On 5/11/2022 at 5:53 AM, palo said:I wonder why they put the 20 amp plug on it?
The device is rated @ 1800 watts @ 120 volts which equates to 15 amps - most modern kitchens have 20 amp circuits with standard sockets.
To increase its perceived exclusivity?
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@palo -- to add to what @kelvie said, electrical devices are typically designed to run on a maximum of 80% of a circuit's capacity or less. A typical "120V 15A" device will generally use less than 12A of power.
The Control Freak pushes the boundaries of energy usage for a 15A device. I have tested my US units on a few meters. It pulls up to around 14 amps (1600-1700 watts) and it might peak beyond that. I understand that PolyScience used the 20 amp plug in Canada because of that.
In the U.S. we got the standard 120V 15A plug, with a warning not to plug into extension cables. Extension cables often use a thinner gauge of wire than the normal gauge used for the circuit. For instance, a lot of extension cords for 120V 15A outlets use 16 gauge (instead of 14 gauge or better) and are rated for 13 amps. Again, multiply that by 80% and you shouldn't be pushing more than 10.4 amps through it continuously. And because it's an extension cord and there are multiple couplings (places where you're plugging things into other things), you should derate it even more.
The Control Freak probably comes with a warning saying to plug it into the wall directly, not to use anything else on the same circuit, etc. I actually run mine on an extension cord, knowing that it's not optimal, but I also used 10/12 AWG wire (which is rated for a continuous 20A/15A respectively) and really high-quality connectors. I can't in good conscience recommend you do the same. Plug it into the wall if you can.
As for your 20 amp plug... If it came with a 20A plug, you probably want to continue using a 20A plug unless you know what you're doing. The wires in the cord may be too thick in diameter to safely attach to a 15A plug. It sounds like you have a 20A receptacle and are working with 20A connectors so you're already good in this regard. For others who aren't lucky enough to have 20A outlets in the kitchen, the best thing to do is to replace the problem outlet with a 20A outlet (and with a 20A circuit breaker at the box).
With the exception of UK plugs (which use circuit breakers in the plug to protect the device locally), circuit breakers in the US and Canada are there to protect the wires themselves. The wattage rating on the circuit and on the wire is there to keep it from overheating, from catching fire, etc. If you plug multiple machines into the same circuit, the breaker should flip if you go over the wattage, but I prefer to use circuit breakers as an emergency backstop rather than as a mode of limiting power.
I hope it's okay to reply to a post from a few months back on this thread. I looked at the rules and didn't see anything prohibiting it; if I broke an unwritten rule by responding to something older I apologize. I just hate seeing questions without complete answers (although in this case kelvie gave a nice contribution as well).
afs
