When most people think of horsepower, they envision automotive engines. The power of an automotive engine is measured in horsepower. Most modern-day cars can produce about 150 to 250 horsepower. Horsepower, however, isn’t limited to automotive engines. It’s used to measure the power of other devices, including blower motors.
Blower Motor Horsepower Explained
Different blower motors have different horsepower specifications. Blower motors, of course, circulate air through the ductwork. They power the blower fan, which is typically found in the furnace or air handler. Whether you’re running the air conditioner or furnace, the blower fan will turn on. The blower motor is the electric motor that drives the blower fan.
Horsepower is a measurement of power. For blower motors, horsepower represents the strength at which the blower motor can tune the blower fan. Some blower motors have 1/5 or 1/3 horsepower. Other blower motors have 1/2 horsepower. There are even blower motors with multi-horsepower, such as 1/2 and 1/3.
Most heating, ventilation, and cooling (HVAC) systems feature a 1/2 horsepower blower motor. But blower motors are still available in higher horsepower specifications.
How Horsepower Affects Blower Motors
Choosing a high-horsepower blower motor will typically result in faster air circulation. The blower fan must push air into the ductwork so that the air will circulate throughout your home. It will push the conditioned air into the ductwork while subsequently forcing the stale air back into the return vents.
High-horsepower blower motors are able to circulate the air more quickly than their low-horsepower counterparts. They turn the blower fan using more force. This increased force creates faster air circulation.
A high-horsepower blower motor will push air through the ductwork more quickly than a low-horsepower blower motor, but it may come at the cost of increased energy usage. Many of them consume more energy than low-horsepower blower motors.
The blower motor, though, will only consume energy when the blower fan is running. If you aren’t running the blower fan, it won’t consume energy. Furthermore, there are plenty of energy-efficient blower motors available, many of which have a high horsepower specification.
In Conclusion
If you’re looking to upgrade or replace your existing blower motor, you should choose the right horsepower. Blower motors are available in different horsepower specifications. Like with automotive engines, horsepower is a measurement of a blower motor’s power. The higher the horsepower, the more powerful the blower motor.
