What country is this? I've never seen even a stacking washer that didn't have hot and cold water. Your laundry doesn't conform to any modern code. A laundry is required to have at least one 20A 120V receptacle (on a dedicated circuit).

The next question (probably needs to open the box wiring the receptacle to tell, is how that existing receptacle is wired. If the three wires are the two hots and a neutral, then it's illegal to begin with (there is a grandfathering for grounding the frame of a DRYER (but not a combination unit) to the grounded conductor..

If you really have four wires (neutral + ground) you might be able to install a subpanel there, but I'm really concerned about the over all capacity.

Pulling a 15A circuit into this area would be illegal.

Nothing is "impossible" if you're willing to cut a few holes and do the resultant repair/repaint. Pul a proper 20A circuit along with a proper grounded circuit for the dryer if you don't have one already. While your at it, you'll probably want to install the hot water line for the washer.

There was a time not so long ago that one could purchase German made 240v washers here in the US. They had internal heaters and did not require a hot water source. IIRC, they used a special cable adapter so that both the washer and dryer could be plugged into a single receptacle at one time.

@weedmeister: Exactly as you said. This is a Swedish-made W/D that runs on 240v. The washer takes only cold water in and has an internal heater. (I have since discovered that the washer is also a 240v unit. It has two 15A fuses inside.)

@ ronnatalie: I should have been more clear. The washer only takes cold water, BUT the laundry was plumbed with both hot and cold. So water supply is not an issue. The only issue is the 120v circuit for a new washer. I am going to check out whether the existing 240v circuit is 3 or 4 wire and the specs of the new units to see if the total wattage can be accommodated by the 30A circuit so a sub-panel would work. Otherwise it is going to be time to fish a new cable.

BTW, all stacked (as opposed to "stackable") W/Ds run off of a single 240v 30A feed. But the capacity of these units is too small for our needs.

Thanks for the feedback.

Again, it doesn't matter what the requirements of whatever washer and dryer are. The code requires a dedicated 20A 120V receptacles circuit for the laundry area. The idea isn't so much the washer/dryer but that you'd plug in an iron I think. Still most people have the clothes washer plugged into it anyhow.

Sorry for the delay in responding.

I respect the code when it has clear justification for safety or practical reasons. But when it gets to be a dogmatic issue, it makes you wonder.

This W/D is in a hallway CLOSET, not "a laundry". There is hardly enough room for the W/D itself, and hardly any more room in the hallway outside. If someone were to plug in an iron, they would do so in one of the outlets in the adjacent bedroom, which is where the laundry would be logically sorted and folded.

So, I will see if I can find a W/D that will run on a existing 240v circuit capacity of 7200W and install a subpanel. Otherwise, I will have to pull another 120v/20A circuit if needed for the washer. But it won't be because the code says I need it no matter what the situation is. And it certainly won't be for ironing.

I told you what I suspected the reasoning was likely. You've obviously found the common pragamatic reason. I'm glad you know more than all the electrical engineers, life safety people, and practicing electricians that have contributed to NFPA 70 over the past 100 years. You obviously don't need any body else's help, you've already made up your mind.

I'll stick with those who want to follow the rules.

I'm sorry you couldn't give me a practical reason why I need an outlet for plugging in an iron in a closet.

As I said, I follow rules that make sense for safety or practical reasons. I also use common sense.

Thank you for your non-help.

P.S.
BS. MS. Electrical Engineering.

The practical reason is the CODE REQUIRES IT.
The practical reason is that if your installation was compliant with the code, you'd have a place to plug in your washer now and you wouldn't be looking at either hacking a subpanel in or having to pull a new wire.

And your degrees mean squat to me. I'm an Electrical Engineer as well, and I'll stack up my practical experience in facilities planning for the US Army and the seven campus State University system against whatever you claim to have.

Calm down, bro. This isn't MY installation.

The people you should be mad at are the licensed electrician and BI who created this hack job in the first place. I'm just the poor DIYer trying to fix their hack job without spending an arm and a leg.

