How Many Amps Does A Space Heater Use? Detailed Answer

Space heater image source National Today

Whether it is during winter or just in a cold season, you will always need to keep the room warm and this is where the importance of a space heater will never be overlooked.

A space heater is a device whose purpose is to clean a single room or a relatively small area. But there are heaters that can work in large rooms.

When it comes to heating devices, one thing you must be concerned with is its electric consumption.

They tend to form the largest percentage of the household electric bill.

How many amps does a space heater use?

The average current consumption of a space heater is between 8.5amps to 12.5 amps.

But there is more to that.

In this guide, we are going to break down everything you should know about the current consumption of a space heater.

Table of Contents

Understanding the relationship between amps and watts of a space heater

Probably you are wondering how we have ended up with 12 amps or 8 amps as the estimated amps of an electric space heater.

There are some calculations that we have done to come up with such figures. One entails connecting the relationship between current and power.

Using ohms law, we know that power (P) in watts = V×I

We know the voltage of a household can be 240V or 120V. Space heaters come in different power ratings. Some are 1000 watts while others are 2000 and above.

So, to find the current in amps, we will simply divide the power over voltage.

Let’s say you are using a heater rated 2000 volts, connected to a 240 volts power.

You will end up with the 8.33 amps.

From this simple mathematics, it is clear that the higher the power rating of the space heater, the more the amps will pass through.

How many amps does a space heater use on low?

Low, in this context refers to the lowest setting that you put on the space heater.

You are likely to use this setting probably when the room is already warm so there is no need for maximum temperature output.

Or maybe you just want to save some electricity expenses.

We can say that a lowly-rated heater is likely to have 500 watts though some have even lower than that.

This type of heater can draw as low as 4 amps.

Sounds enticing, right?

Well, it is not always a smart move to go for a lowly-rated space heater, even if you desire to trim the energy cost.

First, it may not deliver the desired heating experience.

Instead, go for a space heater that is perfectly rated for the size of your room.

Going by the rule of thumb, each square foot will need 10 watts. So, a 500W will be perfect for a 5-square-feet room.

There is a high possibility that you have never been into such a small room.

Take the measurements of the room and proceed to choose the right space heater.

Do space heaters use a lot of electricity?

Image source HVAC

The fact these are heating devices means that they tend to consume a lot of electricity. However, the rate of their consumption will depend on their power rating and the duration that they are used, among many other external factors.

Let’s say you are using a space heater rated 1000 watts and let it run for one hour. If it is connected to 120 volts source, the heater will consume up to 0.833 kWh of energy. Once you have this figure, it will be easy to calculate the cost of running that heater basing on the price of energy unit in your area.

For example, the price can be $0.15 per kWh.

How long do you intend to run the space heater? The longer you run it, the higher the price you will pay.

This implies that you should use the heater only when necessary. Don’t let it run for many hours when in actual sense you don’t need.

How many amps does a 5000 watt space heater draw?

To find out the current for the 5000 amps space heater, we will have to deploy the ohms law.

P=I×V. Where P = power in watts, V is the voltage of the source and I is the expected current that the space heater will draw.

Let’s say you are using a 120V source, the current will be

I=5000W/120V which is 41.67A

If the 5000W heater is connected to a 240V, then it will be 5000/240= 20.8 A

Remember to use the same calculation on any other heater.

How do I lower the electric consumption of the space heater?

After knowing the amps that a space heater uses, don’t you think it will be a smart move to lower the consumption hence the energy expenses?

Well, here are a few tips that you can use to cut down on the amps that a space heater uses.

The first tip as we have already mentioned is to use the heater only when necessary. The space heater does not have to be on 24/7.

You should also strive to buy a premium-quality space heater. To be precise, the heater should have an ENERGY STAR label as it is a proof that it meets the strict energy efficiency standard.

Using the relevant heat settings on the space heater will also come in handy when it comes to the energy conservation of the heater.

Conclusion

From this guide, it is clear that you should know the amps that your space heater uses at any given time.

The data will help you make the right purchase when it comes to buying the appropriate heater size for the room.

Beyond that, you will also use this information to manage your electric expenses.

When it comes to buying space heaters, ensure you get from the right sources. And this applies to the extra accessories such as the circuit breakers for the space heaters.

This is where ICRFQ comes in.

We are a reliable supplier of quality electronic components for household use. In case you are looking for the components that will improve the functionality of your electric heater, consider contacting us.