robert pitre
Member
- Location
- Houma,la
Today I had a electrain ask me a question, if my meter pan is back to back with my main panel,and my neturals and grounds are bonded in together, why do I need to run 10/3 wire for my dryer?
Because except for old work where only three wires (two hots plus ground) were originally pulled the NEC requires you to disconnect the neutral to ground bond in the dryer and run a four wire cord to a four wire receptacle (two hots, one neutral and one separate EGC) the home run can use raceway as EGC if suitable metallic raceway is used. But if you pull UF/NM you need to include separate neutral (white or gray) and EGC (green or bare). There are many old threads in the forum that discuss this.Today I had a electrain ask me a question, if my meter pan is back to back with my main panel,and my neturals and grounds are bonded in together, why do I need to run 10/3 wire for my dryer?
It sounds like the electrician asked you why you would need a 10/3 for your dryer. Is that right Robert Pitre?
If I can make the assumption. It sounds like he is trying to talk out of running a new 10/3 cable and that there is an existing 10/2 running to a three prong dryer receptacle?
If you don't run an EGC then you have to bond the frame of the dryer to the branch circuit neutral. That works fine if everything stays intact. Loose your neutral and the frame of the dryer heats up to 120V. Not good.Today I had a electrain ask me a question, if my meter pan is back to back with my main panel,and my neturals and grounds are bonded in together, why do I need to run 10/3 wire for my dryer?
That is a clarification I would like to see before too many more comments are made. Is the question why two "hots" and a grounded conductor?
Or is it why do we need a separate equipment grounding conductor? Or maybe a little bit of both questions?
And the simple answer is still "One of them carries normal current and the other does not, carrying only fault current."I agree- we don't yet know the full scoop behind the inquiry-I too think this may end up being one of those "since they are essentially connected together in the panel, why can't the neutral be both egc and ccc?" kind of things.
Today I had a electrain ask me a question, if my meter pan is back to back with my main panel,and my neturals and grounds are bonded in together, why do I need to run 10/3 wire for my dryer?
Years ago (back in the good old days ) dryers didn't use a neutral so there was no reason to run one. Two hots and a ground were safe enough ( same as an AC unit).
The manufacturering process changed and they did need a neutral because they tapped one leg to neutral ground) to get the 120V for the controls . If they had used a transformer the dryer would have cost more but we wouldn't need a neutral.
I disagree, dryers have always needed a neutral. In fact the NEMA 10-30r receptacle has always been classified as none grounding 3 pole 3 wire.
I agree, we were allowed to use the neutral as the grounding means, we were not allowed to use the EGC as the neutral.
Hence why 10-2 has always been illegal. Although I will admit is was common around here.
Not only am I guilty of doing it 30 years ago, but it passed inspection just fine around here!:thumbsup:
European brands are 240V only. It's kinda funny, for ones sold in the US, they give you a place to land the neutral but it doesn't do anything.I think you can still get a 240 only dryer. I installed a new one about 2-3 years ago.
I think you can still get a 240 only dryer. I installed a new one about 2-3 years ago.
European brands are 240V only. It's kinda funny, for ones sold in the US, they give you a place to land the neutral but it doesn't do anything.