How do I Wire a Clothes Dryer From the Breaker to the Dryer?
Electric clothes dryers operate on 220 volts. The current protection rating is normally 30 amps. The data plate on the back of the dryer specifies the electrical circuit requirements. The requirements are specific to the model and size clothes dryer being installed. A dedicated circuit, running from the lighting panel to a 220-volt outlet, is necessary to safely operate the dryer. Does this Spark an idea?
Things You'll Need
- 30-amp double-pole circuit breaker
- Flat-head screwdriver
- Phillips screwdriver
- Wire strippers
- 10-gauge, 3-conductor appliance cable with ground
- Romex wire grip
- 1-inch hole saw
- Dryer plug
- Hammer
- Pliers
- Plastic anchors
- Wire cutter
- Power drill
Instructions
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1
Turn the main electrical breaker off. The main breaker--at the top of the lighting panel--disconnects incoming power to the entire panel. It is the largest breaker in the box.
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2
Plug a double-pole, 30-amp breaker into the lighting panel. Find two spare slots in the panel--one on top of the other--for the 30-amp breaker. Plug the breaker into the slot and tighten the attached screw with the appropriate screwdriver.
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3
Remove one of the spare knockouts from the side of the box. Place the tip of a screwdriver on the knockout and tap it with a hammer to remove it.
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4
Insert a Romex cable grip into the new hole from the outside. Screw the ring nut onto the cable grip from inside the box and tighten it to secure the grip in place, using pliers.
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5
Push the 10-gauge dryer cable through the cable grip and into the box. Strip 12 inches of insulation from the end of the cable to expose the four conductors, using the wire stripper.
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6
Loosen the terminal screws on the double-pole breaker with the appropriate screwdriver.
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7
Loosen a spare screw on both the ground bare and neutral bar. Identify the ground bar by the bare copper wires connected to it. The neutral bar connects all of the white insulated wires
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8
Strip 1/2 inch of insulation from the tip of the black, red, and white wires with wire strippers.
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9
Insert the bare copper wire into the ground bar screw previously loosened. Tighten the screw firmly onto the ground wire with the appropriate screwdriver. Do the same for the neutral wire into the neutral bar.
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10
Connect the black wire to either of the two terminals on the double-pole breaker. Insert the bare end of the wire into the screw clamp and tighten the screw. Do the same for the red wire on the second terminal of the breaker. Ensure both connections are tight by pulling out gently on the wires. If the wires remain in place, the connection is secure.
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11
Tighten the two screws on the wire grip with a flat-head screwdriver.
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12
Route the cable through the attic or crawl space to the back of the dryer.
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13
Drill a 1-inch hole in the wall in the location for the clothes dryer plug, using a 1-inch hole saw adapter and a power drill.
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14
Remove the cover from the 220-volt dryer outlet with a flat-head screwdriver. Loosen the screw and pull the cover off the outlet. A hole in the back of the outlet is for routing the dryer power cable.
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15
Fish the power cable through the wall and run it through the back of the dryer outlet. Place the outlet onto the wall and secure it in place with plastic wall anchors and a power drill.
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16
Cut the extra length of power cable off with a wire cutter, leaving 8 inches of cable for wiring to the plug.
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17
Strip back the outer sheath of the cable and separate the four conductors by hand. Take 1/2 inch of insulation off the tip of the three insulated wires.
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18
Loosen the four terminal screws on the dryer plug and insert each of the conductors into their respective terminal. The bare copper ground connects to the green screw clamp. The white insulated neutral connects to the center terminal clamp. The black and red conductor connects to either side of the plug into the copper screw clamps. The terminals for the black and the white wire are usually marked with an X and a Y to designate them as power terminals.
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19
Tighten the screw clamps with a flat-head screwdriver.
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20
Place the plug cover onto the plug and tighten the attached screw to secure the cover onto the plug.
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21
Plug the dryer cord into the receptacle and turn on the circuit breaker. Test the dryer for proper operation.
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Tips & Warnings
Use more electrical cable than estimated for the job to prevent coming up short.
References
- Photo Credit laundry dial image by Sirena Designs from Fotolia.com
