Expert: Will Babbitt - 5/2/2007

Question
I know this question is redundent but i have a 3 wire outlet I need to plug in a new 4 wire dryer too. I bought a 4 prong plug but how is it wired bare copper to ground where do the black and white wires go?

Answer
By code you need to run a new wire to the entrance, separating the neutral and ground.

If you do it by code you don't have enough wires for your plug.

Next what is the warranty on the dryer if you don't wire to a PROPERERLY WIRED four wire plug?

Apparently you have black and white and a bare now?

You should have, even on a three wire plug, a black, red and white.

So I need to know exactly what you have now.

If you have black and white and red, the black to red is 220 and the white neutral.

If you have black and white and bare, the black and white are PROBABLY the 220 and the bare is neutral and not supposed to be.

Then you have to decide if you are going to run a new wire, or gamble on the warranty.

Your old dryer will tell the tale. The hots will be on the two outside posts and the neutral in the middle.

Let me know how that was wired, what you have in the three wire outlet and I can tell you how to make it work, but probably against the manufacturer's warranty.

Look at the manual that came with it [read the warranty disclaimers in the small print] and see if there is a wiring diagram for three wire plugs, and if they say it is ok to buss the neutral and ground.

It is a real pain in the butt.

But it is what it is and I can't tell you to go breaking code or if something happens and you don't have a four wire plug, then the s........ hits the grounded fan.

A four wire plug just does no good unless you are willing to run four wires to it.

So look over the manual, tell me the exact colors and number of wires in the existing outlet and we will go from there.

Then you have to decide if you want to wire it like the old dryer or not.

If you have already decided that, put the old dryer plug on the new dryer and put it back the way it was.

There will be a section in the manual.

Just let me know. I didn't make the rules but I will explain what you have, wear they go and options.

Will