Power consumption

[PhilJ W]

I am following this with interest as I may in future consider having a 3D printer at home. But can they cause problems with their power consumption? The reason I am asking is that some items used in the home can place a strain on a normal domestic supply, shredders are a case in point as they can 'trip' a domestic supply if used for a long period. As 3D printers can take several hours to produce some items would it be better to run them in 'off-peak' periods such as overnight?

[Marbelup]

Hello Phil

 

You just need to look at the specs of the particular device to determine the power consumption.

 

For instance, the Makerbot Replicator 2 is rated at approx. 2 amps from a 110-240 V, so this should not present any problems for a domestic electrical system, even running for extended periods, provided you are not running very high-current devices such as heaters or air-conditioners from the same circuit.  The power consumption is similar to a typical personal computer.

 

It would be almost certain that these units would have a switchmode power supply, so the current when running from 240 V would be considerably less than at 110 V, as the power requirement (volts x amps) would be constant when operating.

[PhilJ W]

Thanks for that reply.