With this tool it is calculated from VA to Watts automatically, it is based on the electrical formula of VA to Watts. It also shows a simple step by step how to perform the conversion.
To improve understanding, some examples are given and a table is presented with the main VA to Watts equivalences. It is common that it is not easy to find the power factor of the load, for this reason we put at your disposal the most common values.
⚡VA to Watts formula
To convert from VA to Watts you simply multiply the VA by the Load power factor , as shown by the formula of VA to Watts.
Commonly the power factor can be obtained by performing a search on the Internet with the references of the equipment , however another way is to use a table with common power factors .
Where:
- Watts = Active power (P) or watts, this is the value to be found.
- VA = VoltAmpere (S), own value of each equipment, commonly are powers of the UPS, Transformers, motors, air conditioners, elevators and inductive equipment that have motors.
- Fp = The power factor, is a value of each team, however there are some tables with reference power factors.
The formula to perform the conversion comprises three variables (VA, Watts and power factor) , which are related in the previous formula.
The values required to perform the conversion are only 2 (VA and FP) , these two values can be obtained from the nameplates or by measuring with specialized equipment, such as multimeters or power meters, however you can also obtain estimated values of the Power factor here , these values are reference because each particular equipment will have a different value.
It is always preferable that you obtain the value of the power factor with the equipment catalogs.
☝How to convert from VA to Watts
Step 1, get the VA
You must obtain the VA of the load you want to convert to Watts , for this you can go to the nameplate or catalogs of the equipment (s) , you can also perform an Internet search with the reference of the equipment (s), commonly the power of these electrical devices They come in watts , however there are some inductive loads that have motors and a load assignment in VA.
Step 2, get the power factor
Find the power factor of the equipment for which you want to convert the power of VA to Watts. The power factor is a bit elusive and difficult to find , however you can search on the Internet or in the catalogs with the references of the equipment or similar.
You can also use power factor reference tables .
Step 3, replace in the formula
Once you get the VA and the power factor of the equipment (s), you only have to replace these values in the following formula:
Step 4, example
A refrigerator has a power of 1200VA on its nameplate with a power factor of 0.9 . What will be the wattage of the refrigerator ?
To know the power in Watts you must multiply 1200VA by 0.9 which will result in: 1080 Watts . (1200VAx0.9 = 1080W).
✍Practical examples of the conversion.
Example 1, VA to Watts power of a dryer
A clothes dryer has a power of 2800VA and a power factor of 0.91 , how much power in Watts does the dryer consume?
Rta: // Only the VA must be multiplied by the power factor , as follows: 2800VAx0.91, the result will be: 2548 Watts.
Example 2, how much power a computer has in watts
A computer has a power of 500VA and a power factor of 0.92 , what is the power in Watts of the computer?
Rta: // You must multiply the variables as indicated by the formula VAxF.p , resulting in: 500 × 0.92 = 460 Watts
Example 3, conversion from going to watts for a freezer
A freezer has a power of 5000VA and a power factor of 0.89 , how much power in Watts will the freezer have?
Rta: // As the formula indicates, you must multiply the VA by the freezer power factor , as follows: 5000VAx0.89 = 4450Watts.
Table of equivalences from watts to watts for systems that have a power factor equal to 0.8.
⭐Most common conversions
500va to watts
To convert 500 VA to Watts you must have the power factor. Assuming a power factor of 0.8 the result would be 400Watts. Using the formula: 500VAx0.8 = 400Watts.
1000va to watts converter
1000 VA equals 800Watts, with a power factor of 0.8 and using the formula: 1000VAx0.8 = 800Watts.
Convert 6 va to watts
The easy response is 4.8Watts, taking into account a power factor of 0.8 and using the VA conversion formula to watts: 6VAx0.8 = 4.8Watts.
Note: It can not be converted from wat to dc watts, because the VA power only applies to AC currents
🎯Table of VA to Watts for UPS (Power factor of 0.8):
In many uninterruptible power supplies below 2000 VA, it is common to find a power factor less than 1.0 and, in many cases, as low as 0.6 for smaller systems.
This allows UPS manufacturers to offer a 300W UPS that can deliver 500VA, which appears to be a much more robust equipment than it actually is. This practice is becoming less common, so it is so important to verify the Watts and VA of a UPS.
This becomes even more important as the charges increase in size. Larger UPSs tend to be rated with a higher output power factor of at least 0.9. Legacy systems can be found around 0.8 and the latest uninterruptible power supplies tend to be released to the market with output standards of 1 where the same UPS will deliver similar values of Watts and VA.
