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.
yes YOU WILL WANT TO BOND THE NEUTRAL (WHITE) TO THE GROUND (GREEN). THERE SHOULD BE A BONDING STRAP THAT WAS SUPPLIED BY THE MANUFACTURER THAT GOES FROM THE NEUTRAL TERMINAL TO THE METAL CHASIS OF THE MACHINE (WHERE YOU REMOVE THE GREEN WIRE). IF THERE ISN'T ONE, YOU CAN FIND THEM IN THE ELECTRICAL DEPT. AT YOUR LOCAL HOME IMPROVEMENT STORE. THE CHASIS OF THE MACHINE NEEDS TO BE GROUNDED. IN A 4 WIRE SITUATION, THE GROUND WIRE GROUNDS THE CHASIS. IN A 3 WIRE SITUATION (NO GROUND WIRE), THE GROUND IS SUPPOSED TO BE BONDED TO THE NEUTRAL (WHITE) WIRE.
Yes. The connections to the outlets would be identical. The only difference is the shape of the neutral pin, and the amps rating of the outlets. To meet code requirements you should also change the circuit breaker. A stove takes a 50 amp breaker, but a dryer should have a 30 amp breaker. Make sure the power is shut off before doing this, and if unsure call an electrician.
Install the 3 prong cord by connecting the two hots and the neutral to the three main lugs. Then add a piece of copper grounding wire from the neutral lug to the ground lug.
Yes, most definitely. Provisions for the ground wire in the dryer receptacle should be used. The feeder cable's ground wire is first grounded to the receptacle's junction box ground screw and then taken to the receptacle's ground terminal. The dryer plug configuration will match up to the dryers four wire plug in cable. When the plug is connected into the dryer receptacle the ground terminals of both devices will match and the ground wire will be continuous from the voltage source at the distribution panel and complete the circuit at the dryer. This low impedance electrical path will conduct any ground fault that could occur at the dryer and trip the feeder breaker of the dryer circuit, there by removing the fault current from the dryer circuit.
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.
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.
Buy a 3 wire cord for your dryer.
A 2-pole wire will not work on a 3-pole plug. You will need to use a 3-pole wire on a 3-pole plug.
A 'live' or 'hot' wire is a wire that is connected to a power source. This wire supplies voltage to a load ( light bulb, hair dryer, etc.). When the load is also connected a neutral or another live wire this becomes a path for the flow of current (amps) known as a circuit.
You cannot wire a 4 wire dryer plug into a 3 wire outlet for mobile home use - (US NEC) - you must carry all four conductors all the way back to the distribution panel. In a hard wired house configuration, if the dryer is designed to support it, you can replace the pigtail with a three wire pigtail, and connect neutral to ground inside the dryer connection panel. Check your local electrical codes and laws for specific requirements.
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.
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.
On a 3 wire dryer cord there is no green wire. The white wire coming from the outlet is connected to ground or the green screw. The black and red wires are the hot wires.
call an electrician!!!
no