Dryer Power Cord 3 Prong 4 Wire

Purchase 3 prong dryer cord.

Dryer power cord 3 prong 4 wire.

Kohree 1 5 ft dryer adapter 4 prong to 3 prong dryer outlet plug power cord adapter nema 14 30p male to 10 30r female receptacle for clothes dryer 30a 250v 4 8 out of 5 stars 240 34 88 34. The key difference in the wiring configuration between 3 prong and 4 prong cords is that with the older setup the 3 prong cord has only two hot wires and one neutral wire there is no separate ground wire. The more recent 4 prong dryer cords feature two hot wires a neutral wire and a ground wire. This equipment grounding conductor is the missing wire in the older 3 wire configurations.

While they can both effectively power a traditional dryer the 4 prong model contains an extra grounding wire as a preventive measure. The 3 wire connection is now outdated where current dryers are wired with a 4 wire cable. Therefore the dryer s neutral was tied to the ground connection on the metal case of the dryer. In recent years most dryer manufacturers have adopted the 4 prong electrical cord over the dates 3 prong model.

However in new construction the installation of kitchen ranges and clothes dryers requires a 4 wire cord and plug. The definitively correct way is to run a ground wire to the socket location which you can without needing to follow or replace the present hot hot neutral wiring since the 2014 code cycle iirc and toss that 3 wire socket in the trash and use a 4 wire cord to a 4 wire plug to a correctly wired 4 wire socket. A 4 prong 30amp 250v dryer power cord will usually cost around 15 to 25 dollars if you buy it yourself. This eliminates the possibility for a ground current traveling to the machine as it features a separate return path for unused power.

Most older homes are wired for the 3 wire outlet as shown below. I will cover both situations. This may save you around 40 dollars depending on what the electrician will charge for a new power cord. If you will be calling an electrician to install the cord it may be cheaper for you to buy the 4 prong dryer cord beforehand.

This article will explain what options you have to get your dryer wired and running. The 4th wire in that cord and plug configuration is an equipment grounding conductor. In the first section i will be showing you how to connect a dryer cord that matches your 3 prong or 4 prong outlet. Learn why there are two styles.