Dryers come in a variety of voltages, and the amount of power used is proportionate to the voltage. The higher a dryer’s voltage, the more amps it will use. Most dryers use somewhere between 7.5 and 30 amps of electricity. But the majority of electric dryers run on 30 amps.
If you are looking for a more efficient drier, look for models that are low in voltage. I recommend any model with 25 amps or less if you want to keep your electric bills low. That being said let’s to grips with just how many amps does a dryer use.
How Many Amps Does An Dryer Use
Dryers are one of the most common household appliances and are found in most homes. The dryer is very similar to a vacuum cleaner in that it is one of the heaviest consumers of electricity in your home. It also requires a dedicated circuit and outlet to ensure it works properly and doesn’t overload the system.
Let’s look at dryers with different voltages and examine the suitable amperage for each of them:
240V Dryer Amperage
To determine the amount of electricity a dryer consumes, you need to know its voltage. The voltage determines how much power goes into the dryer; higher voltage results in more power going into the dryer and higher power consumption.
If you have a 240-volt dryer, you will be able to use a 15-amp circuit breaker and 14-gauge wire. A 240-volt dryer uses 2 hot and a ground wire, so you will need 3 conductors plus a ground wire.
Calculating your amperage draw can get complicated, but luckily there is an easier way to do this. You can simply look at your appliance’s nameplate and take the wattage rating on the nameplate and divide it by 240 volts to get your amperage draw on the appliance.
As an example, if your appliance had a rated wattage of 6,000 watts, then it would have an amperage draw of 25 amps (6,000/240=25). This makes it easy to find out how many amps a 240V dryer use!
220V Dryer Amperage: How many amps do a 220v dryer use
The average electric dryer uses 5,500 watts of electricity. This translates to roughly 22,000 BTU (British Thermal Units) per hour of energy. So how many amps is that?
Well, that depends on the voltage at which the appliance operates. For example, a 5-amp, 240-volt circuit would not be able to handle the same load as a 20-amp, 120-volt circuit.
If your dryer is a 220-volt model, it will draw less amperage than one that is 110 volts. However, the amperage drawn by a 220-volt dryer is still high enough to require a dedicated circuit.
A 220-volt dryer uses 30 amps, which means you need a 10-gauge wire to accommodate it. This wire has three insulated wires, one neutral and two hot wires with a bare copper grounding wire.
The neutral and ground wires should be connected to their respective terminals on the dryer while the hot wires get spliced together with a wire nut.
If you have an older house, it’s likely wired with an 8-gauge wire because old wiring codes only required a maximum load of 20 amps for outlets.
If this is the case, you must run another 10-gauge wire from the breaker box to the news outlet if you want to install a new dryer that draws 30 amps.
110V / 120V Dryer Amperage
The average power consumption of a standard electric dryer is 5,500 watts. Current or amperage can be calculated by dividing power between Watts by Voltage in Volts. Therefore:
I = P / V
Where:
- I = Current or Amps (A)
- P = Power in Watts (W)
- V = Voltage in Volts (V)
The formula above can be used to calculate amperage from watts and voltage (or vice versa). The logic is simple. Since Watts equals Volts times Amps, and the dryer is running at full load, then the amperage draw on the circuit will be equal to or less than the rated wattage divided by 120 volts.
So, if you had a 120-volt, 1,500-watt dryer, it would require 12.5 amps of current to operate. Also, a 5,500-watt dryer operating on a 110-volt circuit will use 13.6 amps ([5500 / 240] = 13.6).
