliances you would find in most households.
An 800 Watt microwave has a good rating because of its ability to accept an average household electricity level.
How Many Amps Does a 1,500-Watt Microwave Use?
A 1,500 Watts microwave uses 12.5 Ampere at 120 Volts electricity. It would be best to use a 16 amperage gauge wire to supply enough electricity to power a 1,500 Watts microwave.
The appliance uses around 2,550 Watts when it is working at total capacity.
It is best to use a 30 Ampere circuit to power the sizeable electric requirement of the microwave. With a 30 Ampere circuit, you can get 2,880 Watts power output.
A 1500 Watts is a commercial-sized microwave that can cook a relatively large amount of food effectively and quickly.
It needs a lot of electricity because it is a high-watt microwave, and it has a high ability to cook such a volume of food evenly.
The microwave is primarily typical in commercial kitchens that need to cook, defrost, and reheat different food items quickly.
How Many Amps Does a 900W Microwave Use?
A 900 Watts microwave uses 8.18 Ampere at 110 and 7.50 Ampere at 120 Volt electrical power. It would be best if you installed a 20 Ampere circuit breaker for the microwave.
You need to install a dedicated circuit for the appliance so that it doesn’t trip the circuit breaker if an equally large power appliance shares the same circuit.
A circuit breaker trip could result in a fire. In addition, a 900 Watt microwave uses enough power to cook food quickly. It cooks food at high speed because of its high power consumption.
You can use a standard power outlet for a 900 Watt microwave, provided you do not place another appliance on the same circuit.
Your regular household electricity range should be enough to power the appliance.
How Many Amps Does a 1000-Watt Microwave Use?
A 1,000 Watt microwave uses 8.33 Ampere at 120 Volt. A 1,000 Watt microwave draws about 70 percent of the circuit output, which is between 1,190 Watts to 1,450 Watts.
You need to install an electrical outlet that would give 1700 Watts conveniently.
A 1,000 Watts microwave needs 1700 Watt electricity from a wall outlet. It is best if you install a 20 Ampere circuit for the microwave.
Also, you need to use a dedicated circuit for a 1,000 Watt microwave with a 20 Ampere circuit breaker. It would help to save your building and give your optimal appliance performance.
Even if there is no other heavy power appliance on the circuit, you still need a dedicated circuit for your 1,000 Watt microwave to be on the safer side.
How Many Amps Does a 700-Watt Microwave Use?
A 700 Watt microwave working at optimal level uses 10 to 15 Ampere at 120 Volts. However, most microwaves work at 40 to 60 percent efficiency.
Therefore, a 700 Watt uses 5.83 Ampere at this performance level. Therefore, a 15 Ampere circuit is sufficient for a 700 Watt microwave, but you should use the standard 20 Ampere circuit for safety.
Furthermore, the amperage requirement for a 700 Watt microwave depends on your location.
For example, a 700 Watt microwave in an area with 240 Volts power supply would use 2.9 Ampere.
You do not need a dedicated circuit for a 700 Watt microwave because it is a low-wattage microwave, the electrical consumption is relatively small, and the appliance is compact. You can plug it into any convenient outlet in your kitchen.
How Many Amps Does a 1200-Watt Microwave Use?
A 1,200 Watt microwave uses 10 Amperes at 120 Volts power supply. The power consumption per hour for a 1,200 Watt microwave is around 650 to 1200 Watt.
You should use a dedicated circuit with a 20 Ampere breaker for this appliance so that it does not cause a trip.
To power a 1,200 Watts microwave, you need a wall outlet that supplies 2,000 Watts.
Furthermore, a 1,200 Watts microwave is perfect for most household use. It can cook food evenly at a quicker rate than other household-sized microwaves.
It heats food items thoroughly and effectively. Furthermore, a 1,200 Watts microwave’s cooking capacity allows it to defrost frozen items thoroughly. Hence, it is the best household microwave for the best results.
How Many Amps Does an 1100-Watt Microwave Use?
An 1100 Watt uses 9.16 Ampere at 120 Volts while a 5 Ampere at 220 Volt power supply.
For this microwave to work efficiently, you need a wall outlet that supplies 2,000 Watts of power.
It is best to use a dedicated circuit with a 20 Ampere circuit breaker for a 1,100 Watt microwave because of safety from its large power requirement.
In addition, a large microwave like 1,100 Watt can cause electrical problems like low current, brownout, and blown fuses if it doesn’t have a dedicated circuit.
