If you’re wondering whether you can and should use an inverter to power a hair dryer and if so, what size and type of inverter to use then this post is for you.
This post discusses whether you can power a hair dryer off an inverter, shares some indicative power consumption data for a hair dryer, and what inverter size (watts) to use for a hair dryer.
Can a Hair Dryer Run on an Inverter?
Yes, you can use an inverter to power an AC hair dryer. The inverter size (watts) selected needs to be higher than the inverter’s power consumption to avoid overloading and tripping the inverter.
You may also plan to run more appliances at the same time as the hair dryer and therefore the need to allow for surplus capacity when sizing the inverter.
Assuming the power consumption of the hair dryer is 2,000 watts, you’ll need a 2,500-watt inverter or higher at 120V to power the dryer.
Besides the inverter, you need a large enough battery bank to supply power to the hair dryer and any other connected appliances.
How Much Power a Hair Dryer Uses
A hair dryer can consume anywhere from 1,200 – 2,000 watts of power (estimate) or higher depending on the type, model, and temperature setting selected.
A professional hair dryer even more. Estimates for a professional hair dryer are as much as 75% more or 3,500 watts.
This power draw can be for as much as 7-12 minutes the time it can take to dry one’s hair. So, in effect, it’s an appliance with a considerable power draw from a battery bank but for a short time.
What Size of Battery to Use?
If you have at least a 200 Ah AGM battery bank, you should be able to power the hair dryer given that it will be run for a few minutes. Note: This is just one of the possible battery configurations available.
Keep in mind that it will likely have a considerable power draw on the battery bank and you should probably delay using it to power the hair dryer unless you’re sure that the batteries will be recharged soon else you risk running the batteries low at the expense of other appliances that may be more critical to your lifestyle.
Running a hair dryer for 10 minutes draws approximately 250 Wh, from the battery. Formula. estimated runtime of the hair dryer in minutes/ 60 minutes x power rating of the hair dryer, watts.
To work out the available energy in a battery bank, (Battery bank capacity (Ah) x Depth of discharge of the battery bank) x battery bank voltage.
For a 200Ah, 12V AGM battery bank, available energy Wh is 200Ah x 50% x 12V = 1,200 Wh.
Energy draw from running a 1,500-watt hair dryer for 10 minutes is 10/60 x 1,500 = 250Wh.
If you consider that a 200Ah AGM battery bank at 12V has 1,200 Wh of available energy, running the hair dryer for 10 minutes uses up as much as 20% of the available energy!
Is it Advisable to Use an Inverter – Battery System | What are the Alternatives?
If you’re planning to invest in an offgrid solar system (solar panels, charge controller, battery, and inverter) to power a hair dryer, for a fraction of the cost, you can purchase a 3,000-watt inverter generator instead with more capacity (watts).
The generator operation is not limited to the availability of sunshine. Keep in mind though that the generator needs regular maintenance and gas to keep running.
Is a 2,000 watt Inverter Enough?
If the hair dryer is rated 1,500 watts or less then a good quality 2,000 watt inverter can provide sufficient power to run it.
The maximum power consumption of the hair dryer (watts) should be less than the permitted continuous power consumption of the inverter.
Closing Thoughts
A typical hair dryer can consume an estimated 1,500 – 2,000 watts of power. An inverter size (watts) that is considerably higher than the hair dryer power consumption can ably power the inverter provided the total power consumption of the inverter is not exceeded.
For a 2000-watt hair dryer, a 2,500-watt inverter or higher would work. Keep in mind that running a hair dryer even for a few minutes can draw considerable energy from the battery bank and you may want to consider using a generator instead.
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