Let’s be honest, you didn’t go into the foodservice business thinking you’d ever have to understand (even the basics) of electricity. Yet, here we are. You’re interested in equipment for your operation — and BAM! Just like that you’re forced to wrap your head around terms like amps, watts, volts and hertz. Well, unfurrow that brow and “decode” no further. Here’s a quick breakdown of the definitions of each term and why they matter for ordering foodservice equipment.
Volts
Voltage is the pressure that pushes electric current through a wire. Voltage is measured in volts. Think about it like this. When you visit the dentist, the technician cleans your teeth with a waterpik. The volume of water that travels through and comes out of that waterpik is (in this analogy) like electric current. The water volume (or electric current) is low in this scenario, but the pressure (or voltage) is high — high enough, in fact, that the water could shoot clear across the room. The pressure (voltage) that propelled the water (current) is measured in volts.
When ordering equipment, you need to know how much voltage is available in your building so you can order a unit that’s rated for the appropriate voltage. Available voltage isn’t something you or your building has control over — you have what you have. There are a lot of possible voltages, so check with a licensed electrician or your utility company if you’re unsure of the voltage at your location. Getting this right is critical, as you need to ensure that you have the voltage to support your equipment choices. Heavy-duty equipment requires more voltage than lighter solutions like small warmers or lights, but it’s smart to check voltage regardless of what you’re ordering.
It’s also important to know if the utility-line voltage being supplied to your site is single-phase or three-phase. All else being equal, a three-phase piece of equipment will be more efficient to run than a single-phase unit. Although some equipment (not all) can be converted from a three-phase to a single phase, it’s less of a headache and expense to get this right out of the gate.
Amps
Amp, short for ampere, measures the strength of a current of electricity. Go back to the waterpik analogy. We equated the volume of water traveling through and shooting out of the waterpik to electric current. The strength of this water (aka current) is measured in amps.
To operate, equipment needs to draw a certain amount of amps from a circuit. On the flipside, equipment puts an amp load on a circuit. Therefore, before you order equipment, you need to ensure that your equipment does not demand more amps than your circuit can handle. Most commercial foodservice equipment (including all Hatco equipment) is rated for “continued use.” The amperage load for continued-use equipment cannot exceed 80% of the circuit breaker rating. In other words, if you have a 10-amp circuit, you need to order an 8-amp unit or lower.
Watts
Watts are a measure of power. When amps and volts combine, they result in watts (amps x volts = watts). Watts are a measurement of the amount (or more specifically the rate) of energy or power released or used. Again, water makes for a good analogy. If a stream of water is used to turn a water wheel, a certain amount of power or energy is produced and then used by whatever the water wheel is supplying power to. Watts measure the derived power, or the rate of production or use of this energy.
When it comes to cooking, watts are a big deal. The higher the watts you can derive — the more output and speed you can achieve in the kitchen. Again, amps multiplied by volts equal watts. So, the amount of amps and volts available to you will determine the level of power (aka speed) that’s within your reach. Take induction cooking equipment from Hatco for example. You can choose from 1440, 1800, 2900 and 3600 watt units. If you have the amps and volts to support a 3600 watt unit versus a 1440 watt unit, that means you can shave 45 seconds off the time it would take to boil a pint of water! And as you know, time is money.
Hertz
Hertz is the rate of change in the directional flow of electricity, or how quickly it changes directional flow. Think about standing at the shoreline on a beach with your feet in the water (a nice thought, right?). The water rolls in, up, and over your feet. Then, it changes direction and flows back out in the same manner. With electricity, the frequency of change in direction is measured per second and is expressed in hertz (Hz). So, 60 Hz means that the rate of change in the directional flow of electricity is 60 times per second.
When it comes to hertz, geographical location matters. If you’re in the US, 60 Hz is the standard. Equipment sold to US markets is configured for this. However, if you’re planning to use equipment outside of the US, you need to confirm if 50 or 60 Hz is the norm in your region and that the equipment you’re purchasing is compatible. This is most important with any equipment utilizing alternating-current (AC) motors or timer controls, as frequency (hertz) is used to determine the motor speed and to calculate time. Case in point: If you’ve ever plugged a 60 Hz alarm clock into a 50 Hz outlet, you were likely running late that day!
Hatco is here to help.
At Hatco, we have a team of electrical and mechanical engineers, as well as technical service experts. If you’re interested in purchasing foodservice equipment for your operation, we are ready and qualified to help. We’ll walk you through the different electrical considerations you need to factor into your equipment purchases and answer any of your questions. Need help? Contact us today!
