How many amps does a microwave oven draw? | Safety first! (2023)

That's a pretty wide range, so it's important to read and understand your microwave's voltage, current, and wattage specifications to determine the current amperage rating for your microwave.

Here we're going to talk specifically about the power rating of microwaves and why that matters.

How many amps does a microwave oven draw?

As previously mentioned, a microwave oven draws anywhere from 9 amps to 15 amps depending on 120 volts.

The amount of current drawn depends on theRated power of the microwave. The higher the input power, the more current the microwave oven draws.

Below we have put together a quick guide to the microwave input power rating and the corresponding amperage for both 120 and 220 volts.

Note that current is a function of power and voltage. The voltage is generally standard in a given country. In the US, the standard voltage is 120V and in Europe and Asia it is 2202V.

Operating voltage 120 V (USA)

Here we have taken the input power of the microwave (not the output power).

• 1100W input - 9.16 amps
• 1300W input - 10.83 amps
• 1500W input - 12.5 amps
• 1700W input - 14.16 amps
• 1850W input - 15.14 amps

Operating voltage 220 (Europe, Asia)

At 220 volts, the power consumption is lower. Because the higher the voltage, the lower the power consumption.

• 1100W input - 5 amps
• 1300W input - 5.9 amps
• 1500W input - 6.81 amps
• 1700W input - 7.72 amps
• 1850W input - 8.4 amps

How do you calculate the power consumption?

The figures above are for your information only, you can calculate the current draw (amps) of a microwave yourself using a simple formula:

To use this formula you need to know the input current and standard wall voltage in your country. Again, the standard voltage is 120V for the US and 220V for Europe and Asia.

The beauty of this equation is that it can be used for any electrical device. Essentially all you need to know is the input current of the device. The tension is more or less known anyway.

However, it is extremely important that you use the INPUT CURRENT value and NOT the OUTPUT POWER value when calculating the current drawn.

input and output power

You will find that microwave ovens, like all appliances, have two power ratings, input current and output power.

You will also find that the output power of a microwave oven is much lower than the input current.

Because no electrical device is 100% efficient.Microwave ovens have an efficiency of about 65%. Meaning65%the power consumed (input current) is converted into microwave energy (output power).

For example, a 700W microwave oven, considered the lowest power microwave class for home use, draws about 1100 watts of power when it has a typical efficiency of 65%.

Let's look at some of the typical input and output power values. Here the output power value is based on an efficiency of 65%.

• 1100W input - 700W output
• 1350W input - 900W output
• 1700W input - 1100W output

It must be noted that the efficiency varies from model to model. Some are better at converting input power into output microwave energy more efficiently, others less so.

The strongest class ofMicrowave ovens for home usetypically have an output power of 1250 W. These would draw around 1850 W of power.

Note here that when calculating amperes you must use the much higher input current value. The higher the power, the higher the amp being pulled would be.

Importance of knowing the microwave amplifier

The amps drawn by each appliance are important considerations when sizing the electrical components or creating the circuit design for your kitchen.

1. Circuit design

You need to know the number of amps (load) connected to your circuit in your kitchen before deciding on the design.

A typical kitchen design may have 2 dedicated 20 amp circuits. However, if you have a lot of high-power devices, e.g. B. a very powerful microwave oven, you may need more dedicated circuitry.

Dedicated branch circuit

A low powered microwave oven that draws relatively little current can easily be plugged into an electrical wall outlet without worrying about tripping the breaker.

However, if you have a high powered microwave that attracts a lot of amps, you may need to install dedicated circuitry just for that.

A dedicated circuit has a separate circuit breaker installed.The breakers also have their own amperage rating like 15 amp, 20 amp etc. What that means is thatIf the total connected amperage of the devices exceeds the amperage rating of the breaker, it will trip.

This is for your own safety against short circuits and overvoltages.

AccordinglyAmerican standards, a single circuit breaker should not be used at more than80% of its rated current.Therefore, the maximum connection rating on a 20 ampere breaker box should not be more than 16 amperes. Likewise, a 15 amp circuit breaker should not be connected to a device (or devices) that draws more than 12 amps of current.

So if you have a high powered countertop microwave oven rated at 1850 watts input that draws about 15 amps of current at 120 volts (as mentioned earlier) you will need to install a dedicated branch circuit with at least a 20 amp breaker.

If you have a low powered countertop microwave oven with an input power rating of 1100 watts and drawing 9.16 amps at 120 volts, you will need a circuit breaker rated at approximately 12 amps.

It should also be noted that for fixed or built-in microwave ovens such as over-the-range microwaves or built-in microwaves, current draw should not exceed 50% of the interrupter rating.

fuse and component size

Another important aspect of the current drawn by a microwave is that it is related to the size of the components within the microwave itself.

From diodes and capacitors to fuses, they all depend on the amount of current drawn.

For example, the fuse is a component that, like a circuit breaker, interrupts the electric current in the event of a short circuit or overvoltage.

The fuse generally has a size of approx135%the nominal input current of a device. So if your microwave oven draws about 10 amps of current, the fuse needs to be rated at about 13.5 amps for your safety.

2. Extension cord gauge

Finally, the power draw of a microwave plays an important role if you intend to use it through an extension cord.

While using a high powered electrical device through an extension cord is not recommended, if you absolutely must, you must consider the input current of your device and then decide on the appropriate gauge (diameter) extension cord.

The higher the current drawn, the thicker the cable would have to be.

In the United States, the American Wire Gauge Standard is used.

The lower the AWG number, the larger the diameter of the cable and the more current it can carry.

If you have a microwave oven that you want to use through an extension cord that draws 15 amps of current, you will need at least 14 gauge AWG wire.

Naturally,The thicker the cable, the more expensive it is.

last words

Here we've talked at length about how many amps a microwave oven draws. We talked specifically about input current and why it matters.

Basically, the input current or current drawn is an important consideration for all things related to electrical circuits and electrical components.

It goes without saying that it is very important to know the input current of your microwave, the size of your breakers, the size of the cables, etc. and if they are all compatible with each other.