A technician reads 60 amps with a clamp-on amp meter on a forced air furnace. If the supply voltage is 230 volts AC, approximately how many watts is the furnace using?

To determine the wattage being used by the furnace, you can use the formula for calculating power in watts, which is:

Power (watts) = Voltage (volts) × Current (amps)

In this scenario, the supply voltage is 230 volts AC, and the current reading is 60 amps. Plugging these values into the formula:

Power = 230 volts × 60 amps

Calculating that gives:

Power = 13,800 watts

This value indicates that the furnace is using approximately 13,800 watts of power, which corresponds with the answer selected. The 13,800 watts reflects the energy consumption of the furnace under the given operating conditions, effectively providing a clear understanding of its energy use. This calculation highlights the relationship between voltage, current, and power in an electrical system, which is a fundamental concept in HVAC practices concerning electric heating systems.