If you’re in the market for a new dryer, or perhaps just curious about your current one’s energy usage, you’ve come to the right place.
Actually, different dryers use different amounts of amps which depend most specifically on the voltage.
Quick Answer: Most electric clothes dryers require between 7.5 amps and 30 amps of electricity to operate.
So the average is around 15 to 30 amps.
Knowing the exact amount of amps will depend on the energy efficiency rating of the appliance and the model.
However, you should continue reading this article to find out how exactly this works, the amperage of some popular dryers, and some other important information.
How Many Amps Does A Dryer Use?
A typical household electric clothes dryer utilizes between 7.5 to 30 amps. Note that most dryer models consume around 30 amps of electricity.
The higher the voltage, the higher the amount of amperage it will draw.
For instance, if you have a 240V dryer – the unit should consume between 25 to 30 amps.
According to the National Electrical Code (NEC) standards, a minimum of 30 amps, double-pole breaker wired with 10 AWG wire is required as a dedicated circuit for an electric dryer.
However, you should know that this might vary if the voltage of the dryer is higher or lower.
There’s still more you need to know!
Keep reading to find out the specific amperages for different dryers with different volts capacity.
How Many Amps Does A 110V or 120V Dryer Use?
A typical 110V or 120V dryer consumes an average of 7.5 amps and 15 amps of electricity.
This is low compared to other high voltage dryer units. It’s definitely an ideal option for smaller homes and apartments that use low voltage.
If there is a high voltage consumption in your household, you might want to consider using a larger dryer with a dedicated circuit.
See Also: Do Gas Dryers Have Pilot Lights? (Answered!)
How Many Amps Does A 220 Volt Dryer Use?
The amps of a 220-volt dryer range from 10A and 30A. The amperage is expected to increase since the voltage is also higher.
This typically implies that Higher voltage = Higher amps. When comparing this to a 240V dryer, it’s typically the same because they consume the same amps.
Nonetheless, dryers that are rated 220V would likely perform significantly with breakers between 10A to 30A.
How Many Amps Does A 240 Volt Dryer Use?
Generally, 240 volts dryers require between 10 to 30 amps to operate optimally.
Although some new dryer models might use a little higher amps due to their capacity, size and design.
While others that are smaller are designed to use less energy, it means they require fewer amps to operate.
It’s important that a dryer maintain a moderate amperage in order to avoid issues such as circuit overload, damaged wirings and risks of fire hazard.
See Also: Does Your Dryer Smells Like Urine? – 5 Easy Ways To Eliminate
How Many Amps Does A Gas Dryer Use?
A gas dryer utilizes a significantly minimal amount of electricity compared to an electric dryer.
It consumes between 4 to 7 amps of electricity alongside a 120-volt electrical circuit.
However, the amperage of gas dryers differs from that of electric ones due to their energy source.
That’s also a reason why it can easily share a dedicated circuit with a washing machine.
Gas dryers use natural gas or propane to produce heat which is why the significant difference in amps requirements and electricity consumption is noticed.
At the end of the day, gas dryers are usually energy and cost effective to operate.
The Amperage For Popular Dryers
In this section, I’ll be highlighting in a tabular form the amps for some popular clothes dryers.
With this information you should be able to get an idea of their specific amperages if you’ll probably be getting a new one soon.
| Names of popular dryers | Amperages |
| Bosch 800 Series 4 cu. ft. 240-Volt Dryer | 10.5A |
| Magic Chef 2.6 cu. ft. White Compact Electric Dryer | 11.7A |
| Samsung AirDresser with Steam and Sanitize Cycle Dryer | 12A |
| LG STUDIO 23.5 in. 7.4 cu. ft. Dryer | 12.5A |
| GE 3.6 cu. ft. 120-Volt White Stackable Electric Vented Portable Compact Dryer | 15A |
| Samsung 7.5 cu. ft. 240-Volt Brushed Black Electric Dryer with Smart Dial and Super Speed Dry, ENERGY STAR | 22.5A |
| Electrolux 8.0 cu. ft. White Electric Dryer with Steam, Predictive Dry, ENERGY STAR | 25A |
| Whirlpool 7.4 cu. ft. 240-Volt Chrome Shadow Smart Electric Vented Dryer with AccuDry System | 30A |
| LG Electronics 4.2 cu. ft. White Compact Stackable Front Load Electric Ventless Dryer with Sensor Dry | 30A |
| Haier 4.3 cu. ft. Smart 240 Volt White Stackable Electric Vented Dryer, | 30A |
How To Find Out The Amount Of Amps Your Dryer Uses? (3 methods)
Method 1:
Perhaps your dryer model or brand wasn’t included in the list I’ve updated in the table above, there’s a way you can actually find out how many amps your dryer uses.
To do that you need to physically access your dryer.
Usually, the amperage of dryers can be found on the nameplate or in the product specifications provided by the manufacturer.
Method 2:
Another method is to check the user manual or the manufacturer’s website for the specific amps of the model.
There’s a percentage that this information will be found on the manual or website.
Note that the amps is usually included among other lists of details like model number, serial number, ASIN and others.
Method 3:
You can also use a multimeter or energy monitor to get the amount of amps used by your dryer.
This method is also very effective but it requires a little bit of expertise to carry out. So you need to be very careful while handling these tools.
See Also: How To Disconnect Gas Dryer? – (2023 Procedures!)
What Size Breaker Do I Need For A 240v Dryer?
Regarding the size circuit breaker for an electric dryer, the National Electrical Code provides guidance in Article 210.21(B)(3).
According to the NEC, it’s important that the electrical circuit supplying power to a 240 volts dryer is protected by a 30-amp circuit breaker.
Note that this is suitable for 220 / 240V dryers alongside having a dedicated 4-wire circuit (10-3 type NM cable with ground).
However, the size of the breaker depends on the circuit, size of cable used and power requirements of the unit.
Using a lower amperage breaker could lead to overloading the circuit, potentially causing a fire hazard and damaging the appliance.
| Dryer breaker sizes | Suitable or not |
| 240V dryer wired with 14-2 type NM cable and protected by 30A breaker | Not Suitable |
| 240V dryer, 14-2 type NM cable, 30A breaker | Suitable |
| 110V dryer,14-2 type NM cable, 15A breaker | Suitable |
FAQs
Can I use a 40 amp breaker for a dryer?
The recommended amp breaker for a dryer is 30A breaker as it protects and prevents excessive current flowing through the system.
Using a 40A breaker is not a good idea because the breaker won’t be able to regulate the amount of electricity going through the unit.
As a result, it will only trip once the circuit reaches 40-amps, which gives the line more than enough time to heat and trigger a fire.
In other words, it’s only necessary unless you have a continuous electrical load or are willing to serve higher units like Air conditioners or subpanels.
Final Thoughts
Lastly, dryer outlet adapters are ideal in order not to void the warranty of your dryer while avoiding risks of damage.
To be code-compliant, all newly installed outlets for dryers must be compatible with 4-prong, grounded dryer cords.
You can also decide to convert a 4-prong to 3 prong dryer outlet.
