Look, Guys,

If the original poster was an electrical engineer, they would not have asked
the question to begin with.

I was trying to answer the question in general terms for them. If you want
to get hyper-technical, ask the question over at sci.engr.control.


That might work, if "expressed over" means "multiplied by" :-)
But I don't like the first part ("kWh is power..."), since
kilowatt-hours (and Btus) are a measure of energy, not power.

You took this out of context. I said "kWh is power in thousands of watts"
comma "expressed over time." kW is power in thousands of watts.


Also, on the issue of how to compute watts, I found this on the US
Department of Energy's website. Here's the link :
http://www.eere.energy.gov/consumeri...heets/ec7.html

Here's the pertinent clip:

If the wattage is not listed on the appliance, you can still estimate it by
finding the current draw (in amperes) and multiplying that by the voltage
used by the appliance. Most appliances in the United States use 120 volts.
Larger appliances, such as clothes dryers and electric cooktops, use 240
volts. The amperes might be stamped on the unit in place of the wattage. If
not, find a clamp-on ammeter-an electrician's tool that clamps around one of
the two wires on the appliance-to measure the current flowing through it.
You can obtain this type of ammeter in stores that sell electrical and
electronic equipment. Take a reading while the device is running; this is
the actual amount of current being used at that instant

Would you be an electrician, by chance? :-)

Yes... and one that hates electrical fires.

Jake