On 5/29/2011 10:18 PM, Congoleum Breckenridge wrote:
On 5/29/2011 11:03 PM, DD_BobK wrote:
On May 29, 8:16 am, Smitty wrote:
In article
,

wrote:
A 15amp circuit for a hand held hair dryer is a bit skinny.

I've never seen a hair dryer with a nameplate rating of more than 1500
watts. That's 12.5 amps. I'm pretty sure that's by design.



I checked my wife's hair dyers....one was 1500w, the other was 1875w

plus

Conair 228r Hair Dryer 1875w
Revlon - 1875 watt - Hot Air Styler
SOLIS #S404 INFERNO 1875 WATT HAND HELD HAIR DRYER
Phillips Handheld hair dryer 2000W - HP 8195/00

15 amps is a bit low for bathroom



Those 1875w units are 1875w @ 230v, 1500w or less on 115v.
That Phillips HP 8195/00 is 230v only.
1500w on 115v is the largest allowed plug-in home appliance in USA,
unless they have a 20a plug: (-|).

Cite.

The 1875W dryers could have 20A plugs (as you note at the end of your post).

The NEC only allows 80% plug-in loads on 15 and 20A circuits. (IMHO this
is a bad rule for several reasons.)

UL says the receptacles and plugs are rated 100% and will list short
time use devices (like a hair dryer) with ratings up to 15 or 20A with
15 or 20A plugs. (IMHO this is perfectly reasonable.)

--
bud--