How do i wire my new power cord to my dryer its a 4 wire the dryer is a 3 wire

Hi,
Here is a tip that will help you with changing your dryer plug. Dryer Cord and Wiring Dryer 3 Wire or 4 Wire



heatman101

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Here is a tip that will help you with changing your dryer plug.

Dryer Cord and Wiring Dryer 3 Wire or 4 Wire




heatman101

If the new house has an existing three-wire outlet, the simplest solution is to install a 3-prong power cord on your dryer. The following link explains the differences between a 3-wire and 4-wire configuraiton:

http://www.fixya.com/support/r3575913-installing_a_220_vac_appliance_cord

So...if you need to install a 3 prong power cord, it should be wired as follows:

RED (HOT) 120VAC to RED
BLACK (HOT) 120VAC to BLACK
WHITE (NEUTRAL) 0 VAC to WHITE - a Ground wire needs to be connected to the Neutral lead at the terminal block and grounded to the dryer cabinet.

The other alternative would require you to install a 4-wire receptacle so you could still use your current power cord. A certified electrician is recommended for this job and may cost you some money. A replacement power cord, on the other hand, usually costs less than $20 and can be found ay any hardware store.

If you have any questions, please post back and let me know. I hope you find this information helpful.

The following link explains how to properly connect the power cord to your dryer:

http://www.fixya.com/support/r3575913-installing_a_220_vac_appliance_cord

Pay particular attention to WHICH configuration you have. Your power cord will either be a 3-wire or 4-wire configuration. NOTE: If the wires are not color coded, the outer two wires (left and right) will be the HOT leads. The center conductor is the neutral.

If you're new home is equipped with a 4-wire outlet, you are required to update the dryer to a 4-prong power cord to be in compliance with the National Electic Code.

If you have any questions, please post back and let me know. I hope this helps you.

red and black are the 2 power phase wires and go on L1 and L2 terminals or on an inline power block the 2 outer terminals(polarity)doesn't matter,then white is the center or N-neutral terminal, then green or green/yellow stripe is chassis safety ground and is connected to the metal frame of the unit

Changing from 3 to 4 wire hookup on a electric dryer:
Power cord help for 3 & 4 prong dryer cords
This is an example of a three wire connection dryer cord hookup. Notice that there is a ground strap connected from the common center terminal to the frame of the terminal block. Place the center wire of the cord on the center terminal [ one with the ground ******** it ] and the other two wires will be placed on the outer terminals and it doesn't matter which wire goes right or left. Get the center wire of the cord right and you are in business.
This is an example of the 4 wire dryer cord hookup. Notice that the ground strap has been removed from the terminal block frame and folded back onto the center terminal for storage. You can see the colors of the other hookups. TIP: White always to the middle.

Below are a few websites.
http://www.applianceaid.com/general.html#3to4


http://www.american-appliance.com/catalog/newsdesk_info.php?newsPath=10&newsdesk_id=5

Always disconnect electricity before beginning this process.

All the 4 wire cords I have seen are color-coded. The white wire goes to the middle terminal, the green wire goes to any screw you can reach that goes into the metal case of the dyer. The red and black go to the outside terminals of the block and while it doesn't matter which color goes to which terminal I usually follow the color code of the interior dryer wiring that already exists. Good Luck.

On a three wire configuration, the ground and the negative are tied together at the center position, using the dryer ground strap. Following is a description of the difference between three and four wire. Hope it helps you.
These two pictures illustrate the power wiring on a the terminal of an electric dryer. The one on top/left is the old-style three-wire configuration. Most people have this type in their homes. New code changes, though, require that dryers now have a four-wire cord, shown on the bottom/right.
Besides the number of wires in each cord, there are two important things to notice. First, in the four-wire configuration, notice that the dryer's grounding strap is folded back on itself. The whole point of the four-wire cord is to separate the ground from the neutral. The green wire (the "new" extra wire in the four-wire cord) is attached to the dryer cabinet. In the three-wire configuration, the grounding strap is left intact and the neutral and ground are tied together.


Sure hope this helps you find a resolution to your delimma! Best wishes.

Hi,

See this link and read the article carefully - if your dryer already has a 4 wire cord, it should be replaced with same type.

http://en.allexperts.com/q/Electrical-Wiring-Home-1734/replacing-power-cord-dryer.htm

They wire in the same except the green wire will go to a ground screw which should be right in the same area with a green color to it. If no ground screw, hook the green together with the white (center) wire. Hope this helps!