Peace out!

P.S. The CODE REQUIRING IT isn't a practical reason in THIS instance. If I decided to keep my current W/D, I'm not going to pull a 20A circuit just to please the CODE.

The code rarely requires you to change existing installations, but since you're talking about making changes to the wiring you are obliged by law to follow the code. It would be foolhardy for anybody to suggest you do otherwise. Frankly, it would be foolhardy for you to do otherwise no matter how personally groundless you think the code rules are.

Thank you for a more dignified response, but please don't put words in my mouth. I never said the code is "groundless". I respect the code when it comes to safety and standards. But the code cannot address EVERY situation. That's why installations are sometimes accepted as "grandfathered." Without compromising safety, one needs to apply the most appropriate solution, following the code as closely as practically possible.

If you go back and read my original post, you will see that I laid out the three options I was faced with. I knew #2 was unacceptable, although it had been recommended by an electrician. Another electrician has quoted almost $1000 for option #1, if it were even possible to do without creating more expense to repair torn up walls.

Tell me, if you were in my situation and you had to replace the W/D with a pair that needed two circuits, and option #1 was not possible, what would YOU do?

I've not changed my opinion despite your harangs against me. As I said, I sincerely doubt running a new line is not possible. Maybe you don't have the skills but such is done all the time.

If the wiring is such that it would support a subpanel (as I already indicated) that's possibly an option. You'd still have to drop a 20A circuit off the subpanel.

I do see one error in my original post. In option #3, I said 120v/15A. I agree that I should have said 120v/20A. If that's what you are arguing about, my apologies, you are right.

Please go back and read all the posts and see who has been the one making personal attacks and questioning the other person's capabilities. I have tried to be polite and stick to the facts.

The circuit is 4 -wire.

Thanks, and let's end this conversation here.

Nope, you still can't do it. You can't "extend" an existing circuit. No additional outlets are permitted on the laundry area circuit.

The setup in the laundry room in the house we are renting (relatively recent construction, at least recently enough that they installed the new style of dryer outlet) is pretty bizarre and I'm pretty sure not up to code. In fact I think there is a bunch of weirdness throughout the house that seems to have got by inspectors. I think they just read the labels in the fuse box without actually checking a thing!

In our actual laundry room - there are 3 outlets, plus the dryer outlet. There is the outlet for the washing machine, another outlet right next to it, just behind the dryer, and an outlet on the opposite wall. Only one of these outlets is on a line with a GFCI, and its not the one the washing machine is plugged into - nor is the GFCI outlet on that line in the laundry room (its in the garage). One of them is labeled "dryer" - but there is another 30A breaker in the box that is the actual breaker for the dryer. The one labeled "dryer" may or may not have the overhead lights and fan on it - if not, that outlet is on its own separate breaker. But definitely no GFCI on either that outlet, or the one the washing machine is actually plugged in to.

In the dining room, one of the wall outlets is wired into the same circuit as the refrigerator. I always thought the fridge was required by code to be on its own circuit.

I forget to check what circuit the microwave is on. I'll have to check that tomorrow.

One of the 3 hallway outlets is on the same line as the dishwasher/disposal.

All the bathroom outlets - in 2 separate bathrooms - are on the same circuit, with one GFCI installed on the line.

All lights and outlets in the master bedroom and the spare bedroom next to it are on the same breaker. I don't think I've ever lived anywhere where each bedroom didn't have its own breaker.

All lights and outlets in the N. bedroom, plus one of the 3 outlets in the hall, are on the same breaker.

There is a breaker marked "Laundry/Bath" - which has the outlet for the watering system controller, the garage door opener, the single overhead bulb light in the garage, all the lights in the Master Bathroom, and the 3rd outlet in the hallway on it. Unless the laundry room lights and fan are on this circuit, it doesn't actually seem to connect to anything in the laundry room.

