Just replaced a 3 prong with a 4 prong dryer cord. There was an existing green wire from the inside of the dryer connected to the outside screw. I connected the new neutral wire from the pigtail to the grounding screw but don't know what to do with the other green wire. There was no grounding strap on this dryer.
2006-09-27 01:57:52 · 4 answers · asked by Sarah 1 in Home & Garden ➔ Maintenance & Repairs
You said above you connected the new neutral wire to the grounding screw. THIS IS BAD! The white wire on your cord should go to the neutral screw on the dryer. The green wire in the cord should go to the green screw. With the 3 wire cord there would have been some connection between ground and neutral in the dryer that needs to be removed for the 4 wire connection.
To say it another way, the red, black, and white wires on a 4 wire cord go to the same place as a 3 wire cord (red and black are interchangeable), and the frame of the dryer changes to connect to the green wire (in the 3 wire cord the frame is connected to the white wire).
If you are not 100% confident you got this connected right after fixing it (or you don't understand this answer, or you don't know what you have wrong), get an electrician to do this. Where I live, range and dryer cords are electrical work that requires an electrician (homeowners can do their own of course), so don't think it is odd to have an electrician put on the cord.
A comment to the previous answer. All new homes after the 1996 NEC are required to have the 4 wire connection, not just mobile homes.
2006-09-27 02:57:48 · answer #1 · answered by An electrical engineer 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I assume you left the neutral wire from the Dryer on the third (neutral) terminal. The green wire, along with the ground from the pigtail can both get placed under a screw on the frame of the Dryer itself. The reason they were separated is when a neutral came loose on a Dryer, the frame was becoming the neutral and people were getting electrocuted. So just separate the grounds to a screw on the frame.
2006-09-27 02:03:26 · answer #2 · answered by hutmikttmuk 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Not to mention, usually mobile homes are wired for a dryer using a 4 wire connection, when stick built homes are wired with three wires for a dryer. Which type of home do you live in? If it's a stick built, you have the wrong cord.
rentahandyman@yahoo.com
2006-09-27 02:54:23 · answer #3 · answered by rentahandyman 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
hutmikttm, gave a good answer, a green wire is always ground, at least in America.
2006-09-27 02:13:35 · answer #4 · answered by obac777 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