“Dryer Buddy” is a brand name that has become shorthand for a whole category: an automatic sharing switch that plugs into a dryer outlet and timeshares that one circuit between the dryer and an EV charger, so the two never draw at once. It is a convenience device, not an upgrade — it adds no capacity. EVDANCE does not make or endorse any brand of these switches; the checks below apply to the whole category.
Key Takeaways
- “Dryer Buddy” names a brand; the category is the listed automatic sharing switch, and the checks apply to all.
- The switch timeshares one circuit between dryer and car — it adds convenience, never capacity.
- Buy on the listing, the plug match on both sides, and the priority behaviour stated in the manual.
- Older ungrounded outlets need an electrician’s assessment before any switch is plugged in.
What the Device Actually Does
The switch sits between the wall outlet and the two appliances: the dryer plugs into one of its outlets, the charger into the other, and it connects the circuit to one load at a time. Better examples give the dryer priority — it starts, the car pauses, then resumes; simpler ones switch on a fixed rule. Either way, the principle is the one our guide to charging from a dryer outlet sets out: the circuit was sized for one appliance, so it serves one at a time — and that guide holds the worked current figures.
| Expectation | What the switch delivers |
|---|---|
| “I can skip the new circuit for now” | Yes — the genuine offer: Level 2 charging on the existing circuit, shared politely with the dryer. |
| “My car will charge at full speed” | No. The circuit sets the ceiling, and the charger’s setting must fit inside it under the 125% continuous-load rule in NFPA 70 — lower than a dedicated circuit allows. |
| “It makes my old outlet safe” | No. It switches loads; it does not repair, ground or re-rate anything behind it. |
| “It replaces an electrician” | No. The circuit and outlet still need a professional’s judgement, especially in older homes. |
The Checks Before You Buy One
- Listing first. At these currents, buy only a device certified by a nationally recognised testing laboratory — the OSHA NRTL programme explains the mark. If the product page cannot name its listing, stop there.
- Plug shapes on both sides. The inlet must match your wall outlet and one outlet must match your dryer plug; dryer outlets come in more than one shape across generations of homes — compare yours with our guide to dryer outlet types before ordering. An adapter changes a shape, never the circuit.
- The older-outlet caution. Many older dryer outlets were wired without a separate ground, which chargers rely on. If yours is of that generation, the outlet needs an electrician’s assessment before any switch is plugged into it — before the purchase, not after.
- Priority behaviour, in writing. Which load wins, what happens when the dryer starts mid-charge, and what the device does when power returns vary by design. Read the maker’s manual; “automatic” alone tells you nothing.
- Your charger must have a setting that fits. The switch shares the circuit; it does not set the charger. A charger whose lowest setting still exceeds what the circuit allows cannot be shared this way.
The Charger Half of the Pairing
What makes a charger suitable here is an adjustable current with a step low enough for the circuit. The EVDANCE EV-ACS4005T offers 16/24/32/40 A settings — its range includes the setting the published dryer-outlet guide works out for a typical dryer circuit — with a NEMA 14-50 plug and IP66 housing. The EVDANCE EV-ACS3210T adjusts from 10 to 32 A in six steps, for tighter circuits. Both sit in our residential charging range. Neither changes what the switch must be: listed, interlocked, matched to your outlet on both sides.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is “Dryer Buddy” a product type or one company’s product?
It began as one brand’s name and is now used loosely for the category. Compare devices by what they are — listed automatic sharing switches.
Does the switch need an electrician to install?
Plug-in models are sold as plug-in devices; adding one is not new wiring. But the outlet and circuit deserve an electrician’s check first — their condition, not the switch, is the usual risk in an older laundry room. Our guide to breaker sizes for EV chargers explains the ratings involved.
When is a dedicated circuit the better buy instead?
When the car must refill a long daily drive nightly, when the dryer runs most evenings, or when the outlet’s condition is doubtful. A dedicated circuit removes the sharing altogether — our comparison of hardwired vs plug-in chargers covers that end state.
Related Reading
- Can I Plug a Level 2 Charger Into a Dryer Outlet?
- Is a NEMA 14-50 a Dryer Outlet? And Can You Convert a 10-30?
- What Size Breaker Do I Need for an EV Charger?
- EV Charger Hardwired vs Plug-In: Which Should You Choose?
