#Gauge wire for 30 amp breaker code

#Gauge wire for 30 amp breaker code

Keep in mind that the National Electric Code (NEC) expects your dyer to be on a dedicated circuit and have a minimum of a 30 amp breaker. The 240-volt circuit is needed for the power and heating elements of the dryer. You need the 120-volt circuit for the dryer timers, sensors, and electronics. The 4-prong outlet is wired for a 120/240-volt circuit.

This can prevent you from wiring the dryer circuits incorrectly. Your first order of business is to hire an experienced electrician. Wiring Needed For A 4-Prong OutletĬonverting your electrical outlet to a 4-prong dryer outlet can be done fairly easily. The lower you go in gauge number the thicker the wire. If your dryer requires 40 amps circuit, then you are needing a thicker 8 gauge wire. If your dryer requires 30 amps circuit, then the wire gauge will be 10 gauge. Keep in mind that some clothes dryers vary in their amp needs. Your wire gauge is going to vary depending on the amps required for your clothes dryer, the size of your circuit breaker, and the size of the dryer cord. Lastly, the packaging for any setup under 15 feet will read as “10-3 NM cable” or an 8 gauge wire reading “8-3 NM cable.” The packaging label allows you to make sense of what is needed and how it works with your electric dryer unit. However, that is because the manufacturer leaves off the green ground wire in the number count. Keep in mind that when purchasing a cable for your clothes dryer the package might read three-wire cable. The wire breakdown within the non-metallic cable (NM-cable) is one ground wire, one neutral wire, and two hot wires (red and black). Because a clothes dryer needs wires that carry a 120-volt and a 240-volt the actual wiring type is unique that it has four wires in it. This is due to the many working parts within a clothes dryer. What Cable Type Do I Useīelieve it or not, a clothes dryer has unique electrical requirements. Let’s take a look below at some more wire details. What size wire for dryer? Wire size will vary based on the manufacturer design for amps needed to operate the dryer. However, it is very important to understand what appliances require which electrical wiring in order to prevent house fires. How many homeowners actually know what the circuit breaker needs and what this all means? Can you talk about your appliances and their electrical requirements as you could talk about your home’s flooring? Probably not. Most homeowners build or buy a home and the electrical layout is an after-thought. One of the many areas of your home that you rarely think about is the electrical work. Pre-Offer Review, Evaluation, and Consultation.Manufactured Home Structural Certification.