220v to 120v

blwjrma71

HI I'am currently changing my closet where I used to have a washer/dryer into a small office. I have a 220v outlet that was used for the dryer in the closet. I wanted to know if I can take the 220v outlet out and put in a 120v outlet instead? Thanks!

jproffer

Short answer...NO

Longer answer...maybe, but I wouldn't recommend a DIY'er trying to split 240 into 120. Call an electrician.

K2eoj

I'll go out on the thin ice and say "yes" until speedy or jbfan come along. Your dryer probably had a #10 wire with black white and ground. It should be a straight run to the panel. It seems to me if you take out the 240, (double) breaker and replace it with a 20amp single and connect the white to the neutral bar the only issue is that your #10 is oversized. Oversized wire is becoming an issue in our area because of what future people might hook up to it. We used to oversize quite a bit on remodels and although I can see the nec's reasoning I'm not going to go around downsizing on my house. Again that is just my thoughts until the real electricians come along. HS

jproffer

As long as you cut the exposed red conductor out and mark the wire clearly as 2 cond. cable. That's what I meant by "maybe...but..............."

jbfan

It depends on what wires you have now. Is it a 3 wire or 4 wire plug. As stated above, yoou can remove the two ploe breaker, reduce to a 20 single pole breaker, then you can splice some #12 onto the #10 in the oulet box and conect to the outlet. If you have 4 wire, remove the red wire, and cap it of with a wire nut, do not cut it, you may want to use the 240v again.

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