Few people come to the study of the question "how many amperes are in the outlet" out of idle curiosity. Typically, this kind of problem occurs during repair or if something stops functioning. There is nothing left but to remember how many amperes there are in a 220V socket.
What are the machines
The easiest way to find out the necessary information is to look at the machine for outlets. How many amperes, it is indicated in large numbers right on the front side.
In civil engineering, denominations of 6 A, 10 A, 16 A, 25 A, 40 A and 63 A are most often used, although there are others.
Calculations
If a person knows the allocated power to a specific electrical line, then how many amperes in a 220-volt outlet can be found by applying a simple formula. In theory, everyone should have met her in a school physics course.
As you know, power is the result of multiplying the voltage by the current strength. In the classic version, it looks something like this P = U * A. How many amperes in the outlet are calculated by division. You should get a formula of the form A = P / U.
For clarity of calculations, how many amperes are in the 220V socket in Russia, we substitute the numbers. Let's say that the allocated line power is 1.32 kW. Accordingly, in order to find out how many amperes in a 1320 W outlet we divide by 220 volts. We get 6 A.
How to choose a power outlet
Before you go shopping, you need to find out how many amperes a socket can withstand. To know this is not only important, but also necessary. If it is not taken into account how many amperes in the outlet can be used as much as possible, extremely unpleasant consequences are possible - melting of the cable, damage to metal parts, and then a short circuit.
Before buying, you must read the technical documentation for the device that will be connected.
The most important thing that a consumer should be interested in is the power of the device.
According to the modern standard for home networks, an ordinary outlet should correspond to a value of sixteen amperes.
Is it a lot or a little? Back to the formula. We multiply sixteen amperes by two hundred and twenty volts and get three and a half kilowatts.
For the sake of interest, let's go through the power of the main household appliances. Depending on the model and characteristics, indicators may vary, but in general for powerful consumers they look something like this:
- Air conditioning - up to one and a half kW.
- The washing machine is one kW.
- Iron - two kW.
- Fan heater - two kW.
- Oil heater - two kW.
- Boiler - two kW.
- Microwave - one kW.
- Slow cooker - one kW.
- Vacuum cleaner - up to kW.
- Electric boiler for heating - from 3 kW.
- Electric stove - from 3 kW.
Judging by the sample, for the vast majority of powerful, not to mention lamps, floor lamps, fans, and the like, there are enough sockets for sixteen amperes with a margin of consumption.
However, there are always exceptions. An electric stove, especially an induction stove, can consume both five and nine kW. And although you understand that the outlet can withstand only 16 amperes (3.5 kW), I really want to turn it on. What to do in such cases and how to avoid it?
Protection
It has already been written above that a mismatch in the nominal current strength that the socket can withstand will lead to a short circuit.
For even a theoretical exclusion of such an action, which can lead to serious consequences, three protection systems are used at once.
- Sockets have a different shape, like the plug of the device. In the vast majority of cases, connecting the equipment to the household network is not possible due to the difference in standards.
- Cable section.
- Auto protection.
If everything is very clear with the first paragraph, then the second and third questions should be considered in more detail.
Cable Overview
The attentive reader must have noticed that all the cables are different. The most important difference is the metal of which the core is composed. Once upon a time at the dawn of electrification, steel was used. But the fragile, unreliable metal with heavy losses was abandoned over time.
In Soviet construction, aluminum was used. Not the most flexible metal, which can also break during repair, but, nevertheless, it fairly well performed its function and pleased with its low price. However, his time has passed.
Inside a modern residential building, according to the standard, there can be exclusively copper wiring. And the matter is not in the prejudices of builders and inspectors. With a short circuit, the yellow metal melts at a temperature of over a thousand degrees, and the aluminum melts a little over 600. In which case is a fire more likely?
It is worth noting that such strict requirements are only for civil engineering. In all other cases, aluminum is used quite often.
Cable section
Again, it is worth recalling the course of physics and making it clear that the thicker the cable, the greater the current strength for a home outlet it can withstand.
It is possible to calculate this value, but it is a long and boring lesson, so we will use the results of scientists who did this before us.
In the home outlet, the entry holes are made ideally for a cross section of 2.5 square millimeters. Why is that?
We look at the table of copper. At a maximum of 2.5 square millimeters, almost six kilowatts and a current strength of twenty-seven amperes can fall. For one and a half values, these figures are one and a half times less. Each connection must have a certain power margin for safety reasons. But a too large cross-section will contribute to absolutely unnecessary losses of electricity. We need a perfect balance, which was found.
So even if someone is lucky enough to plug a very powerful device into a socket with a maximum power of sixteen amperes, nothing will happen to the cable, because it is laid with a margin. However, for the plastic and hardware itself, this connection can be fatal.
For this, a third protection is provided.
Circuit breaker
All of us, even secretly from ourselves, are trying to deceive someone. If there are few sockets in the room, but there are a lot of devices, sooner or later you will need to turn them on at the same time. Most often this happens in winter. Carriers and adapters are not best friends. The increased load, as we recall, will end badly for both the outlet and the cable to which it is connected.
To protect against such fraud, an automatic machine was created, it is also a bag. Inside this simple mechanism is a membrane or spring, or other device that heats up.
If the current passing through the machine exceeds the rated value of the machine, it turns off, thereby protecting the home from fire. You can restore the working value only manually by clicking the toggle switch.
A standard automatic machine for a cable of 2.5 square millimeters, from which ideally power sockets in a residential building is sixteen amperes, or 16 A * 220 V = 3.5 kW.
For one and a half squares, which are usually used for lighting, - 10 A or 2.2 kW.
In principle, nothing prevents you from putting an automatic machine, say, at six amperes on a cable of 2.5 square millimeters. It will be switched off already when the load exceeds 1.3 kW. But the standard is still used 16 A - in this case, the use of electrical energy is the most balanced and safe.
Output
Electrics are insanely interesting and addictive. The main thing is to understand it. If, after reading the article, the principle of choosing a power outlet did not become clear, it is better to turn to a professional for advice and installation. An electrician, like a sapper, is mistaken once.