I have a old Century electric motor and I am trying to install a new power cord. It has 3 terminals inside the cover plate and I need to know which are which. One has no wire, one has a blue wire and the other has a yellow wire. Which one is ground, hot and nuetral?

1 Unplug the vacuum and remove all accessories such as extensions and brushes. Open the vacuum's outer casing to get at the end of the power cord. Exactly how you will do this depends on the model of vacuum. Generally it simply involves the removal of two to three Phillips-head screws.
2 Follow the power cord to the two connections at the vacuum's motor. Unfasten any clips or holding bracket and disconnect the cord from the motor. Sometimes this can be accomplished by unscrewing two connection screws, other times the cord is soldered directly to the motor. If this is the case use wire cutters and cut the cord about 4 inches from the motor to give room for splicing on a new cord.
3 Insert the new power cord into the vacuum. Follow the exact same path as the old one. If there were any brackets or clips that held the old cord in place inside the vacuum or out use them on the new cord.
4 Tie a knot in the cord on the inside of the vacuum casing so that it will not accidentally be pulled out of the motor once it is in use.
5 Connect the new cord to the motor in the same fashion as the old one. With wire strippers take off about 1 inch of insulation from the new cord to expose the two wires. Either wrap them around the connection posts and re-screw, or twist the new cord wires around the 4-inch remnants of the old cord and seal all exposed wire and connections with electrical tape.
6 Replace the vacuum's casing in reverse order from how you removed it. Plug in the vacuum to test.

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

I had to replace the power cord on mine. Hope this helps

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

does it have capacitors on the motor (humped covers on top) If not then it may ot be a single phase. also on the motor name plate or on the inside cover of the connector box it should have wiring diaphragm that will tell you how to wire the motor, single phase motor will show 2 line connections and a three phase will show 3 line connections,,, line connections are represented by L-1 L-2 L-3 these mean incoming power.

This advice is on how to correctly install an ELECTRIC DRYER or ELECTRIC RANGE 220-240VAC power cord (US Standards).

3-Prong or 4-Prong – The Difference:

3-prong color code:

BLACK (HOT – 110-120VAC) – May also be referred to as L1
RED (HOT – 110-120VAC) – May also be referred to as L2
WHITE (NEUTRAL – 0VAC) – Usually grounded to the equipment frame via a jumper wire or metal strap.

4-prong color code:

BLACK (HOT – 110-120VAC) – May also be referred to as L1
RED (HOT – 110-120VAC) – May also be referred to as L2
WHITE (NEUTRAL – 0VAC) – DO NOT ground to equipment frame.
GREEN (GROUND) – Attach to equipment frame.

Which One to Use: According to the National Electrical Code (NEC), Article 250, installations after the year 2000, require the use of a 4-prong plug which incorporates a separate ground and neutral wire. If you currently have a home that uses the 3-prong receptacle and cord, you can continue to use it. You will have to upgrade to a 4-prong configuration, however, if you plan on relocating your current receptacle, or if the internal wires of the receptacle become damaged in any way and require repair.

Converting from 3-prong to 4-prong: Make sure you UNPLUG the appliance prior to any repairs. CAUTION: Voltages dangerous to life are still present even with the appliance turned off and still plugged in. Notably in the area of the terminal block where the power cords are installed. You will need to remove the old cord by following these steps:

1. With the appliance UNPLUGGED, remove the access panel on the back of the unit where the power cord enters.
2. With the cover removed, you will see a terminal block where the power cord is attached. The terminal wires will be colored with the WHITE wire in the middle, and the BLACK and RED wires on either end. NOTE: There should be a green jumper wire or metal bonding strap attached to the NEUTRAL (white) terminal wire.
3. Remove the terminal lugs holding the old power cord wires in place. CAUTION: Use care not to drop any nuts or screws inside the appliance.
4. Remove the bonding strap or ground wire from the Neutral terminal lug. NOTE: If disconnecting a ground wire, make sure you re-attach it to the appliance frame.
5. Loosen the screws on the strain relief connector that holds the power cord in place and remove old power cord. NOTE: If your appliance does not have a strain relief that clamps down and hold the power cord in place, it is highly recommended that you install one. This prevents chaffing of the power cord against the appliance casing, and prevents the terminal wires from being pulled and broken loose. This could pose a potential shock hazard or cause damage to the appliance.
6. Install new power cord by threading it through the strain relief connector and tighten down the screws.
7. Connect the new power cord to the corresponding colors at the terminal block (Black goes to Black, Red goes to Red, White goes to White). The difference is going to be a Green (ground) wire that will connect to the appliance frame. There’s usually a green grounding screw for this. NOTE: If you disconnected a green grounding strap in Step 4., you can connect these two wires at the same point.
8. Re-install access cover. Turn off the service breaker to the appliance PRIOR to plugging it back in. With the breaker in the off position, plug the appliance in, and THEN turn the breaker on. In the event, something was wired incorrectly, it is far better to have your hands away from the receptacle and controlled from a distance. Safety first.

