When you turn on your electric dryer, electric stove, oven or any other 220-volt appliances, they require two opposite circuits of 110-volt power to operate correctly. When you turn on your electric cooktop or oven and they do not fully become hot or the same problem exists with your electric dryer but the motor is operating, this means you are only receiving half (one of the two circuits) of the power required to properly operate these appliances correctly. If all of the 220-volt appliances are operating at half power, you have to determine if the problem exists inside of your building or from the power being supplied from the outside of the building. Speaking with your neighbors to see if they are experiencing the same problem is the quickest way to verify this problem. Then you can contact the proper services to restore your power.
If the problem exists inside of your building, then you can check your main panel to see if you have a main breaker that needs to be reset, which is explained in the June “Tip of the Month.” If this problem exists individually, then locate the breaker that operates that specific appliance and reset. If power has not been restored, you need to contact a licensed electrical contractor or an appliance company to verify which of the devices is your problem.
