> Well, technically, one horsepower IS 746 watts. The problem is that if
> you're converting electrical current into, the device (motor) and all
> the other stuff in the way is nowhere near 100% efficient.
Exactly. Motors are notoriously inefficient (the excess power gets
converted into heat, which is why they always get hot); and small motors are
almost always heavily inductive (which means the true power is less than the
apparent power). But wiring, breakers and so on must be sized to allow for
these differences.
Randall
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