Only half of the outlets in the living room are actually on the breaker marked "living room/bedroom". I'm not sure where the other half are - I didn't write that down. The overhead light in there is also on that breaker. I couldn't find anything in any of the 3 bedrooms that is on that breaker, regardless of how it is marked in the breaker box.

There is an entire breaker devoted to "Furnace" - which is really a gas furnace. That would be for the fan - so I'm pretty sure it's nowhere near capacity.

I think that's like 3 circuits devoted to things mostly in the garage, out of 14 (not counting the big breakers for an electric dryer and a stove - which the stove is also gas, but apparently there must be a 50A electrical outlet behind the gas stove for an electric stove).

All the lights for the dining room, the kitchen, the front entryway, the porch, and the hallway are on the same circuit.

No GFCI for the outlet the washing machine is plugged in to. One laundry outlet that may or may not have the overhead lights and fan on them, and one laundry outlet that is actually on the same line as a bunch of garage stuff, all in the laundry room.

Its just really an odd jumble.

Are you sure all these receptacles are not chained off the first GFCI? If you push the test button on the GFCI do the other receptacles stop working?

There's nothing wrong with all the bathroom receptacles on a single circuit with one GFCI as long as there's nothing else on that circuit.

There's nothing wrong with the refrigerator being shared with a dining room receptacle if it is a 20A circuit (and it feeds nothing other than receptacles in the kitchen and dining room and like areas).

There's absolutely no requirement that each bedroom be on it's own circuit, and in fact, many designs specifically don't do that.

The panel should be relabeled correctly but that's not that big of a deal.

A dedicated circuit for the furnace (fans, control electronics, etc...) is likely required by the furnace manufacturer. Prewiring for an electric cooktop even when a gas is installed is quite commonly done for practical reasons (for instance, my wife who has always insisted on a gas cooktop over the years now wants an induction after seeing a friends).

Frankly other than the fact your panel is mislabeled, nothing seems out of code or even contrary to normal practice.

Look, I don't know what your goal is here hijacking this thread, but despite you protestations, there's nothing particularly wrong nor shoddy about the way this house is wired. Further, it's not your house and you have no business even touching the wiring.

WHat on earth are you after?

Zen, which NEC Article requires GFCI in dwelling laundry rooms?

@bus-driver - None that I know of - the requirement is that the WASHING MACHINE itself be on a GFCI protected circuit. It's not. Actually, any circuit exposed to potential water damage needs to be GFCI protected, even if you're NOT plugging your washing machine in to that particular circuit - so the other outlet over behind the washing machine should be GFCI protected as well even though the washing machine isn't plugged in there. I don't think it was (I actually don't live there any more by now, can't double check that).

As for Ron - if you're an electrician, you would never work for me under any circumstances. Actually I wouldn't hire you for ANYTHING with that attitude, no matter what your profession.

Also please note - I was not trying to change a thing. Only mapping the circuits. And yes, its a huge problem when the printer kicks on and dims all the lights in the Master bed/bath. That hall outlet should never have been put on the same circuit as not one, but TWO different bedrooms, parts of the master bath, and the walk-in closet. It is purely shoddy design.

Zen: GREAT POSTS! And you have my permission to hijack my thread. I enjoyed reading your comments and observations, and have experienced many of the same issues myself in homes that I have owned over the years.

I consider mislabeling of panels to be a safety issue, not an inconvenience.

Honestly, I am tired of getting lectured by "professionals" on these forums when they never criticize the shoddy original work done by other professionals and inspected by yet more professionals. As long as it meets the code, everything is supposed to be good.

As I said above, following the code may be a necessary requirement, but it should never be sufficient when common sense and practicality are ignored.

I certainly would criticise shoddy work (though the work may have not been shoddy when it was done, standards change). However, I can't recommend to this forum that people ignore the code and just go with "common sense."

And yes, I do feel compelled to point out when people propose illegal and unsafe suggestions here. You can call it lecturing, but less knowledgeable people read these forums, and I can not stand by and let them think that these antics are accepted procedure.