I think most EM's average around 150 watts.

I've got 15 in the garage on one 15A circuit because that's all there is. We play them till the fuse blows!

Because my US sourced machines running on 110V go through step down transformers I wanted to ensure that the transformers were appropriately sized. Kerry Imming suggested I purchase a Kill-A-Watt meter which I did.

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Power-Consumptio-in-line-Ammeter-Wattage-Current-Flow-Meter-Monitor-115VAC-15Amp-/371472878319?hash=item567d824aef:m:mBqnDrXy6wME3zF68J13Qhg

I have found this a really useful device. It shows that my EMs consume between 175-300W. Interestingly my United ball bowler takes up to 620W.

What would be interesting is to measure a machine and then change out all your bulbs to warm white LEDs.

I wonder if you see a more than 50% reduction.

I know that all the machines at the Silverball Museum are running them for that reason.

Also interesting fact, Silverball orders their own unique bulb

This has been discussed before on RGP;
and I think the consensus was 5 to 6 EM per 15A circuit,
but you can probably get away with more
as the only time an EM will draw full power is when relay banks reset all at once.

https://groups.google.com/forum/?hl=en#!searchin/rec.games.pinball/how$20much$20power$20do$20EM$20pins$20draw/rec.games.pinball/m8StSK1Qqzc/UTe7qiIyIW8J\

https://groups.google.com/forum/?hl=en#!searchin/rec.games.pinball/how$20much$20power$20do$20EM$20pins$20draw/rec.games.pinball/M5Ki6_CA94c/bF4aP0_5xNYJ

https://groups.google.com/forum/?hl=en#!searchin/rec.games.pinball/how$20much$20power$20do$20EM$20pins$20draw/rec.games.pinball/vrt7G3SyWQ8/aqFO6DDecvAJ

Another interesting fact is the line voltage filter system on old EMs.
In many cases, they are virtually non-existent due to age.
When you plug the game into a wall socket and have other devices simultaneously running, you can actually hear the lack of line filtering through other game speakers, if they are on the same connection, even if bypassed into a UPS.
You can "upgrade" the power system components beyond the transformer to eliminate the problem, or just make sure the other games or devices are turned off, as this can actually damage the speakers of more modern SS games.

I get what you're talking about, but I've never experienced this before. I have a big mix of many SS and EM games across all eras (besides woodrail), some different types not only on the same circuit but plugged into the same outlet together. I don't think it's a big concern, and of course at pinball shows it's just a giant mess of whatever thrown next to each other, I see woodrails next to DMD machines next to each other all the time at these shows.

my electric bill is still only $20-$30 a month with over 30 machines. We pop a breaker maybe once a month.

I'm also guilty of still running off of the lines that came with the house. The arcade machines are the real hogs and they're in the garage right by the box so adding circuits there would be a breeze (just don't feel like moving them all away from the walls, that is like 15x worse than pulling pinball machines away from a wall) and the arcade guys freak out about the house burning down a lot more so I'll probably get that done one of these days, but adding lines in the basement sure seems like a challenge since the panel is in my garage on the other side of the house (no basement under garage or even the room next to it) so I'm probably just gonna leave it be, not even sure if the most qualified electrician could pull it off without tearing sheetrock on a wall or three down which is definitely NOT an option.

The whole house's outlets, AC not included, only run on two 15A breakers (it's no mansion), and just for giggles I've powered on 10 arcade machines and 11-ish pinball machines all at once in both rooms and didn't pop anything, so I'm wondering if I got lucky and ended up on both of the breakers instead of just one. So far I've never popped one since my first ever machine ever, no clue how. Hopefully they're not faulty.

Last month I did some quick test of my machines with a clamp multimeter and line splitter. Picture below.
My results were similar on all 5 of my Williams 1970's EM's.

Machine "on" at rest: 1.85 amps
During gameplay: fluctuated between 2.0 and 3.5 amps
Game reset/ ball eject: 4.5 amp spike

Hopes this helps.

image_(resized).jpeg

It is my theory that the new "Smart Meters"limit voltage at certain times of the day resulting in less-than-optimum game play.Other times its like the game comes alive and plays fast and perfect.

4.

When i moved all my games, i had to plug them in to play them of course. I had 14 plugged in to one outlet thru extension cords and power strips, its a 20 amp circuit. No problems at all. Although only 2 games played at a time. 3 of them were ems. For what its worth

I did this with my Bally Bon Voyage. With the machine turned on and idle it was 100 watts with incandescent and 27 watts with LED.