Load AMP is the demand an electrical circuit places on a power source. Batteries are rated to handle a specific range of AMP usage, while fuses and circuit breakers regulate the current sent to a device. Circuit breakers are preferred as they automatically break the circuit to prevent damage to the device or hardware.
Load AMP refers to the amount of demand an electrical circuit places on a power source, such as a battery or circuit breaker between the electrical item and the power line running to a home or building. An AMP, short for ampere, is a unit of measurement for the amount of electric current charge required by an electrical appliance per second of use. In most cases, this term refers directly to battery-powered appliances and the amount of time the battery will power the device while in use. Batteries are rated as being able to handle a specific range of ampere usage, or AMP load, how long they will power the item if the item requires a 1 AMP load to power effectively.
For example, a battery rated at 16Ah will power a device requiring a 2 AMP load for eight hours before needing to be recharged or replaced; likewise, if the device requires a 1 AMP load, the battery will power the device for 16 hours before the battery is unable to effectively power the device. Rechargeable batteries are generally much more efficient than replaceable batteries, especially in devices that require more than 2 AMPs of load. The actual AMP load required by the device depends on the function of the device itself and how much power the device requires at a constant rate to operate effectively.
Fuses are similar in concept to AMPs, but are used to regulate the current sent to a device that requires a constant flow of energy from an open power source. Fuses are rated in terms of the amount of amps the fuse can handle before overloading. In most homes the use of fuses has been eliminated and circuit breakers have been installed to regulate the power delivery. This is because there is no need to replace a circuit breaker every time the circuit is overloaded by a surge or by the device being used that requires too high amperage for that particular circuit to handle.
When a breaker is overloaded, the breaker automatically breaks the circuit, cutting off power to the device to prevent damage to the device or the hardware used to supply power to the device from its original source. Fuses, on the other hand, cut off the power supply to the device by overheating, or “blowing,” and thus stopping the circuit from completing to the device. A fuse must be replaced with a new one if it blows, whereas a circuit breaker typically only requires the switch at the breaker to be turned back on.
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