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Electric dryers naturally run on electricity, but the flow of electricity is more complicated than it may seem at first glance.

The exact electric voltage and the flow of the charges can vary considerably between different outlets and machines.

Each one may have its own requirements on the level of electric power to draw upon for its functioning.

Since your dryer relies on electric currents to work properly, it behooves you to take the time to understand the voltage your machine needs and know how to ensure that it gets the right voltage and not something different instead.

The complexity of voltages can seem daunting, but with enough research, you can apply that knowledge to dryers and other key household electronics.

Voltage Concerns

Photo credit to REI.com

The reason you need to really pay attention to the voltage is that of the safety concerns.

If your dryer or another machine is getting improper voltage, then the best-case scenario will probably be that the device simply fails to work.

Under worse conditions, the voltage deviation could short-circuit the machine, potentially shocking someone or starting a fire.

Furthermore, since circuits generally link up the voltage flow of individual machines such as the dryer with the house electricity as a whole, blowing a fuse at one end could have the potential to reverberate through the rest of the system. This could create even more problems throughout your home.

Therefore, whether it’s for your dryer or another machine, make sure you know the voltage.

Checking the Power through the Fuse Panel

sbf fuse box

Photo credit to YourMechanic

Generally, your dryer’s directions should come with specifications on the amount of voltage it needs to run. Therefore, checking for that information should be your first step.

Then, once you know what the voltage should be, you’ll need to check the machine itself to see if that requirement is being met properly. This means fiddling with the machine, so make sure you know what you’re doing before you attempt a check.

Please keep in mind that making mistakes during the process, such as touching certain parts of the machine, can be very dangerous.

If you are unwilling to leave things strictly to a professional, take the time to view helpful guides and video demonstrations.

Overall, you should start by checking the individual components of the dryer and, if you have no ascertained the problem, move on to the outlets.

Using a Multimeter to Test the Voltage

multimeter

Photo credit to YouTube

The most common tool for checking the voltage in machines is a handy device called a multimeter.

Multimeters come with wired probes that you connect with the key charge points. They will then pick up the voltage and send the results to the main display of the console.

With these machines and an understanding of voltage standards, figuring out the flow of electricity through your dryer becomes easy.

That said, knowledgeable sites such as Sparkfun warn that using a multimeter can still be problematic or even dangerous under certain circumstances. Choosing a voltage setting that is higher than the voltage being measured, for instance, can overload the device.

On a more serious level, attempting to measure AC circuits can result in severe shocks, so please be careful.

Circuit Breakers vs. Fuses

Finding the fuse box

Photo credit to Mister Sparky Houston

When checking for voltage, it’s also important to recognize the different kinds of devices that channel the voltage flow, as they are the price points that you will need to analyze.

Two key types of tools set up for the electricity are fuses and circuit breakers, each with their own pros and cons.

Both of them are popular with many machines such as dryers, so make sure you know which kind your dryer uses.

Fuses are popular primarily because they are cheap and can easily be found on the machines, making it easy to identify the specific switch points that are being problematic. However, they can blow easily, and damaged fuses will need to be physically replaced.

Circuit breakers are more expensive, and their sensitive nature may make the trip even without electrical problems, but they won’t break as easily.

Many Components to Consider

Photo credit to Home Improvement Stack Exchange

Determining the voltage of not only your dryer and its key parts, but also your outlets and household wiring as a whole is pretty complex. Therefore, it’s important you understand how all of these individual components are interconnected.

In doing so, you can learn how to better handle your dryer and ensure that it and the rest of your home run both smoothly and safely.

There are a lot of things you need to consider for your dryer, and mishandling them can result in not only your dryer not functioning but also potential safety hazards.

Fortunately, Dryernotheating.net is here to help you all the way. All the repair hacks, how-to’s, and general tips you need for help in fixing your dryer can be found on our website.