How Many Amps Does a Hair Dryer Use?

A hair dryer uses about 12.5 running amps at 120 volts (roughly 1,500 watts). To get your unit's exact draw, divide the nameplate watts by 120: amps = watts / volts. A hair dryer draws about 12.5 amps on high (1,500 watts), nearly a full 15A circuit. Bathroom receptacles are on a dedicated 20A circuit (NEC 210.11(C)(3)) with required GFCI protection (210.8(A)). Two hair dryers, or a hair dryer plus a space heater, will trip a single circuit.

A hair dryer does not need its own breaker; at 12.5 amps it shares a standard 15A or 20A / 120V circuit (NEC 210.11(C)(3), 210.8(A)). Just avoid running it at the same moment as another heavy load on the same circuit. Keep the total continuous load under 80% of the breaker.

Divide the wattage on the nameplate by the voltage: amps = watts / volts. A hair dryer at about 1,500 watts on 120V works out to 1,500 / 120 = 12.5 amps. The nameplate always governs over a typical value.

Same answer: blow dryer is another name for a hair dryer. It draws about 12.5 amps at 120V on a shared 15A or 20A circuit. A hair dryer draws about 12.5 amps on high (1,500 watts), nearly a full 15A circuit. Bathroom receptacles are on a dedicated 20A circuit (NEC 210.11(C)(3)) with required GFCI protection (210.8(A)). Two hair dryers, or a hair dryer plus a space heater, will trip a single circuit.