Dryer power cord hookup

How To Install A 3 Prong Or A 4 Prong Dryer Cord!

Electric clothes dryers are usually sold without power cords attached, and as annoying as that may be, there's a good reason for this omission. The old cords had three-prong plugs that fit cord wall outlets. In three-prong cords, there were two hot wires, with the third wire serving as both the neutral and the ground connection. To make this work, the dryer cord configured so that the chassis' ground connection was "jumpered" to the neutral connection by means of a small metal strap in the connection box.

All this changed with the code revision, where new installations required that dryer outlets must be wired to accept four-prong cords, with separate neutral and ground wires. This also required a slightly different configuration in the dryer's connection box, in which the neutral and ground terminals were no longer jumpered power. This configuration slightly improves the protection against shock, since the machine's chassis now has its own grounding pathway.

The NEC and most local building codes still permit the use of three-prong hookup cords in houses that have the old style of dryer outlet. And since your dryer might be older or newer than your outletdryer dryer don't bother giving you an appliance cord because it might not work for your situation. That's why the cords are sold separately. This dryer shows you how to install a new four-prong dryer cord for use with a four-slot outletwhich has been the standard for more than 20 years.

Alternatively, if your house has an old three-slot dryer outlet, you can install a three-prong dryer cord on your power dryer to make it compatible with a three-slot dryer outlet.

What You'll Need

Locate the electrical cover plate on the back of the dryer. Using a screwdriver or nut driver, remove the screws on the cover plate. Remove the plate from the dryer to expose the wiring terminal block for the cord connections. Set the plate and screws aside. Insert the dryer cord into the hole near the terminal block.

Secure the dryer cord wire under the ground screw on the dryer body. Tighten the ground screw firmly with the screwdriver or nut driver. There should be no wire or metal tab connecting the ground screw to the center neutral terminal on the terminal block. If best dating for serious relationships is, the dryer is set up for a three-prong cord.

How to Install a Dryer Electrical Cord

You must remove this connection, following hookup dryer manufacturer's instructions. Connect the remaining three cord wires to the terminals on the terminal block. Start by connecting the white cord wire to the center neutral terminal on the block. Then, connect the black cord wire to the terminal at the left or right of the center terminal; the left and right terminals are the bunni3png onlyfans terminals and are interchangeable.

Finally, connect the red cord wire to the remaining hot terminal.

Instructions

Tighten all terminal connections firmly, using the screwdriver or nut driver. Install a new strain-relief fitting to secure the cord where it enters the dryer panel. These fittings typically have a top and bottom half. Remove the screws from the fitting and separate the two halves.

Insert the tab of each half into the dryer cord hole, so it is flat against the inside of the dryer panel. Fit the two halves over the cord and reinstall cord fitting's screws. Tighten the screws so the cord is hookup firmly, but make sure the fitting does not deform the cord power pinch the insulation. Set the cover plate into place over the terminal hookup, and cord it with its mounting screws. Make sure all dryer controls are off and plug in the dryer to the four-slot outlet.

Turn on the dryer and test it for proper function. If you happen to have an older three-slot dryer outlet, the electrical code does allow you to install a three-prong cord to fit that outlet.

The installation process is much the same as four-prong cords with one exception:. Dryer the dryer's fish dating connection box, there must be a metal jumper between the center neutral terminal and the ground terminal. NC Amendment Project Overview. Materials UL-listed, four-prong dryer cord must match amp rating for dryer and outlet; most are amp Strain-relief fitting must be an appropriate size and shape for the cord. Tip There should be no wire or metal tab connecting the ground screw to the center neutral terminal on the terminal block.

Tip Make sure to connect the dryer's vent duct before using the dryer to dry clothes. Article Sources. The Spruce uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within power articles.

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