Tech Tip #2 Control of Electric Clothes Dryers Most electric clothes dryers used in homes today have 5500-watt, 240-volt heating coils with a 120-volt fractional horsepower motor. It is very difficult to operate an all-electric home below 8 KW if the dryer is not controlled by a demand controller. To properly connect a dryer to an Energy Sentry®, follow the procedure below. This should be done by a licensed electrician.  Not recommended for homeowners. Click on image for a close-up view Hook-up 1. Turn dryer breaker OFF. 2. Disconnect one wire from the breaker and cap or insulate wire. 3. Turn dryer Breaker ON. 4. Turn dryer ON. If dryer operates (starts), you have disconnected the heating coil wire. Go to Step #5.  If the dryer does not start, the connected wire is the heating coil wire and the disconnected wire is the motor wire.  Turn dryer breaker OFF.   Reconnect the motor wire to its proper position on the breaker and disconnect the heating coil wire. 5. Turn dryer breaker OFF (or insure that it is already OFF).  Connect the heating coil wire to the Energy Sentry® relay as shown in the diagram above.  When finished, turn the dryer breaker ON. 6. Make note on Dryer Breaker in Breaker Panel that the Dryer is controlled by the Energy Sentry. Warnings Beware of mislabeling. Make sure the 30-amp breaker is the dryer's breaker and not the water heater's breaker. Only the heating coil leg of the dryer circuit should be connected to the demand controller. Connecting the motor leg can overheat and damage the dryer motor. If the dryer is not in place (i.e. if you are installing in an unoccupied home), the dryer circuit should not be connected to the controller. If any loads connected to the Energy Sentry demand control system are wired with aluminum wiring, insure that connections between existing aluminum conductors and copper conductors of the Energy Sentry are properly done using a Copair tool, anti-oxident paste or anti-oxident impregnated wire-nuts. Quick Test 1. Lower demand limit to minimum setting.  Turn ON oven and range until all loads are shed. This may take a few minutes. Press Dryer Start button. Dryer's motor should start. 2. Turn OFF oven and range. 3. Restore demand limit to normal level. Return To Tech Support Go To Next Tech Tip

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