Watts to Amps Calculator

Converting watts to amps is essential for electrical safety and proper circuit planning in your home. Every electrical circuit has a maximum current rating determined by the wire gauge and circuit breaker. Exceeding this rating creates a fire hazard and will trip the breaker.

In most European homes, standard circuits use 16A breakers with 2.5mm2 wiring, supporting up to 3,680W. Some kitchens and utility rooms have 20A or 32A circuits for heavy appliances. Understanding the amp draw of your appliances helps you avoid overloading circuits.

Here are some common European household appliances and their approximate amp draw at 230V: an electric kettle (8-13A), a washing machine (8-10A), a tumble dryer (10-13A), an electric oven (9-16A), a space heater (4-10A), a vacuum cleaner (4-7A), and a hair dryer (4-10A). As a rule of thumb, if the total amp draw of all devices on a single circuit exceeds 80% of the breaker rating, you should redistribute the load or install additional circuits.

For EV charging installations, this conversion is particularly important. A 3.7 kW charger needs a 16A circuit, a 7.4 kW charger needs a 32A single-phase circuit, and an 11 kW charger needs a 16A three-phase circuit. Your electrician will use these calculations to determine the right wiring and breaker sizes.