My son in law's house does not have a 220V outlet. How do I find out if it is possible to install a 220V outlet? Or are there houses where it is not possible to install one at all? What all is involved in installing a 220V outlet?
Any help will be appreciated.
Please be very very careful it sounds as if you have not much experience doing this. this could kill you...
Nothing of that scale is impossible.
If the house is in the USA, it's exremely unlikely that it won't have
230 volts coming into it from the electric utility.What it takes to get that voltage from where it enters the house and connects to the main panel to where the new outlet needs to be can range from a simple one hour job to a heavy duty one depending on things like how far away from that panel the outlet is needed, whether there's room left in the panel for another circuit breaker, and how much patching up of walls and ceilings might have to be done if the path to a remote location requires making some holes in them to gain access.
The best person to tell SOL that is an electrician. Tell him to get a quote or two.
HTH,
Jeff
In most cases, an electrician can put another circuit breaker in the panel, and run a wire to where the dryer is. Put on a socket.
Most all the houses I've worked on can have a dryer socket. The one time I couldn't put in a dryer socket was a house where the cellar was finished, and I didn't have the skills to snake a wire diagnonally across the cellar to the circuit panel box.
Not a dificult job, but you should call someone who is experienced with electricity.
Take a look outside. Are there three big wires coming in? That would indicate 240V Is the home new enough to have breakers, that would indicate
240V is available also.If you have to ask this question, I hope you are not planning to put in that outlet yourself. While it is somewhat straight forward work, usually, it does not really allow for errors. Of course if you are just making sure that you will be able to have a 240V outlet installed by a professional, after he buys that new dryer, then good for you. Asking first is wise.
If you really do want to do it yourself and we have not convinced you not to, then find a friend with experience with this kind of work and get a good book on the subject and have them help you do the work.
It's easy:
Adding a single, 120VAC branch circuit requires prior experience, knowledge and skill.
Adding a 240VAC branch circuit requires even more prior experience, knowledge and skill.
I recommend a book by H. P. Richter, "Wiring Simplified".
Jim Redelfs wrote: ...
Good book and good advice.
Nsaikia and all those who ask this type of question. Please remember we don't know you and don't know your skills. We can only respond based on the question you asked and the way you asked it. We do not mean to be insulting, but we do mean to protect those who might consider doing your own wiring without risk.
I find it interesting some responses say hire a contractor. This ignores the minor detail we all had to learn sometime....
there are good books, and knowledgable friends too:)
Agreed. But it is a reasonable assumption that the person asking the question DOESN'T HAVE a knowledgeable friend or good book, otherwise they would probably not be asking here.
Such innocent (and apparently ignorant) questions beg more questions: Have they ever swapped-out a circuit breaker? Have they even ever removed the front cover of the panel? Do they realize that using terms like "socket" instead of the more appropriate "receptacle" or even "outlet" raises the eyebrows of other, more qualified readers?
Electrical and gas work is hardly the domain of novices. Only the most confident, informed and experienced do-it-yourselfers should consider performing such work as a mistake can KILL and destroy property. Plumbing, maybe. Carpentry, sure. Low-voltage wiring, piece of cake. A mistake in these areas is rarely life-threatening.
Asking, in an internet newsgroup, HOW to determine if 240VAC is simply PRESENT implies a level of ignorance that precludes considering doing all but the most simple of electrical repairs.
My point is immediately and in some cases demeangily teling them pick up phone dial number isnt a friendly response....
Some times is the most friendly response.
I agree with that completely.
It is still true that, "Fools rush in where angels dare to tread."
There's a reason why electrical installation codes were developed and are enforced. Humans can't usually see, hear or smell electricity, so there's not many warnings given to them before an incorrect or sloppy job turns into a disaster.
I'd rather risk someone taking my response about hiring a pro as an insult than have them thank me for correct information which they can't understand or correctly follow.
And to Jim R. who said "plumbing maybe", I'd agree except for situations involving waste traps and proper drain venting. In those areas, there's a possiblility that an incorrect job could lead to serious biological or (long shot) an explosive hazard.
Just my .02,
Jeff
Speaking harshly to someone who's trying to get themselves killed may not seem friendly, but it's better than giving them an answer they're not equipped to use safely, and letting them fry themselves.
It requires knowledge, a respect for the hazards, a certain amount of intelligence, and a willingness to do the groundwork to safely mess around with household electrical systems.
If we conclude from the post that the querant has the latter three and not the first, we're generally willing to help. If he/she/it is lacking any of the latter three, then they shouldn't be messing with house wiring, and they get told so.
If the question is one that can be answered without too much effort, they sometimes get that, too. The OP in this thread clearly requires more help than can conveniently be provided in a usenet posting.
If he's only trying do do this one thing, then it will be easier, safer, and (after buying the necessary tools) nearly as cheap just to hire someone to come do it.
If the OP intends to be doing more home wiring in the future, then he clearly needs to spend some time working through a book on house wiring, and stop looking like he's trying to skate through with the minimal amount of information possible to get a working solution, without actually doing any of that painful learning shit.
--Goedjn
You are, of course, correct.
However, the demeanor of this particular newsgroup is benign by comparison to some others I frequent. In those groups, the replies would go something like this:
You're kidding, right? Only a blithering IDIOT would ask such STUPID questions. You're gonna kill yourself, possibly others and burn down the house. Call a contractor and get a life, you moron!
But, folks are MUCH more polite and considerate here. (Thank God)
My [pick up the phone, dial the number, etc] reply was probably more condescending than it should have been. Hopefully, however, it conveyed the seriousness of the topic.
Keep up the good work, folks. This group is a breath of fresh air that is increasingly rare in usenet.
You're right. I conveyed my "plumbing maybe" remark to my plumber/friend and his response was virtually the same.
I'm not a mechanic but I can rebuild a V8 engine just fine. It's the coffee can full of left over parts that concerns me, though.
ARGH!! [sputter] [ROFL]
It is 2006, after all. Hehehehe!
You will need to install a 220V breaker, which looks like two single breakers with the "switches" locked together. You may already have some in the breaker box for other things, like an electric stove. If you have two empty adjacent breaker slots, you can install a 220V breaker, which means you can install a 220V outlet.
John
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