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The electrical parameters of my washing machine are printed on the back. Among them there is a value for amperage:

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It says 10A but I don't know if that means that I need a fuse of minimum 10A or the washing machine drains a maximum of 10A and my fuse needs to be bigger (but not equal) than 10A to accommodate for that.

So what does 10A mean for a washing machine?

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up vote 2 down vote accepted

The symbol to the left is the IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) symbol for a fuse, so it's telling you you need a 10A fuse. A 10A fuse will allow a maximum sustained current of 10A; anything above that will cause the fuse to blow -- how quickly it does will depend on the current that is passing through the fuse.

See the Wikipedia page for electrical fuses for more information

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A minimum of 10A? –  Bug Oct 16 '13 at 18:02
@bug See my edit –  Niall C. Oct 16 '13 at 18:04
Keep in mind that this rating should take into account the 80% "working load limit" on electrical circuits; an appliance like a dryer rated for a dedicated 220VAC10A circuit should actually draw less than 1760W while running, though the breaker won't trip until current exceeds 2200W. –  KeithS Oct 16 '13 at 19:33

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