# 4 Prong Dryer Outlet & Breaker Installation



## Dierte (Jan 23, 2011)

As long as the panel is the first means of disconnect for your service then you are ok. Why a 50 amp for a dryer and by heavy gauge copper what size do you mean?


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## rrolleston (Oct 17, 2011)

What will you be running on this circuit and what size wire are you using?


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## k_buz (Mar 22, 2012)

You can't have a dryer on a 50A circuit. It would have to be 30A.


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## flipjarg (Nov 29, 2008)

Dierte said:


> Why a 50 amp for a drye...


We just had one there at the time and decided to use that instead of buying a new one.



rrolleston said:


> What will you be running on this circuit and what size wire are you using?


The only thing running on this circuit is the dryer. I shouldn't have said heavy... it is only 10 gauge.




rrolleston said:


> You can't have a dryer on a 50A circuit. It would have to be 30A.


Even if we are only running a dryer on it and that's it? We will never be running anything else on it.


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## k_buz (Mar 22, 2012)

Also, to switch over from a 3 wire to 4 wire recept properly you have to remove the bonding strap in the dryers wiring compartment.


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## k_buz (Mar 22, 2012)

To properly protect the dryer is has to be on a 30 A circuit.


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## flipjarg (Nov 29, 2008)

k_buz said:


> Also, to switch over from a 3 wire to 4 wire recept properly you have to remove the bonding strap in the dryers wiring compartment.


Are you talking about if I switched the plug-in on the dryer from 3 to 4 prong? We purchased the dryer with a 4 prong plug-in already installed.


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## k_buz (Mar 22, 2012)

10 AWG is only rated for 30 amps...not 50.

To properly protect the dryer, it must be on a 30 amp breaker


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## k_buz (Mar 22, 2012)

I have wired many a dryer where the preinstalled 4 wire cord was improperly installed.


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## flipjarg (Nov 29, 2008)

Thank you for the info. I just watched the video on this page (http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/circuit-breaker.htm) and what you are saying makes total sense. I will take inside the wiring compartment in the dryer just to be sure.


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## rrolleston (Oct 17, 2011)

Unless this is a 50 amp dryer with 50 amp receptacle and cord with #6 copper wire it could be really dangerous and you should replace the breaker with a 30 amp breaker.

Also did you have a 4 wire feed where the dryer receptacle is?

If the panel has a separate neutral and ground bar for example in a sub panel they must remain separate.


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## flipjarg (Nov 29, 2008)

rrolleston said:


> Unless this is a 50 amp dryer with 50 amp receptacle and cord with #6 copper wire it could be really dangerous and you should replace the breaker with a 30 amp breaker.
> 
> Also did you have a 4 wire feed where the dryer receptacle is?


Thanks for the input... its nice to see two people agree. I will definitely switch the breaker to a 30amp. There was no dryer in this spot before so I wired the receptacle/outlet.

So... from what I have learned from this thread... the new picture (attached) is correct.... right?


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## jbfan (Jul 1, 2004)

k_buz said:


> 10 AWG is only rated for 30 amps...not 50.
> 
> To properly protect the dryer, it must be on a 30 amp breaker


The breaker is in place to protect the wiring, not the dryer!


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## jbfan (Jul 1, 2004)

flipjarg said:


> Thanks for the input... its nice to see two people agree. I will definitely switch the breaker to a 30amp. There was no dryer in this spot before so I wired the receptacle/outlet.
> 
> So... from what I have learned from this thread... the new picture (attached) is correct.... right?


That is correct.
Make sure that the bonding strap is disconnected from the neutral inside the dryer, like k_buz mentioned above.


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## k_buz (Mar 22, 2012)

jbfan said:


> The breaker is in place to protect the wiring, not the dryer!


Then why would an appliance spec a max circuit size? If what you say is true, you could wire a dryer on a 50 amp circuit if the branch circuit is appropriately wired.


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## flipjarg (Nov 29, 2008)

When you say "Make sure that the bonding strap is disconnected from the neutral inside the dryer" does the attached photo look correct then? I do not see a bonding strap on the neutral. However, take a look at the photo... I think it looks okay but there are two neutral wires there.


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## a7ecorsair (Jun 1, 2010)

k_buz said:


> Then why would an appliance spec a max circuit size? If what you say is true, you could wire a dryer on a 50 amp circuit if the branch circuit is appropriately wired.


Question: Is it permissable to have a 30 amp 120/240 receptacle on a 240V 50 amp circuit?


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## a7ecorsair (Jun 1, 2010)

flipjarg said:


> When you say "Make sure that the bonding strap is disconnected from the neutral inside the dryer" does the attached photo look correct then? I do not see a bonding strap on the neutral. However, take a look at the photo... I think it looks okay but there are two neutral wires there.


Looks good at this end..


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## brric (Mar 5, 2010)

flipjarg said:


> Thanks for the input... its nice to see two people agree. I will definitely switch the breaker to a 30amp. There was no dryer in this spot before so I wired the receptacle/outlet.
> 
> So... from what I have learned from this thread... the new picture (attached) is correct.... right?


The pictured receptacle is NOT a 30 amp dryer receptacle.


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## k_buz (Mar 22, 2012)

a7ecorsair said:


> Question: Is it permissable to have a 30 amp 120/240 receptacle on a 240V 50 amp circuit?


Not unless there was supplemental protection specifically for that recept


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## sublime2 (Mar 21, 2012)

The wire clamp does not look right on the back of the dryer.
Looks like the lock screws are the only thing holding that cable from falling into the back of the dryer.


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## Jim Port (Sep 21, 2007)

sublime2 said:


> The wire clamp does not look right on the back of the dryer.
> Looks like the lock screws are the only thing holding that cable from falling into the back of the dryer.


That is a Tomic connector. Looks fine to me.


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## rrolleston (Oct 17, 2011)

sublime2 said:


> The wire clamp does not look right on the back of the dryer.
> Looks like the lock screws are the only thing holding that cable from falling into the back of the dryer.


Those clamps work fine. Sometimes when replacing a cord I have to use a romex connector because the previous person did not install the one that came with it. They must just toss it out thinking it's a spare part.


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