Questions on re-purposing a dryer 30amp 125/250v circuit

[EastCoast710]

if it were me , i'd grab that controller i showed you , run the lights on 220 & you have the 110 outlets for fans & whatnot . but thats me lol . that way , everything is just plug & play !

I second dansbuds.. honestly. prolly the easiest way to do it

 

[jgrow]

You have been a major help Dansbuds. One more question, could I add more 240 outlets to that control box?


Thanks again.

 

[dansbuds]

as long as you don't excede the 20 amp breaker with your load yes . i say 20 amp , because thats more than likely what size breaker & wire they used for the lighting side of it .
i'd have to check the specs on that unit to be sure , but pretty sure i'm right .


why would you need more than 4 ?

 

[jgrow]

as long as you don't excede the 20 amp breaker with your load yes . i say 20 amp , because thats more than likely what size breaker & wire they used for the lighting side of it .
i'd have to check the specs on that unit to be sure , but pretty sure i'm right .


why would you need more than 4 ?

I would like to plug a 5th light into the controller. With 5 lights I would still be below the 80% usable threshold.

 

[dansbuds]

you have to check your lights & see what amperage they use .

 

[jgrow]

They are 3.148 amps at 240v

 

[jgrow]

@Dansbuds The lighting controller you posted about from ebay, ive noticed it only has a 3 prong plug instead of a 4 prong, (does that mean its not grounded?).

The old dryer outlet does not fit the cord on the load center so I went to home depot and now that I got home I have a 3 prong 30amp surface mount outlet. It was the only one I could find that would fit the plug on the load center. The outlet says on the box this device is not for grounding use. Connect only to non-grounding circuits.

I'm slightly confused at the moment. It doesn't seem like this stuff should be not grounded. Is there any chance you understand my confusion here...

Is the plug coming from the load center up to par and grounded? Or does it not need to be grounded for some reason that I do not know?

This is the 30 amp outlet I bought. http://www.homedepot.com/p/Leviton-30-Amp-Surface-Mount-Power-Single-Outlet-Black-R50-05054-000/202066672

 

[dansbuds]

@Dansbuds The lighting controller you posted about from ebay, ive noticed it only has a 3 prong plug instead of a 4 prong, (does that mean its not grounded?).

The old dryer receptacle is from the early 70s and broke when taking it apart so I bought new one at home depot. Now that I got home I have a 3 prong dryer receptacle that says. this device is not for grounding use. Connect only to non-grounding circuits.

The plug from the controller fits into the non-grounding outlet just fine.

I'm slightly confused at the moment. It doesn't seem like this stuff should not be grounded. Is there any chance you understand my confusion here.... lol


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This is the 30 amp outlet I bought. http://www.homedepot.com/p/Leviton-30-Amp-Surface-Mount-Power-Single-Outlet-Black-R50-05054-000/202066672

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it means they're not using a white neutral wire on the feed line , they're using the ground as a neutral for the 110 volt plugs . it is usable that way . the dryer cords use insulated wire , where most grounds are bare wire . like i said , it is usable that way ..... but if it were me , i'd replace the dryer cord feed with a 4 wire cord & wire up the panel correctly . they're just cheapening out doing it that way , mainly because 4 wire dryer cords are fairly new to the market . the 3 wire feeds have been around for years . it wasn't untill dryers started using electronic circuits to control them that the 4 wire feeds came into play .


in your house electric panel , the white neutral & ground wires go to the same terminal block , so yeah it is safe .

 

[jgrow]

it means they're not using a white neutral wire on the feed line , they're using the ground as a neutral for the 110 volt plugs . it is usable that way . the dryer cords use insulated wire , where most grounds are bare wire . like i said , it is usable that way ..... but if it were me , i'd replace the dryer cord feed with a 4 wire cord & wire up the panel correctly . they're just cheapening out doing it that way , mainly because 4 wire dryer cords are fairly new to the market . the 3 wire feeds have been around for years . it wasn't untill dryers started using electronic circuits to control them that the 4 wire feeds came into play .


in your house electric panel , the white neutral & ground wires go to the same terminal block , so yeah it is safe .

So when replacing the 3 wire cord for the 4 wire cord ( I already ran 10/3 wire) what do I do with the neutral wire, it seems to be in the spot the ground wire would go. Can both the ground and neutral fit in that one spot on the bar?

Here is a picture of the box opened up

 

[dansbuds]

the white wire would go where the grey one is on the big terminal & the green ground would go the block of screw terminals below it . where the other white & green wires are .

like i said , both ground & neutrals do the same thing .... but the ground is a safty feature in case something happens to the neutral .you'd want them on 2 different terminals in case one goes bad in the terminal .

 

[jgrow]

the white wire would go where the grey one is on the big terminal & the green ground would go the block of screw terminals below it . where the other white & green wires are .

like i said , both ground & neutrals do the same thing .... but the ground is a safty feature in case something happens to the neutral .you'd want them on 2 different terminals in case one goes bad in the terminal .

Thank you, ill be headed back to home depot tomorrow for a four prong cord and outlet.

 

[dansbuds]

How'd ya make out dude ? you get it all hooked up ?

 

[redcrxsi]

it means they're not using a white neutral wire on the feed line , they're using the ground as a neutral for the 110 volt plugs . it is usable that way . the dryer cords use insulated wire , where most grounds are bare wire . like i said , it is usable that way ..... but if it were me , i'd replace the dryer cord feed with a 4 wire cord & wire up the panel correctly . they're just cheapening out doing it that way , mainly because 4 wire dryer cords are fairly new to the market . the 3 wire feeds have been around for years . it wasn't untill dryers started using electronic circuits to control them that the 4 wire feeds came into play .


in your house electric panel , the white neutral & ground wires go to the same terminal block , so yeah it is safe .

But it's a code violation. The ground wire carrying current is a no no. Electrically the same in the box, but it negates the rudundancy of grounding. Would it bother me to run it this way? No. Would it matter to an insurance company/investigator? Who wants to find out? Not I

 

[dansbuds]

But it's a code violation. The ground wire carrying current is a no no. Electrically the same in the box, but it negates the rudundancy of grounding. Would it bother me to run it this way? No. Would it matter to an insurance company/investigator? Who wants to find out? Not I

which is why hes buying the 4 wire cord & hooking it in .....

 

[jgrow]

How'd ya make out dude ? you get it all hooked up ?

Sorry to leave you hanging.

The new outlet is wired and installed, testing at 240v!

The load center has a new 4 prong cord.

And I am waiting on one last piece the lights will be here in 2 days.

Thanks for all your help along the way, I might have some more questions as I progress.


Again thank you.

 

[dansbuds]

no problem , if i don't see it here , just PM me .