Bounce House Generator Calculator: Blowers, Circuits & Cords
Plan the power for a bounce house, water slide or combo from its blower's nameplate amps. The calculator gives the generator size, how many household circuits the blowers need under the NEC 80% rule, and the extension cord gauge for your run, so the inflatable stays up and the breaker stays on.
Combos and slides often need two.
Use the amps on your blower's motor label. The chips are typical commercial nameplates at 115 V; backyard blowers that ship with a bounce house draw less.
Speakers, lights, a fan or a concession machine. 0 if none.
Generator, running watts
1,600 W
and at least 2,000 W starting
- On house outlets
- 1 × 20 A circuit
- Blowers per 20 A / 15 A circuit
- 1 / 1
- Extension cord at 50 ft
- 12 AWG
- Total draw
- 11 A · 1,320 W
Circuits: one plug-in load at most 80% of the circuit (NEC 210.23(A)), and blowers run all event, so the same 80% caps each circuit's total. Cords: Table 400.5(A)(1) ampacity, 2% voltage drop.
Generator: everything running plus one blower's start surge (assumed 1.5× for a second or two; start blowers one at a time), 20% headroom on running watts. Use GFCI-protected outlets outdoors.
What size generator for a bounce house?
One 1.5 HP blower needs a generator rated around 1,600 running watts, which a 2,200-watt inverter generator (about 1,800 W running) covers. Each extra blower adds its full running load, but only one start surge, as long as you switch them on one at a time.
| Blower | 1 blower | 2 blowers | 3 blowers |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 HP · 9 A | 1,300 W1,700 W starting | 2,600 W2,700 W starting | 3,900 W3,900 W starting |
| 1.5 HP · 11 A | 1,600 W2,000 W starting | 3,200 W3,300 W starting | 4,800 W4,800 W starting |
| 2 HP · 13 A | 1,900 W2,400 W starting | 3,800 W3,900 W starting | 5,700 W5,700 W starting |
Nameplate amps × 120 V with 20% headroom on running watts. Add speakers, lights or a concession machine in the calculator. For house backup rather than a party, use the generator sizing calculator, and see how long a tank lasts for an all-day event.
How many bounce house blowers on one circuit?
The NEC caps a single plug-in load at 80% of the circuit: 12 A on a 15 A circuit, 16 A on a 20 A one (210.23(A)). A blower runs for the whole party, so the circuit's total stays under the same 80%. With real commercial nameplates that means one blower per circuit: two 9 A blowers come to 18 A, already past 16. A 13 A blower does not belong on a 15 A circuit at all. Outlets in the same room or along the same outside wall are often one circuit, so find which breaker each outlet is on before you plug in the second blower; our guide on finding which breaker controls an outlet shows how. Outdoors, the outlet must be GFCI-protected; if a generator's outlets are not, plug into a portable GFCI.
What gauge extension cord for a bounce house blower?
The lightest cord that carries the blower's current and keeps the voltage drop within 2%. A blower starved of voltage runs hot and slow, which is how a bounce house sags mid-party. Never daisy-chain cords, and keep the plug ends off wet grass.
| Blower | 25 ft | 50 ft | 75 ft | 100 ft |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 A (1 HP) | 14 AWG | 12 AWG | 10 AWG | 10 AWG |
| 11 A (1.5 HP) | 14 AWG | 12 AWG | 10 AWG | Max 87 ft |
| 13 A (2 HP) | 14 AWG | 10 AWG | Max 74 ft | Max 74 ft |
Copper outdoor cord, 120 V. “Max” means even 10 AWG drops more than 2%: move the power source closer. If the blower's manual asks for a heavier cord, the manual wins.
Running a bounce house rental company?
Power is the part of an event that goes wrong on site; the booking side goes wrong before you leave the shop. Our sister product Rentopus is booking and delivery software for party and inflatable rental companies: an online booking site, availability that never promises the same unit twice, e-signed waivers and delivery routes in one place.
Inverter generators for a party
A small inverter generator covers one blower; two or three blowers need a mid-size unit. Check both its running and starting watts against the result above. Inverter generators are quieter at a backyard party, and any generator belongs well away from the inflatable, doors and windows.
We earn a commission if you buy through links on this page, at no extra cost to you. It does not change what we recommend. See our affiliate disclosure. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Small inverter (under 3,000 W running)
Honda EU2200i (EU2200ITAN)
Best for: A refrigerator, internet and electronics through an outage, or quiet power at a campsite
Mid-size inverter (3,000–6,000 W running)
WEN DF680iX
Best for: Furnace blower, fridge and sump pump in an outage, or an RV with one air conditioner
Frequently asked questions
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The calculator tells you the running and starting watts. Inverter generators are the quiet option for a backyard party. See the inverter generator picks.
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This tool's methodology and data follow US standards and authoritative public datasets: