Electrical – Is it safe to adapt a 10-30 outlet to accept 1-15 plugs

electricalwiring

I have a 10-30 outlet (old dryer style, 240V with a neutral wire but no ground). It's in a relatively inaccessible location where I can plug something into it, but it would be very hard to rewire the outlet. I would like to plug some standard 120V non-grounded equipment into it, and it seems easy enough to grab a 10-30 dryer cord and use one of the hot leads and the neutral to hook up a standard 120V receptacle inside a box and terminate the other hot lead. Are there any safety concerns with doing that, assuming I use a non-grounding 120V outlet (1-15 as opposed to 5-15)?

Thanks!

Best Answer

No, you can't use dryer cord as a permanent wiring method to extend from an existing dryer receptacle. Here is the pertinent National Electrical Code article, attention to (1):

400.12 Uses Not Permitted. Unless specifically permitted in 400.10, flexible cables, flexible cord sets, and power supply cords shall not be used for the following:

(1) As a substitute for the fixed wiring of a structure

(2) Where run through holes in walls, structural ceilings, suspended ceilings, dropped ceilings, or floors

(3) Where run through doorways, windows, or similar openings

(4) Where attached to building surfaces

Also, non-grounding type receptacles are only allowed to be used to replace other non-grounding type receptacles, NOT to be installed as new receptacles.

406.4(D)(2) Non–Grounding-Type Receptacles. Where attachment to an equipment grounding conductor does not exist in the receptacle enclosure, the installation shall comply with (D)(2)(a), (D)(2)(b), or (D)(2)(c).

(a) A non–grounding-type receptacle(s) shall be permitted to be replaced with another non–grounding-type receptacle(s).

(b) A non–grounding-type receptacle(s) shall be permitted to be replaced with a ground-fault circuit interrupter-type of receptacle(s). These receptacles or their cover plates shall be marked “No Equipment Ground.” An equipment grounding conductor shall not be connected from the ground-fault circuit-interrupter-type receptacle to any outlet supplied from the ground-fault circuit-interrupter receptacle.

(c) A non–grounding-type receptacle(s) shall be permitted to be replaced with a grounding-type receptacle(s) where supplied through a ground-fault circuit interrupter. Where grounding-type receptacles are supplied through the ground-fault circuit interrupter, grounding-type receptacles or their cover plates shall be marked “GFCI Protected” and “No Equipment Ground,” visible after installation. An equipment grounding conductor shall not be connected between the grounding-type receptacles.

You could arguably replace the non-grounding type dryer receptacle with a 120 volt NEMA 1-15 in that enclosure but you will have to replace the 30 amp two pole breaker with a 15 amp single pole breaker. Good luck finding a mounting strap for the receptacle though.

The safest course of action is to extend another available circuit with a ground or run a new circuit.

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