Kilowatts (Kw) to Amps (A): (Conversion & Calculator)

Finding how much electricity your household appliances consume will help you measure your tentative monthly power bill.

If you’re into electronics and like doing your research before making a purchase, you may know what kilowatt-hours (kWh) and amperes (a) are.

But have you ever wondered why it’s important to know what amperes and kilowatt-hour mean? Does it even matter to know these values?

Yes! These units denote usage, and knowing how much electricity you’re consuming is the ideal way to minimize your monthly electricity bills.

What Is A Kilowatt?

A kilowatt or simply kW is a globally recognized standard to measure electricity. It measures how much electrical power (wattages) you’re using. One kilowatt (kW) is equal to 1000 watts.

The kilowatt-hour (kWh) is often used as the billing unit for power delivered to your household through electric utilities.

In other words, your power company charges you by the amount of power you’re using per kilowatt-hour (kWh). It simply measures how many kilowatts you utilize over time.To find kilowatts, simply divide your device’s watts by 1000 and multiply it by the number of hours used. Here it is in the equation form:

Kilowatt-hour (kWh) = (watts / 1000) x number of hours used

Suppose: you have used a 400-watt radio for about an hour. Put these values in the equation:

kWh = (400/1000) x 1 = 0.4

What Is An Ampere?

Amperes, or simply amps, is a base unit in the SI system, which measures the number of electrons in the power circuit. The symbol of amperes is a capitalized “A.”

It measures power flow as an electric current. If you want to understand the concept better, consider an electric current as the flow of water through a hosepipe — the more the water flows, the higher the current is.Here’s a formula to calculate amperes:

Amperes = Watts / Volts  

Suppose you have an air conditioner of 500 watts that is plugged into a 120V voltage. Put the values in the equation:

Amps = 500/120 = 4.17 amperes or amps

Kilowatts Vs. Watts: What’s The Difference?

Kilowatt (kW), also known by other variations such as watts, is the measure of electrical power. A kW is equivalent to 1000 watts.

Knowing the watt or kilowatt of a unit will help you find which devices in the household are using the most electricity and ways to save money every month.

For instance, a 60-watt bulb consumes 60 wattages of power when used.

On the other hand, a kilowatt-hour (kWh) is a measurement unit for energy. It indicates the energy consumption of an appliance.

One kWh is the power consumed by a 1000-watt electrical device operating for one hour.

Continuing the 60 watts bulb example, if it burns for an hour, then the energy consumption will be 0.6 kWh.

How To Convert Kilowatts (Kw) To Amps (A)

The conversion of kilowatts (kW) to amperes (A) comes in quite handy, which is why it is a frequently needed electricity conversion. But what are they exactly?

• The kilowatt is the measurement unit of power (watts)
• Ampere or amps (A) is the measurement unit of electric current (amperage)

If you want to convert kW to A, you can use three easy ways:

Manual Conversion

The first way is through a formula. It’s a universal method to convert kilowatt to amps. Here’s the conversion equation:

I (A) = Power (kW) x 1000 / V (V)

Now, lets’ suppose you have a 36,000BTU Ac unit with an energy output of about 4 kilowatts (kW) and a voltage capacity of 220V. Put these values into the amps equation:

I (A) = 4 x 1000 / 220 = 18.18 amps or ampere

Watts To Amps Table

The second way to convert kW to A is through a conversion chart or a table. This is a quick way to save yourself from complex computations and calculations.

Here’s a kW to amps conversion table:

Online Calculator

The easiest among all methods is the online converter calculator. If you’re searching for your household appliance and want to convert kW to amps instantly, an online calculator is the best source to go with.

The kW to amps converter calculator is easy to use: just input kW and voltage (volts), and you’ll have your amps value.

3 Phases of Kilowatts to Amps Conversion

Here are three different phases of kilowatts (kW) to amps (A) conversion:

DC Kilowatts To Amps Calculation Formula

Here’s how to calculate amperes using DC volts and kW:

• Find the power of the circuit (kW). If it’s in watts, convert it to kWh, and to do so: divide it by 1000)
• Locate the voltage of your appliance
• Put them into the amps equation, and you’ll have your ampere value. The formula is: I(A) = 1000 × P(kW) / V(V)

AC Single Phase Kilowatts To Amps Calculation Formula

To calculate amps for the single-phase AC circuit, use the following steps:

• Find out the power factor first.
• Use AC single-phase formula that is I(A) = 1000 × P(kW) / (PF × V(V) ) where I denotes amperes, P indicates kilowatt, the PF means power factor, and V implies volts.
• Put your values into the equation and calculate your amps.

AC Three Phase Kilowatts To Amps Calculation Formula

If you want to measure amps for your three-phase AC circuit, use the steps below:

• Find your PF. You can locate it on the circuit label or the schematic.
• In case you have the line to line voltage, use this equation to calculate amps: I(A) = 1000 × P(kW) / (√3 × PF × VL-L(V) )
• However, if you’re using line to neutral voltage, then the formula is: I(A) = 1000 × P(kW) / (3 × PF × VL-N(V) )
• Solve each to get amperes

How To Calculate Kilowatt Hours Of Most Household Appliances

If you want to calculate kilowatt hours of your household appliances, you can use the following methods:

Estimating kW From The Devices’ Labels

1. Locate the watts on your appliance’s label
2. Multiply the wattages by the hours used every day
3. Divide it by 1000
4. Multiply the answer by the total days you are measuring
5. Multiply by electricity cost per kWh

Calculating Kwh From Amperes And Voltages

1. Locate the amperes rating on the appliance
2. Know the voltage of your region
3. Multiply amperes and voltages together
4. Multiply by the hours used every day
5. Divide it by 1000
6. Multiply by total days you’re measuring

Use A Power Meter

1. Purchase a power meter (also known as kilowatt meter or watt-meter)
2. Plug your kilowatt meter into the socket
3. Plug your appliance into it
4. Measure the kWh
5. Leave it for a while, and it will tell you accurate calculations
6. This way, you can find your annual or monthly kilowatt-hours

People Also Ask (FAQ)

How many amps does a 30kW generator produce?

Typically, a 30kW generator powering 220 volts produces about 136.36 amps.

How many amps are needed by a washing machine?

Usually, most of the common household appliances, including washing machines, use 10 amperes.

How much ampere in 1.5, 2, 2.5 & 3 ton AC units?

The 1.5 ton AC unit has around 8 amps, the 2-ton unit has 10 amps, the 2.5-ton has 13 amps, and a 3-ton air conditioner has 15 amperes.

How many amps are needed to run a whole house dehumidifier?

Though there are different types of whole house dehumidifiers, 7 amperes is enough for a small device, whereas if you have a large unit, then 14 amperes is more than adequate.

Is 10 kW enough to run a house?

Although it depends on the household appliances, such as heating devices, you can still easily run a small house with a 10 kW.

How many kWh is normal for 1 day?

About 28 kilowatt-hours is normal energy consumption per day.

Conclusion

To lower your energy consumption and bills, you must know how much kilowatt-hours and amps your household appliances consume.

That’s because if they consume excessive electricity, you’ll have to pay exorbitant power bills. Therefore, you should always consider the usage of a unit before purchasing it.