New electric dryer - upgrading to 220v?

Hi , all. Our old gas dryer bit the dust and given the overall efforts for us to move to electric, I’m looking at electric dryer options. A few related questions:
– how can I find out if I have a 220v connection anywhere in the house? The dryer is in the basement. Any chance our gas heater and hot water unit might be pulling 220v already?
– if I don’t, is upgrading to 220v something that requires a full-on permit or just a visit from an electrician?
– anyone have experience with 110v heat pump dryers? I saw a recommendation from a few months ago of a Miele model – any others?

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in General Discussion 2 years and 5 months ago

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winbrown | 2 years and 5 months ago

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I have the Miele T1 dryer and I’m really happy. It helps to open the door right away to let some steam out.

justinromeu26 | 2 years and 5 months ago

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op, if you want to get a contractor to tell you about doing something against code or risky (look sometimes in these houses, to put them back the way they were, things get done against code) but they will not tell you or they get evasive because they do not want to suggest it, ask them this “what would you do in your house?” you will flush the truth out that way.

Guest User | 2 years and 5 months ago

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@homeinspector I wasn’t being sarcastic about a construction attorney being maybe the safest legal route.
I have clients from time to time who I have to tell they cannot do, nor will we partake in the illegal actions they are considering. I also have clients who want to go more by the book than most buildings department inspectors I’ve encountered. I believe most people come here looking for options that are safe, helpful and somewhere in the middle of the two above extremes I mentioned.
Would it be helpful to tell someone not to hire a plumber to do an electrical job? Probably for a few people. But I’m not interested in picking on other posters who neglect to caution such things at the end of each of their posts here

justinromeu26 | 2 years and 5 months ago

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jeremy,

I read your post from last night and reread what you said previous. it still sounds to me that you were saying “if an electrician is good and decent, they will let the unknowing homeowner decide how to proceed”. perhaps the way to say that to the public is “most decent electricians will explain the code to you and let you decide how to proceed”.

i once worked for a property management firm and i am not sure how my boss would have felt if i made a statement like that in front of owners or the board. our feeling then was we had a fiduciary duty to the owners and everything had to be by the book (my boss was at the top of his game and that was what made him who he was).

i know the code well enough to know what it says about someone like me swapping out breakers. but for me to do something that i have been doing since i am a teenager (i got my first arc welder when i was just out of high school and my parent’s house did not have 220) is very different than any of us working in this to suggest that it is ok for an unknowing homeowner to do something th at might be unsafe or run contrary to the code. I would never do that in a customer’s home.

i will ignore your sarcasm when you suggested the safest way to do this is to hire a construction attorney and i will use that as an opportunity to say this: i might have an advantage over you and some others on here because i took a course on the NYC Building Code at NYU back in the 1990’s. it was taught by Rick Chandler who was then the Bronx Borough Commissioner for the DOB and later became the head of the DOB for the city. Rick has since moved on to other things but some of those classes NYU offered at their Real Estate Institute on 42nd st were helpful. many of them were taught by older industry insiders and listening to those people can bring about a level of professionalism that is becoming very elusive in this city.

Guest User | 2 years and 5 months ago

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@homeinspector I am not familiar with NYC code enough to point out where it allows for temporarily swapping electric breakers while you are welding as you mentioned above.
I am familiar that permanently running new electric circuits requires a permit. I did not suggest that a homeowner do something contrary to NYC code. Nor do I believe anyone else here thinks that an electrician’s personal opinion trumps or creates new legal allowances. The OP can correct if I overestimated their understanding that governing officials create building codes instead of electricians on a per job basis.
@new owner the safe advice is don’t put yourself in position where something might go wrong after an installation you hired for and then your basis for why you thought it was OK to do is because some website forum user said it was the right thing to do. The safest way to do this kind of work is probably to hire a construction attorney to review the electrician’s proposed work to verify it is fully law abiding. That approach would be more costly than I have ever known a homeowner to take rega rding one circuit. Most people rely on reputable licensed and insured contractors to provide accurate and helpful info because their license is at risk if they perform improper work.

greenworks | 2 years and 5 months ago

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Glad to hear that augustiner – I had read early reviews of the 110 Miele’s and was worried

justinromeu26 | 2 years and 5 months ago

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Op, running a branch circuit requires a permit in nyc. Jeremy is correct that most electricians will do something like this without filing but it is wrong for someone working in the real estate industry to suggest to an unknowing homeowner that following the law is optional and that those who choose to follow the law are less than “good and reasonable”.

For the safety of your family, be sure to use a licensed electrician.

Augustiner | 2 years and 5 months ago

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@new owner
I have the latest model Miele T1 and it does a much better job than the 1st generation.
It dries a load thoroughly in 45 minutes and I never had an issue.

justinromeu26 | 2 years and 5 months ago

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Jeremy, the op’s question is about the law and i would bet the law is quite specific about whether this can be done with or without a permit. the code is not made up between the homeowner and a contractor at the suggestion of a third party.

I know there are electricians who will do this without a permit (if one is required; i do not think it is, i think it gets reported on a monthly report they turn in) but less experienced homeowners would be wise to understand that when we seek out tradespeople and other professionals with the intent on making the law “optional” as Jeremy suggests it is, we hurt ourselves. we lower the bar and end up with shoddy contractors. it does not stop with them breaking a code. in less regulated trades where safety may be less of a concern than say plumbing and electrical work (my trade, i am also a home improvement contractor), contractors who do not follow codes and industry standards routinely cheat customers. all this hurts the consumer because it drives legitimate business people out of the market (because they cannot compete agai nst the cheaters). unfortunately, this has become the norm and “professionals” who propagate this behavior have made a joke out of their own professions and our greater institutions.

i will find the proper way to do this and i will post it here later.

NewOwner | 2 years and 5 months ago

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Thanks, all, for your responses! Augustiner – do you find that the Miele dryer thoroughly dries clothes? Seeing a lot of reviews online that indicate that clothes are left damp so curious about whether it’s people who expect their clothes to come out cooked or if it’s a legit issue.

Guest User | 2 years and 5 months ago

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Ask an electrician. If they are a good and reasonable electrician then they will likely ask you if you want to file a permit or if you don’t want to file a permit.
110v dryers are such a disappointment.
I got a good deal on a 220v last year at a PC Richard scratch and dent store on LI

Augustiner | 2 years and 5 months ago

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Miele T1 heatpump dryer. Runs on 110v – doesn’t need a vent

justinromeu26 | 2 years and 5 months ago

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to answer your question about whether they need a permit or not, i do not think so. i think they can run it and file it with a report they make to the dob. think that is how it works.

i just tried to up load a photo of a double pole breaker but had a size issue. if you google “double pole breaker” you will find a photo of one.

justinromeu26 | 2 years and 5 months ago

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ok. first.220 is a dedicated line. you won’t be tapping off one that is currently powering an electric hot water heater to power the dryer. if you want a 220 dryer, you will be pulling a line to the location where the dryer is going to be located from a panel box.

if for some reason you still wish to see if you have one, open your panel box and see if you have a double pole breaker. that is two breakers next to each other on the same side with the switches joined together. that is how they make 220, pull a wire from each side of the box (the breakers are next to each other on one side of the box but the bus they draw from alternates to the other side of the box as you move down from breaker to breaker).

not many people have empty 220 breakers in their panel boxes. if you have the space (i don’t, when i want to weld, i have to pop two 120 v breakers out to put a double pole in) an electrician will be able to add one and then run a 8 or 10 ga line to where the outlet will be.

tom munetz is a great electrician, all around nice guy. 718-416-2686 munetz electrical contracting.

steve
www.brownstonehomeinspection.com