**Attention!**
**It is always best to get a qualified electrician to perform any electrical work you may need.** With that said, you may ask this community various electrical questions. Please be cautious of any information you may receive in this subreddit. This subreddit and its users are not responsible for any electrical work you perform. Users that have a 'Verified Electrician' flair have uploaded their qualified electrical worker credentials to the mods.
If you comment on this post please only post accurate information to the best of your knowledge. If advice given is thought to be dangerous, you may be permanently banned. There are no obligations for the mods to give warnings or temporary bans. **IF YOU ARE NOT A QUALIFIED ELECTRICIAN, you should exercise extreme caution when commenting.**
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/AskElectricians) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I'll gladly forego the one-year warranty on a washing machine if it means not paying someone to rip up the walls to run a new circuit. I suspect I could buy at least three washing machines for the cost of that job.
The best way is the right way. You need a 30a dryer receptacle for your dryer and a 15a one for your washer. Trying to mickey mouse it will not only be dangerous and in violation of code, but it'll probably void the warranty of your appliances also.
Your dryer doesn't only need to be plugged into that specific receptacle, it needs to be on a dedicated 30a breaker run with #10awg to your dryer. Dedicated as in, nothing else on the circuit. Code doesn't exist to make our lives miserable. It exists to keep us from dying or our houses going up in flames.
Your 15a washer obviously plugs into a regular household receptacle and needs to likewise be on a circuit run with the appropriate wire size (14awg) and 15a breaker. I want to say washers are meant to be installed on dedicated 20a circuits these days with #12awg, but local codes vary.
"Adapters?"
What kind of "adapter" are you thinking of to run a 15a circuit off a 30a one? This is neither legal nor safe. Don't answer questions if you're not an electrician.
It's not to code. It wouldn't pass during an inspection. You can't wire up a 30 amp dryer plug and tell the inspector well the homeowner just has to get an adapter.
But these adapters are listed and legal to use.
You fucking moron
Duh. My "cool" was sarcastic. This is what I'm trying to say but OP is acting a fool. And so are you, apparently, suggesting some code violation bullshit?
You cannot run a 30a load AND a 15a load on a 30a circuit. You cannot split a two pole circuit to add a 15a one down the line. It will fuck with the load balancing of the 30a circuit and has the chance of tripping or overloading the whole thing when OP is running the washer and dryer at the same time. Your chintzy adapter doesn't magically make a 30a rated circuit into a 45a rated circuit.
BASIC electrical math.
Either you're a troll or you're just stupid.
Sound like a second year apprentice that just came out of trade school. Does your school only require 50% to pass?
How much does a dryer typically draw? Can you do a quick google search and let me know. You should check up washing machine as well. Do some quick maths. Because I don't know how.
And when you realize you're a fucking retard delete your account and switch careers
Do you know if there's a specific rule requiring that nothing else share a circuit with a dryer?
Is there a rule prohibiting the use of a 15A-rated appliance on a 30A circuit? I ask because we use small appliances on big circuits all the time in other applications... my phone charger is rated for 0.2A but it plugs into a 15A circuit, so wouldn't it stand to reason that you could plug a 12A washing machine into a 30A circuit as long as the receptacles were matched to the right wire gauge and breaker?
Yes. There is.
Cellphone chargers don't plug directly into 120v outlets. That little block? It's a transformer.
If you're going to come on here asking for real answers and then argue with them, why even come here?
What "stands to reason" is the NEC. Burn your house down if you want.
I'm trying to have a conversation in which I seek someone's expertise, not arguing.
> Cellphone chargers don't plug directly into 120v outlets. That little block? It's a transformer.
A distinction without a difference. Actually, no, because the distinction you're trying to make doesn't even make sense. The charger / transformer (which are exactly the same thing, or rather, the latter is a subcomponent of the former, which is **completely** irrelevant to the conversation we're trying to have here) plugs into a 120V outlet. That's a simple fact, like "water is wet," and I have no idea why you'd try to argue otherwise. That's what a cellphone charger *is* - a device the plugs into an AC receptacle. *Now* I'm arguing.