Popular Electric Dryer Amperage Table
The table below shows the maximum amperage draw (current) of common electric dryers. If you’re one of those who are in the process of searching for new or used electric dryers, then this table will come in handy. It shows the amperage draw of popular electric dryers.
| Make and Model | Capacity lbs | Amps |
| Panda 110V Portable Electric Clothes Dryer | 5.5 | 7.7 |
| GE 7.2 cu.ft. White Electric Vented Dryer | 7.2 | 22 |
| Hotpoint 6.2 cu.ft. White Electric Vented Dryer | 6.2 | 24 |
| LG Electrics 7.4 cu.ft. Vented Smart Electric Dryer | 7.4 | 30 |
| Kenmore 29″ Front-Load Electric Dryer | 14.5 | 30 |
How To Find The Amps And Volts Your Dryer Uses
If you’ve ever wondered how much electricity your clothes dryer uses, or wanted to know what size circuit breaker it needs, you can find out by reading the label on the back of your dryer. The label will list the electrical specifications for your dryer, including its power source and power requirements.
To determine the amps and volts of your dryer, you’ll need to look for two labels that should be located on the back of your clothes dryer. The label is typically located on the rear side of the dryer door frame or along the upper back area of the dryer.
The first label is called a “nameplate,” which contains general information about your appliance, including model number, serial number, and voltage.
The second label is called an “energy guide” or “power factor label.” This is where you’ll find information about electrical requirements and estimated operating costs.
What Size Circuit Breaker For A Dryer
When you want to do some clothes drying, you just take them from the washer and toss them into a dryer. You close the door, set the controls, and press start. All this is common knowledge for most people.
But what happens when you then hear a loud bang and see sparks fly from the electric outlet? Or perhaps you arrive home to find everything in disarray after the circuit breaker tripped. What went wrong? And what size circuit breaker is needed for a dryer?
Knowing what size of circuit breaker you will need for your clothes dryer is crucial to the safety of your home and family. Dryers take a lot of power. If you have ever gone through an outage where your clothes aren’t dried properly or take ages to dry, you’d know it’s frustrating.
So, having a large enough circuit breaker is important to ensure that everything works properly without posing a danger to your home. NEC (the National Electrical Code) requires that you use a 30-amp breaker for a clothes dryer.
The reason is simple. A 30-amp circuit will provide the maximum amount of current your drier needs to operate the motor and safely heat the drum. This is the same reason why all new residential construction uses 4 prong outlets for clothes dryers (3 prong outlets are still allowed but only for replacement of existing 3 prong outlets).
Fire damage can occur if a 30-amp circuit breaker is used with a dryer that requires 40 amps.
So, what you need is to know the right size of circuit breaker for your particular dryer.
Determining the correct size circuit breaker for a dryer is a matter of knowing the dryer’s wattage.
To determine the correct size circuit breaker for a dryer, you need to know the dryer’s wattage. The National Electrical Code requires that the individual branch circuits for appliances such as clothes dryers be protected by a circuit breaker with a rating not exceeding 30 amperes.
Dryers are electric appliances that use anywhere from 4,400 watts (older models) to 5,000 watts (newer models) or more. Since one kilowatt equals 1,000 watts, that means older dryers use 4.4 kilowatts and newer ones use at least 5 kilowatts. At 240 volts, both old and new models need 20-amp breakers.
The Amperage Rating column in an electrical code table shows how much power different sizes of wires can safely handle.
In general, 14-gauge wire is rated up to 20 amperes, while 12-gauge wire can handle 30 amperes.
Dryer Outlet Adapter
What is the right outlet adapter for your electric dryer?
Choosing the right outlet adapter for your electric dryer can be a difficult process. Each dryer requires a different kind of outlet adapter and it is important to choose the correct one for your dryer to avoid any complications or safety issues.
Let’s look at the four main types of outlet adapters and their characteristics so you know how to make the right decision.
Three-Prong Dryer Outlet Adapter
Three-prong outlets are becoming less common due to updated electrical codes, but they are still found in older homes. They are most commonly used with older electric dryers that have three prongs on the power cord. The problem with them is that they do not have a ground wire.
This means that you need a dryer outlet adapter that uses the center prong as a ground pin. You can use this type of adapter with 3-prong and 4-prong dryers. These types of dryers require more power than newer models, and therefore they require a 30-amp circuit breaker.
