# Hair salon?



## 99cents (Aug 20, 2012)

I have two duplex receptacles and a single lamp T8 fixture at each station. How many circuits per station considering hair dryers, curling irons, etc.?


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## Andy17 (May 12, 2014)

I've only done a couple hair salons/station additions. 2ckts.


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## ecelectric (Mar 27, 2009)

2. Figure those hair dryers are 1800 watts give or take and if they use anything else like curlinging iron you'll be pushing it


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## Cow (Jan 16, 2008)

We wired a hair salon YEARS ago and we took a 12-3 to every duplex receptacle, breaking the tab. It took a lot of breaker spaces.

I'll be curious to hear how others do it.


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## nrp3 (Jan 24, 2009)

The last small one I did with limited panel space got 1 20amp ckt each. If you have room, two would be better. Like the 12-3 idea.


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## btharmy (Jan 17, 2009)

I would probably run 12/3 to a quad with one cir per duplex.


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## johnny_a (Sep 22, 2013)

I've also always done a 12/3 with a quad. Never had a problem so I keep doing it


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## Meadow (Jan 14, 2011)

12/3 plus split wire. Extra items get dedicated circuits.


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## dmxtothemax (Jun 15, 2010)

99cents said:


> I have two duplex receptacles and a single lamp T8 fixture at each station. How many circuits per station considering hair dryers, curling irons, etc.?


Ask them - How many dryers & Curling irons ?
Find out there amp draw ?

Once you know this
then you can provide what is needed.

:whistling2:


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## 99cents (Aug 20, 2012)

dmxtothemax said:


> Ask them - How many dryers & Curling irons ?
> Find out there amp draw ?
> 
> Once you know this
> ...


I can tell you haven't dealt with salon types before...

:whistling2:

Besides that, panel space will dictate how creative I get. The rest of my loads are fairly light, thankfully.


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## The_kid (Nov 4, 2014)

My lady is a hair dresser. I asked her and it seems the big ticket items are the hair dryers, flat irons, as you guys already know and sometimes salons have air compressors at each station. 

The hair dryers they all have are 2500w

And the flat iron 100w

Hope I could help.


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## 99cents (Aug 20, 2012)

The_kid said:


> My lady is a hair dresser. I asked her and it seems the big ticket items are the hair dryers, flat irons, as you guys already know and sometimes salons have air compressors at each station.
> 
> The hair dryers they all have are 2500w
> 
> ...


I assume you mean 1000W?

2500 seems high for the dryer, do you think?


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## The_kid (Nov 4, 2014)

99cents said:


> I assume you mean 1000W?
> 
> 2500 seems high for the dryer, do you think?



She bought the one she uses at the salon for home. She said 2500w, but I just looked at it, and it's 2000w. 

I have no idea what the standard for hair dryers is. But they all use the same 2000w dryer at the salon.

I could take a picture if you want to make me get out of bed.


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## nbb (Jul 12, 2014)

The_kid said:


> She bought the one she uses at the salon for home. She said 2500w, but I just looked at it, and it's 2000w.
> 
> I have no idea what the standard for hair dryers is. But they all use the same 2000w dryer at the salon.
> 
> I could take a picture if you want to make me get out of bed.


That's a hair over 80% on a 20amp 120v, and I would think that's a continuous load with the resistive heating being the major draw. Are those machines using 5-20 plugs? I think the standard hair dryer, or most "common" household appliances is 1500w, to be able to use the NEMA 5-15 that is the most common receptacle installed in residential land.


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## A Little Short (Nov 11, 2010)

nbb said:


> That's a hair over 80% on a 20amp 120v, and I would think that's a continuous load with the resistive heating being the major draw. Are those machines using 5-20 plugs? I think the standard hair dryer, or most "common" household appliances is 1500w, to be able to use the NEMA 5-15 that is the most common receptacle installed in residential land.


Not a continuous load, not even close. The girls arms might feel like they used it for 3 straight hours though at the end of the day!

Pretty sure they don't have 20A cord caps (plugs) on them either.


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## Meadow (Jan 14, 2011)

The_kid said:


> My lady is a hair dresser. I asked her and it seems the big ticket items are the hair dryers, flat irons, as you guys already know and sometimes salons have air compressors at each station.
> 
> The hair dryers they all have are 2500w
> 
> ...


Is this in the US? What type of plug do they have?


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## 37523 (Dec 30, 2012)

> _hair dryers, flat irons, ...air compressors..._

I think the thing is: can you use them all at ONCE? 

How many BIG loads can they have? And how many "little" loads may be left-on while the big load is burning juice? 

If the hair is full of hot-curlers, can you use the blow-dryer at the same time? I assume you won't leave the blower running (noise), but might the curlers or irons be set-down still ON? I would suspect they must be turned off or they would leave burn-marks, but maybe they have an asbestos pad? 

