Hello brandonwolf, to answer your question we must start with basic electricity:
Power (in watts) = volts x amps
In your condo wiring you have many separate circuits. If you look in
your breaker box, you will see the individual breakers labeled showing
their capacity in amps. You will probably see 20A, 30A, and 50A
breakers. The purpose of the breakers is to protect your wiring from
carrying too much current (amps) and getting hot. The 20A (and maybe
30A) breakers are for 110 volt lighting circuits and small appliances.
Using the formula above:
Power = 110 volts x 20 amps = 2200 watts
Power = 110 volts x 30 amps = 3300 watts
You can see that you would be limited to an appliance that requires
2200/3300 watts. In the case of your electric dryer the heating
element rating would be limited by the size of the breaker and
voltage. The higher the heating element rating, the faster your
clothes will dry.
So if you use a 220 volt dryer:
Power = 220 volts x 30 amps = 6600 watts
You will have to check and see exactly what breaker size you have on
the wiring to your plug at the dryer location. You would want to buy
the highest rated dryer that is compatable with your wiring. I would
think that the retailer where you are buying your dryer could help you
with this. If you don't understand how to determine the breaker size
on the circuit for your dryer, you may need to get someone to help
you.
However, if you are not interested in how fast your clothes dry and a
110 volt combo is more available, there is nothing wrong with using a
110 volt dryer. Just make sure that it doesn't require a larger
breaker that what is on the 110 volt receptacle at the dryer location.
Please ask for a clarification if any of this in unclear or you have
further questions.
Redhoss |