Four-Prong Dryer Outlet Adapter
The four-prong dryer outlet adapter has become the standard in North America because it includes an additional grounding pin. If you have a brand new 4-prong dryer, then you need to purchase an adapter that has two outer prongs on one side and two inner prongs on the other side.
The four-prong dryer outlet adapter is best used with newer electric dryers that have four prongs on the power cord. Newer electric dryers are more energy-efficient and therefore do not require as much amperage as older models. For this reason, these types of dryers only require a 20-amp circuit breaker.
Four-Prong to Three-Prong Dryer Outlet Adapter
You may also find that some newer electric dryers can be converted from a four-prong to a three-prong connection using an outlet conversion kit, but this is only allowed if your electrician or appliance dealer confirmed that your electrical system meets the National Electric Code (NEC) requirements for such a configuration.
Three-Prong to Four-Prong Dryer Outlet Adapter
Since 2000 the National Electrical Code requires 4-prong receptacles for 220-volt residential circuits, but it doesn’t prohibit you from using your older dryer with a 3-prong cord. Instead, it will let you change the cord on your older dryer so that it will fit a newer-style outlet.
The procedure for changing over an electric dryer cord is straightforward. All you have to do is remove the old cord and attach the new one the same way.
What Wire Type and Size For A Dryer
Many different types of wire can be used for a dryer. The most important factor when it comes to your line is its size of it. Your dryer requires 4 wires to operate properly. These wires include Black, White, Red, and Green. If you are installing a 4-wire dryer in place of a 3-wire dryer then you will notice that there is no red wire present in the new cord.
The red wire is normally not used in new appliance installations and is only required when you are replacing an older 3-wire dryer with a new 4-wire one. The red wire is needed to connect the two live hot wires so that they operate on 240 volts.
The power requirements of dryers can vary quite a bit depending on the motor, heating element, and other components. The size of the wire dictates how much current can safely pass through the wire. In your home, the power company delivers electricity to your house through a pair of 120-volt “hot” wires. The voltage between these two wires is 240 volts.
Electricity flows from hot to neutral. So, for example, if you have a 240-volt appliance that draws 30 amps of current, you need a cable with two hot wires, each one rated for 30 amps.
The National Electrical Code allows you to install 14-gauge wire on a 20-amp circuit; 12-gauge wire on a 15-amp circuit; and 10-gauge wire on a 30-amp circuit. The circuit must be protected by a 30-amp breaker.
Verdict: How Many Amps Does A Dryer Use
The amount of amps your dryer uses depends on the model you own and the voltage level it operates at. Electric dryers use more amps than gas dryers, and in most cases, a 240-volt electric dryer will require more amps than a 120-volt unit. As such, the number of amps needed by your dryer will depend on how you are powering it.
Most electric dryers draw about 30 amps, but some run on as little as 20 amps. Gas dryers only need about 5 to 10 amps to power their electronic components and ignition systems.
Dryers use a lot of electricity. The amount of power used by your dryer can go up 10-fold just for the heat. This means that if you pay a bit more and buy a newer, more efficient model, you’ll save money on your electric bill.
To find out how much electricity your dryer uses, check the label on the back panel of your appliance. The label will tell you what kind of output it uses — electricity or heat — and how many amps that output provides.
If you have a gas dryer, there’s no label; in that case, call your appliance company to find out where to find the power consumption ratings for your model. If you can’t figure it out on your own, seek help from a professional electrician.
FAQ How Many Amps Does A Dryer Use
Andy has over 8 years of experience working on residential household appliances, performing diagnostics, and repairs across most major brands. He graduated from the Denver Institute of Technology, is NASTeC certified, and has worked for Mr. Appliance. Andy has contributed to features on major publications including Better Home & Gardens, Family Handyman, and Yahoo.com.
