What can cause a dryer outlet and plug to burn?

Question

Dryer stopped heating, and when we pulled it out we noticed one prong of the cord was burnt up. Not thinking of the big picture, we replaced the dryer and electrical cord. New dryer worked about 10 times and stopped heating. I haven't pulled the dryer out yet, but I think I can assume the plug is also burnt up. I researched this and learned that the cord and outlet are ruined and need replaced. Which brings me to my question, do outlets get old and worn out causing this problem or is there a chance there is a larger underlying problem that I need to have an electrician come fix? The outlet is at least 9 years old that we know of but more likely closer to 20-30 yrs old. Due to this being an electrical problem, I do not want to put my family at risk by only changing out the outlet and plug, but I'm on a tight budget and can't really afford an electrician unless I absolutely have to hire one.

Thank you.

Answer 1

Yes, outlets DO get worn out, and they make poor or loose connections. These are very dangerous, because they generate a lot of heat -- especially with a high current draw such as an electric dryer.



When you replaced the dryer, I would have just replaced it with a gas dryer. Have a plumber run a gas line over to it. Electric dryers are much more expensive to run than gas ones. But since you already bought a new electric dryer, might as well provide a good electrical connection for it.



Replace it with a new 30-amp 240V outlet with an L-shaped prong. Be sure to use a matching cord for the dryer.



If possible, an even better option is to replace the wiring to the outlet with 10-3 that includes a separate ground.

Answer 2

The contacts in the outlet have lost the abillity to squeeze against the prongs inserted into them. This causes a poor connection, which is a high-resistance connection, and due to the high current passing through to the dryer, causes a lot of heat.



This should not be happening, unless the plug has been removed and installed many many times. The plug just sitting in the socket does not cause contact wear.



How much heat ? If the dryer uses 20 amperes, and the resistance of the outlet-plug connection is one-tenth of one ohm, then 40 watts of heat is generated - and it only takes one of the contacts inside the outlet to cause this problem. That's a lot of heat in such a small space !! If the resistance is one-twentieth of one ohm, the 20 watts of heat is generated - still a lot of heat. Think about how hot incandescent bulbs like that get.



It is possible some of the wiring to the outlet has been damaged by the heat and that section of wiring will have to be replaced.



The wiring is not hard to do. Take photographs of everything as it is removed, and then install the replacement components in the reverse order. You can find do-it-yourself electrical books at hardware stores, libraries, and used-book stores that show how it is done, generically.



You can get a new outlet and the needed replacement wire at any large hardware store, just take the burned outlet (that matches the new dryer plug) to the hardware store to get a matching replacement. The store should cut-to-length any wire you need to replace any overheated wire.



EDIT :



I just throught of another possibility. If the house is between 30 to 40 years old it might have aluminum wiring in it. If there is aluminum wiring between the breaker panel and the outlet, that aluminum wiring will have to be removed and replaced with copper wiring. There were a huge number of problems with aluminum wiring getting loose under the screws or clamps inside of sockets, which caused overheating and sometimes fires. Aluminum wire is more ductile than copper wire and under the pressure of the screws or clamps it would "creep" as it expanded and contracted with temperature changes. Thus the thickness of the aluminum wire would get smaller, which caused a loose connection to begin. Furthermore, aluminum forms a skin of aluminum oxide on its surface where oxygen gets to it, and this skin is an insulator. This forces current to flow through a smaller area of the aluminum surface that is in contact with the copper or brass connectors of the outlet, which means higher resistance, and more heat. The copper oxide that forms on the surface of copper wires is conductive and not as big a problem.



Aluminum wiring was a huge mistake.



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aluminum_wire

Aluminum wire

Answer 3

Tony's answer is very complete particularly as it relates to resistance heating. While it is certainly true that a dry outlet and plug can "wear-out" and cause resistance heating another possibility is corrosion. Often dryer exhaust vents leak or may not be used at all and thus very warm and humid air is exhausted into the house near the dryer's electrical source where it condenses and promotes corrosion. Even minor amount of corrosion can produce resistance heating. The moral is make sure you understand why the original plug failed before replacing it so that history does not repeat itself.

Answer 4

Absolutely you need an electrician--anyone who can service and replace a 220 plug or outlet. It's very dangerous to do this yourself. You need someone who can let you know if your wiring is up to code and can take the needed precautions. Don't try this one yourself. The plug on the dryer can be replaced by you, but the outlet is far more complicated. And that's probably what your problem is. Yes, they can wear out or short out.

Answer 5

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Answer 6

IF it's a cord cap unplug and tighten the loose wires! if it's on the receptical TURN OFF POWER AND CHECK THOSE WIRES FOR TIGHT!!! PLEASE POWER OFF!!!!!!