You're an idiot. Do whatever mickey mouse thing you want. But don't come on reddit seeking electrician advice and then dismissing it. What you are trying to do is a violation of code and very dangerous. Hope you don't burn your house down.
You're not *reading* and *understanding* my question. You're saying no without an explanation or a code citation and then saying I'm an idiot who's going to burn his house down.
Does an appliance's line cord need to match the circuit rating? For ordinary household appliances on a 15A circuit, obviously **not**, because I'm literally holding in my hands a laptop charger plugged into a 5-15R with a #18 line cord. Lots of small appliances use small line cords that aren't made to handle 15A.
So why couldn't I plug a washing machine with a 15A-rated line cord into a 30A circuit? Where does it say that an appliance can't be plugged into an 'oversized' circuit or receptacle? Please understand that I'm asking a genuine question here. If there's a rule for it, I'll accept that and shut up, having been proven wrong.
I said it in my very first comment.
Electric. Clothes. Dryers. Require. A. Dedicated. 240v. 30a. Circuit.
Dedicated means dedicated. It means you can't tap off of it for any other 30a receptacles, much less tap off for a 15a receptacle. It is a violation of code.
Look at the specs for your dryer. Look at the specs for any electric dryer. They will tell you the exact same thing. Those specs, along with 110.3(B) from the NEC give you this rule you are for some reason arguing about.
Your circuit for your washer also has to be dedicated, and according to the 2020 NEC which we are still using until September, it needs to be a 120v 20a one. Once again--dedicated. Separate from the dryer. See 210.11(C)(2) for that one.
I'm not even going to bother addressing your vague understanding of how circuits work. See if you can finally comprehend what I've already said first.
Clear enough?
Use both of these
https://acworks.com/collections/residential/products/s1430cb620-14-30p-dryer-plug-to-6-20-outlet
https://onetak.com/products/nema-14-30p-to-2-outlet-14-30r-y-splitter-stw-3-feet-120v-240v-30-amp-4-prong-male-plug-female-receptacle-welder-welding-dryer-power-cord-adapter-adaptor-connector-connecter
I think this is the cheapest, easiest and most legal-ish way.
You're not allowed to plug in a 15A device in a 30A plug, but atleast this has an inline breaker. It should be fused at 15A. I'm sure it exists but I didn't look hard enough.
> You're not allowed to plug in a 15A device in a 30A plug
Not doubting so much as I am curious: is there a specific part of the code that you can reference for that? I ask because it's common to use small appliances on standard circuits - e.g. a laptop charger that pulls max 1A plugs into a 15A circuit, so why couldn't you plug a 12A washing machine into a 30A circuit as long as the receptacles were matched to the right wire gauge? You'd just have to put a suitable plug on the appliance's line cord.
Said line cord obviously can't handle 30A, but since nothing in the appliance uses that much current, it shouldn't need to. Sort of like how my laptop charger's line cord uses #18 wire, which isn't suitable for 15A.
I'm in canada, I only own an Ontario code book.
But basically those devices are designed to run on a 15A plug/circuit.
If the washing machine was to malfunction, motor starts drawing a lot more current because it's jammed or whatever it would trip on a 15/20 amp breaker. If it was fed from a 30 amp breaker there would be more current available and could set a fire before tripping.
Same thing could happen with plugging in 1A devices into a 15Amp plug. Although it's not realistic to have 100 plugs in each wall with dedicated breakers for each device.
The UK does things better by having built in fuses in their extension cords.
