# Dryer not heating? Check the power wiring.



## AxlMyk (Jun 13, 2006)

The electric dryer stopped heating. So I dragged it away from the wall, after unplugging it, and took the back off. Checked the wiring diagram and proceeded to trace the problem. All the switches and high temps checked ok.
Put the back on and plugged it in. Turned the breaker on and tried it. Heat! Great, I fixed it.

Pushed it back to the wall and connected the exhaust hose and cable, and told Wifey it was ok.

She did a load of laundry, put it in the dryer, no heat. Well ding dang it.

Slept on it one night and thought to check the 240 volts.
Opened the breaker box by the dryer plug and got 120 on one leg. OK, problem found. Proceeded to check the breaker connections and things started to fall apart. Literally. The connectors were all cooked. It was a fire waiting to happen.

Since I had it connected to another breaker in the main panel, I ran the wire directly to the plug. Dryer works now, safely.


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## dustmaker (May 18, 2009)

Mike, you are a fortunate soul to have found this before the impending disaster! A friend of mine just lost his storage shed to a fire caused by faulting wiring.


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## CanuckGal (Nov 26, 2008)

All I'm gonna say is YIKES!!!
Good catch!


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## jw2170 (Jan 24, 2008)

AxlMyk said:


> The electric dryer stopped heating. So I dragged it away from the wall, after unplugging it, and took the back off. Checked the wiring diagram and proceeded to trace the problem. All the switches and high temps checked ok.
> Put the back on and plugged it in. Turned the breaker on and tried it. Heat! Great, I fixed it.
> 
> Pushed it back to the wall and connected the exhaust hose and cable, and told Wifey it was ok.
> ...


Nice pickup Mike,

Do you guys in US normally find it a problem running two voltages in the house wiring?

We only have to worry about 240v here in Australia?

James


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## Cassandra (Mar 15, 2006)

Hi James:

Running two voltages in the house wiring is not a significant issue. Most loads are set up for the 120V voltage and plug into the usual sockets. A few loads (e.g. stove, clothes dryer, and workshop loads) have a different socket or are direct wired. Distribution panels (breaker panels) are designed to facilitate the dual system.

Cassandra


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## AxlMyk (Jun 13, 2006)

James;
If we only had 240 volts, there would be too many stupid people electrocuting themselves.


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## cbsjoez1935 (Mar 14, 2007)

James,

Any 240 Volt line can be broken down to two 120 Volt lines. The problem here, in the USA, is that we are running at 60 cycles (OOps, showing my age); I mean 60 Hertz. If we converted to 240/50 all the TV manufacturers would love it, since none of our older TVs would work right (NTSC thing)

Joe Z.


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## Cassandra (Mar 15, 2006)

cbsjoez1935 said:


> James,
> 
> Any 240 Volt line can be broken down to two 120 Volt lines. The problem here, in the USA, is that we are running at 60 cycles (OOps, showing my age); I mean 60 Hertz. If we converted to 240/50 all the TV manufacturers would love it, since none of our older TVs would work right (NTSC thing)
> 
> Joe Z.


 Hi Joe:

With regards to modern day TVs, there is little likelihood that LCD, Plasma or LED set could care less about the input line frequency. Add in the HD or ATSC system and line frequency becomes even less important.

Now, all those clocks, motor loads and other frequency-dependent devices would be a problem. Decades ago (1950s, I think), Canada switched from 25 cycles to 60 cycles (that's before we got to Hertz), and all the motors had to be converted. 

My father's clock in the living room was given to my parents by the hydro commission, to replace the old 25-cycle clock. Darn thing just keeps on going around -- over 50 years of reliable service!

Cassandra


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## jw2170 (Jan 24, 2008)

AxlMyk said:


> James;
> If we only had 240 volts, there would be too many stupid people electrocuting themselves.


Mike, I would not like to try it, but 110 probably kicks like a mule, 240 kicks like a mustang......

Both will hurt if they hit you in the head...LOL

Are you suggesting that 110 volt is safer if you cross the poles?

James


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## BigJimAK (Mar 13, 2009)

The way US single-phase 240VAC works is that each pole is 120V to neutral (ground). They are just 180* out of phase so, if you measure the voltage between the two hots, you get 240VAC. With a 4-wire circuit (2 hots, 1 neutral, 1 ground) like you see in stoves, the device has both 120VAc and 240VAC available.


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Hi 

I play in the hot boxes all the time of 120 volt and I have been bit many times but I will not play in the 240 volt hot box it will kill you with one bite  you body is like a amp.magnet..and will suck it up..

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jw2170 said:


> Mike, I would not like to try it, but 110 probably kicks like a mule, 240 kicks like a mustang......
> 
> Both will hurt if they hit you in the head...LOL
> 
> ...


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## jw2170 (Jan 24, 2008)

bobj3 said:


> Hi
> 
> I play in the hot boxes all the time of 120 volt and I have been bit many times but I will not play in the 240 volt hot box it will kill you with one bite  you body is like a amp.magnet..and will suck it up..
> 
> ====


BJ,

we all know you have a charmed life....LOL

James


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