electricity usage of power tools

H

Hunterarrow

BANNED
Joined
Feb 19, 2013
Messages
49
I've been monitoring electricity usage at my shop. I've been using Kill-A-Watt EZ to monitor this. So far I used my tools (1x30, drill press, dremel) for five hours and Kill-A-Watt shows that I only used less than one kilowatt. Does this seem right? The reason I'm doing this is because the landlord thinks I'm causing his electricity bill to go up by making knives, and I agreed to pay for the electricity I use at the shop. Thanks.
 
A kilowatt ( kW) is 1000 watts, and is a power rating. A kilowatt hour ( kWh) is one hours use of 1000 watts, and is a measurement of power use.
The tools listed all draw less than 1000 watts. Even if your tools have a draw of 1000 watts they do not all run full time for five hours when you are in the shop. I would guess that your small tools draw about 1kWh in a five hour session....which is what the meter said. In Hawaii the average rate for residential use is $0.35/kWh, so hand the guy a quarter and a dime for your shop time.
 
Yeah that seems right. Hand tools don't use much power.

You can usually work it out, the tools should have a power rating listed on them, which as I understand it will be the maximum amount of power they will use ie. 300W so if you use it for 4 hours it's 1.2kW.

You'd use a lot more energy if you had a few desktop computers in there you left on all day, so it kind of sounds like your landlord is being a dick.
 
Last edited:
When it comes to electric motors, the largest use of power happens during the "inrush" of current when you first turn the tool on, after that the usage can be fairly low, depending on which tasks you are using that tool for.
 
Sounds like $10.00 or $15.00 bucks a month should be more than enough.I have a shop at my house ,I average 3hrs a day during the week and 6hrs a day on the weekends.Lights ,fans ,and power tools used on and off the entire time.My power bill has gone up about $10 or $15 bucks per month,so yes the power bill probably has gone up.But not much.To be fair slide him a few bucks.
Eddie
 
As mentioned above - hand him a few bucks - wrapped around a hand made knife as a gift/peace offering. His reaction will let you know if he's being a "Landlord Crankypants", in the words of a young lady (she was seven at the time) that used to live in the apt. next to me.
 
A large LCD TV uses ~200 watts continuously as its on. You woulda used more power watching TV for those 5 hours :P . My computer + monitor setup uses around 850 watts while playing a game (kill-a-watt tested). He would hate me.
 
My lights use more power on average than the power tools and grinder do. The lights run continuously but the tools run intermittently and between steps I am doing work that does not require any power. The biggest power drain is the Paragon HT oven. Doing a heat treat and temper for half a dozen knives works out to less than 2 dollars. Power tools generally use less power than people assume they do. If they ran continuously at full rated load then that would be different.
 
Thanks so much guys. I'm glad to hear this. Landlord said I used $300 using my tools last month. Now I know it's not possible.
 
Hunterarrow said:
Thanks so much guys. I'm glad to hear this. Landlord said I used $300 using my tools last month. Now I know it's not possible.
Click to expand...

Heaters, Fridges, Freezers, air conditioners, Oven, Dryer, and those things that you leave on all the time use much more power.
 
Hunterarrow said:
Thanks so much guys. I'm glad to hear this. Landlord said I used $300 using my tools last month. Now I know it's not possible.
Click to expand...

That depends on alot of variables (though it is unlikely). Stop using your tools for a month and see what he says then.
 
Patrice Lemée;12195740 said:
Or one of the other tenants is growing his own "medicinal herbs". ;)
Click to expand...
Room full of metal halides and high pressure sodiums lol. That along with the AC required to not bake alive in that room will definitely do it ;)
 
We just got a graph in the mail from the power company yesterday.

They tell me I am using 170% more power than the average house in my neighborhood, based on a 100 house sample.

Not 170% of the power, but an EXTRA 170% !

I use the juice of almost 3 households.
 
Fellhoelter said:
We just got a graph in the mail from the power company yesterday.

They tell me I am using 170% more power than the average house in my neighborhood, based on a 100 house sample.

Not 170% of the power, but an EXTRA 170% !

I use the juice of almost 3 households.
Click to expand...

Ouch. That sucks. Now its time to really track you use.

Most power use comes from things that run constantly, i.e., fridge, tv, computer, A/C, lights,... Even though they are little and few, their use all adds up.

Do you leave lights on when you leave a room?

Do you have the A/C running when you're not home? Is you A/C set to a temp that's making it run constantly? Do you take advantage of your dual A/C unit (I see you live in AZ, so a unit for the bedrooms to run only at night, another only running during the day for the living spaces, not running simultaneously)

Do you have your computer always on? My computer has an 800 watt power supply. I always turn that thing off when not in use.

Electric water heater? Electric stove? Electric dryer? It all adds up.
 
Mr. Stacy... How do you know what the rate is out here??? I had to look at my electric bill lol

EDIT: Don't know what happened to the quote...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top