The Location of an Electrical Outlet for a Dryer

Location

• The perfect location for a dryer provides a way of quickly venting the exhaust air out of your house. The venting at the back of the appliance should have a minimal amount of turns on its route through the wall. Choose a location along an exterior wall, if possible, to make venting easy. The outlet should be installed within easy reach of the dryer's power cord – approximately 6 feet from the back of the appliance.

Types of Outlet

• The dryer needs a three- or four-wire, 240-volt outlet. You can see which type you need by counting the number of prongs on the plug attached to the end of the power cord. Standard American outlets provide 120 volts of electricity – not enough to power the appliance.

Fuses or Breakers

• The electrician will hook the dryer's outlet up to a pair of time delay fuses or high-voltage breakers, depending on the type of surge protection employed in your home. Having the necessary protection in place reduces the chance of a fire or damage to the appliance in the event of an electrical fault in the circuit.

Things to Avoid

• Never use an extension cord to connect the dryer to its outlet; you risk overloading the capacity of the cable and causing a short. Do not plug another high-voltage appliance such as a washer or oven into the same outlet under any circumstances. Always use a certified electrician to carry out any work.