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Dryer breaker

Nope , no label . It's now hooked up to a 30 amp breaker and runs just fine .

Reply to
Terry Coombs
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Instructions don't come with a used appliance .

Reply to
Terry Coombs

Hint: 120 volt motor in dryer and loss of neutral at panel.

If you can't figure it out now, tear up your "man card" and NEVER do any electrical work again.

Reply to
Wally

If for some reason you loose the ground that is also used as the neutral connection from the dryer to the breaker panel your dryer frame will become

120 volts above ground. Touch it while grounded and you will find out.

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Reply to
Ralph Mowery

But manuals are usually a search away...

Reply to
bob_villa

I did a web search on the model number , came up with nothing of use . Parts links and repair links , no user manuals or install requirements found .

Reply to
Terry Coombs

Immaterial; it the point is it gains virtually nothing in either safety or operation. Not that it isn't _marginally_ better, but there's a _long_ history that indicates it's a solution to an essentially non-existent problem.

Reply to
dpb

They were just trying to make the code more consistent. The only exceptions to the rule were dryers and ranges and since you were going to be using 10/3 Romex anyway, why not use the ground wire that was in there? As I said before there were other restrictions on this.

Reply to
gfretwell

I've seen a lot of 10/2 with ground used for driers in the past, and

8/2 for ranges YEARS ago.
Reply to
clare

I have seen stuff wired with lamp cord but that didn't make it legal.

The fact remains that the exception allowed the neutral to also be used for the ground and the neutral has always been required to be a white insulated conductor. The only time any of that would be legal these days is if it was truly a 240 only piece of equipment and you would use a 6-30r or 6-50r receptacle.

Of course if nobody is ever going to inspect it, this is just between you and your insurance company.

Reply to
gfretwell

Old kitchen ranges had no electronic controls and no 115 volt lights

- basically nothing that ran on 120 volts so no neutral was required. I'm talking 60-80 years back. when even a safety ground was almost unheard of. The first electric drier I ever saw was a 220 volt unit - including the motor. Not sure, it may have actually been a european unit - it was part of a set with a front load washer back in the mid '50s, and it was at a friend's farm (They were neighbours back in

1954)
Reply to
clare

Good point. ;-)

Reply to
micky

Marginally better is still better.

Reply to
Tony Hwang

Virtually all dryers have 120v timers and motors. I am not sure why since they are purpose built units but I assume it is just easier/cheaper for the timer to switch one ungrounded leg. A european unit will not have that issue since the 220v is line to neutral so they still only have to switch one leg. They would not be legal in the US for that reason.

I agree there were a lot of ranges that were 240v only in the olden days but by the 50s, convenience outlets, lights and clocks were common. They were/are 120v. These days, it is only cook tops that are 240 only.

Reply to
gfretwell

More than marginally. If you really feel that way, why run 23 wire to your receptacle outlets anywhere. Just tag the neutral.

The error in your ways will quickly become apparent when you are sitting on the garage floor with a metal cased tool in your hand. Any voltage drop in the neutral will be imposed on the tool's case.

Reply to
gfretwell

Yes, that remote possibility has always existed, for half a century. The point is the comment was made that it is "very dangerous". If it's very dangerous, why do dryers still ship configured for 3 wire cords? Why do the manufacturers give instructions for using it with 3 wire installs? Why is it still perfectly code compliant to install a new dryer with a

3 wire cord? There are lots of small safety improvements that have been made over the years, that doesn't make what was there previously very dangerous.
Reply to
trader_4

Some people might take that to mean the installation of a new dryer. Just to clarify, that's a new *circuit* installation. It's still code compliant to use a brand new dryer with a 3 wire cord on an existing 3 wire circuit and there are loads of them out there.

Reply to
trader_4

Every clothes drier I've seen used a double 30.

- . Christopher A. Young learn more about Jesus .

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Reply to
Stormin Mormon

The dryer plug will tell you a lot. The older driers used a three prong plug, the newer ones four prong.

In case of an older three prong, your 10/2wg works fine.

- . Christopher A. Young learn more about Jesus .

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Reply to
Stormin Mormon

Every new dryer I've seen can be used with either a 3 wire or 4 wire cord. They typically don't include a cord, because they don't know if you have a 3 wire or 4 wire receptacle, so you buy that separately.

It isn't fine, it's a code violation. Installation of a new dryer circuit requires 4 wires.

Reply to
trader_4

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