**Attention!** **It is always best to get a qualified electrician to perform any electrical work you may need.** With that said, you may ask this community various electrical questions. Please be cautious of any information you may receive in this subreddit. This subreddit and its users are not responsible for any electrical work you perform. Users that have a 'Verified Electrician' flair have uploaded their qualified electrical worker credentials to the mods. If you comment on this post please only post accurate information to the best of your knowledge. If advice given is thought to be dangerous, you may be permanently banned. There are no obligations for the mods to give warnings or temporary bans. **IF YOU ARE NOT A QUALIFIED ELECTRICIAN, you should exercise extreme caution when commenting.** *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/AskElectricians) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Any solution will void your warranty. Run a new plug.
I'll gladly forego the one-year warranty on a washing machine if it means not paying someone to rip up the walls to run a new circuit. I suspect I could buy at least three washing machines for the cost of that job.
The best way is the right way. You need a 30a dryer receptacle for your dryer and a 15a one for your washer. Trying to mickey mouse it will not only be dangerous and in violation of code, but it'll probably void the warranty of your appliances also. Your dryer doesn't only need to be plugged into that specific receptacle, it needs to be on a dedicated 30a breaker run with #10awg to your dryer. Dedicated as in, nothing else on the circuit. Code doesn't exist to make our lives miserable. It exists to keep us from dying or our houses going up in flames. Your 15a washer obviously plugs into a regular household receptacle and needs to likewise be on a circuit run with the appropriate wire size (14awg) and 15a breaker. I want to say washers are meant to be installed on dedicated 20a circuits these days with #12awg, but local codes vary.
This is the most correct answer. But op sounds cheap. So I suggested some adapters.
"Adapters?" What kind of "adapter" are you thinking of to run a 15a circuit off a 30a one? This is neither legal nor safe. Don't answer questions if you're not an electrician.
The adapter in question has an integrated breaker. Maybe check the linked product instead of spouting nonsense.
Cool. Are you in the US or are you in Canada? Looks like this guy is suggesting something out of Canada that would not fly with US code.
It's not to code. It wouldn't pass during an inspection. You can't wire up a 30 amp dryer plug and tell the inspector well the homeowner just has to get an adapter. But these adapters are listed and legal to use. You fucking moron
Duh. My "cool" was sarcastic. This is what I'm trying to say but OP is acting a fool. And so are you, apparently, suggesting some code violation bullshit?
A homeowner decides to purchase a listed adapter to make his washer and dryer work with what he has. Legal.
You cannot run a 30a load AND a 15a load on a 30a circuit. You cannot split a two pole circuit to add a 15a one down the line. It will fuck with the load balancing of the 30a circuit and has the chance of tripping or overloading the whole thing when OP is running the washer and dryer at the same time. Your chintzy adapter doesn't magically make a 30a rated circuit into a 45a rated circuit. BASIC electrical math. Either you're a troll or you're just stupid.
Sound like a second year apprentice that just came out of trade school. Does your school only require 50% to pass? How much does a dryer typically draw? Can you do a quick google search and let me know. You should check up washing machine as well. Do some quick maths. Because I don't know how. And when you realize you're a fucking retard delete your account and switch careers
An electrician roughs in a house only supplying one 14-30r receptacle and calls for an inspection. Not to code.
Do you know if there's a specific rule requiring that nothing else share a circuit with a dryer? Is there a rule prohibiting the use of a 15A-rated appliance on a 30A circuit? I ask because we use small appliances on big circuits all the time in other applications... my phone charger is rated for 0.2A but it plugs into a 15A circuit, so wouldn't it stand to reason that you could plug a 12A washing machine into a 30A circuit as long as the receptacles were matched to the right wire gauge and breaker?
Yes. There is. Cellphone chargers don't plug directly into 120v outlets. That little block? It's a transformer. If you're going to come on here asking for real answers and then argue with them, why even come here? What "stands to reason" is the NEC. Burn your house down if you want.
