RHODE ISLAND & SOUTH EASTERN MASSACHUSETTS
BOUNCE HOUSE POWER REQUIREMENTS
Why does Sky high Inflatables only allow me to run the inflatable 50′ from an electrical source? What are the bounce house power requirements?
Inflatables need to be connected to a dedicated or semi dedicated electric outlet. For most homes this means an outlet on the outside of your home such as deck or garage. While we recommend a 20 amp dedicated circuit, it is often possible to run 1 small blower (1HP) on a 15 amp Circuit. (See below for explanation of why)
Can’t we just add more extension cords so I can place my inflatable further away? No, this is unsafe and could damage the blower or even worse – start an electric fire. (See below for explanation). If you need to place an inflatable more than 50′ from an electrical source you must use a generator.
Do you supply an extension cord with the rental? Yes, but no greater than 50 feet.
What size generator should I use to power up my blower(s)?
We recommend using a minimum of 2000 watts per an average sized blower. If you need to connect more than one unit, then you will find it useful to use this formula to calculate running watts from the labeled amps on the blowers:
For Example: The average small blower uses 7.0 running amps.
Therefore 7.0 (amps) x 115V (volts) = 805 watts to run continuously with back pressure (this is achieved when the inflatable is completely full of air (blown up) and the blower is just maintaining the pressure or air lost from the seams.)
However on start-up, it will use up to 17 amps (17 x 115V = 1955 watts) , which is just under a 2000 watts generator.
Note: The start up is high because it needs back pressure from the inflatable to insure continuous low amp draw; otherwise the amps stay high at 17 on free flow.