"Dave Solly" wrote in message
...
(James Kilton) wrote in
news:212002a7.0407151351.14eb5ec4
@posting.google.com:

Hi,

I'm clueless about this stuff, so forgive me. We're replacing a dryer
that seems to use a 50A cord which goes into a 40A breaker. The new
dryer is 30A, which had me thinking that we'd need to get an
electrician out here. But the landlord talked to an electrician
friend of his who says that the 40A breaker is fine, and won't cause a
problem.

Is this accurate? I thought Amps were always supposed to be matched
up. Can the dryer regulate a 40A circuit down to 30A or should I have
a 30A circuit installed?

Thanks,
James


Since your dryer draws less (30 amps) than your breaker (40 amps), you are
fine.

Dave

i believe some local codes, if not the nec, require that if you have a 30
amp dryer, you use a 30 amp breaker. as was explained to me once, there
exists a mostly hypothetical situation where the dryer element could be
damaged but not break (i.e. not an open circuit), lowering its resistance
and raising the current above 30A but below 40A. thus the breaker wont trip
and your dryer could be drawing too much current and overheating. while i
agree it 'could' happen, im not sure i believe it or that its really much of
a worry.

that said, i would just replace the breaker with a 30A yourself. if you cut
power to the panel (not at the breaker in the panel, but the breaker where
the power comes into the building before it gets to the panel) you cant get
hurt, once you get the cover off its basically undoing two screws that hold
two wires which dont matter if they get reconnected 'backwards', pulling out
the old one, putting in the new one (they just snap in), and retightening
two screws with the wires back in them. any decent book on home fix it
electricity will explain the procedure very clearly. there isnt really
anything you can screw up if you turn the power off and dont do something
completely insane.

if it comes down to calling an electrician or leaving it, i would leave it.
the breaker itself is like 20 bucks tops (probably more like 10) and if you
do it makes some sense. an electritian will ream you.

randy