How to Install a 240 Breaker & Wire for an Appliance

Appliances such as dryers and stoves operate on 240-volt AC (alternating current) circuits. These circuits require 10-3 or 8-3 electrical wire, depending on how far the appliance will be from the main power panel. Installation of one of these circuits starts in the main power panel at the circuit breaker for that circuit. Working in a power panel can be dangerous, so if you do not feel comfortable with performing work there, hire a professional electrician.

• 1

  Shut off all of the breakers at the main power panel, including the main breaker. Unscrew the bolts holding the breaker cover in place and remove the breaker cover. There are two large wires that connect to the main breaker. Do not touch those wires or that side of the main breaker at any time. This wires are always live and can kill you.

• 2

  Check to see how the existing wires enter the house from the power panel. The new wire will need to take the same route. The fish tape can be used to get a pull strip in place to pull wire inside walls and under floors. Basically, you push the fish tape through the wall from destination "A" to destination "B." You would then tie a pull string onto the fish tape at destination "B" and pull it back to destination "A."

• 3

  Tie the end of the wire to the pull string. Pull the cable back to the power panel. Strip 1/2-inch of insulation off of each end of the wires. You should have a red, black, white and bare wire. The bare wire is the ground wire. The red and black wire are the hot wires, and the white wire is the common wire.

• 4

  Go to the power panel. Connect the ground wire and the common wire to the common bus bar in the power panel. Connect the red and black wires to the two terminals on the 240-volt circuit breaker. Plug the circuit breaker into the next available slot in the power panel.

• 5

  Use a hammer and screwdriver to knock out respective slots on the breaker cover. Reinstall the breaker cover and secure it with its screws.