Gallery of Lights


Home Login
Album list Last uploads Last comments Most viewed Top rated My Favorites Search
Home > User galleries > Vince > Miscellaneous
Return to the thumbnail page FILE 219/537 Return to start See previous file See next file Skip to end
Clothes washer and dryer outlets - Clever configuration. It looks like it was too complicated for whoever did the bathroom's circuits to place each outlet to their respective side. This was original to the house. It also seems it was too hard to place the boxes 1/2" out of the studs so they get flush to the drywall. As we recently proceeded major renovations in the bathroom, I corrected a few things. First the washer's outlet has been moved to a better place, about two feet from the opposite wall you see in the pic (still with drywall). I screwed the box 1/2" out of the stud for a flush fit with the drywall. As of the dryer outlet, since its location was correct, it wasn't worth it to spend time re-screwing the box just to get the 1/2". However the outlet used to be screwed to the box with a mix of various junky screws, they've obviously been replaced with four 8/32 screws, it's now all nice and clean! One last thing. If you have some basic knowledge of the electrical code, you probably noticed the cables are NOT strapped at 12" or less from the boxes. The 10/3 cable feeding the dryer outlet is pretty rigid and didn't need support in those conditions. When I moved the washer outlet I strapped the white 14/2 cable to the stud and taped the black 14/3 cable to the white one, since I couldn't find another strap LOL. My bedroom and the bathroom are on the same circuit, which is pretty weird. The white NMD cable from the washer outlet goes to my bedroom. It's also an interesting mix of older cloth-sheathed and PVC-sheathed NMD cables! All are NMD90. Keywords: Miscellaneous

Clothes washer and dryer outlets - Clever configuration.

It looks like it was too complicated for whoever did the bathroom's circuits to place each outlet to their respective side. This was original to the house. It also seems it was too hard to place the boxes 1/2" out of the studs so they get flush to the drywall.

As we recently proceeded major renovations in the bathroom, I corrected a few things. First the washer's outlet has been moved to a better place, about two feet from the opposite wall you see in the pic (still with drywall). I screwed the box 1/2" out of the stud for a flush fit with the drywall. As of the dryer outlet, since its location was correct, it wasn't worth it to spend time re-screwing the box just to get the 1/2". However the outlet used to be screwed to the box with a mix of various junky screws, they've obviously been replaced with four 8/32 screws, it's now all nice and clean!

One last thing. If you have some basic knowledge of the electrical code, you probably noticed the cables are NOT strapped at 12" or less from the boxes. The 10/3 cable feeding the dryer outlet is pretty rigid and didn't need support in those conditions. When I moved the washer outlet I strapped the white 14/2 cable to the stud and taped the black 14/3 cable to the white one, since I couldn't find another strap LOL.

My bedroom and the bathroom are on the same circuit, which is pretty weird. The white NMD cable from the washer outlet goes to my bedroom. It's also an interesting mix of older cloth-sheathed and PVC-sheathed NMD cables! All are NMD90.

HPIM0575.JPG GE_MAZDA_50W_120V.jpg HPIM0500.JPG HPIM1756.JPG Advance_H38_FCan_ballast.JPG
File information
Filename:HPIM0500.JPG
Album name:Vince / Miscellaneous
Keywords:Miscellaneous
Filesize:651 KiB
Date added:Jan 04, 2012
Dimensions:2592 x 1944 pixels
Displayed:133 times
Color Space:sRGB
Contrast:0
DateTime Original:2011:11:03 20:31:08
Exposure Bias:0 EV
Exposure Mode:0
Exposure Program:Program
Exposure Time:1/8 sec
FNumber:f/3.6
Flash:Flash, Auto-Mode
Focal length:7.5 mm
ISO:138
Light Source:Unknown: 0
Make:Hewlett-packard
Max Aperture:f/3
Model:HP DVC V5061u
URL:http://www.galleryoflights.org/mb/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=10203
Favorites:Add to Favorites

Comment 1 to 11 of 11
Page: 1

joe_347V   [Jan 04, 2012 at 01:11 AM]
Interesting, I never knew that they made 90C cloth sheathed romex, I thought all the cloth sheathed wires were rated only to 60C. I some knockout slugs on the sole plate too, are they from when the house was built?