This table shows the commercial values of some UPS with power factors equal to 0.8:
| VA | Watts |
| 2500 | 2000 |
| 3000 | 2400 |
| 3500 | 2800 |
| 4000 | 3200 |
| 4500 | 3600 |
| 5000 | 4000 |
| 5500 | 4400 |
| 6000 | 4800 |
| 6500 | 5200 |
| 7000 | 5600 |
| 7500 | 6000 |
| 8000 | 6400 |
| 8500 | 6800 |
| 9000 | 7200 |
| 9500 | 7600 |
| 10000 | 8000 |
| 10500 | 8400 |
| 11000 | 8800 |
| 11500 | 9200 |
| 12000 | 9600 |
| 12500 | 10000 |
| 13000 | 10400 |
| 13500 | 10800 |
| 14000 | 11200 |
| 14500 | 11600 |
| 15000 | 12000 |
| 2000 | 16000 |
| 3000 | 24000 |
| 4000 | 32000 |
| 5000 | 40000 |
| 6000 | 48000 |
| 80000 | 64000 |
| 100000 | 80000 |
👌Differences, definition and what the VA and Watts are used for.
Both watts (Watts) and volts-amps (VA) are units of measurement of electrical energy.
The Watt (Watts) refer to the “real power” , while the volt-amperes (VA) refer to “apparent power “.
Typically, electronic products display one or both of these values to provide information on the amount of energy they will consume or the amount of current they will consume. Each of these values can be used for various purposes.
What are watts?
The real power in watts (W) is the power that performs the work or generates heat . Power in watts (W) is the speed at which energy is consumed (or generated). A watt is one joule (energy) per second (1 W = 1 J / s).
You pay your utility company for watts (W) expressed as energy, which is the energy consumed over a period of time and that generally the utility company shows in kilowatt hours. For example, a 100 W bulb that is left on for 10 hours consumes 1000W-hour of energy (100W x 10 hours = 1000W-hours = 1 kW-hour).
What are watts used for?
These values are useful if you have to eliminate the heat generated by the device that consumes the watts or if you want to know how much you will pay your utility company for using your equipment, since it pays per kilowatt-hour (energy used for a period of time ).
To combine the real power of several DC or AC devices, you can simply add the individual power values in watts of each device to get the total power (the sum of watts is done linearly).
What are volts-amps (VA)?
The apparent power in VA is used to simplify the power values , which facilitates the calculation of current consumption. Since VA = RMS volts x RMS amps, you can divide the VA power by its RMS voltage to obtain the RMS current that the device will take depending on whether it is monophasic, two-phase or three-phase. Knowing the RMS current helps you to correctly size the cables and circuit breakers, protections, breaker or fuses that supply power to your device.
What are volt-amps (VA) used for?
The VA provides information on the amount of current drawn by a computer or circuit , assuming you know the voltage.
For example, the standard residential voltage in the United States is 120 V RMS. If a device has a nominal capacity of 300 VA and is powered by an AC line voltage of 120 V RMS , you can calculate the maximum expected current of 300 VA / 120 V RMS = 2.5A . Therefore, you will want to ensure that the cables and associated circuits that supply power to this equipment conform to an amperage of at least 2.5 A RMS.
🔥Difference of VA and Watts.
To correctly size equipment such as UPS, transformers , power plants etc, it is important to understand the relationship between Watts or Watts and VA.
However, we must first have a brief discussion about power terminology . The real power (measured in watts) is the portion of power consumed in a machine . The energy in watts consumed is related to the resistance in an electrical circuit. An example of energy consumed in watts is the filament in a bulb.
The reactive power (measured in VAR or reactive voltamperios) is the portion of the total kVA power and is commonly a type of power that is stored. The stored energy is related to the presence of inductance and / or capacitance in an electrical circuit . An example of stored energy is a flash bulb of a camera.
The apparent power (measured in VA or voltamperies) is a mathematical combination of real power and reactive power.
Mathematically, the real power (watts) is related to the apparent power (VA) using a numerical relationship called power factor (PF) , which is expressed in decimal format and always has a value between 0 and 1.0. For many newer types of equipment, such as computer servers, the typical PF is 0.9 or higher . For old personal computers (PCs), this value can be 0.60 – 0.75.
Since many types of equipment are classified in watts or watts, it is important to consider the PF when sizing them. If you do not take into account the power factor, you can reduce the size of your UPS, transformer or plant . As an example, a device with a nominal power of 525 Watts (watts) and a power factor of 0.7 results in a load of 750 VA.
750 VA = 525 watts / 0.7 PF
The sizing of a UPS, transformer or power plant to operate at 75 percent of its capacity results in equipment with a lower rating than what you expected . Example: I expect a 1000 Watts UPS however I actually get a 750 VA, because I don’t check the power factor (750 VA / 0.75 = 1000 Watts).