Replacing Dryer Cord 3 Prong To 4 Prong

Unfortunately few people understand the difference between 3 prong and 4 prong dryer cords.

Replacing dryer cord 3 prong to 4 prong.

Therefore the dryer s neutral was tied to the ground connection on the metal case of the dryer. A cheaper alternative is to simply replace 4 prong dryer cable with a 3 prong. As a result contemporary 240 volt appliances such as dryers have four prong plugs while older outlets have only three. The national electrical code currently requires 4 prong dryer outlets in all new home construction.

Up until the mid 1990s 3 prong outlets were the standard used in american homes. The national electrical code began requiring 4 prong receptacles for 220 volt residential circuits in 2000 but it doesn t prohibit you from using your older dryer with a 3 prong cord. A 3 prong dryer cord was the standard for dryers prior to 2000. The switch to a 4 prong outlet was due to a flaw in the 3 prong outlet design.

Purchase a 3 prong dryer cord. A 4 prong 30amp 250v dryer power cord will usually cost around 15 to 25 dollars if you buy it yourself. It isn t easy to convert an ungrounded 3 prong outlet to a grounded 4 prong one the solution is typically to replace the dryer cord. If you have the related but opposite situation an older dryer with a three prong cord but a newer house with a four slot outlet it is equally easy to replace an old cord with a new four prong cord that will fit a four slot outlet.

In an effort to shed some light on this subject we re going to discuss the purpose of these cords and why there s a growing popularity for 4 prong cables. Existing homes may still use 3 prong outlets. Most of the homes today are relatively safe as far as the electrical wiring goes and you shouldn t have a problem with it malfunctioning or sending out bursts of energy. The key difference in the wiring configuration between 3 prong and 4 prong cords is that with the older setup the 3 prong cord has only two hot wires and one neutral wire there is no separate ground wire.

Most of the steps described above will be the same.