Dryer Circuit Wiring and Hookup
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It may be a 220 Dryer, and you will need a new outlet installed. There should be no extra wires when connecting the Power cord to the plug
Dryer plug three to fourOpen up the electrical access panel on the back of the dryer. You will see a terminal block with three wires going into it from the plug cord assembly. A red and black and white are now connected to the terminal strip. Look at the position and colours of the existing 3 prong cord and how it is connected. Make a diagram. Coloured wires on the outside terminals white in the center. From the center wire terminal you will see a jumper strap that goes to the frame of the dryer. When installing the four prong plug this jumper is removed completely. The kit should have with it a grounding lug that connects to where the removed grounding strip attached to the frame of the dryer. This is the attachment point for the fourth green ground wire from the new dryer cord assembly.
Buy a 3 wire cord for your dryer.
If you are viweing this because you want to change the newer 4-prong plug/outlet to fit an older 3 prong outlet/plug don't do it! The newer plug is safer and the 3 prong plug no longer meets code. See the discussions in other threads. all you need to do is hook the two hot leads on the outer terminals, then the nueatral, white wire on the center terminal and the green ground wire to the ground screw. Be sure to remove the bonding jumper that ties the neutral to the chassis. This is no longer needed as now you have a ground line from the outlet. There should be 3 insulated lugs in the dryer, two hots and a neutral. Connect the red and black wires in your new cord to the hot lugs (red & black are interchangeable), and the white neutral to the neutral lug. Neutral is the center wire on your older 3-wire cord, for reference. Connect the green ground wire directly to the chassis of the sryer using a convienent screw. Use the four prong cord if you can. It is safer because it has the extra ground wire which older cords did not.
The four blade dryer plug brings a separate ground wire from the machine to the electrical grounding system. The three blade dryer plug depended on the neutral wire of the plug to make this connection.
It may be a 220 Dryer, and you will need a new outlet installed. There should be no extra wires when connecting the Power cord to the plug
It will work if, the dryer plug you are using is the same electrical voltage as the oven. If your oven is electric, it is 220 - 240v, if gas, 110 - 120v. A 220 plug has either 3 or 4 prongs, depending on your appliance being a 3 or 4 wire system. A 4-wire system will have a red wire (110v power), black wire (110v power), white wire (neutral/common), green wire (ground). A 3-wire system will be missing the white or green wire. 110v system (gas oven or dryer) will have a black (power), white (neutral), green (ground). It will work, but be limited. Dryer circuits are 30A, whereas oven circuits are 50A. You cannot just upgrade the dryer wiring to 50A as it is not rated for that and will start a fire. To use the oven properly you need to install a properly rated circuit. Do it right or don't do it at all. Negligence is fatal with electricity.
Dryer plug three to fourOpen up the electrical access panel on the back of the dryer. You will see a terminal block with three wires going into it from the plug cord assembly. A red and black and white are now connected to the terminal strip. Look at the position and colours of the existing 3 prong cord and how it is connected. Make a diagram. Coloured wires on the outside terminals white in the center. From the center wire terminal you will see a jumper strap that goes to the frame of the dryer. When installing the four prong plug this jumper is removed completely. The kit should have with it a grounding lug that connects to where the removed grounding strip attached to the frame of the dryer. This is the attachment point for the fourth green ground wire from the new dryer cord assembly.
You will have to install a double pole breaker in the fuse panel and then run new wire (10/3) to the location of the dryer and install the proper plug. You will need a 4 prong plug; the older 3 wire plugs no longer meet code for new work.
Buy a 3 wire cord for your dryer.
If you are viweing this because you want to change the newer 4-prong plug/outlet to fit an older 3 prong outlet/plug don't do it! The newer plug is safer and the 3 prong plug no longer meets code. See the discussions in other threads. all you need to do is hook the two hot leads on the outer terminals, then the nueatral, white wire on the center terminal and the green ground wire to the ground screw. Be sure to remove the bonding jumper that ties the neutral to the chassis. This is no longer needed as now you have a ground line from the outlet. There should be 3 insulated lugs in the dryer, two hots and a neutral. Connect the red and black wires in your new cord to the hot lugs (red & black are interchangeable), and the white neutral to the neutral lug. Neutral is the center wire on your older 3-wire cord, for reference. Connect the green ground wire directly to the chassis of the sryer using a convienent screw. Use the four prong cord if you can. It is safer because it has the extra ground wire which older cords did not.
The four blade dryer plug brings a separate ground wire from the machine to the electrical grounding system. The three blade dryer plug depended on the neutral wire of the plug to make this connection.
Yes this is possible and for safety's sake highly recommended. Instructions should come with the new cord. Open up the electrical access panel on the back of the dryer. You will see a terminal block with three wires going into it from the plug cord assembly. A red and black and white are now connected to the terminal strip. Look at the position and colours of the existing 3 prong cord and how it is connected. Make a diagram. Coloured wires on the outside terminals white in the centre. From the centre wire terminal you will see a jumper strap that goes to the frame of the dryer. When installing the four prong plug this jumper is removed completely. The kit should have with it a grounding lug that connects to where the removed grounding strip attached to the frame of the dryer. This is the attachment point for the fourth green ground wire from the new dryer cord assembly.
The fourth prong is a ground for the body of the dryer. The dryer will work fine with the 3 main ones. Building code requires the four wire plug now, but you can change it and the dryer will work. If you have a 4 plug outlet and a 3 wire cord, you can just change the cord and not use the second ground or connect to the the frame of the dryer.
A four blade dryer plug cord should have a red, black, white, and green wire in the cord set. The red and black wires are the ones that deliver the 240 volts to the dryer. Black and white deliver control 120 volts to the dryer and also drive the motor to turn the dryer drum. On some dryers they use the red and white for the motor and black and white for the control. As for the green it is always the ground wire.
The dryer is a 240v dryer so two of the wires are your hot wires, or the ones with power on them. One is your ground wire. And the forth is your neutral.
No, and adapters are not needed. What needs to be done in remove the old three blade dryer plug and install a new four blade cord on the dryer.Dryer plug three to fourInstructions should come with the new cord. Open up the electrical access panel on the back of the dryer. You will see a terminal block with three wires going into it from the plug cord assembly. A red and black and white are now connected to the terminal strip. Look at the position and colours of the existing 3 prong cord and how it is connected. Make a diagram. Coloured wires on the outside terminals white in the center. From the center wire terminal you will see a jumper strap that goes to the frame of the dryer. When installing the four prong plug this jumper is removed completely. The kit should have with it a grounding lug that connects to where the removed grounding strip attached to the frame of the dryer. This is the attachment point for the fourth green ground wire from the new dryer cord assembly.