On Sun, 11 Nov 2007 19:08:15 -0500, "Mark" wrote:

If the dryer were to have a problem and draw more current than it is rated,
the over-sized breaker would likely not trip until the drier was on fire.


I've never believed in arguements like the above. Dryers generally
fault by having open circuit components or dead shorts, such as the
heating element breaking open and its ends dropping to a ground point.
That results in a dead short that will blow any reasonable breaker.
They also have overtemp thermostats that cut power in cases of
overheating.

To buy the above posters logic, every item in a house should be on a
breaker with just higher capacity than the normal current need. Thus
you better not have your 60 watt table lamp on a 15 amp circuit, you
better not have your 700 watt refrigerator on a 20 amp circuit, etc,
etc.

Doug