It also requires a time delay fuse in its circuit with a 12/2 nanometer amperage gauge wire.
Nevertheless, a 1,100 Watt microwave is sufficient to cook, reheat, and defrost food in a household with just a little lesser cook time than the 1,200 Watt microwave.
How Many Amps Does a Small Microwave Use??
A small microwave uses 5 Ampere at 120 Volt power supply. Low-wattage microwaves use between 500 to 800 Watts electricity at 120 Volts power supply.
Microwaves that are under this category are the 500, 600, and 700 Watt microwaves. Small microwaves are called “compact microwaves” because of their relatively small sizes.
Furthermore, compact microwaves simmer food, unlike high-wattage microwaves with efficient and fast cooking capacity.
You can find small microwaves in hotel rooms, trailers, and mini kitchens where there is no need to cook much food. They are so small that you can quickly move them anywhere and are inexpensive.
In addition, small microwaves do not need dedicated circuits because of their small power consumption.
You can plug them into any wall outlet, and there won’t be any side effects to the microwave and building electrical connections.
However, there are pros and cons to using a small microwave.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| It is small and easy to move. | It is slow to heat up. |
| It consumes little power. | It does not have a large holding capacity for food items. |
| It can work perfectly on an inverter. | It is not suitable for defrosting. |
| It works in any outlet. | It is not suitable for household and commercial use. |
| It does not need a separate circuit. |
Also, it is essential to know that most microwaves need AFCI protection so they do not affect other appliances.
You can use GFCI protection if the outlet is close to water. However, it is common for microwave outlets to stay behind the appliance.
Protecting yourself, your building, and your appliance from electrical hazards is best.
How to Calculate Microwave Amp Usage?
The amount of Amperage a microwave uses depends on its working capacity and electrical requirement.
The amount it uses determines its cooking speed and efficiency. The microwave’s number of Watts, its model, and the number of appliances in the same outlet also affect the Amperage used.
However, some microwaves operate on different Watt levels, making the amperage usage for such microwaves hard to determine.
There are different methods to calculate a microwave’s ampere usage. Such methods are;
#1. Appliance Information
The ampere usage of a microwave is always on the user’s manual. You can use this information to know the Amperage without needing to calculate it.
However, if you do not have a manual, you can get the appliance information by checking the brand name and the model number on the internet.
The brand name is on the appliance, and the model number is behind the microwave.
#2. Electrical Calculation
Another method to know the Amperage of your microwave is to divide the microwave wattage by the voltage of the power supply.
Most electrical outlets are between 110 and 120 Volts; in some countries, it is 220 Volts power supply.
Therefore, you must know the voltage of the outlets in your country before calculating any appliance amperage.
In addition, the Wattage of your microwave could be on the rear or front of the appliance.
As a rule of thumb, a lower wattage microwave would use a lower amperage; likewise, a higher watt microwave would have a higher amperage.
The Amperage for a 1,000 Watt microwave at 120 Volt if you divide Wattage by voltage is 8.33 Amperes. If the voltage is 220, the Amperage would be 4.55; at 110 Volts, it is 9.10 Ampere.
Additionally, every microwave Amp circuit always has a 20 Ampere breaker because no microwave amperage exceeds that value.
You must use at least a 15 Ampere circuit for the smallest microwave. Also, if you need to know the microwave’s Wattage, you should multiply the Amperage by voltage.
It is a reverse calculation for Amperage, and the electrical equation is.
P= V x I
Where;
P= Electrical power the appliance uses to operate
I= Amperage or electrical current
V= Voltage or Electrical potential
You can also write the equation as;
Watts= Amperage x Voltage
The equation for calculating Amperage is
I = P ÷ V
The Amperage for each microwave at different electrical power supplies is:
| Microwave Wattage | At 110 Volt (Amp) | At 120 Volt (Amp) | At 220 Volt (Amp) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 700 | 6.36 | 5.83 | 3.18 |
| 800 | 7.27 | 6.67 | 3.64 |
| 900 | 8.18 | 7.5 | 4.10 |
| 1,000 | 9.10 | 8.33 | 4.55 |
| 1,100 | 10 | 9.17 | 5 |
| 1,200 | 10.91 | 10 | 5.45 |
| 1,500 | 13.64 | 12.5 | 6.82 |
Conclusion
Following the energy requirement codes for your microwave is essential to keep you and your appliance safe.
So, it is best to plug your microwave alone into an outlet so that it doesn’t draw too much electrical current or trip the circuit.