Converting watts to amps?

[pennysmom09]

I purchased a 1000 watt single burner hot plate to use in our RV. Without knowing the volts, (haven't received it yet), is there any way to determine if our 50 amps will be able to handle it? Hopefully I won't have to return it! I find the stove inadequate for a lot of cooking, and I just don't have room for the typical toaster oven.

[wa8yxm]

THe first reply gave you the numbers but did not give you the conversion.

MOST plug in appliances come with a 15 amp plug, two parallel blades, one may be a bit wider (The neutral side) or not, and an optional round pin (Safety ground).

These are 120 volt devices and to convert watts to amps the formula is "watts/volts" or in this case 1,000/120

Now, this applies to hot plates, stoves, light bulbs and other things WITHOUT A MOTOR OR TRANSFORMER.

If you have a coil of wire (other than the "Coil" of a hot plate that is) such as a motor or a transfoemer, Then the conversion is a bit more complex,, But since you were asking about a hot plate you may stop reading here.

Again, Unless you are working with motors or transformers stop here

For Inductive/Capacitive loads, Watts = Amps*Volts*Power factor

The best way to calculate it is to use a Kill-A-Watt and measure it, but you can do the math if you wish.

I know of cases where the amps were great, the volts were great (440 3 phase) and the watts were .. next to nothing (Power factor approached zero) I know the man who fixed it. (about 2 bucks worth of parts he had in his junk box).

Man was the highest paid electronics technician in the city he lived in. Was a college teacher, and .. Never graduated high school, (Dropped out in grade 8). All self taught.. He's a friend of mine.

[pnichols]

Don,

If induction plates are so efficient and if one is patient enough, why can't an induction plate be operated at low wattage settings so as to be about equal to a regular hot plate in rate of heating .... while then being quite practical to power them when drycamping with inverters, large battery banks, and solar panels?

Hence, do induction plates used at lower settings make possible drycamp cooking without using one's propane supply?

IAW, you seem to talk them up with regards to being faster .... but how about them also being better misers of precious electrical power?

[bob213]

Well rated competitor for the NuWave:
induction

[pianotuna]

Hi SMK.

You know I qualify as a certified propane miser. I filled up in Feb, 2014 and then again in October 2014. So between Feb and Oct I used just 53 liters of propane (about 14 US gallons). That's about 27 KG or 60 pounds.

[time2roll]

pianotuna wrote:
Hi Penny,

The 1000 watt hot plate will be much slower than the propane stove. Good luck with it.

Depends if you have to run out for propane 😉

[pianotuna]

Hi,

I've had 4 hot plates, and actually burned one of them out. They do have a thermostat but it is "on or off" and is located under the drip plate, fairly far from the element. One of mine had a cast iron solid burner. It seemed nearly impossible to regulate, besides being slow to heat.

The Nuwave now has 94 power levels. It is GREAT at simmering. Mine is an earlier model with only 52 levels but its display agrees pretty much with my infrared thermometer.

Naturist, make that 6000 per leg for a total of 12000 watts. If the RV is intelligently designed the microwave will be on a different leg than the kitchen plugs.

I did keep one 750 hotplate which I'll use outdoors. My Nuwave gets stored in the oven. YMMV.

[naturist]

The other side of this, of course, is that a 50 amp, 120 volt connection is capable of delivering 6,000 watts.

So, Nancy/Doug/Penny, your RV power supply should be able to support a 1,000 watt cooker -- depending, of course, on what else is going on. If you are running a microwave oven (1,200 watts) at the same time you've got a washing machine and a clothes dryer (each probably 1,500 watts) going, just as the AC kicks in (2,100 watts) along with the 'fridge (700 watts), you are likely going to have a problem.

[jrnymn7]

The hot plate is likely adjustable, so it may work better for simmering and slow frying. I find my propane burners are a little too hot, although I have always preferred the quicker adjustment of gas cooking to electric.

[RayNMesa]

Some help
http://symbologic.info/elec_laws.htmWIRE WHEEL

[DrewE]

pennysmom09 wrote:

pianotuna wrote:
Hi Penny,

The 1000 watt hot plate will be much slower than the propane stove. Good luck with it.

Really?? If so, I am returning it!! Bummer.

1000 watts is equivalent to 3412 BTUs (technically, BTUs per hour). Common RV stove burners are 6000 BTUs or 9000 BTUs. The comparison may not be completely precise, as there are likely differences in efficiency of heat transfer from the burner to your pot, but the propane stove will still be noticeably quicker.

[2oldman]

Type 'watts' in google and see what appear in the pulldown.

[pennysmom09]

pianotuna wrote:
Hi Penny,

The 1000 watt hot plate will be much slower than the propane stove. Good luck with it.

Really?? If so, I am returning it!! Bummer.

[pianotuna]

Hi Penny,

The 1000 watt hot plate will be much slower than the propane stove. Good luck with it.

[pennysmom09]

Thank you for all the answers....I will cook feeling secure!

[pennysmom09]

pianotuna wrote:
Hi,

You may wish to consider a Nuwave induction cooker. They are a lot more effective at heating a pot up as they induce eddy currents right into the pan. I've still got a hot plate--but I have not used it for over six months now.

NuWave

I purchased and returned the induction cooker, for 2 reasons. It was too big for my RV kitchen and none of my cookware was compatible. It is a very efficient cooker, I agree, but I did not want to buy more cookware.