De icer question

[paulga]

No, locked rotor amps are what the motor will draw if the rotor is held fast. There will always be a spike in energy draw when the motor is started, but it only lasts a very small amount of time. Breakers have the ability to withstand that inrush current. Locked rotor current is what you measure after the inrush spike has leveled out but the shaft is jammed by something. So if the motor is on a 15 amp breaker and the shaft is jammed somehow, the breaker will trip as the locked rotor current is 20 amps. This is what you want to happen.

If the shaft is jammed, the rotor does not run. Should it be drawing zero current in that state?