A grain dryer is one of the most electrically demanding pieces of equipment on a farm. Big motors, heating elements pulling serious amperage, multiple controls, and all of it has to run reliably for weeks at a time during harvest.
When your dryer electrical is wrong, you lose product, you lose time, and in bad weather you can lose a whole bin of grain to spoilage. We’ve been wiring grain dryers across central Alberta and Saskatchewan for over 20 years.
What we do with grain dryers
New installations
Wiring a new dryer into your yard is a full electrical project:
– Load calculation and service upgrade (most dryers need a 200A or 400A dedicated service)
– Transformer sizing for three-phase operation
– Conduit runs from service to dryer (often 100-400 ft of underground)
– Control panel integration with yard electrical
– Grounding and bonding per Canadian Electric Code
– Permits pulled and inspection coordinated
Retrofits and upgrades
- Replacing aging control systems with modern solid-state relays
- Adding variable frequency drives for better power efficiency
- Remote monitoring integration (phone alerts when the dryer faults)
- Fan and burner motor replacements
- Auger and conveyor control integration
Emergency repair
Grain dryers fail at the worst times. We keep parts in stock for the most common Canadian dryer brands and respond fast during harvest:
– Blown breakers and shorted circuits
– Faulty thermostats and high-limit switches
– Motor replacements
– Control board swaps
– Ground faults on heating elements
Brands we work with
We service and install dryers from all the major Canadian and American brands:
– GSI
– Mathews Company
– Grain Handler
– MC (Mathews/Mepsco)
– Sukup
– Superb (Super B)
– Shivvers
– Westeel
– Custom-built grain handling systems
Typical project timeline
New dryer install: 3-7 days depending on service size and conduit distance
Controls upgrade: 1-3 days
Emergency repair: Same-day to 48 hours depending on parts availability
Inspection and commissioning: Included in every new install
What it costs (ballpark)
Every farm is different, but here’s the rough picture:
- Basic wiring to an existing dryer pad with nearby service: $3,500-8,000
- Full install with service upgrade + underground run: $12,000-25,000
- Three-phase service upgrade for large dryers: $15,000-40,000 depending on utility work
- Controls upgrade with monitoring: $4,000-12,000
- Emergency repair: $200-500 service call + parts
We give proper written quotes after a site visit. not vague estimates over the phone.
Why East Country Electric for grain drying
- Real farm experience. We’ve wired hundreds of dryers across central AB and SK. We know what fails, what lasts, and what’s not worth the money.
- Certified Master Electricians. The guy who shows up has the ticket and the experience.
- Harvest-ready response. Breakdown in September? We move jobs around. Harvest doesn’t wait.
- Documentation. Proper wiring diagrams, load calcs, and inspection certificates. Your insurance company will thank you.
- Code compliance. Full Canadian Electric Code, proper Alberta/Saskatchewan permits.
Book a grain dryer quote
Planning a new dryer for next harvest? Upgrading your controls? Dealing with nuisance faults that won’t go away?
Call (403) 340-9213. We’ll come out, look at your setup, and give you a real quote.
Serving: Alberta and Saskatchewan
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Service areas
We serve homes, farms, and businesses across central Alberta and Saskatchewan: