Any electricians in the house?

[glenn1]

We're closing today on an older house in St Louis city and there's no outlet for an electric dryer, only a gas hookup. Before trying to trade our existing electric dryer for a gas (or going out to buy a new one), wanted to figure out whether running the electric line would make more sense. Dryer would be in the basement, with a clean run to the electric panel (maybe 5 feet or so, basement isn't finished so running the wire would be easy). There's an open spot for another circuit, but the panel isn't that big (think it's only a 100 amp panel, but will double-check later today).

Given the above, anyone out there who has a sense of how much adding the 220 would be and give me a reality check on whether it makes sense to do it?

 

[Vette73]

Its very easy to do, esp if you don;t have to make any weird wall runs. Just do it yourself. I jsut got done putting in a new panel and intsalling 1 15amp set (2 outlets and light), 1 20amp outlet line, and 2 220 outlets for my Jointer and other 220 tools.

But make sure the panel can handle it. 100amp is not much being dryers can eat 20+ amp up easy. let alone the rest of the house.

How big is the house? Also what kind of breaker?

 

[MikeyIs4Dcats]

I'd would say given the information provided you probably do not have a large enough panel to add the 220 circuit.

 

[Vette73]

Originally posted by: MikeyIs4Dcats
I'd would say given the information provided you probably do not have a large enough panel to add the 220 circuit.

Yea that what I am worried about when I read. Maybe thats why it was gas as no need to update the panel.

OP I would look at the panel and if it is 100amp either upgrade the panel first or get a gas dryer. Now if oyu plan on doing any upgrades in the house and/or addons later then upgrading the panel would make good long term sense.

 

[MageXX9]

Super easy to do, and if you don't feel like doing it, it's such a simple run that having an electrician do it won't be much at all.

I'd call the sparky if you don't feel like doing it.

 

[OdiN]

Here's an idea. Call a local electrician and ask for a quote.

Damn, that was easy.

 

[DrPizza]

Originally posted by: OdiN
Here's an idea. Call a local electrician and ask for a quote.
Damn, that was easy.

Home Depot will see you the wire by the foot. The prices have been all over the place for copper; but I'd still guess less than $2 per foot. (Add about 3 feet to the distance you plan on the wire covering). You'll need a box for the outlet, the outlet, one of those (crud, what are they called? - the thing that screws into the hole in the breaker box to clamp down on your wire), and a 220V breaker which will require two available breaker spaces in your box. You'll need to attach the wire to the wall, and attach the box to the wall. I'm guessing $50-ish, but some things can vary quite a bit in price, such as your breakers; that will depend on the brand of breakers that you need. It's a relatively easy job, especially if you have the right tools. A lot of people aren't comfortable wiring into their breaker box though. Shot in the dark: electrician; $150ish?

 

[0roo0roo]

you probably have to get it inspected anyways.

 

[alkemyst]

100 amps if probably fine...I have a 125 amp setup and don't have issues. It's a bit light for newer houses I believe...

Really depends on what your are drawing with the rest of the system.

Hooking up a 220V line is not that hard, but there is a hell of a lot of potential for this project to go south fast with just simple mistakes.

Not to mention if you don't do it right you may have to have it professionally redone anyway should you ever go to sell. If you suffer a fire from this, your homeowners may not cover you as well.

For a short run like that it's shouldn't be terrible from an electrician. Call around though as whenever I have dealt with quotes from electric guys they have always been all over the place for the same job sometimes multiples of each other.

edit: the gas dryer would be a definite cost savings over the electric one. I'd try to sell the old one and buy even a used gas unit. I don't know of really anyone going back from gas to electric except those that believe their houses will blow up one day.

I am looking to convert to gas for my range, water heater, dryer and bbq.

 

[Paperdoc]

Back in the 70's I rewired an older house we bought cheap, replacing a very old 60-amp service with 100-amp. Over a decade later I even added a few extra branch circuits through a subsidiary breaker panel for a kitchen renovation. Bottom line is the 100-amp service is doing just fine in an older 2-floor (plus finished basement) house with four bedrooms (one in basement), a stove and an electric dryer and washer. We almost never blow a breaker, and in over 35 years we've never blown a main supply fuse. I don't have a heavy-duty workshop, but we certainly use a chunk of electricity.

I know that current practices would put a 200-amp service in such a house, but we are having no trouble with the 100-amp version.

 

[magicrat03]

at least 30 amps for a dryer(50 amps is usually what an electric range is) and it is usually 2 - 20s to get 220-240, can't get it with just one circuit. I am pretty sure even a gas dryer runs at least a 15 amp breaker so you could use that one and the empty spot if you have 30 amps left over in the panel.

the way I have seen it done in older houses with less than 100 amp panels is they come off 'hot' above the panel to a separate small box with 2-20amp breakers. to code, I do not know.

three wires from the pole usually mean a 60 amp service.

almost never blow a breaker? I hope you mean trip, you can of course blow a fuse.

 

[Paperdoc]

"Blow a breaker"? Well, yeah, wrong phrase. Actually I installed a fuse panel back then so we have never blown a main fuse. Didn't want to trigger a side discussion of fuses vs breakers.

For an electric dryer you typically need a dual 35-amp breaker. Dual, as in it hooks into both panel buses so you have 110 / 220 v AC on the three leads (black and red hot, white neutral) in the cable to the dryer. So you need physical space in your panel to mount one of these, even if that means just moving one single breaker to make a dual space. And you MUST be sure you know which panel (maker and model) you have to buy the right breaker.

Why 35 amps? Most dryers actually use over 25 amps - 28 is common - and some up to 30. The rule of thumb is that the breaker should be sized so that it is not operated over 80% to 85% of its rating. That's 28 amps for a 35 amp breaker. (Similarly, use a 60-amp breaker for a 50-amp stove.)

Tapping into the incoming leads before the main breaker to install another load box is a no-no! The main breaker protects, among other things, the lines from the transformer to your panel. If you have a 60-amp service, those lines are sized to handle 60 amps comfortably with some safety margin. But if you tap in ahead of the main breaker or fuses, you're trying to add another 20 amps (or 30) on top of a household load that tops out at 60. That's a big overload for the supply lines!! You can feed another panel or small box from inside your main panel in some situations, but the connections must be made AFTER the main breaker.

 

[AlienCraft]

Originally posted by: glenn1
We're closing today on an older house in St Louis city and there's no outlet for an electric dryer, only a gas hookup. Before trying to trade our existing electric dryer for a gas (or going out to buy a new one), wanted to figure out whether running the electric line would make more sense. Dryer would be in the basement, with a clean run to the electric panel (maybe 5 feet or so, basement isn't finished so running the wire would be easy). There's an open spot for another circuit, but the panel isn't that big (think it's only a 100 amp panel, but will double-check later today).

Given the above, anyone out there who has a sense of how much adding the 220 would be and give me a reality check on whether it makes sense to do it?

I'll be surprised if it's a 100 amp service.
First off, if you're moving in for awhile, then you'll want to upgrade the service. Then it makes sense to drop in a dryer circuit.
We like the gas dryer here in CA, as it's cheaper than electricity. That may be different where you are.