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Markmatajr · Sep 14, 2013, 01:25 AM

Ok so I just moved in. Ac didn't work. Noticed ac breaker was off. Turned it on. Day later main fuse, breaker box is off. When I try to get it on it sparks. Even w/ other breakers off. Electrician comes out replaces whole panel. Puts double pull for dryer separate than ac this time instead of the two double pulls togetr. Have him install new outlt in wall to match my dryer cord. Later I plug in ddryer and it buzzes but no start. It games a hand start to get it going. Checked voltage and got 240 and my 120s. Tried a similar dryer. Same thing. Just buzzes. When I press start when ac is on and don't hand start it ac fan breaker kicks off at the ac fan. Any ideas?

hkstroud · Sep 14, 2013, 06:52 AM

Call electrician back.

Markmatajr · Sep 14, 2013, 11:03 AM

Originally Posted by hkstroud

Call electrician back.

Ok. I did. Hes coming back on Monday. But he seems to think since the dryer has the correct voltage it is a problem with the dryer. The only reason he is coming back is that a different dryer that was working is not now and doing the same thing. I'd just like to know what to be looking for. Could it be a short somewhere or too many breakers on dryers panel? This electrician doesn't seem to like to be wrong.

ma0641 · Sep 14, 2013, 11:09 AM

"or too many breakers on dryers panel". Dryer needs a dedicated 240 VAC circuit.

drtom4444 · Sep 14, 2013, 10:41 PM

Something is wrong with the power. Make sure you read 240 volts across the two hot terminals and 120 from each to ground and have someone read the voltage when you try to start it. If it drops, which I think is what's happening, you may need bigger wire somewhere. It's like supplying water-you may have the pressure until someone turns on a big faucet, then it drops to nothing everywhere. Starting requires that the voltage is higher than running.

Markmatajr · Sep 15, 2013, 12:49 AM

Your right. First off both contacts to ground have 120. 240 tested together. But measuring one at time while I push start one side drops to around 35-40v other side goes up to about 190 v.
Before they changed the whole panel the air cond and dryer where in some 4 pull breaker. Until it burnd out.
This is a modular. I've heard they could have to many breakers on the same circuit.

drtom4444 · Sep 15, 2013, 05:33 PM

Either you have a tiny set of wires supplying that box or you have way too much on it, or the wires are loose in their connections. One of these facts is true.

hkstroud · Sep 15, 2013, 07:38 PM

Before they changed the whole panel the air cond and dryer where in some 4 pull breaker. Until it burnd out.

That sounds like you have a branch circuit from the main panel to a sub panel. The sub panel servicing the air conditioner and the dryer. If that is correct where is the breaker that is tripping, in the main panel or in the sub panel?

Until it burnd out.

Was the sub panel replaced?

Before they changed the whole panel the air cond and dryer where in some 4 pull breaker.

Are things still wired that way

Markmatajr · Sep 16, 2013, 02:51 PM

Issue solved. There's no subpanel from what I can tell for the AC and dryer. Just a fuse or somesort of kickoff swith in the Ac fan area. What was the problem was a ungrounded circuit somewhere in the Dryer outlet circuit. They tried a line straight from the breaker to the dryer and it ran fine when I started it. So they checked the wiring in the outlet and he told me (paraphrasing)" the dryer couldn't detect ground so it has some sort of safety that wouldn't let it start. ) I don't believe he was correct in that assumption. It probably just didn't have a proper ground and couldn't run.

They corrected the ground problem and its all good now. Thanks for the help.