FREE NEC 220 TOOL

Electrical Load Calculator

Calculate total connected load, demand load, and recommended service panel size for residential and commercial installations.

SECTION 1 — GENERAL LIGHTING & RECEPTACLES

NEC 220.12 — 3 VA per square foot of living area (excludes garages, open porches, unfinished spaces).

Living Area (Square Feet) Finished floor area only — do not include garage or unfinished basement.

General Lighting Load (calculated)

6,000 VA

Square feet × 3 VA = lighting & receptacle load

SECTION 2 — SMALL APPLIANCE, LAUNDRY & BATHROOM CIRCUITS

NEC 220.52 — Fixed 1,500 VA per circuit. Small appliance: minimum 2 circuits. Laundry: minimum 1 circuit. Bathroom: 1,500 VA.

Small Appliance Circuits (20A kitchen circuits)

Small Appliance Load (calculated)

3,000 VA

1,500 VA × number of circuits

Laundry Circuits

Laundry Load (calculated)

1,500 VA

1,500 VA × number of laundry circuits

Bathroom Circuit

Bathroom Load (calculated)

1,500 VA

1,500 VA × number of bathroom circuits

SECTION 3 — INDIVIDUAL APPLIANCES

Enter nameplate VA or watts for each appliance. NEC demand factors apply automatically. Leave blank or enter 0 to omit.

⚡ LOAD CALCULATION RESULTS (NEC STANDARD METHOD)

LOAD BREAKDOWN

COMMERCIAL LOAD LIST — NEC 220.40

Add each load below. Enter amps or watts per unit. The calculator converts to VA and applies your demand factor. For 3-phase loads, VA = V × A × 1.732.

Description Voltage Phase Entry Mode Value Qty / DF%

⚡ COMMERCIAL LOAD CALCULATION RESULTS

ITEMIZED LOAD TABLE

NEC REFERENCE TABLES

Use the tables below to look up standard demand factors and typical appliance ratings when nameplate data is unavailable.

TABLE 1 — Residential General Lighting Demand Factors (NEC 220.42)

Portion of General Load	Demand Factor	Applied To
First 3,000 VA	100%	General lighting + small appliance + laundry totals
3,001 VA to 120,000 VA	35%	Remainder of general load
Above 120,000 VA	25%	High-load dwellings
First 10,000 VA (Standard Method used here)	100%	Simplified standard method per NEC 220.82
Remainder above 10,000 VA (Standard Method)	40%	Applied to general + small appliance + laundry

TABLE 2 — NEC 220.55 Electric Cooking Equipment Demand Factors

Nameplate Rating (kW)	Demand Factor / Rule
Up to 1.75 kW	Use nameplate rating
1.76 kW to 8.75 kW	80% of nameplate
Over 8.75 kW (single unit)	8,000 W demand + 40% of amount over 8,750 W
Household electric dryer	5,000 W minimum or nameplate, whichever is larger (NEC 220.54)

TABLE 3 — Typical Residential Appliance VA Ratings

Appliance	Typical VA Range	NEC Notes
Central A/C (3-ton)	4,000–6,000 VA	Use nameplate; include in largest motor calc
Heat Pump (3-ton)	3,500–5,500 VA	Use nameplate or NEC Table 430.248/250
Electric Water Heater	4,500–5,500 VA	Use nameplate rating at 100%
Electric Range / Oven	8,000–14,000 VA	NEC 220.55 demand applies
Electric Clothes Dryer	5,000–6,000 VA	NEC 220.54: 5,000 VA minimum
Dishwasher	1,200–1,800 VA	Use nameplate; 100% demand
Garbage Disposal	700–1,200 VA	Use nameplate; 100% demand
Microwave (built-in)	1,200–1,800 VA	Use nameplate; 100% demand
EV Charger (Level 2, 32A)	7,680 VA	240V × 32A; 100% demand per NEC 625
EV Charger (Level 2, 48A)	11,520 VA	240V × 48A; 100% demand per NEC 625
Hot Tub / Spa	4,000–7,500 VA	NEC 680 applies; use nameplate
Pool Pump	1,500–3,000 VA	NEC 680 applies; use nameplate

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