There's also a hot-wax pot. I won't go near it, but a similar yet larger glue-pot is 200 Watts? This might get left on for hours if the day is full of hairy lips. 

The crew-cut buzzers are around 100 Watts (the one for horses and my hairy dog run 140W). 

No clue what the air-compresser does. Air-brush paint on nails? Spray highlights in hair? That's a few hundred Watts and would never be left running except when getting down to spray-work. Buff/fluff, turn-on (bzzzzzz), spray, turn-off. 

I dunno what combination of power tools might be used at the SAME time. (I use the electric chain-saw twice a year whether I need a haircut or not.) 

As remarked, "2500W" can't be correct for a 120V blower. 2,000 Watts (rounded up from 1920) seems the limit for appliances on "120V" 20A outlets. For residential (where 15A outlets must be expected), in this house, her blowdryer is marked "1600" and seems to be 1,600 Watts; his heat-gun is 1,500 Watts. (Both may be round-up label numbers, not true consumption.) 

However I am sure that beauty professionals have G.A.S. and crave power as much as woodworkers and auto mechanics. If your 10" table-saw slows down just once, buy a 16" saw. I'm sure there are "More POWER!!" hair dryers, especially for professionals where a faster blow-job is quicker turnaround and more clients/day. 

> _ How many circuits per station considering_

When in doubt, consult NEC? 

*(NEC [3] table 220.12)
Barber shops and beauty parlors ---- 3 Volt-Amperes per Square Foot*

Hmmm.... that's surely a lighting-only figure. A small booth gets 300 Watts? That's fair incandescent lighting but won't begin to blow hair. 

Article 220.14(H) is also dubious. If loads not simultaneous, 360 Watts in a 10 foot strip. If simultaneous, 1,800 Watts in a 10 foot strip. Nearly there, but I bet some beauty techs can pull more than that with one hand. 

> _I would think that's a continuous load_

*(NEC [3] table 220.12) Continuous Load: A load where the maximum current is expected to continue for three hours or more.*

I don't think you blow-dry for 3 hours straight-- the hair would be burned to the skull. My *guess* is that a long session takes 5 min to greet and agree on a plan, 5 min to wet hair, 15 min to cut, 15 min blow-and-brush work, 5 min clean-up, sell some balm, and take the cash. These numbers are probably wrong but the ratios may be near right. So 15 min out of 45 min, or 160 min out of 8 hours--- it isn't 3 hours all day, and certainly not 3 hours straight. (In this weather my furnace is "a continuous load", running 6 and 10 hours non-stop, though only at 5 Amps.) 

In fact I am thinking Diversity and SubPanel. You say the main panel size may limit your aspirations. I doubt four stations would all blow at once. Three 16A blowers fits a 50A breaker. A #6 feeder from the main panel to a sub-panel in the booth area may be easier and maybe cheaper to run than sixteen #12. Less small wiring to do. When (not if) they pop a breaker, it will be handy to re-set. No, not good practice, but the annoyance (and community know-how) will encourage them to spread loads or not use certain combinations of loads, to avoid running-off to re-set.


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## Shockdoc (Mar 4, 2010)

Did one before i became licensed. Ran a 20 amp circuit to each station quad. There was some dedicated stuff too.


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## Meadow (Jan 14, 2011)

The max real wattage a US hair dryer can pull is 1800 watts at 120 volts. Which is 15 amps. I have never seen a hair dryer with other than a NEMA 5-15 plug. Some are rated 1875 watts but that assumes a line voltage of 125 volts, so at 120 its more like 1750 watts. 

If you want a real 2000 or 2500 watt hair dryer buy a Euro version and stick a nema 6-15 on it. Complementary 240 volt bathroom receptacle and women think your god :whistling2:


http://www.worldwidevoltage.com/alpina-sf5043-2200-watt-direct-220v-hair-dryer.html

http://www.portugalia.com/prod.php?id=633


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## joe cool (Jun 4, 2009)

I give them a 20amp four plex each station for their portable stuff. It works fine and they like it. Who has panel space for two circuits each station?


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## five.five-six (Apr 9, 2013)

this thread needs some Zohan


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## Meadow (Jan 14, 2011)

I stand corrected they make a 3000 watt version 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/20-OFF-220V...r-Salon-Professional-style-tool-/251764631346


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## 99cents (Aug 20, 2012)

joe cool said:


> I give them a 20amp four plex each station for their portable stuff. It works fine and they like it. Who has panel space for two circuits each station?


Yeah, this is a complete do-over of an existing salon and they made do with almost nothing. Still, the numbers don't add up...


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## captkirk (Nov 21, 2007)

Definitely two circuits one for a hair dryer and the other for a curling/flat iron...


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