Replacing Dryer Cord 3 Prong To 4 Prong

Unfortunately few people understand the difference between 3 prong and 4 prong dryer cords.

Replacing dryer cord 3 prong to 4 prong.

As a result contemporary 240 volt appliances such as dryers have four prong plugs while older outlets have only three. Existing homes may still use 3 prong outlets. Purchase a 3 prong dryer cord. Most of the steps described above will be the same.

A 4 prong 30amp 250v dryer power cord will usually cost around 15 to 25 dollars if you buy it yourself. A 3 prong dryer cord was the standard for dryers prior to 2000. Up until the mid 1990s 3 prong outlets were the standard used in american homes. 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.

A cheaper alternative is to simply replace 4 prong dryer cable with a 3 prong. It isn t easy to convert an ungrounded 3 prong outlet to a grounded 4 prong one the solution is typically to replace the dryer 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. The national electrical code currently requires 4 prong dryer outlets in all new home construction.

The switch to a 4 prong outlet was due to a flaw in the 3 prong outlet design. Most of the homes today are relatively safe as far as the electrical wiring goes and you shouldn t have a problem with it malfunctioning or sending out bursts of energy. Therefore the dryer s neutral was tied to the ground connection on the metal case of the dryer. In an effort to shed some light on this subject we re going to discuss the purpose of these cords and why there s a growing popularity for 4 prong cables.

This may save you around 40 dollars depending on what the electrician will charge for a new power cord.