Quick answer
The TZLA machine draws approximately 200–250 W (watts — a measure of electrical power) at the wall under typical operating conditions.
Think of it like running a couple of bright, old-style 100-watt light bulbs — not like running a microwave, hair dryer, or heater.
- At 120 V AC (North America): approximately 2 A (amperes, or amps — a measure of electrical current) average running draw
- At 230 V AC (Europe and most of the world): approximately 1 A average running draw
A standard household circuit is sufficient. No dedicated circuit or special wiring is required.
How does the machine draw power?
Understanding the power chain helps explain why the wall-plug figures are what they are.
- The AC-DC power supply unit (PSU) accepts 100–240 V AC from the wall and converts it to 12 V DC at up to 16.6 A
- The DC output feeds the ZVS/flyback stage (Zero Voltage Switching — the high-frequency converter stage), which drives the spark gap and coil (approximately 199–204 W of DC capability)
- Two AC fans run directly from mains voltage, adding a small fixed amount to total wall-plug draw
- Typical draw falls below the PSU nameplate rating because the ZVS/flyback/spark gap does not pull maximum current continuously
- Brief transient peaks occur during spark-gap discharge but do not register as steady-state amps on a standard meter
Will this work on a standard household circuit?
- Upper bound at the wall: approximately 220–250 W under sustained hard operation
- At 120 V: ~2 A average; at 230 V: ~1 A average
- A standard 15 A household circuit at 120 V supports up to 1,800 W — the machine uses roughly one-seventh of that capacity
- The machine is safe to run on a standard outlet. No dedicated circuit is required.
How to measure your machine's actual draw (optional)
Members planning off-grid use or working with limited electrical capacity may want a precise real-world measurement. A true-power wattmeter — such as the Kill-A-Watt or any comparable power analyzer — gives an accurate reading in minutes.
Measure under two conditions:
- Idle — machine powered on, normal operation, typical spark-gap setting, and CFL load (compact fluorescent lamp — the bulb type used in experiments)
- In use — machine powered on, typical spark-gap setting, CFL bulbs held by the member
Also record your mains voltage during the test. Draw shifts between 120 V and 230 V supply, so the voltage reading gives your result the right context.
What to do next
- Planning off-grid use? Use the upper-bound figure of 250 W to size your power budget conservatively.
- Concerned about circuit capacity? Run the wattmeter test described above.
- Need plug adapter guidance? See Using the New TZLA Machine Worldwide: Voltage Compatibility and Plug Requirements for voltage compatibility and adapter information.