How much power does a machine require?
The snack vending machines take very little power. There is an 18 watt fluorescent light that is illuminated and that’s it. There is no cooling unit, so as you can imagine, the machine uses as much power as a small light. The soda machines take about the power of a small refrigerator. It draws about 14 Amps, but in terms of cost to operate it’s cheaper than a refrigerator because it is insulated very well and sealed. It’s opened only once a week or so (when we fill it), unlike a refrigerator which can be opened dozens of times a day (most of the heat gain occurs when the door is opened).
