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Fri 15 Jul, 2016 06:08 pm
Please help with the following scenario:
Old dryer - hard wired to dryer with red, white, black and copper cord. 30 amp breaker.
Asked for a new outlet to be installed for the new dryer (installer had 3 and 4 prong plug available for dryer)
The installer installed a 3 prong outlet using the 4 wires that was previously hard wired to the back of my old dryer.
After doing research online, I found NEC code requires a 4 prong outlet if installed after 1998. I also read that a 4 prong outlet is safer because of possible shock.
I wanted to get some advice before I call the installer to ask why they installed a 3 prong outlet and see if they are willing to come back and install a 4 prong outlet.
Based on my research I think the installer should have installed a 4 prong outlet because I have an existing 4 wire cord, NEC code, and safety.
Please let me know if you have any advice.
Thank you... Dryer Girl in need of help.
@DryerGirl,
I'm not an electrician DryerGirl, but I'll try to help. If you found that you should by code have a four prong outlet, then your electrician should have installed one. Call him and tell him about it and tell him to come back and fix it. Hope this helps!
@DryerGirl,
I'm not either, Girl, but so do...
Quote:I think the installer should have installed a 4 prong outlet
Man, Eng, is that 4th wire some sort of ground-v-neut
@TomTomBinks,
Thank you. I think if a home is built before 1998 and you have an existing 3 prong dryer outlet then that is ok. If your home is built 1998 or after then I believe the code is to have a 4 prong outlet installed for a dryer.
I am not sure how it works if you have 4 wires hard wired to the back of an existing dryer and want to use the 4 wires to install a new outlet. Does it have to be a 3 prong or 4 prong outlet to be to code? I thought if you have an existing 3 wires and you want to install an outlet you would use a 3 prong outlet and if you have existing 4 wires then you would use a 4 prong outlet. I am not sure if a 3 prong outlet would be a code violation and possible issue with insurance. Isn't it better, safer and future proof to install a 4 prong outlet if you are using existing 4 wires for a new outlet?
@dalehileman,
Thanks for replying. I believe the 4th copper wire is referred to as a copper/bare/exposed ground wire.
Existing wires:
White is Neutral
Red and Black are the hot wires
Copper/Bare/Exposed ground wire
I have the same wires as in the following YouTube video (you can see the wires at the 12:15 mark).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jF0SGlFIC9E
@DryerGirl,
Girl, thank you for that link. I was surprised to learn the red one isn't always the same: Sometimes it is really hot and sometimes it goes to the load and is hot only when turned on by contact with the black
Could get very confusing
@dalehileman,
That's the reason I don't mess with stuff I don't understand. I had the whole house rewired by an electrician, because our house was built in 1955, and he replaced the fuse/power box too. If I tried to do all that stuff on my own, our house would have been gone by fire by now. We had solar installed about seven years ago, and we no longer have a fuse box. Just a on/off lever.
@cicerone imposter,
Quote:with stuff I don't understand
More a2kers should adopt your attitude
Quote:We had solar installed
Congrats Cis. We too have it
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