Need 240 Volt Breaker Advice


  #1  
Old 03-14-05, 09:20 PM
RFD
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Exclamation Need 240 Volt Breaker Advice

I need assistance with an outlet that is not working and I suspect that the breaker is broken. I am leary of playing with a circuit breaker box that may decide to finish me given the chance, so I am hoping to get some advice that is probably quite simple.

We have used a 240 volt ac outlet that was installed almost 30 years ago exclusively for an electric dryer. A few years ago this dryer chewed up and destroyed its own temperature sensor. Noone had a replacement sensor for this dryer, but we kept using the dryer against everyone's better judgement. Last week the dryer stopped working. The new electric dryer I purchased over the weekend also decided not to work. I checked the 30 amp breaker that I believe is connected to this 240 volt outlet and found that the switch will not budge; this particular breaker cannot be reset.

It's only my theory that the breaker marked 100 amps is the main cut off to the rest of the breakers, but I do not want to take that chance unless I get assurance from a real electrician.

I have worked with outlets, switches, ceiling fans, and such with the assurance that the power was cut off at the breaker box. Fooling with the box itself is another animal altogether because noone has ever shown me what was what in there. I always had to figure these things out on my own.

I have seen what 240 volts, 3 amps can do to wood and metal and I would prefer not want to be caught in the middle of an arc, so any advice that would help get that breaker replaced without intense cost would be apperciated. The specs for the box are below if it helps:

Gould 1A1878
EQ 12S/F-2
I-T-E Indoor load center
 
  #2  
Old 03-15-05, 04:38 AM
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The 100 amp main is the cutoff for the whole lower portion of the panel. There are still UNFUSED lines feeding the main breaker.
IF you are comfortable the breaker replacement is not a hard job. It is an obvious wire for wire swap. YOu only need to touch the two wires on that particular breaker. This is unless the panel is a rats nest of wires and in this case it may be more complicated.
 
 

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