How do you change from a three prong to a four prong dryer plug?

Answer 1

Answer for USA, Canada and countries running a 60 Hz supply service.

Buy a new 4 plug cord for the dryer and hook its ground wire up to the drier and hook red to red, black to black, white to white.

Also make sure you remove the copper bonding strap between the white wire terminal and the dryer metal frame. then connect the white wire to the white wire terminal and the green wire to the frame.

<><><>

As always, if you are in doubt about what to do, the best advice anyone should give you is to call a licensed electrician to advise what work is needed.

Before you do any work yourself,

on electrical circuits, equipment or appliances,

always use a test meter to ensure the circuit is, in fact, de-energized.

IF YOU ARE NOT ALREADY SURE YOU CAN DO THIS JOB

SAFELY AND COMPETENTLY

REFER THIS WORK TO QUALIFIED PROFESSIONALS.

Answer 2

Answer for USA, Canada and countries running a 60 Hz supply service.First of all, you're asking this question in the right manner, since you are trying to get a 3 prong dryer to work with a 4 prong outlet.

4 prong outlets were introduced with the 1996 electrical code to correct an old problem of people getting shocked by dryers connected to a 3 prong system, because the 3 prong had no grounding means.

What you need to do is DONT EVER replace your 4 prong outlet with a 3 prong receptacle. Instead, replace the cord on your dryer with a 4 prong cord. It just may save the life of your wife.

Also if you remove the plate over the electrical connections on the back of the dryer, there would be a metal bonding strip going from the middle wire of these old cords to the frame of the dryer.

You absolutely need to remove this bonding strip, and then connect the 4th - green - wire of the new cord to the case instead.

And as always if in doubt, contact an electrician.

Number 1 safety tip of the day if you dont know what you are doing: whatever you do don't attempt to convert a 4 prong outlet to fit the cord on the dryer.

Also don't listen to anyone who suggests it.

<><><>

A four blade dryer plug is the new code and should not be changed to a three blade cord. What should be done is to change the three blade receptacle to a four blade receptacle. The only difference in the receptacle wiring is that the position of the neutral wire and the addition of a ground wire being brought out to the dryer on a separate blade to match the ground wire on the plug. Shut the circuit to the dryer to the off position. Opening up the receptacle you will find now two hot wires to the outside blade sockets and a neutral to the center pin. Look in the back of the box and you will see a ground wire wrapped around a screw that grounds the dryer feed wire. From this ground wire add an extension of six inches. This new wire then connects to the fourth terminal on the new four blade receptacle. Looking at the new receptacle you should have the two hot wires on the outside terminals X and Y, white (neutral) to the L shaped W blade and the newly installed ground wire to the U shaped ground G blade. This receptacle is a NEMA 14-30R, 3 pole 4 wire grounding receptacle

<><><>

By asking this question you probably aren't quite ready to take on this particular task.

For your safety and that of anyone who wants to use the appliance connected to that plug, hire a professional licensed electrician to advise you or do the work for you.

Really, don't do this one yourself. 240 volts is far too dangerous to handle if don't yet know which prongs are which because you have not been trained how to do this work yet.

To meet current wiring codes/regulations for your locality (Town/State) a new Ground wire or a Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter (GFCI) - to protect you as well as the dryer - may be legally necessary, for instance.

If you put just one wire in the wrong place because you do not understand how to wire a 220-240 volt appliance correctly - which is clearly why you asked this question - you could easily kill yourself or someone else in your family, or even start a house fire.

<><><>

As always, if you are in doubt about what to do, the best advice anyone should give you is to call a licensed electrician to advise what work is needed.

Before you do any work yourself,

on electrical circuits, equipment or appliances,

always use a test meter to ensure the circuit is, in fact, de-energized.

IF YOU ARE NOT ALREADY SURE YOU CAN DO THIS JOB

SAFELY AND COMPETENTLY

REFER THIS WORK TO QUALIFIED PROFESSIONALS.

Answer 3

Answer for USA, Canada and countries running a 60 Hertz supply service.Dryer plug three to four

Yes this is possible and for safety's sake highly recommended. Instructions should come with the new cord. Open up the electrical access panel on the back of the dryer. You will see a terminal block with three wires going into it from the plug cord assembly. A red and black and white are now connected to the terminal strip. Look at the position and colours of the existing 3 prong cord and how it is connected. Make a diagram. Coloured wires on the outside terminals white in the center. From the center wire terminal you will see a jumper strap that goes to the frame of the dryer. When installing the four prong plug this jumper is removed completely. The kit should have with it a grounding lug that connects to where the removed grounding strip attached to the frame of the dryer. This is the attachment point for the fourth green ground wire from the new dryer cord assembly.

