Step 6 - Connect the Wires to the BlockĪs illustrated in Figure 6, there's no green wire in the new three prong cable, so if the three wires are colored, the wires should be attached to the terminal block to match the same colored wires from the dryer. The new cord (with only three wires) is inserted into the knockout opening that is now freed, but without the cable clamp at this time. The cable clamp holding that cord can then be loosened up and the four wire cable can be removed from the dryer. With the proper Phillips screwdriver or socket wrench, remove the screws securing the green wires to the chassis, and the three wires to the terminal block, taking care not to lose any of the screws inside and making note of where each color goes. The main difference after it’s all hooked up is the green wire from the four wire cord will be missing after it’s replaced with the three wire cord as seen in Figure 6. It’s easy enough to see on the inside that the green wire from inside the appliance and the green wire from the four wire cord are both secured at the common point on the chassis or case of the appliance connecting everything to the earth ground. Looking at the four wire cable going in, there are a black, a red, a white, and a green wire hooked up inside as in Figure 5. As shown in Figure 4, there are more than just one type of three-prong cords for ranges and dryers, so care must be taken to get the right one.Īfter confirming the right cord was picked, the dryer’s electrical access panel is removed to expose the terminal block and connections of its wires. Since the three prong outlet is still compliant with the code, all you need is a new three prong cord that matches the pattern of the outlet. All the modifications are to be done at the dryer level, by first getting a three prong cord from the hardware store, and rewiring it in place in a specific way as described below. With the three prong 240V outlets still within the code, there is nothing to modify at the outlet. With the four wire outlet mandated in 1996 (Figure 2), however, the NEC realized that replacing old existing outlets and their wiring could prove to be much too invasive and costly in older homes that would have to be upgraded to the new 4-wire system, and it was decided that the three prong outlets would remain code-compliant.īut when faced with the dilemma of installing a newer dryer and realizing that the plug at the end of the cord and the outlet in the wall don’t actually look alike and seeing there is no way that they’ll fit together (Figure 3), the first thought is replacing the outlet, of course, but since this would include replacing the whole cable, it surely sounds expensive and maybe even impossible if, since the initial install, the basement and other rooms got finished or remodeled, hiding all the electrical behind drywall and ceiling tiles.īut thankfully, the problem is much easier to resolve than it looks.
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