My old dryer outlet only has 3 prongs. 1 ground and 2 hots. when i but a new dryer the eletrical cord will have 4 prongs. 1 ground 1 common and 2 hots. The wiring in my house to my dryer is ONLY 2 hots and 1 ground. I HAVE NO COMMON to my dryer outlet. Will not having a common effect anything. if so how do i run a common wire to my outlet? Can i jump the common from another outlet?
The following link explains how to convert from a 3-wire to 4-wire configuration and vice versa:
http://www.fixya.com/support/r793520-3_prong_4_prong_power_cord_conversion
The main difference between these two configurations is how the ground (green or bare copper) and neutral (white) wires are terminated. In a 4-wire confugration, the ground and neutral are independent of each other. In a 3-wire configuration the neutral wire will be grounded at the terminal block in back of the dryer by a ground strap.
Since you have an existing dryer outlet with a 3-prong configuration, the easiest solution would be to replace the dryer cord with a 3-prong cord to match your outlet. No need to rewire your house. A new cord can be purchased at an appliance parts retailer or hardware store for about $20 or less.
If you have questions about this repair, please let me know. I hope this helps you.
You can replace the 4 prong with a three prog cord found at Lowes etc.
First, disconnect the black wire, one of the "hot" connections, from the left side post by removing the terminal screw. This is one-half of the 240-volt connection.
Next, disconnect the red wire, another of the "hot" connections, from the right side post by removing the terminal screw. This is the other half of the 240-volt connection.
Then, disconnect the white wire from the center connection. It is used for the neutral connection.
Now, disconnect the green wire from the machine case by unscrewing the green screw.
The next step is critical to return your electrical connection to factory condition before installng the 3-prong cord! Locate the white machine wire that is now connected to the neutral (center) screw terminal. Disconnect it from there and install it under the green ground screw.Connect the outer two wires (hot wires) to the outer two screws, obviously, one on each screw.
Now connect the center wire (neutral) to the center post. You'll notice the white machine wire is now the case ground connection, unlike the 4-prong cord connection in which the green wire from the cord makes the ground connection.
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Wiring in a new power cord for your electric dryer? Upgrading your electric dryer outlet from the old three-prong to the new four-prong outlet? Well, grab hold of those two large lumps at the base of your spinal cord and let's romp through the wild and wacky world of dryer cords and outlets.
These two pictures illustrate the power wiring on a the terminal of an electric dryer. The one to the left here 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 to the right. These are just just thumbnail pictures that you can click for a larger view. But I'll bet you already figured that out, didn't you?
If you need to re-wire the outlet, these pictures will explain the anatomy of the three-prong (left) and four-prong (right) outlets. Once again, these pictures are just thumbnails--click 'em for a larger view. 334 views
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