<<>>

In my country I would go to one of the major food retailers. In the household electrical section I would find the Universal Plug Adapter on sale. This piece of technology is the safest way to adapt what I do have to what I want. I will not tell the variety of unsafe ways but in some countries you can be sent to Jail if you modify home electrical products

Answer 4

Answer for USA, Canada and countries running a 60 Hz supply service.

Dryer plug three to four

Instructions should come with the new cord. Open up the electrical access panel on the back of the dryer. You will see a terminal block with three wires going into it from the plug cord assembly. A red and black and white are now connected to the terminal strip. Look at the position and colours of the existing 3 prong cord and how it is connected. Make a diagram. Coloured wires on the outside terminals white in the center. From the center wire terminal you will see a jumper strap that goes to the frame of the dryer. When installing the four prong plug this jumper is removed completely. The kit should have with it a grounding lug that connects to where the removed grounding strip attached to the frame of the dryer. This is the attachment point for the fourth green ground wire from the new dryer cord assembly.

As always, if you are in doubt about what to do, the best advice anyone should give you is to call a licensed electrician to advise what work is needed.

Before you do any work yourself,

on electrical circuits, equipment or appliances

always use a test meter to ensure the circuit is, in fact, de-energized.

IF YOU ARE NOT ALREADY SURE YOU CAN DO THIS JOB

SAFELY AND COMPETENTLY

REFER THIS WORK TO QUALIFIED PROFESSIONALS.

Answer 5

Answer for USA, Canada and countries running a 60 Hertz supply service.

Dryer plug three to four

For safety's sake this installation is highly recommended. Instructions should come with the new cord. Open up the electrical access panel on the back of the dryer. You will see a terminal block with three wires going into it from the plug cord assembly. A red and black and white are now connected to the terminal strip. Look at the position and colours of the existing 3 prong cord and how it is connected. Make a diagram. Coloured wires on the outside terminals white in the center. From the center wire terminal you will see a jumper strap that goes to the frame of the dryer. When installing the four prong plug this jumper is removed completely. The kit should have with it a grounding lug that connects to where the removed grounding strip attached to the frame of the dryer. This is the attachment point for the fourth green ground wire from the new dryer cord assembly.

Before you do any work yourself,

on electrical circuits, equipment or appliances,

always use a test meter to ensure the circuit is, in fact, de-energized

Answer 6

Dryer plug three to four

Yes this is possible and for safety's sake highly recommended. Instructions should come with the new cord. Open up the electrical access panel on the back of the dryer. You will see a terminal block with three wires going into it from the plug cord assembly. A red and black and white are now connected to the terminal strip. Look at the position and colours of the existing 3 prong cord and how it is connected. Make a diagram. Coloured wires on the outside terminals white in the center. From the center wire terminal you will see a jumper strap that goes to the frame of the dryer. When installing the four prong plug this jumper is removed completely. The kit should have with it a grounding lug that connects to where the removed grounding strip attached to the frame of the dryer. This is the attachment point for the fourth green ground wire from the new dryer cord assembly.

Answer 7

Answer for USA, Canada and countries running a 60 Hz supply service.

A four blade dryer plug is the new code. What should be done is to change the three blade receptacle to a four blade receptacle. The only difference in the receptacle wiring is that the position of the neutral wire and the addition of a ground wire being brought out to the dryer on a separate blade to match the ground wire on the plug. Turn the circuit breaker that feeds the dryer to the off position. Opening up the receptacle you will find now, two hot wires to the outside blades and a neutral to the center pin. Look in the back of the dryer junction box and you will see a ground wire wrapped around a screw that grounds the dryer feed wire. From this ground wire add an extension of six inches. This new wire then connects to the fourth terminal on the new four blade receptacle. Looking at the new receptacle you should have the two hot wires on the outside terminals X and Y, white (neutral) to the L shaped W blade and the newly installed ground wire to the U shaped ground G blade. This receptacle is a NEMA 14-30R, 3 pole 4 wire grounding receptacle.

Before you do any work yourself,

on electrical circuits, equipment or appliances

always use a test meter to ensure the circuit is, in fact, de-energized.

IF YOU ARE NOT ALREADY SURE YOU CAN DO THIS JOB

SAFELY AND COMPETENTLY

REFER THIS WORK TO QUALIFIED PROFESSIONALS.

Answer 8

You shouldn't - it is safer and easier to buy a plug adapter.

Answer 9

By code, you should always change your load device (dryer or range) to match the receptacle.

Go to the local Home Depot and purchase a 3 wire replacement cord.

Answer 10

Show a video to hook up a four inc dryer cord to a three inc dryer cord