Step 1 - Power to the Panel - Can I tee a line?

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shortyjacobs

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Posted this as a reply to a thread by accident....sorry for the dupe!

I'm starting to think about planning my next stage for my brewery. Right now I'm doing propane for HLT/BK, and have a RIMS tube/pump setup with control box. I want to go full electric, put an element in the BK, eliminate the HLT, and have a 2 vessel Brutus 20 clone that runs 10 gallons...

But the first step is figuring out power. I want to build the brewery into my laundry room, and I have a 4 wire dryer outlet in there already. I don't want to have to unplug the dryer each time I brew. Tell me if these options are OK, (up to code, etc.?)

1. Install a junction box before the dryer outlet. Splice in some 10/4 to the dryer line, run that 10/4 to a spa panel, and install a dryer outlet in the spa panel. I realize that I can't run the dryer and brew at the same time, as I'll trip the circuit breaker at the panel, but this is no big deal. Would look like this, (current situation on the left, what I want to do on the right).

ut9Kzl.png


2. Replace the single dryer outlet with a double one...do they make these???
 
If I recall correctly, a Dryer is required by the electrical code to be a dedicated circuit... IOW, nothing else may be spliced into it or share the circuit.

I would suggest you simply add a new circuit from the panel to where you want to have your outlet. Granted, it might not be "simple" depending on the layout of your home and the location of the main panel compared to where you want to have your brewing outlet.

Otherwise, keep it simple and just keep unplugging the dryer for the couple hours you are brewing.
 
Would it work? Sure. Is it to code? Nope.

Each electric dryer is required to have a dedicated 30A run. You won't find a double dryer outlet either for that reason.
 
How far is your panel from where you'd like to brew? I was able to add a cheap 50A breaker to my panel, wire it into a GFIC spa disconnect with #6 THHN, and then into a 50A 4W receptacle. As you can see I nipple the spa disconnect to the panel, and used a short 1" conduit run to the receptacle. Might work for you if your panel is close. :ban:

Complete.jpg
 
Not to code. AKA, don't have it inspected and remove it if you ever go to sell the house. If you're not comfortable with this, don't do it.
 
Fudge - I was afraid you guys would say this.

PLOVE - pretty short run. I'd say I have a 5 foot vertical, 7 foot horizontal run to where I want to brew, (through a wall - circuit breaker panel is in the garage, laundry room in the basement, split level house so the floor of the garage is halfway up the wall in the basement. So, I have to go 5 feet down in the garage, 2 feet over to the wall, through the wall, then 5 feet horizontal in the basement to the "ideal" plug location.

I could always just have a 5 foot 10/4 dryer cord going from my spa panel to the current wall outlet. In the future, when I get tired of unplugging/plugging in every time I want to brew, I can run an extra 7 feet of 10/4 from a new breaker in the panel to a second outlet next to the first.

I'm hesitant at this point to put in a new breaker, simply because I've never worked inside a circuit breaker panel before...I'd have no idea what I was doing...
 
Ask around. If you have any friends or neighbors with electrical experience it would be better to have them help you out.

I've added a new breaker to a panel before and honestly its not that hard, but it would help to have someone walk you through it first.

Don't try the thing you diagrammed above. Not a good idea. Be safe and add a proper breaker to your panel.
 
Not to code. AKA, don't have it inspected and remove it if you ever go to sell the house. If you're not comfortable with this, don't do it.
Do NOT do this.!!! If anything ever happens to your house (fire) there will be a complete inspection of the result. If the inspection reveals that a change was made to the electrical that was not to code, your insurance company will jump on it and you will be up ****s creak. i.e. you will not be insured and you bought the farm.!
 
Do NOT do this.!!! If anything ever happens to your house (fire) there will be a complete inspection of the result. If the inspection reveals that a change was made to the electrical that was not to code, your insurance company will jump on it and you will be up ****s creak. i.e. you will not be insured and you bought the farm.!

lol, thanks P-J, but no worries...I'm sure the code is there for SOME stupid-arsed reason, and who am I to go against that? I'll do it right :).

BTW, any idea WHAT the stupid-arsed reason is, in this case?
 
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