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What is wattage and why is it important?
Watts measure the rate of power at a particular moment in time. A watt-hour measures the rate of power over a specific period of time – one hour. Simply put, one watt-hour is equal to one watt of power flow over an hour. So, a 5-watt LED light bulb left on for one hour has used 5 watt-hours of energy.
Why is it important to know wattage?
If you use a bulb that does not match the wattage of the fixture, the bulb will likely burn out prematurely. The mismatch between a bulb’s capabilities and the amount of electricity generated by the fixture will cause the bulb to malfunction.
Is it better to have more or less Watts?
The more robust the application, the more power required and the higher the wattage you’ll need from the power supply. The first rule of thumb is that it’s better to have more power than not enough. Therefore, it is better to run a higher wattage unit at half capacity than a lower wattage unit at full capacity.
Why do Americans use watts?
Watts is specified since that’s the work that’s being done by the appliance when it’s ON, and that’s what your power company is charging you for. Watts*hour is what you are paying for to the electricity supplier. It is a power, or energy per unit of time consumed by the appliance.
Does wattage of light bulb matter?
When Watts Don’t Matter When it comes to how much light you get from a light bulb, watts don’t matter. Light isn’t measured in watts. It’s measured in foot-candles or lumens. That means this bulb produces approximately the same lumens as a standard 60-watt incandescent bulb.
Are watts important?
Watts do matter when it comes to paying your electric bill. That’s because a watt is a unit of power. Watts also matter when you’re choosing a light bulb to use in a fixture that has a maximum wattage limit or when you’re replacing one of the bulbs in a multi-bulb string, such as your Christmas tree lights.
Does wattage matter with LED bulbs?
The answer is YES. You can use an LED bulb having a higher wattage equivalent than your fixture allows — provided the LED bulb consumes less wattage than the fixture. Instead, what it means is that the bulb produces the same amount of light as a 60-watt incandescent bulb.
Are Watts important?
Why do Watts matter in a power supply?
Watts are watts. The voltage does not matter here. A device does not use less power because it is a 12-volt device. The job of a power supply is to provide power to the connected device or appliance. So, it would make sense that the more power a device or appliance requires, the higher the wattage you’ll need from the power supply.
Why is it important to know about wattage?
Because of this most of the time we are trying to build and use appliances that use less power and have lower wattages. Higher wattages however are good when you particularly need to turn electricity into heat. The higher the wattage the hotter the heater. It is important to know, however, that high wattage can mean high heat.
Why do you need watts for a boat?
When you’re traveling in an RV or on a boat, watts matter because you need to be able to calculate your daily power requirements. For marine applications, it’s helpful to know how powerful your motor needs to be based on the size of your boat.
Why do Watts matter when paying your electric bill?
Watts do matter when it comes to paying your electric bill. That’s because a watt is a unit of power. The number of watts you use in a month are added up, and that’s what you’re charged for.