13.2 Appliance, Range, and Dryer Load

Why This Matters for the TX Journeyman Exam

After the general-lighting subtotal (Section 13.1), the exam's Calculations part tests whether you can correctly apply the individual appliance, range, and dryer articles. Each load category has its own NEC section, its own demand rules, and its own set of exclusions. Mixing them up — for example, applying the 220.53 fastened-in-place 75% factor to a clothes dryer — is one of the most common point-losing mistakes on the exam.

NEC 220.53 — Fastened-in-Place Appliance Load

NEC 220.53 permits a 75% demand factor on the combined nameplate load of four or more fastened-in-place appliances in a dwelling. To qualify, an appliance must be:

• Rated ¼ hp or greater, or 500 W or greater
• Fastened in place (permanently connected)
• Served by the same feeder or service

Exclusions — 220.53 Does NOT Apply To:

Typical qualifying appliances include garbage disposers, dishwashers, trash compactors, water heaters, and built-in microwaves.

Rule of thumb: Count the qualifying appliances. If there are fewer than four, use 100% of the nameplate total. If there are four or more, apply 75%.

NEC 220.54 — Electric Clothes Dryers

NEC 220.54 sets the load for a household electric clothes dryer at 5000 VA or the nameplate rating, whichever is larger. For a single dryer in a one-family dwelling, this means:

• Nameplate ≤ 5000 VA → use 5000 VA
• Nameplate > 5000 VA → use the nameplate rating

Table 220.54 demand factors (for multiple dryers in multifamily dwellings) range from 100% for 1–4 dryers down to 25% for 43+ dryers. For a single-family dwelling with one dryer, the demand factor is 100%, so the load is simply max(5000, nameplate).

NEC 220.55 and Table 220.55 — Electric Ranges and Cooking Equipment

NEC 220.55 and Table 220.55 provide demand factors for household electric ranges, wall ovens, counter-mounted cooktops, and other household cooking appliances. The most commonly tested column is Column C, which applies to ranges and cooking appliances rated not over 12 kW.

Table 220.55 — Column C (Excerpt)

For a single range rated 12 kW or less, the demand load is 8 kW — regardless of the actual nameplate (as long as it is ≤ 12 kW).

Note 1 — Ranges Over 12 kW

Table 220.55, Note 1 states: For ranges individually rated more than 12 kW but not more than 27 kW, the maximum demand in Column C shall be increased 5% for each additional kilowatt of rating or major fraction thereof by which the rating exceeds 12 kW.

"Major fraction thereof" means a fraction of 0.5 kW or more rounds up to the next whole kW. Fractions below 0.5 kW are dropped.

Formula for a single range over 12 kW:

Demand (kW) = 8 × [1 + 0.05 × (kW over 12)]

NEC 220.50 and 220.51 — HVAC and Space Heating

220.51 — Fixed Electric Space Heating

Fixed electric space heating loads are calculated at 100% of the total connected nameplate load. No demand factor is applied. The feeder or service load current rating shall not be less than the largest branch circuit supplied.

220.50 — Motors and Air-Conditioning Equipment

Air-conditioning and refrigeration equipment loads are determined per Part IV of Article 440 (hermetic refrigerant motor-compressors), using the rated-load current (RLA) or branch-circuit selection current (BCSC) from the nameplate.

220.60 — Noncoincident Loads

Where it is unlikely that two or more loads will be in use simultaneously, NEC 220.60 permits only the largest load to be used in the calculation. The classic dwelling application is heating vs. air-conditioning — a home with electric furnace heat and a central A/C unit will never run both at once, so only the larger load counts.

220.60 motor/AC exception: If a motor or air-conditioning load is part of the noncoincident load but is not the largest, 125% of either the motor load or the air-conditioning load — whichever is larger — shall be used in the calculation (and added to the largest noncoincident load). This ensures the 125% largest-motor factor is not lost when a motor or A/C is the smaller noncoincident load.

Worked Examples

(a) 10 kW Electric Range — Column C Direct

A 10 kW range is ≤ 12 kW, so use Table 220.55 Column C directly.

Result: 8 kW (8000 VA)

(b) 15 kW Electric Range — Note 1 Adjustment

Step 1 — Determine kW over 12:

15 − 12 = 3 kW over the threshold

Step 2 — Calculate the percentage increase:

3 × 5% = 15%

Step 3 — Apply to the Column C base of 8 kW:

8 kW × 1.15 = 9.2 kW (9200 VA)

(c) 5500 VA Electric Dryer — 220.54

Compare the nameplate to the 5000 VA minimum:

Nameplate (5500 VA) > 5000 VA → use the nameplate.

Result: 5500 VA