How to Install Electrical Dryer Receptacles
Large electrical clothes dryers require a 220-volt receptacle that must be on a circuit separate from the rest of a home's wiring. Since the installation is going to be in a finished home, a recessed receptacle is suggested. A recessed receptacle requires a larger hole in the wall than a flush-mounted receptacle. The larger hole makes it easier to run a cable through the wall. Does this Spark an idea?
Things You'll Need
- Stud finder
- Switch box
- Drill
- Reciprocating or keyhole saw
- Flashlight
- Fish tape
- Needle-nosed pliers
- 10-3 non-metallic sheathed cable with ground wire
- Electrician pliers
- 2 wire strippers or sharp pocket knives
- Electrical tape
- Outlet box
- Wire nuts
- 16d nails
- 2 Madison hangers
- Dryer receptacle and cover
- Voltage meter
Instructions
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Getting Electricity to the Receptacle
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1
Locate the studs in the wall and make a pencil mark where you want to place the receptacle. The receptacle should be located as close to a stud as possible without being on it. The closer to a stud, the more secure the receptacle will be.
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2
Place the face of a switch box against the wall at your mark and trace around it. Drill holes inside the corners of the drawing. The holes should be large enough to insert the blade tip of a reciprocating or keyhole saw. Saw along the lines of the drawing to create a space for the receptacle.
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3
Take off the inside cover of the breaker box and determine whether the circuits run from the breakers into the attic or whether they run under the main flooring. If the wiring is in the attic, go into the attic and find where the cables feed through the wall down to the breaker box. If there is room, run fish tape along one of the wires down through the wall. If there is not enough room, drill an additional hole.
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4
Continue pushing the fish tape down the inside the wall until it strikes the top of the breaker box. An assistant at the breaker box needs to remove a knockout panel and watch for the end of the tape. When it appears, the person needs to grab the tape with needle-nosed pliers and pull it through the hole.
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5
Once the end of the fish tape is inside the breaker box, the helper should take 10-3 non-metallic sheathed cable and strip about 6 inches of coating from all three wires. Thread the bare ends of the wire through the eye on the fish tape and bend them back against themselves. Wrap electrical tape around the entire connection to form a smooth continuous joint. Pull the fish tape up the inside of the wall into the attic, bringing the cable with it. Your helper can feed the cable through the hole in the top of the breaker box.
The same procedure is used if the circuits run under the house.
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6
If it is a long way across the attic to where the dryer is to be installed, you might want to install an octagon outlet box. The roll of remaining cable can be brought into the attic and spliced to the wire from the breaker box.The splice must be done inside the outlet box.
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7
Ask your helper to stand at the hole for the receptacle and tap on the wall to direct you to the spot. Once you are sure that you are in the right place, drill a hole in the wall large enough to accommodate the cable. Measure and cut the amount of cable needed to complete the installation. Push the end of the cable down inside the wall.
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8
Your helper needs to pull the end of the cable into the room where the receptacle will be installed; a straightened coat hanger may be needed to catch the end of the wire. Punch a hole in a switch box, loosen the cable clamp, thread the cable into the box and re-tighten the clamp. Fit the box into the hole with the ears against the wall. Insert two Madison hangers into the wall and bend the fingers tightly around the sides of the box.
Making the Connections
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9
Connect a red or black wire to each of the brass terminals in the dryer receptacle. Connect the white wire to the silver terminal and the green or bare copper wire to the green screw or terminal.
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10
Push the receptacle into the switch box and secure it with the two screws. If a cover plate is not attached to the receptacle, attach a separate one.
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11
In the breaker box, connect the red and black wires to a 220-volt breaker or two 110-volt breakers. Connect the white wire to the neutral bar where additional white wires are attached. Connect the green or bare copper wire to the other bare wires. When all connections have been made, insert the breaker into the proper slots and turn it on. Put the cover back on the inside of the box and close the outer cover.
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1
Tips & Warnings
The person at the breaker box has to work very carefully to avoid touching anything inside the box, or letting the fish tape touch anything. Serious electrical shock could result from touching a bare wire or terminal. If you feel uncomfortable completing this project, call a licensed electrician.
