ᐅ Maximum power capacity for kitchen appliances?

Created on: 18 Jan 2023 16:41
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Pianist
P
Pianist
18 Jan 2023 16:41
Good day!
This isn’t directly about house construction, but since many electrical experts read this forum: What would be a reasonable upper limit for an occasionally used appliance in the kitchen? A kettle typically has about 2 kW, and I believe that’s close to the maximum because it already draws nearly 9 A. Standard household outlets are rated for a continuous load of 10 A, as far as I know. If I were to connect a crepe maker with 3 kW, it would draw around 13 A, possibly for half an hour. That’s too much, right? So when choosing a crepe maker, it’s best to go for one with a power rating around 2 kW, isn’t it?
Matthias
Araknis19 Jan 2023 11:00
1. Check the maximum load capacity of the socket
2. Check the design of the supply line
3. Check the protection of the socket as well as other devices on the same circuit
4. Make a decision
K
KarstenausNRW
19 Jan 2023 11:20
  • Circuits are usually protected with a 16A fuse or breaker. This allows for about 3.6 kW.
  • We cannot say exactly what is connected to your circuit.
  • Schuko sockets and plugs are designed for a continuous load of 16A, but only for one hour. Although in practice they often last much longer – many electric vehicle chargers can confirm this.
  • So you can easily connect a high-power crepe maker.
X
xMisterDx
19 Jan 2023 12:26
That is correct, but mostly theoretical.

Yes, if you want to meet the standard, the socket must withstand 16A for 1 hour.

However, this is quite unrealistic in practice because no (German) manufacturer will design their socket to pass a test that lasts one hour and then catch fire after an additional 5 minutes. And the standard testers don’t simply stop the test after one hour and say "Great." They actually want to see how long it can really handle.

Even less so because the cable to the socket is usually protected with a 16A breaker... and sometimes even with 2.5 mm² wiring.

This means the circuit breaker assumes everything is fine and continues to push 16A through the socket, which at the other end may have already caused a fire in half the kitchen.

But it is also unrealistic for a device to run at full load for hours. The crepe maker eventually gets hot and only needs to compensate for losses when batter is applied and some heat is radiated away.

However, since no one wants to take responsibility for this, EV manufacturers naturally limit the continuous load to the standard-compliant 10A. Because in the end, the manufacturer does not know which cheap, unknown-brand socket from abroad the customer has installed in their home electrical installation.

You can also get products from some online retailers without CE marking, TÜV certification, or similar.
i_b_n_a_n19 Jan 2023 18:48
xMisterDx schrieb:

Since no one is willing to fully guarantee it, electric car manufacturers naturally limit continuous current to the standard 10A. After all, the manufacturer doesn’t know which cheap DIY store socket from overseas the customer has installed in their home electrical system.
You can even find products without CE marking, TÜV certification, etc. from some online retailers.
I can’t confirm that with my car. The charging curve stayed exactly at 3.6 kW for several hours using a standard Schuko outlet (the car was there before the wallbox, so I know this ;-) Maybe other manufacturers do it differently?

But I also wonder what you want to do with 2000 watts continuous power—make crepes, or frozen Frisbees?
Tolentino19 Jan 2023 18:54
In my case, only the interior outlets are working. At the exterior point, the circuit breaker trips. Maybe they have a lower fuse rating?