How Many Amps Does a Washing Machine Use?

Running amps, nameplate amps, surge amps and circuit rating are four different figures, and each one measures something else.

• Running amps is what the machine pulls during a normal cycle, motor and pump working together.
• Nameplate amps is the highest figure printed on the machine's rating label, often 6 to 15 amps on US washers.
• Surge or inrush amps is a brief spike, about 2 to 3 times the running amps, when the motor starts or the drum spins up.
• Circuit rating is the breaker size, usually 20 amps, sized for the machine plus the code rules rather than for the machine's draw alone.

A "5 to 15 amp" range quoted online is a range across machine classes, not the draw of one machine. Manufacturer manuals often say "15 or 20 amps" because the machine needs 15 amps but the circuit is built to 20. A spec sheet becomes readable once you know which of the four figures you are looking at.

Running amps track the size of the motor and the work the machine does, so a mini washer and a full-size front-loader sit at opposite ends of the same scale.

A wash-only US washer does not heat its own water, so its amp draw barely changes between a hot and a cold wash. The water heater does the heating, on its own circuit.

Compact machines sit at the low end of the table, but a compact model can still draw around 10 amps on its own grounded 15-amp circuit. That fits inside the 80 percent rule for a 15-amp circuit, which allows 12 amps of continuous load, and some compact models specify a 15-amp circuit in their manual.

Amps equal watts divided by volts. At 120 volts, three common washer loads come out like this:

• 600 W ÷ 120 V = 5 A
• 1,000 W ÷ 120 V = about 8.3 A
• 1,200 W ÷ 120 V = 10 A

If the label shows only watts, divide by 120 to get amps. If it shows only amps, multiply by 120 to get watts. At 240 volts the same wattage gives half the amps, which is why a 240 V combo can pull more power on a smaller-looking amp number.

Amp draw is not constant through a cycle. The fill valve and the drain pump are small loads, around 1 amp or less. The drive motor peaks when the drum spins up and again during the high-speed spin at the end of the cycle.

Motor inrush runs roughly 2 to 3 times the running amps for a fraction of a second. A machine that runs at 10 amps can briefly pull 20 to 30 amps on startup. That is why a marginal or shared circuit trips on spin rather than mid-wash: a breaker tolerates a short inrush, but it does not tolerate a sustained overload.

The code sets the circuit, and the machine's label sets the machine. Both matter when you plan an install.

The laundry circuit rule

NEC 210.11(C)(2) requires at least one 20-amp, 120-volt laundry branch circuit in a dwelling unit for the laundry receptacles. That circuit may serve other receptacles in the laundry area, but not lighting outlets or receptacles outside it. NEC 220.52(B) sets the laundry circuit load at a minimum of 1,500 volt-amperes for load calculations.

GFCI and AFCI protection

Laundry-area receptacles in dwelling units require GFCI protection under current code (NEC 210.8(A)), and laundry areas also require AFCI protection (NEC 210.12). Older homes may have neither, which is worth knowing before you assume an outlet is faulty.

The 80 percent rule and wire size

NEC 210.20(A) limits a branch circuit to 80 percent of its rating for continuous loads. A 20-amp circuit carries 16 amps continuously (1,920 W); a 15-amp circuit carries 12 amps (1,440 W). A 20-amp circuit takes 12 AWG copper wire, a 15-amp circuit takes 14 AWG.

What the plug tells you

A NEMA 5-15P plug fits any standard outlet. A NEMA 5-20P plug, with one blade turned sideways, needs a 20-amp outlet. The plug on the machine's cord tells you what the machine expects before you read a single spec sheet.

A licensed electrician confirms the circuit for your home, and the nameplate and the manual are the final word on the machine.

The rating plate or label lists volts, amps or watts, and hertz. Look for "Amps," "A," "Max. Amps," or "W" on it.

• Front-load: inside the door opening rim, or on the rear panel.
• Top-load: under the lid or on the opening rim, or on the rear panel.
• Portable or mini: rear panel or underside.

The owner's manual and the manufacturer's spec sheet list the electrical requirement as well. If only watts are shown, divide by 120. A plug-in power meter gives live readings cycle by cycle and shows the spin-cycle peak that a label cannot.

Portable and mini washers

These draw 1 to 4 amps, 200 to 500 watts, and plug into any standard 15-amp outlet with no dedicated circuit. They suit apartments, dorms and RVs, where a full laundry circuit is not available.

Ventless all-in-one combos

The 120 V models run on a 20-amp circuit. The 240 V models need a 30-amp circuit because the dryer side heats. Specs vary by model, so check the model's spec sheet before you plan the outlet.

Unitized washer-dryer towers

The washer side is 120 V on a 15-amp circuit and the dryer side is 208 to 240 V on a 30-amp circuit on electric models. That means two separate supplies to one appliance.

Washer and gas dryer on one circuit

A washer and a gas dryer can share the 20-amp laundry circuit. An electric dryer cannot, because it needs its own 240 V circuit.

Commercial machines

Coin-op and commercial washers draw 20 amps and up, often on dedicated circuits sized for the machine.

A tripping breaker is usually telling you one of a few things, and each has its own fix.

• Shared circuit: the washer shares a circuit with other loads and the total exceeds the breaker. Move the other loads off.
• GFCI nuisance trips: moisture, a worn cord or a genuine ground fault. Check and reset; if it keeps tripping, have it inspected.
• Extension cords: do not use one for a washer. The cord and its connections are not rated for the sustained load and the surge.
• Spin-cycle trips: a sign the circuit is marginal or shared, since spin is the peak draw.
• Wrong breaker for the machine: a 20-amp machine on a 15-amp circuit, or a 240 V combo on a 120 V circuit.

Call an electrician for repeated trips, a warm outlet or cord, or a burning smell. Switch the machine off at the breaker before you inspect the cord or the outlet.

Amps tell you whether the circuit can carry the machine. They do not tell you what it costs to run. The electricity bill is driven by kilowatt-hours, which is watts times hours of use divided by 1,000, and by how often you run hot washes, which load the water heater.

A machine that draws more amps for a shorter cycle can use less energy than one that draws fewer amps for longer. Judge running cost by the cycle and the hot water, not by the amp figure on the label.