I'm trying to have a conversation in which I seek someone's expertise, not arguing. > Cellphone chargers don't plug directly into 120v outlets. That little block? It's a transformer. A distinction without a difference. Actually, no, because the distinction you're trying to make doesn't even make sense. The charger / transformer (which are exactly the same thing, or rather, the latter is a subcomponent of the former, which is **completely** irrelevant to the conversation we're trying to have here) plugs into a 120V outlet. That's a simple fact, like "water is wet," and I have no idea why you'd try to argue otherwise. That's what a cellphone charger *is* - a device the plugs into an AC receptacle. *Now* I'm arguing.
You're an idiot. Do whatever mickey mouse thing you want. But don't come on reddit seeking electrician advice and then dismissing it. What you are trying to do is a violation of code and very dangerous. Hope you don't burn your house down.
You're not *reading* and *understanding* my question. You're saying no without an explanation or a code citation and then saying I'm an idiot who's going to burn his house down. Does an appliance's line cord need to match the circuit rating? For ordinary household appliances on a 15A circuit, obviously **not**, because I'm literally holding in my hands a laptop charger plugged into a 5-15R with a #18 line cord. Lots of small appliances use small line cords that aren't made to handle 15A. So why couldn't I plug a washing machine with a 15A-rated line cord into a 30A circuit? Where does it say that an appliance can't be plugged into an 'oversized' circuit or receptacle? Please understand that I'm asking a genuine question here. If there's a rule for it, I'll accept that and shut up, having been proven wrong.
I said it in my very first comment. Electric. Clothes. Dryers. Require. A. Dedicated. 240v. 30a. Circuit. Dedicated means dedicated. It means you can't tap off of it for any other 30a receptacles, much less tap off for a 15a receptacle. It is a violation of code. Look at the specs for your dryer. Look at the specs for any electric dryer. They will tell you the exact same thing. Those specs, along with 110.3(B) from the NEC give you this rule you are for some reason arguing about. Your circuit for your washer also has to be dedicated, and according to the 2020 NEC which we are still using until September, it needs to be a 120v 20a one. Once again--dedicated. Separate from the dryer. See 210.11(C)(2) for that one. I'm not even going to bother addressing your vague understanding of how circuits work. See if you can finally comprehend what I've already said first. Clear enough?
Use both of these https://acworks.com/collections/residential/products/s1430cb620-14-30p-dryer-plug-to-6-20-outlet https://onetak.com/products/nema-14-30p-to-2-outlet-14-30r-y-splitter-stw-3-feet-120v-240v-30-amp-4-prong-male-plug-female-receptacle-welder-welding-dryer-power-cord-adapter-adaptor-connector-connecter
I think this is the cheapest, easiest and most legal-ish way. You're not allowed to plug in a 15A device in a 30A plug, but atleast this has an inline breaker. It should be fused at 15A. I'm sure it exists but I didn't look hard enough.
> You're not allowed to plug in a 15A device in a 30A plug Not doubting so much as I am curious: is there a specific part of the code that you can reference for that? I ask because it's common to use small appliances on standard circuits - e.g. a laptop charger that pulls max 1A plugs into a 15A circuit, so why couldn't you plug a 12A washing machine into a 30A circuit as long as the receptacles were matched to the right wire gauge? You'd just have to put a suitable plug on the appliance's line cord. Said line cord obviously can't handle 30A, but since nothing in the appliance uses that much current, it shouldn't need to. Sort of like how my laptop charger's line cord uses #18 wire, which isn't suitable for 15A.
The issue is that you are not allowed to install a 15A circuit fused at 30A.
I'm in canada, I only own an Ontario code book. But basically those devices are designed to run on a 15A plug/circuit. If the washing machine was to malfunction, motor starts drawing a lot more current because it's jammed or whatever it would trip on a 15/20 amp breaker. If it was fed from a 30 amp breaker there would be more current available and could set a fire before tripping. Same thing could happen with plugging in 1A devices into a 15Amp plug. Although it's not realistic to have 100 plugs in each wall with dedicated breakers for each device. The UK does things better by having built in fuses in their extension cords.
Interesting idea, thanks.