How many watts are equivalent to one horsepower?

One horsepower is equivalent to 746 watts, a conversion standard that originated from the early days of the steam engine. This value was established by James Watt, who sought to quantify the work output of a horse to help sell his steam engines more effectively.

Understanding this conversion is important because in many applications, particularly in refrigeration and air conditioning, power output is often specified in horsepower while electrical input might be measured in watts. Knowing how to convert between these units allows technicians to appropriately assess and balance the power usage of different components, ensuring efficient operation of HVAC systems.

In practical terms, if a motor is rated at 1 horsepower, it will consume approximately 746 watts of electrical power in order to produce that horsepower output. This is critical information for system design and energy management.