Shore Power at Home

The friendliest place on the web for anyone with an RV or an interest in RVing!
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
John In Detroit said:
I have seen quite a few dryer instalations and every one I've seen all three lines were the same

Thanks John, I just wasn't sure. I read somewhere, but don't recall where, that it's legit to install a dryer circuit with a smaller gauge neutral wire. I'm not familiar with the relevant code, so I figured I'd better state it as a concern.
 
If a dryer is working properly, there would be no current in the neutral, but if one side failed, then the neutral would carry the full current of the remaining hot side.  Common sense would say make all 3 wires the same gauge.
 
Ned, that would make sense if the neutral was connected. IIRC the dryer element is only connected across the two hot wires. If that's true, if the element failed there would be zero current drawn by it. Assuming the controls are 110V, they're not going to draw enough current to need a large diameter neutral wire.

If this discussion keeps up, I'm going to have to dismantle my dryer and the receptacle  ;D
 
You may be correct, I've never looked inside a dryer to see how it was wired.  Maybe we can take yours apart tomorrow :)
 
Ned said:
Maybe we can take yours apart tomorrow

Only if you know how to put it back together. I'll need to see your contractors license and your insurance  ;D
 
OK, you bring the flashlight and I'll find a screwdriver (the metal kind).
 
Tom said:
Ned, that would make sense if the neutral was connected. IIRC the dryer element is only connected across the two hot wires. If that's true, if the element failed there would be zero current drawn by it. Assuming the controls are 110V, they're not going to draw enough current to need a large diameter neutral wire.

If this discussion keeps up, I'm going to have to dismantle my dryer and the receptacle? ;D

You forget that there are motors in that dryer, and in home dryers those motors are generally 120 volt motors (there are at least 2) there may also be lightbulbs and the like, also 120 volt.

Also, the failure of the dryer element may be an open, or it may be a "short to ground" and if that is the case you want that nuteral wire (and/or the safety ground) to be able to take everything the hot wires can give it cause a blown breaker/fuse is the only thing between you and "Dearly beloved we are gatered here today to remember our dearly departed friend ____(your name here)____"
 
John In Detroit said:
You forget that there are motors in that dryer

Actually, I didn't forget. The heating element is by far the largest current draw in a dryer.

Also, the failure of the dryer element may be an open, or it may be a "short to ground" and if that is the case you want that nuteral wire (and/or the safety ground) to be able to take everything the hot wires can give it

If it's a short to ground, it's going to flow in the ground wire and it won't flow for long before something trips.

I'll let you give Ned CPR if I'm wrong.
 
On second thought, maybe the manual has a schematic.
 
If it's a short to ground, it's going to flow in the ground wire and it won't flow for long before something trips
Not necessarily.? If the heating element opens near it's center (the zero voltage point) and one of the broken ends touches one of the dryer's grounded metal parts you will have the element's full rated current or even a bit more flowing in the ground wire.? The breaker won't trip unless the resistance is low enough to draw excessive current, and the only operating symptom will be less than normal heat from the dryer as only half of it's heating element is energized - from one hot leg to the ground short.
 
Understood Lou. But, in your scenario, there's still no contribution to the current in the neutral wire from the heating element, which is the point I was trying to make.
 
Tom said:
Actually, I didn't forget. The heating element is by far the largest current draw in a dryer.

If it's a short to ground, it's going to flow in the ground wire and it won't flow for long before something trips.

I'll let you give Ned CPR if I'm wrong.

I do agree the heating element is the biggest load... My point however is this... Should it short to ground, if you have "skimped" on the ground & Nuteral wirew it is not so much the shock danger, but the fact that if the wire is too small and too long the breaker may well not blow, the wire may well become the heat element and then the song you will be singing is "Burning down the house"
 
No disagreement John, but I've not mentioned a smaller ground wire anywhere in the discussion. I merely related to something I'd read about dryer receptacles being installed with a smaller neutral wire, which is why I raised the flag about assuming it was "safe" to plug an RV into a dryer receptacle. Your prior message confirmed that you haven't seen any installations with a smaller neutral wire and, in those cases, there shouldn't be a problem.

No, I haven't (yet) dismantled my dryer receptacle at home to find out what size wire they used  ;D  Wish I could recall where I read that comment.
 

Latest posts

Forum statistics

Threads
131,749
Posts
1,384,225
Members
137,520
Latest member
jeep3501
Back
Top Bottom