07-25-2006, 10:52 PM
That generatorsales link is obviously designed to up-sell people buying generators. The data on surge watts is questionable at best and probably just downright bogus.
It says a window air conditioner uses 4800 surge watts. That's 40 amps at 120V. A washing machine uses 3400 surge watts, 28.33 amps. No way. Who has their window AC or washing machine on a 40 amp circuit?
Maybe they really do surge that high, but if so, it's only for a couple milliseconds and a 15 amp circuit can handle it. Otherwise, we'd all be tripping breakers every time an electric motor switched on.
It says a window air conditioner uses 4800 surge watts. That's 40 amps at 120V. A washing machine uses 3400 surge watts, 28.33 amps. No way. Who has their window AC or washing machine on a 40 amp circuit?
Maybe they really do surge that high, but if so, it's only for a couple milliseconds and a 15 amp circuit can handle it. Otherwise, we'd all be tripping breakers every time an electric motor switched on.