Electric Dryer Demand Load Calculator
Get the NEC Table 220.54 demand load for household electric clothes dryers. Takes each dryer at the 5000 VA (or nameplate) minimum, applies the Table 220.54 demand factor for the number of dryers served, and reports the demand load in VA and kW with the demand current at 240 V.
How to use this calculator
- Enter the number of household electric clothes dryers served by the feeder or service (1 for a single dwelling unit).
- Enter the nameplate rating of each dryer in VA (watts). Leave it at 5000 to use the NEC 220.54 minimum; a nameplate below 5000 is floored to 5000, and a higher nameplate is used as entered.
- Read the demand load in VA and kW and the demand current at 240 V. The demand factor, per-dryer load, and connected load are shown for comparison.
- The notes explain the 220.54 per-dryer minimum, the Table 220.54 demand factor applied, and the 3-phase, 4-wire rule.
NEC reference
Demand loads follow NEC 2020 Section 220.54 and Table 220.54 (Demand Factors for Household Electric Clothes Dryers). Section 220.54 sets the base load for each dryer at 5000 volt-amperes or the nameplate rating, whichever is larger; Table 220.54 then applies a demand factor that decreases from 100% for one to four dryers down to 25% for 43 dryers and over. Section 220.54 and Table 220.54 are identical in the 2017, 2020, and 2023 editions, so no edition toggle is offered.
Results are for reference only. Verify against the applicable adopted edition of the NEC and consult a licensed electrician for code compliance.
NEC 2020 Table 220.54 demand factors
The demand factor is applied to the total connected dryer load, after each dryer has been taken at the 5000 VA (or nameplate) minimum. The demand-load and current columns below are computed at the 5000 VA per-dryer minimum; substitute a larger nameplate and the same factor still applies. Currents are the demand VA divided by 240 V.
| Dryers | Demand factor | Demand load at 5000 VA each | At 240 V (A) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 to 4 | 100% | 5,000 VA / dryer | 20.8 / dryer |
| 5 | 85% | 21,250 VA | 88.5 |
| 6 | 75% | 22,500 VA | 93.8 |
| 7 | 65% | 22,750 VA | 94.8 |
| 8 | 60% | 24,000 VA | 100.0 |
| 9 | 55% | 24,750 VA | 103.1 |
| 10 | 50% | 25,000 VA | 104.2 |
| 11 | 47% | 25,850 VA | 107.7 |
| 12 | 46% | 27,600 VA | 115.0 |
| 15 | 43% | 32,250 VA | 134.4 |
| 20 | 38% | 38,000 VA | 158.3 |
| 23 | 35% | 40,250 VA | 167.7 |
| 30 | 31.5% | 47,250 VA | 196.9 |
| 43+ | 25% | 5,000×N×0.25 | varies |
Factors are NEC 2020 Table 220.54. Between 12 and 22 dryers the factor is 47% minus 1% for each dryer over 11; between 24 and 42 it is 35% minus 0.5% for each dryer over 23; 43 dryers and over is a flat 25%.
Worked example: 20 dryers in an apartment building
A 20-unit apartment building has one household electric clothes dryer per unit. Each dryer is taken at the NEC 220.54 minimum of 5000 VA, so the connected dryer load is 20 x 5000 = 100,000 VA. The Table 220.54 demand factor for 20 dryers is 47% - (20 - 11) = 38%. The dryer demand load is therefore 100,000 x 0.38 = 38,000 VA, or 38,000 / 240 = 158.3 A at 240 V. The demand factor cuts the 100,000 VA connected load to 38,000 VA of feeder demand, because 20 dryers are never all running at once.
The 5000 VA per-dryer minimum
NEC 220.54 fixes the base load for each dryer at 5000 VA or the nameplate rating, whichever is larger. Most residential electric dryers have a nameplate at or below 5000 VA, so the 5000 VA floor usually governs and each dryer counts as 5000 VA before the demand factor. A larger dryer, for example a 5760 VA or 6000 VA unit, is counted at its nameplate rating. Total the per-dryer base loads first, then apply the single Table 220.54 demand factor to that total. This is the same treatment the whole-dwelling load calculators use for the dryer line, taken out on its own here.
What this tool does not do
- 3-phase, 4-wire distribution. Where single-phase dryers are supplied by a 3-phase, 4-wire feeder or service, NEC 220.54 requires the load to be based on twice the maximum number of dryers connected between any two phases. Enter that doubled count for the conservative result.
- Branch-circuit conductor and breaker sizing. This tool gives the demand load; size the wire and overcurrent device with the Wire Size and Breaker Size calculators (NEC 210.19, 240.4, Table 310.16).
- The neutral conductor (NEC 220.61), which may be smaller than the ungrounded conductors.
- The whole-dwelling service load. The dryer is one line of a full Article 220 calculation; use the load calculators below for the complete service.
Frequently asked questions
What size circuit does an electric dryer need?
A single dryer's demand load is 5000 VA (20.8 A at 240 V) or its nameplate rating if higher. Most residential dryers land on a 30 A, 240 V branch circuit. Confirm the conductor with the Wire Size Calculator and the breaker with the Breaker Size Calculator.
Why is the demand less than the connected load?
Table 220.54 applies a demand factor because the dryers in a multifamily building are almost never all running at the same time. That is why ten 5000 VA dryers count as 25,000 VA of demand rather than 50,000 VA, and forty-three or more count as just 25% of their connected load.
Is this the same as a whole-house load calculation?
No. This tool computes only the electric-dryer line of NEC Article 220 (Section 220.54). A full dwelling service calculation adds general lighting, small-appliance and laundry circuits, the cooking equipment, heating or air conditioning, and the largest motor. Use the Electrical Load Calculator (220.82 optional method) or the Residential Electrical Load Calculator (Article 220 standard method) for the complete service load.
Related calculators
- Range / Cooktop Demand Load Calculator: the companion cooking-appliance demand load per NEC Table 220.55.
- Residential Electrical Load Calculator: the full Article 220 standard method, with the dryer as one line of a complete service load.
- Electrical Load Calculator: the NEC 220.82 optional-method dwelling load.
- Wire Size Calculator: the branch-circuit or feeder conductor for ampacity and voltage drop.
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