What to do........ what to do..............

Status
Not open for further replies.
480sparky

480sparky

Senior Member
Location
Iowegia
Yesterdays' service call: Landlord called stating a rental had a breaker for the electric dryer was constantly tripping. I arrive to find it a 20a 2-pole. Gahhh!!!! It's a Wadsworth. Now, I have a few Wadsworth breakers, but no 2-pole let alone 30a.

I legally fixed the issue on the spot and walked away with payment for services rendered. So: How did I solve the problem without a trip to the supply house, or order a breaker online and no return trip?
 
No single 30s in the panel. There was a 30 2-pole in the panel, but it was feeding the AC.

But repurposing a couple 1p 30s would be an option.
 
Well, first answer is a BR230.

Second is you swapped with a 30a breaker, like one feeding a shed, or the AC unit that would work on a 20.
 
You figured out which leg ran the timer and motor, and landed the other leg on the neutral bar. This puts 120V on the heating element and drops the current draw. The clothes will take a bit longer to dry..... :) :)
 
LarryFine said:
Well, first answer is a BR230.

Second is you swapped with a 30a breaker, like one feeding a shed, or the AC unit that would work on a 20.
Click to expand...

BRs won't work in a Wadsworth panel.




But you nailed it.... the AC required a 20a max breaker. So: swap breakers twixt the dryer and AC.

Some days, I'd rather be lucky than good!
 
ptonsparky said:
Now I am curious. Why would have the 20 worked for years? Is it an AC problem that caused a prior swap?
Click to expand...
In my experience with various client's Wadsworth service centers, the branch circuit breakers are very tolerant of running overloads (which the 22 Amps of a water heater would be). But, even with the initial overload tolerance, the cyclic heating would lead to eventual increases in contact impedance & more heat leading to final burnup.
 
ptonsparky said:
NO FAIR...I was gonna say ‘or AC’.:slaphead:

Now I am curious. Why would have the 20 worked for years? Is it an AC problem that caused a prior swap?
Click to expand...

The 30 was oversized for the AC. The 20 for the dryer apparently had just been recently installed..... by a handyman.
 
I can't recall seeing any Wadsworth breakers before, other than maybe out on old farm places below the meter as the utility provided site isolation device, and those were typically what is today called unit mount breakers with a lug on both ends. They were almost always single pole units and no handle ties as well. All other Wadsworth I ever recall seeing were fuse panels. Probably a regional thing to some extent.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top