Electrical Circuit Requirements for a Clothes Dryer
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How to Installing a Clothes Dryer Electrical Circuit – A typical 240 volt electric power circuit and the dryer cord wiring system. © By: Dave Rongey |
Electric Clothes Dryer Circuit Requirements
[ad#block]Electrical Question: Can 8 gauge wire and a 40 amp breaker be used for a clothes dryer circuit, the material was left over from a previous job?
This electrical wiring question came from: Jamin, a Contractor from Owasso, Oklahoma
Additional Comments: This website is extremely helpful!
Dave’s Reply:
Thanks for your electrical wiring question Jamin
How to Installing a Clothes Dryer Electrical Circuit
- A typical electric clothes dryer requires a dedicated 30 amp 240 volt 4-wire circuit which is supplied by a 10/3 copper cable with a ground.
Sizing the Circuit Breaker for a Clothes Dryer
- In this case where a larger cable were to be installed, such as a 8/4 copper with ground, then the circuit breaker would still need to be sized to the electrical circuit specifications of the dryer, which is generally 30 amps 240 volts which will then be accurately sized to provide the necessary protection for the dryer’s internal wiring, including the 30 amp 240 volt 4-wire cord which will be installed.
RESOURCES
Wiring a Dryer for 3-Wire and 4-Wire Cords
3-Wire and 4-Wire Configurations for Clothes Dryers
See an electric dryer installation with a typical 240 volt electric power circuit and the dryer cord wiring system. You may find yourself with either a 3-wire or 4-wire electric dryer, or a 3-wire or 4-wire outlet. Lets look a how the electric dryer is wired and what to do if your cord does not match the plug.
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