How to Wire a Dryer Outlet
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I had a problem with my dryer outlet so I rewired it and now the dryer does not work, how can I fix my dryer? Electric Dryer Outlet Problems and How to Fix Them, Problems with Dryer Outlet Wiring, Electric Dryer Circuit Wiring. © By: Dave Rongey |
Electric Dryer Outlet
Electrical Question: I had a problem with my dryer outlet so I rewired it and now the dryer does not work.
- 220 Volt Dryer Outlet
The wire on my dryer started burning next to the box on the electrical outlet. I changed the wire on the dryer and the 220volt outlet on the wall. - Dryer Did Not Work
I plugged it in and the dryer didn’t work. I bought a circuit tester and the tester proved that there was electricity coming from the 220 volt outlet. So I bought a new dryer and when I plugged it in, the new dryer did not work. - New Replacement Dryer Did Not Work
The company send me out a new dryer, when it arrived, I plugged it in and that didn’t work either. - Replaced the Dryer Circuit Breaker
I bought a new circuit breaker, and that didn’t work either. - Dryer Outlet Wiring
Should I cross the wires up on the 220 volt outlet? I’m afraid that if I do so that I could start a fire or I could burn or damage the dryer. What could be possibly wrong.
Please guide me or help me with this matter.
Thanks in advance.
This home electrical wiring question came from Tyrone.
Thanks for your electrical troubleshooting question Tyrone and Wayne.
Wiring an Electric Dryer Outlet
Application: Electric Wiring for a 220Volt Dryer Cord and Dryer Outlet.
Skill Level: Intermediate to Advanced. This electrical wiring project is best performed by a Licensed Electrical Contractor or Certified Electrician.
Tools Required: Basic Electricians Pouch Hand Tools and a Voltage Tester.
Estimated Time: Depends on personal level experience, ability to work with tools and the available access to the dryer cord electrical connection box.
Important: Identify the dryer circuit, turn it OFF and Tag it with a Note before working with the dryer receptacle outlet or cord wiring.
Dave’s Reply:
Problems with 220 Volt Electric Dryer Outlets and How to Fix Them
CAUTION:
With a problem such as this the dryer circuit should be turned OFF and the dryer should NOT be plugged in until the wiring has been corrected because incorrect wiring of a 220 volt dryer outlet may result in a Electrical Shock Hazard.
How to Evaluate and Correct a Problem with the Dryer Circuit
- Inspect and Repair the Circuit Wiring of the Dryer Outlet It is stated in this question that the wire on the dryer started burning next to the box on the electrical outlet, therefore it is essential to determine the cause which resulted in the burnt wire at the outlet.
- The dryer circuit and wiring components should all be carefully examined to discover the fault, and then repairs should be performed as need. The following information will describe the typical wiring of a dryer circuit and receptacle outlet.
Wiring Connections for a 220 Volt Dryer Outlet
- Verify the Wiring Connections to the Dryer Outlet It is very possible that when the dryer receptacle was rewired that the wiring assignments are not correct.
- The wiring should be corrected using a voltage tester to positively identify each wire of the dryer circuit if the wires are not already clearly marked or indicated. Once the circuit wires have been identified then the connections to the dryer receptacle must be checked to make sure the receptacle is wired correctly.
- 220 Volt Dryer Circuit
Electric dryers that are 220 volts typically require a dedicated 30 amp circuit containing a 4-wire circuit for new installations, and older homes may have a 3-wire circuit. The 3-wire 240 volt circuit has one ground wire and two power wires, Line 1 and Line 2, of 120 volts each when testing the Line to ground, and 240 volts when tested Line 1 to Line 2. The 4-wire 240 volt circuit is the same as the 3-wire circuit except that it has a separate Neutral wire, which makes this a 4-wire circuit. 4-Wire circuits are required for most new electric dryers, however they may be adapted for use with some older 3-wire dryers. - Wiring a 240 Volt Dryer Receptacle On each of these 30 amp 240 volt dryer receptacle outlets there will be indications for the terminals where the circuit wires are to be located: The Line 1 wire is attached to the terminal with the X designation. The Line 2 wire is attached to the terminal with the Y designation. NOTE: Some brands of 240 volt outlets may specify Line 1 and Line 2. The ground wire is attached to the terminal with the GREEN, Vert or the Ground Symbol The Neutral wire is attached to the terminal designated as White or Blanc.
- Ground Fault Protection
- Ground Fault protection is required for all receptacle outlets that are installed in a laundry room. This includes 240 volt or 250 volt 30 amp electric clothes dryer receptacle outlets. NOTE: GFCI ground fault protection may be supplied by a GFCI circuit breaker.
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