Adding Dryer Outlet

[Jim Meade / Iowa City]

I have a 240V clothes dryer in the basement and have added a dryer in the room above it.  I had somewhat anticipated this, so when I built the house, I wired it so that the wire to the basement went through a box near the new dryer.  The problem is, I either forgot to leave a loop of wire or it got pulled out, so now the wire runs through the box and is pretty taut.  I've tried to tug on it and got no relief at all.  I could relieve the grips in the back of the box so the wire will be free and try to pull it, but I'm a little reluctant to do that yet.  The house is pretty well closed up so the wire is not available except through the box.

I'm willing to make any new wall holes I have to.  My question is how to cut into the existing wire and put in an additional dryer outlet.  It's a 4" box but is pretty close quarters to make a cut, strip the ends, put in another connection and put it all back together. 

 I dont' intend to run the two dryers at the same time but don't want to disconnect the existing one if I can help it.  I've figured if worse comes to worst, I could put in two new boxes, one above and one below the present box.  Cut the wire in the present box, fish it out the new holes above and below the present hole, splice in the extra wire and run it so that it reestablished the prior run plus adds a pig tail to run to the new dryer.  I wish I could figure out an easier way.

I want a safe installation.  The house is not required to be to code.  Any ideas?

I guess if all else fails, I go back out to the service panel, which is full, move some 110 circuites to half-sized breakers to free up a space, put in a new 220 breaker and run the wire on the surface to the new outlet.  

[buckfarmer]

I've watched electricians stuff a lot of wires connections into junction boxes. When I did it at the factory it always made me nervous. Especially on a machine that produced some vibration. But never had a problem. The electrician I questioned about Jamming so tightly said if it fits don't wory about it. The time I was asking him about he had to use the screws on the box to force the cover back on.

[Danno067]

Jim, couldn't you disconnect the wires at the bottom outlet and then use them to pull some new wires up to your 4" box? Would be faster and easier then putting holes in the wall. Even if you did one at a time.

[Jim Meade / Iowa City]

I hadn't thought of that.  The wire runs down and then across through some studs, so I'm afraid it wold have too much drag on it.  I'll keep itin mind, though.

It's beginning to look like running a new wire is the easiest.  I can get to everything and won't have two driyers on the same circuit.  Thanks to all for the ideas.