vintagerepairer
Well-known member
Kettles and hairdryers.
A high-wattage electric kettle gets the water heated much faster, so -as with many heated appliances- overall it is far better to be using a high wattage kettle because the time spent doing it's job is, overall, significantly shorter than a lower wattage equivalent which takes a whole lot longer. So, a 3kw flat-disc kettle uses 50% more electricity than a 2000 watt standard kettle during operation, but the operation time to bring a quantity of water to the boil is so much lower. With washing machines, the quantity of water used is so much lower than it used to be, and to that end heating times are a lot shorter as a result. So again, energy savings are made.
Now, a more powerful hairdryer should, in theory, dry hair much more quickly, thus the operation time is lower when compared to a lower wattage alternative, like the kettle, although in this instance a number of variables come into play, namely whether or not the user can tolerate the heat, noise, and airflow of a hairdryer which can consume as much as 2.5kw. My instincts tell me probably not, thus the user may well choose a lower setting for maximum comfort. Of course, if this type of hairdryer is being used in a commercial salon, then that is not good on many levels. Commercial hairdryers are still very cheap to buy for those in the trade, some of which are still rated at around 1200 watts (though I appreciate that some are a lot higher).
But with the vacuum cleaner, set at full power, the motor is consuming maximum wattage from the word go, but this of course lead does not lead to an increase in the speed at which cleaning is carried out. It is more of an issue on vacuum cleaners than anything else, because history has proven that a good design can yield decent suction power, without the need for an overly high wattage motor.
A high-wattage electric kettle gets the water heated much faster, so -as with many heated appliances- overall it is far better to be using a high wattage kettle because the time spent doing it's job is, overall, significantly shorter than a lower wattage equivalent which takes a whole lot longer. So, a 3kw flat-disc kettle uses 50% more electricity than a 2000 watt standard kettle during operation, but the operation time to bring a quantity of water to the boil is so much lower. With washing machines, the quantity of water used is so much lower than it used to be, and to that end heating times are a lot shorter as a result. So again, energy savings are made.
Now, a more powerful hairdryer should, in theory, dry hair much more quickly, thus the operation time is lower when compared to a lower wattage alternative, like the kettle, although in this instance a number of variables come into play, namely whether or not the user can tolerate the heat, noise, and airflow of a hairdryer which can consume as much as 2.5kw. My instincts tell me probably not, thus the user may well choose a lower setting for maximum comfort. Of course, if this type of hairdryer is being used in a commercial salon, then that is not good on many levels. Commercial hairdryers are still very cheap to buy for those in the trade, some of which are still rated at around 1200 watts (though I appreciate that some are a lot higher).
But with the vacuum cleaner, set at full power, the motor is consuming maximum wattage from the word go, but this of course lead does not lead to an increase in the speed at which cleaning is carried out. It is more of an issue on vacuum cleaners than anything else, because history has proven that a good design can yield decent suction power, without the need for an overly high wattage motor.
