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Home Electrical Load Calculator (NEC 220.82)

Dwelling service load by the NEC 220.82 optional method, from floor area, circuits, fixed appliances and HVAC.

Inputs

The dwelling

Finished living area in square feet, which carries 3 VA per square foot under 220.82(B)(1).

240 for a 120/240 V single-phase service.

The service disconnect rating, to compare against the calculated load.

Circuits and appliances

Count the 20 A small-appliance branch circuits in the kitchen. Each counts as 1,500 VA (220.82(B)(2)). Most homes have two.

Each laundry branch circuit counts as 1,500 VA (220.82(B)(3)). Most homes have one.

Nameplate volt-amperes of everything fastened in place: range, dryer, dishwasher, disposal, water heater, EV charger. A 4,500 W element at 240 V is 4,500 VA.

Heating and cooling

Nameplate volt-amperes of the heating equipment. Leave 0 for a gas or hydronic system with no electric heating elements.

Nameplate volt-amperes of the air conditioning or heat pump.

Result

Calculated dwelling load
—
Total demand
—
Spare capacity against the existing service
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Effective demand factor on the general load
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General load after demand factors
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General load before demand factors
—
Next standard service that would cover it
—
—
Where this stops applying
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Calculation details
Small-appliance and laundry circuits
—
First 10,000 VA at 100 percent
—
Larger of heating and cooling
—
General lighting at 3 VA per square foot
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Remainder at 40 percent
—

What to check

  • Habitable floor area in square feet
  • Counts of small-appliance and laundry branch circuits
  • Nameplate volt-amperes for fixed appliances, heating and cooling

Standards referenced

  • NFPA 70 National Electrical Code (NEC) — 2023 edition · Branch circuits, conductors, protection, raceways, and services. Local AHJ adoptions vary; the enforcing edition is set by the jurisdiction.

Related calculators

Screening estimate only. The result panel lists the limits that apply to this calculation. Verify nameplate data, rates, groundwater temperatures and installer quotes before deciding, and have gas, venting and electrical installations checked against the local code by a licensed contractor.

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