These steps will work for nearly all appliances that require a 220-240VAC power cord conversion. The power cords are usually rated at 250VAC, 30 amps, and are carried by any hardware store or appliance parts retailer.

ADDITIONAL NOTES:

1. If you desire to convert an appliance from a 4-prong to a 3-prong, make sure you reconnect the bonding strap and/or ground wire to the Neutral (white) wire at the terminal block.
2. On some newer appliances, it is REQUIRED that you use a 4-prong plug in order for the timer or clock circuits to function properly due to the way they are configured. Refer to your owner’s manual for the correct recommendation. Even if you currently have a 3-prong receptacle, you still may be required to upgrade to a 4-prong if you encounter this situation.
3. In many circumstances, new appliances are NOT sold with the power cord due to the various power configurations in homes. Always refer to the contents description on the shipping container the appliance comes with to see what additional items or tools may be required for installation.

This cover is all different sizes and shapes depending on the manufacturer of the dryer, but it is typically very close to where the cord enters the dryer. The cover is typically held in place with 1 - 4 screws. See image to the right of a Maytag Performa dryer access panel.
With the cover open you will see a terminal block with three wires. Black on one end, white in the middle and red on the other end. Use your 3/8′ nutdriver to remove the nuts or a phillips screwdriver to remove the bolts (depending on your dryer) and remove each dryer cord wire from the terminal block. When you remove the nuts or bolts, be careful not to drop them down into your dryer. Now you need to install a bonding jumper from the neutral terminal to the dryer’s frame. The bonding jumper is either a metallic strap (typically copper or copperclad) or a green wire that is connected between your dryer’s neutral (white wire) terminal and the green ground screw connected to your dryer’s frame.
Installing this bonding jumper is an extremely important step when changing from a 4-wire to a 3-wire power cord to prevent electrical shocks when touching anything metallic on your dryer.
If you do not have the original bonding strap, you can make one. You need a short piece of green 10 AWG wire, 2 ring terminals, a pair of wire strippers and a pair of crimpers. Strip both ends of the green 10 AWG wire and crimp one ring terminal onto each end of the wire. Now connect one end of the wire to the neutral (center) terminal and the other end to the dryer’s frame; where your ground is connected now. Loosen the screws at the connector and pull the cord out. Now thread your new cord through the connector and tighten down. This only needs to be snug do not over tighten. Sometimes the old connector will work with the new cord and sometimes not. If not, your new cord will include a connector that you may use. To hook up your new 3-wire dryer cord, connect each wire to the dryer’s terminal block. The 2 outer wires are your “hot” wires and the center wire is the neutral. Replace the access panel cover and your new 3-wire dryer cord is installed Before plugging in your new dryer cord, I recommend turning off the breaker to your dryer receptacle. Then plug in your dryer. Now turn the breaker back on. This is not fool proof, but it is a safer way to turn on the power to your dryer if you made a mistake connecting your new dryer cord.
If your dryer is different from the one described above and would like a second opinion on your connections, email a picture of the terminal block to info at ezdiyelectricity dot com. I will post the pictures on this page to help others with the same dryer.

Ok, read the data plate on the motor. Does it have a zero with a line straight through it. That means it's single phase. Also the plate may list two different voltages 110/220ac correct. On the inside of the panel of the box where the cord connects it will have a two diagrams. One marked low voltage, the other high voltage. You want 220ac so follow the high voltage diagram. Since it's single phase the green wire will go to a green screw in the box. The black wire from your cord is positive and the white negitive (actually neutral but shown on diagrams as negitive). The wire coming out of the motor will have numbers on it's casing. Follow the connection points on the diagram. Don't worry if you hook them backwards the motor just won't turn. It won't hurt anything.