electrical question- 4 prong dryer outlet

My dryer quit the other night, and after buying a voltmeter and checking the outlet (dryer is new in January) one of the spades is only reading 1/2 what the other side is. I checked the range outlet and that one has the higher reading on both spades.

Where would I look first? I remodeled the bath/laundry room in February/March of this year. I used the same wire for the dryer, but re located it and put it inside the wall, instead of screwed to the drywall like it was before.

Hoping I don't have to open the wall and run new wire, but If I gotta do it I gotta do it.

Donovan from Wisconsin

First I would check the fuse or circuit breaker for that outlet. If that seems to be OK check the outlet itself to see if it has a bad connection or the outlet itself is bad.

I just had the outlet out and checked at the wires, I'm getting the same reading there.

Kinda thinking breaker? The breaker for the dryer is in an extra box with a few other breakers, off one in the main 100A panel.

I'll have to poke/look around downstairs tomorrow after work at the panel and see if I can figure it out.

Donovan from Wisconsin

sounds like circuit breaker
try reseting the breaker
then run the dryer at high heat and take a voltage reading

I tripped the breaker off & on when it died. No difference, and the dryer is a new one with more electronics, so it's not even turning on. No way to check voltages while running unless it's right.

If your not getting the full voltage at the plug the next step is check at the breaker but a meter can see a false reading since it is not a load voltage and can read good but still be bad. Sort of like a problem I just fixed with my water heater and it tripping the breaker. I found a bad place in the wiring and had an 8 inch spot with bare wires which I got lucky on as for not burning up the place. Yes I rewired it from the breaker box to the water heater with heavier wire

Go to your circuit breaker panel. Shut off the main, then take the cover off and turn power back on. Carefully check the voltage from each screw on the dryer breaker to neutral. If they're not the same, your breaker is probably bad. Otherwise, the next most likely culprit is the dryer outlet, or your connections to it. Since you say you recently changed it out, I'd say you probably have a loose screw in the outlet; if it's been arcing the outlet will need to be replaced.

Since you have checked the voltage at the outlet your next step would be to check it at the breaker then next at the main (be damn careful when poking around with test leads here!!!) If the voltage problem goes all the way to the main then you need to call in the smart guys. I would start with the power company since the problem may be on their side and it is free. In my past experiance whenever one side or both of the 220 have wierd or erratic readings there is likely a nuetral problem. One way you check for that problem is to have all the lights on you can see from the drier and turn it on. If some circuits get bright and some get dim shut everything down quick and get your nuetral repaired pronto.

If it were me I would look for a loose or burnt connection between the wire and the outlet. If that checks out I would look at the connection at the breaker. If that checks out I would suspect the breaker is burnt internally. If you have 220V at the range then the problem is isolated with the dryer circuit and not the main.

we bought a new dryer with all the electronics in
it last year, it is an electrolux. about a month
after we got it it quit. guy came out to fix it
under warranty. said it was a card and ordered
one, that did not fix it. lowes brought us a new
one since we bought a extended warranty. when they
unplugged it I noticed the cord had gotten hot
enough to melt the plastic. this cord had been
working fine on the old dryer. after they left I
got to checking and the receptacle was burned
really bad. never had a problem with the old
dryer. I had to cut the wire back to good wire and
replace the receptacle and cord. something in the
new dryer caused this, I have wired dryers before
without problems. we noticed something smelling
hot but could not find it, now we know. the
replacement dryer has not caused any problem. this
could have caused a fire. btw, wife does not like
the new washer and dryer after using it.
I have an an associates degree in electronics and
have worked with electricity since 1976, learned
electrical work at company I used to work for.

frank

You say its the same on the feed wires as it is at the outlet so the outlet seems okay, which leaves a wiring,,,,,,,, or a breaker,,,,,,,,, or a panel problem (loose connection or main breaker problem.)

I take it youre aware if its a 4 prong 120/240 outlet theres 120 from EITHER hot to neutral but 240 from hot to hot..........

1) Stick your voltmeter with one lead to the Neutral Buss in the panel then read the voltage on BOTH of the 2 pole dryer breaker terminals ????? it should read 120 on either to Neutral or 240 line to line, does it??????? If one is different, there may be a voltage drop in the breaker (cheap and easy to replace)

2) Insure the voltage on BOTH main lug feeds (output of main breaker) is 120 to Neutral??? If not there may be a main problem or a bad burned resitive (voltage dropping) connection USE CAUTION AND KNOW WHAT YOURE DOING IN THERE!!!!

