Backup power

Can I run an electric dryer on a portable generator?

Updated 2026-11-11. Educational page, not a permit calculation.

Often no, not on the size of portable generator people buy for a fridge and a furnace. Honda’s published figures for an electric clothes dryer are 5,400 W running and 6,750 W starting, and the table flags 240 V. A 30-amp inlet is only 7,200 W at 240 V, so the dryer alone would occupy almost all of it. A 50-amp inlet (12,000 W) can have room for a dryer plus a few essentials if the generator can actually produce those watts and you manage other loads.

Honda Home Applications figures for an electric dryer, retrieved 2026-11-11, compared with inlet limits (amps × 240 V).
Watts
Electric dryer, running (Honda)5,400
Electric dryer, starting (Honda)6,750
30 A × 240 V inlet limit7,200
50 A × 240 V inlet limit12,000

A gas dryer is a different load (the motor and controls only) and is much easier to back up. Add the dryer as a checked Honda item in the calculator and watch what it does to the running total.

This is not a permit calculation, a utility approval, or a substitute for a licensed electrician, HVAC contractor, or the authority having jurisdiction. Panel Headroom is an independent educational site. It is not a utility, a certification body, or a contractor. Electrical and generator work that is done incorrectly can cause fire, shock, or carbon monoxide poisoning. Use the adopted electrical code and manufacturer instructions; pull permits where required.