The curling iron can enhance the beauty of your hair. Unfortunately, it is a very energy-intensive device. Thus, it will consume a great deal more electricity than normal appliances. Therefore, the bill will be much higher.
It is also imperative for curling irons to have special electrical connections.
How many watts & amps does a curling iron use?
The power of curling iron is usually between 90W and 200W. A curling iron is usually powered by 120V or 220V. For this, the circuit breaker needs to be at least 2 amps. The only exception is if you use a curling iron at 220V, you will need a 1.5 amp breaker.
Let’s walk through this section to know watts and amps consumption of different curling irons –
Conair Curling irons:
Dual voltage curling irons are available from Conair. They can be adjusted to different temperatures. However, the wattage will vary with the temperature. When heated to 400 degrees Fahrenheit, it can consume 180 watts – 200 watts of power.
Moreover, its power consumption at minimum temperature is between 80W and 90W.
It can be used at 120 volts and 220 volts due to its dual voltage capabilities. When running at 120V, the breaker should have a maximum of 2 amps. In contrast, if you are using 220V, you will need a circuit breaker that is 1.5 amps.
Cordless Curling irons:
Using cordless curling irons is a very simple process. There is no risk associated with them. The curling wands come with built-in batteries. So it does not have to be used with a direct electrical connection. However, it can only be used if it is charged.
This type of curling iron usually has power between 30W and 50W. Because these must be charged with a charger, the Cordless Curling irons can be charged at any voltage. Considering the charger is likely to be more than 50W.
Consequently, an additional circuit breaker is unnecessary. There is already one in your room.
Does a curling iron use a lot of electricity?
It looks like curling irons are small appliances, but their energy consumption rate is not as small as they appear. Curling irons usually have high capacitive loads. Because of this, they consume relatively more electricity.
Typically, an average quality curling iron will consume 150W at medium temperature.
Ordinarily, the lights in a house use 10 Watts to 20 Watts, and the fans use 80 Watts. Consequently, 150W is high in power consumption.
An electric curling wand usually consumes less electricity than a hairdryer. An average hair dryer is typically between 1500 and 2000 watts. It is significantly less than this. There is a lot of value in comparison.
When compared to a hairdryer, it consumes a relatively small amount of electricity. In contrast, if it is compared to everyday household appliances like a TV, fan, or light, it must consume a great deal of electricity.
How many watts does a curling iron use per hour?
A curling iron that is of average quality consumes 150W of power and uses 150 Joules of power per second. To determine how many watts your appliance consumes, there is a simple formula. The formula is as follows.
= (Power × Time) ÷ 1000 KW
Here, power refers to the wattage of your hair curling iron. Time refers to how long you are using. Hours are the preferred unit. The average power consumption of a curling iron that uses 150W is as follows:
= (150 × 1) ÷ 1000 KW
= 0.15 KW
According to this, if you run a curling iron that uses 150 watts per hour, it will consume 0.15kilowatts of electricity. The cost of using curling irons for one hour daily will come to 4.5 kWh per month.
How many volts is a curling iron?
There are usually two types of curling irons. One type uses single volts and the other uses double volts. The voltage of a single volt curling iron varies from 120V or 220V. In the United States, for example, electricity comes in at 120 volts.
Therefore, the single-volt curling irons sold in America run on 120V. On the other hand, electricity in Europe and other parts of the world is 220V / 240V. The curling irons used there run on 220V / 240V.
Dual Voltage Curling features the ability to operate under any voltage. This means that it can operate at 120V and 220V. In general, those who travel may find dual voltage curling wands to be more convenient.
Nowadays, most hair curling irons operate on both voltages. You can determine whether a curling iron is a dual volt or single volt when you buy one. The same is true for cordless curling irons. Cordless curling irons typically also run on 120V or 220V.
However, they have an inverter inside which can convert battery power to 120V or 220V.
What size inverter do I need to run a curling iron?
Usually, curling irons require up to 200 watts of electricity to run. Cordless curling irons cannot be connected directly to an outlet. You have to charge them before you use them. On the other hand, you have to use an inverter to get a certain voltage.
Inverters are usually a bit larger than the watts of the appliances. It converts DC to AC. It is best to use 230W to 250W inverters for curling irons.
To determine the size of the inverter you need, first look at the wattage of your curling irons. Then find an inverter that is slightly larger than that specific wattage. Usually, the curling iron user guidelines specify what size inverter to use. You can also find out from there.
How do I calculate wattage for my curling iron?
There are a few steps you need to follow to determine how much wattage your curling iron is using. Before the calculation, you need to find the wattage of your hair curling iron and use time.
Wattage size of curling iron:
Each electrical appliance consumes a certain amount of electricity. You can see in the packet of the curling iron that you are using, how much watts it does consume. If you do not have the packet, search on the internet by typing the specific model or visit the official website.
There you will find information about the wattage of curling irons.
Using Period:
You should keep track of your daily curling iron usage since wattage is usually calculated as per hour usage.
Using date/time:
You probably don’t use a curling wand every day, so keep a record of the total number of months you have used it. If you can’t keep a total account, keep an average.
Calculation:
There is a formula for calculating the wattage. The formula is as follows-
Energy (Total wattage) = Watts × Hour × Days
Assuming that your curling iron is 150W and you use it for 2 hours and 25 days each month, the calculation is as follows:
= Watts × Hour × Days
= 150 × 2 × 25 w
= 5000W
This means that the monthly power consumption of your appliance will be 5,000W.
Calculation in Kilowatt:
And if you want to measure the total wattage in kilowatts, you have to divide the obtained watts by 1000.
= Energy/ 1000
= 5000/ 1000
= 5 kWh
In other words, if you are using curling irons 25 days a month for two hours daily, your energy consumption will be 5 kWh. You can also calculate your total electric bill from this total kWh and your electric bill from your location.
Final Thought
Curling irons can consume 200W of electricity when used at maximum heat. A moderate temperature results in average power consumption of about 150W-175W. This requires 1.5-2amps of breaker or resistance to run the device properly. And the volt should have to be 120V to 220V.