Determining the wattage of an air compressor will help find the right energy source to use it successfully. Whether you plan to use standard electricity from a wall plug or eco-friendly solar portable power stations, once you figure out the watts and watt-hours your compressor requires, you can pair it with its ideal power source.
Learn how to calculate the consumption of your air compressor and find an appropriate energy source.
How To Calculate the Power Consumption of an Air Compressor
Understanding how much power your air compressor uses is surprisingly simple. The wattage rating will often be stamped on the motor’s metal nameplate. Other times, you may need a simple calculation to get the number you’re looking for.
The two electricity units required to understand the wattage are the compressor’s amperage (A) rating and the voltage (V) it operates on. The formula is pretty straightforward:
(Watts) = Voltage (Volts) x Current (Amps)
For instance, if your at-home compressor device works at 110V (standard household voltage) and pulls 10A, the calculation would be 110V x 10A = 1,100W. So, your compressor uses 1,100 Watts or 1.1 Kilowatts (kW).
Then, if you want to know the kilowatt hours it uses, multiply the wattage by the device’s running time.
For example, if the tool above ran for 2 hours, the formula would be:
1,100 Watts x 2 hours = 2200 Wh or 2.2 kWh
At this energy requirement, you can use your air compressor when you pair it with most of the portable power stations from the EcoFlow DELTA Series, including the EcoFlow DELTA 2 Max. At a capacity of 2048Wh, you may not be able to run it for the entire two hours of run time.
Still, its 3200W Max output capacity means you can use it for some time before charging the battery again. Larger EcoFlow DELTA portable power stations with larger storage capacities could also power the air compressor longer.
Frequently Asked Questions
It depends on the wattage requirements of the air compressor. A 2000W generator may run a small compressor if its power requirement in watts is less than 2000 to start and run the device. Purchasing a generator with an output 20-25% higher than the device’s starting wattage is a safer bet.
Final Thoughts
The energy consumption of air compressors is critical information when selecting power tools or planning for backup power needs. Once you understand this, pairing your tool with the proper portable power stations is simple.
EcoFlow’s portable power stations are perfect solutions for any power need. Their vast energy capacities make them ideal for everything from camping to construction.