Oh and another thing I found interesting was that it seems Canadian dryer and range circuits always were four wire too.
Antstar85   [Jan 04, 2012 at 01:17 AM]
All new installs for U.S. wiring for Dryer and Range outlets must be 4-wire but we do have 3-wire systems left. Also here in the U.S., the washer must be on it's own 20A ckt. Personally if I was wiring this, I would move both the dryer and washer outlet up to around 42-48" off the ground to make it easier to access the outlets. Both my washer and dryer outlets are 42" off the ground and its much easier to get at the outlets if you need to unplug them for any reason.
GullWhiz   [Jan 04, 2012 at 01:21 AM]
my house was built in 1996-1997 and the mudroom outlet has 3 wire system and currently the dryer is right there...but we have another one in the basement that was installed in 2000 and its a 4 wire system!
streetlight98   [Jan 04, 2012 at 01:25 AM]
Same here. My house was built in 2003. It has the washer and dryer outlets about 4 feet off the ground. The Washer machine has a 20 amp oulet and is higher up than the dryer outlet i think...
Antstar85   [Jan 04, 2012 at 01:25 AM]
I remember those days, slinging romex in houses, having to go and upgrade dryers or ranges to 4-wire systems.

My house was built in 1964 and I put alot of electrical upgrades into the house.
joe_347V   [Jan 04, 2012 at 01:26 AM]
When did they start requiring 4 wire dryer and range circuits in Canada and in the US?
My house was built in 1982 and all of those circuits are 4 wire.
Antstar85   [Jan 04, 2012 at 01:31 AM]
The U.S. didn't require until the mid 90's I Believe.
gailgrove   [Jan 04, 2012 at 02:43 AM]
My Grandmother's house from 1961 has a four wire system! Three wire systems seem to be a bit of a nuisance, four wire is safer anyways and really hardly costs any more. My house has that type of Romex as well, only it is aluminum wire inside! Which is a pain to deal with... Rolling Eyes
icefoglights   [Jan 04, 2012 at 03:55 AM]
The house I grew up in was built in 1973 and had a 4-wire dryer plug. Also, the washing machine and the furnace were on the same 20 amp circuit. Not the best idea. In the 25 years we lived there, there were never any problems. I can easily see a fault with the washing machine tripping the breaker and thus knocking the heat out!
TiCoune66   [Jan 04, 2012 at 03:26 PM]
I laughed when I saw the knockout slogs, they've been there since my house has been built in 1978! I decided to continue the tradition and I left those slogs in the wall Laughing I didn't even touch them LOL.

Yup, for a short time when NMD90 came out they were still cloth-sheathed, probably to make them cheaper. In my house only some 14/2 cables are PVC-sheathed. Half of the 14/2s and all non/14/2s are cloth-sheathed, yet they have reticulated polyethylene wires inside!, which indicates they are NMD90!

As of the 4-wire circuits, I know that grounding of all outlet was mandatory in Canada in new buildings starting in 1965. Existing building are never forced to change their installations to meet the code when modifications are performed. Although if you add new parts or replace old parts of a system, the new parts must meet the code LOL.
GullWhiz   [Jan 04, 2012 at 03:31 PM]
Vince, it's pretty much the same here, older houses don't need to upgrade. Although for you, starting in 1965, in America it was 1962. We still have our 3 prong outlet and ARE using the 3 wire circuit...the 4 wire circuit wasn't required for the 240 volt system until I think, not sure but I think 1999 or 2002...not exactly sure...

Comment 1 to 11 of 11
Page: 1
Powered by Coppermine Photo Gallery