watts

I need help with wiring an outlet for my dryer. I have an existing 220 recept. in a closet (used to be a kitchenette) that was used for a stove. I would like to move this 220 to my laundry room to power my dryer. I have an electric dryer, house has gas hook ups. the room is about 15 feet away. but here's the problem. the wire is ran on it's own circuit from the box, through the attic and down the wall. I would like to run the new wire through the crawl, much easier, and up through the floor to the laundry room. Can i "extend the wire" to the crawl, the run it over to the laundry room? Or, is it better to just take the existing wire out and re run it to the laundry room. what's the best way to do this? Or should i just say "to heck with it" and buy a gas dryer? I move in in 2 weeks, need to get this solved. I won't need the 220 where it's at right now. so i need to move it. Any suggestions?

travelover

I'll let the electricians speak to wiring / building code , but one consideration is that gas dryers are a lot cheaper to run. If you already own the electric dryer, I guess you'd want to keep it.

watts

really? I wouldn't mind getting one, for the sake of avoiding the wiring, especially if they're cheaper to run. I didn't know that...

CraigFL

This may not be true anymore. It used to be true because they made gas artificially cheap to get the business. Now, for example, in Florida the cost per equivalent energy unit is the same based on about 85% efficiency. They have upped the price so that gas appliances at an 85% efficiency cost about the same to operate as electric appliances (which are essentially 100% efficient). Of course if you have a higher efficiency unit, it may be slightly less expensive to run.

Check your local gas and electric prices to compare....

glennjanie

Hello Watts:
Yes, you can extend the wire to the crawl space. Make your splice with wire nuts, inside a junction box, put a blank cover on it and add another box to mount the new receptacle in. It is possible to connect the new dryer with the 3 wires to the screw connections on the dryer. That way you save a box, a receptcale and dryer cord.
Glenn

speedy petey

If this circuit is an old "ungrounded" 3-wire cable you CAN NOT extend it. A new circuit, OR an extended existing circuit MUST be a "4-wire" circuit.

Also, you cannot simply hard wire a dryer, unless of course it is sitting near the breaker panel. You need a form of disconnect. The most common by far is the old standby plug and receptacle setup.

How old is the house? Can you tell us exactly what the cable is?

travelover

These web sites might help:

http://michaelbluejay.com/electricity/gas.html

http://www.jimcarson.com/2005/12/gas-versus-electric-dryer-ii/

watts

The house was built in 1990, but the existing wiring was added in the late 90's. I'm not sure on the type of wiring, although it's big and twisty looking? Like i said, it was there to supply a stove. So, i'll just get some of the same wiring, connect it with wire nuts, cover it with a box, run the new wire to the crawl and up to the laundry room and make my connections for the receptical. would that be sufficient, provided the wiring is up to code? Hopefully so and i'll have myself a weekend project....

speedy petey

Just be careful making the splices. It is not an easy DIY thing to splice wire that big.
Also the breaker would have to be changed to a two-pole 30.

handyman

i agree with glennjamies reply & also speedy peteys of having a2-pole 30 breaker but i would imagine that there was already a 2-pole 30 or 40-amp breaker installed for the stove...hope this helps......handyman