3) If the voltages are correct at the panel and the output of the dryer circuit breaker but NOT out at the end of the feed wires at dryer, THERE MAY BE A PROBLEM IN THE WIRING FROM PANEL TO OUTLET.

I would (1) Insure allllllllllll panel and Neutral and circuit breaker connections are tight with no burned or carboned connections and then (2) If the voltages are okay on the main lugs out of the main breaker (120 from both to neutral) but bad out of the breaker and the terminals are all tight, CHANGE THE BREAKER

Simply trace it back (dryer,,,,,dryers breaker,,,main) to see where the voltages go sour. I suspect a bad connection first followed by a breaker or wiring problem

IF THE INCOMING VOLTAGE TO THE PANEL IS THE PROBLEM CALL THE UTILITY PROVIDER

Let me know what you find

John T

Measuring voltage from where to what? Sounds like either an
open or high resistance neutral. And/or some goof is trying to
run neutral current into the ground system. Some of us with
all kinds of qualification and certification have tried for years
here to explain the difference between ground and neutral.
However Bubba the jackleg electrician knows he is right and if
we disagree, we are wrong.

Measuring voltage from where to what? Sounds like either an
open or high resistance neutral. And/or some goof is trying to
run neutral current into the ground system. Some of us with
all kinds of qualification and certification have tried for years
here to explain the difference between ground and neutral.
However Bubba the jackleg electrician knows he is right and if
we disagree, we are wrong.

I'd follow what John has said... Check the meter voltage on both hots and see if you get 240 or at least double what the hotter line is giving you... and keep checking towards the utility line until you get that.
I guess I might pull the face of the main panel and get the meter right on the bus and see what it's got for power.... make sure it's up to voltage. If it's not you could have bad connections in the meter base, overhead wiring or a bad transformer. Nice to eliminate that variable first before you go tearing too much out in the house...
Then check the supply to your sub-panel and the breaker that feeds the dryer.

Rod

Before you open your wall -- the wire in the wall could not possibly go bad without some other outside factor. This could be many things which are all unlikley if you are not doing some other home improvment type work. Post what the readings are . Its not going to be the wire itself. Sounds like you lost one pole of the breaker . Substitute to another 208/220 breaker already in the panel[range] then if it comes on replace the other breaker. Cheapest way.

I read the other posts , If you had lost a phase in the panel half your house would be out as well. When you have the cover off you can place the leads on the main or incoming line and verify that both phases are hot but I think you would have noticed other circuits not working by now and probably not. 110 to neutral [two times] 208 between two and ground is the reading .If you don't have 208 at the receptacle dryer won't work . 208 at the receptacle good neutral call an appliance guy its not the incoming power.

i'd check the breaker first.. wires 2nd.

i have personally seen wiring die in a conduit... vibration I guess...

soundguy

You think he has 208 as you mentioned???

Typical household electrical service is 120/240 volt Single Phase Three Wire. A lot of Industrial applications use 208 Y 120 Volt Three Phase Four Wire where there are Three legs of 120 volt with respect to the Common Neutral and 208 volt three phase L1 L2 L3 to run HVAC or Motors etc.

120 x the square root of three (1.732) is the mathmetical way 208 is derived in the 208 Y 120 volt system.

Typical household is 120 240 volt Single Phase Three wire where its 120 from either line to neutral or 240 (NOT 208) line to line

Take care n God Bless


John T

I have a habit of calling all 220 [208] meaning whatever two legs you get on the meter . 220 /221 whatever it takes . My power co.cheats you a little 277 is 265 and 480 is 460v.
I try to keep the answers easy to fix stuff as if the guy is not an electrician but the wrong reading may cause more confusion. If you substitute the range breaker and see if it comes on you don't even need your meter.

Cool, since at our facility we had about every service voltage imagineable, 120, 240, 208, 277, 480 I tend to use those numbers (208 and 240) so we didnt get 208 and 240 confused. If the guys meter is any good and if his utility is anywhere near accurate he will probalby read 220 to 240 but unlikely 208..

John T

Dr. Sportster - you ever use bottle milk for your coffee creamer??????

Ha Ha - 220, 221 whatever it takes.......