With todays economy I don't think that a manufacture would go to the expense of a four prong plug if it was not required. I would ONLY do the conversion if it is recomended by the manufacture. If you can determine that the dryer does not require 120 volts, and that no current is returned on a neutral leg, then I see no reason not to use the three prong (although why does it have a neutral leg at all?).
#220 dryer plug adapter full
If the 120 Volt circuit were to short, the full 120 volt potential could be present on the dryer case! Imagine touching the dryer at that time, and maybe on a wet floor! This is not acceptable by NEC code, nor is it safe. If you were to change from a four prong to a three prong and your dryer is designed to use 120 volts at some point, then that current will have to be returned on the ground leg. Often these are used if the dryer circuit requires 120 volts at some point, the current would flow from one bus and return through the neutral. A four prong plug has the two bus connections, a ground, and a neutral return. Prior to 1998 the neutral was also grounded to the dryer case. The three prong plug has two hot legs for the two bus voltages to add up to 220 volts, plus a neutral wire. So, depending on your dryer, you may not get a separate ground even with a 14-30 connector. I first thought that was crazy, but it is consistent with the installation instructions (although it is possible to keep them separate). Mine came with a 4-wire cord, but ground and neutral were wired to the same terminal internally. Having a separate ground sounds like a good idea at first, but if your dryer is like mine, it's not going to make a lot of difference. Contrary to people here, they recommend not updating the outlet to NEMA 14 yourself, but having a licensed electrician do it if that's the way you want to go. Home Depot has some generic wiring instructions. Other manufacturers will likely have similar instructions. Whirlpool has detailed wiring instructions so you can make sure you are wiring it properly. (FWIW, a new cord seems to run around $11-$25 (as of 2015), depending on how long you need it and where you buy it.)
Houses built after 1996 (in the US) typically have a NEMA 14-30 outlet, and will require a 4-wire cord. Houses built before 1996 typically need a 3-wire cord with a NEMA 10-30 connector.
#220 dryer plug adapter install
It's apparently even common for them to ship without a cord so that you can install the appropriate cord for your outlet. This schematic for an electric dryer might help you understand how the dryer could be wired (depending on make/model/manufacture date).ĭryer cords are designed to be replaced. Check the manufacturers documentation to verify the procedure, and to make sure your model supports this. EDIT:Īs pointed out, you may be able to simply swap out the cord on the dryer for a 3 prong version. Depending on the draw of the dryer and the length of the run, you'll either have to pull new 10-3 /w ground or 8-3 /w ground cable. However, this will require you to run new cable to the receptacle, since you'll need a cable with a ground.
#220 dryer plug adapter update
Since your dryer is set up to use a 4 prong receptacle, the optimal solution would be to update the receptacle to a 4 prong (NEMA 14-30R if I remember correctly). This can be a safety hazard if done incorrectly, and it may or may not void the warranty on the dryer. You could replace the cord on the dryer, but you'd have to bond the chassis of the dryer to make that acceptable to current NEC codes (Article 250.140).
0 kommentar(er)
