A 4 prong 30amp 250v dryer power cord will usually cost around 15 to 25 dollars if you buy it yourself.
Replacing dryer cord 4 prong to 3 prong.
Therefore the dryer s neutral was tied to the ground connection on the metal case of the dryer.
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.
Most of the steps described above will be the same.
Existing homes may still use 3 prong outlets.
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 began requiring 4 prong receptacles for 220 volt residential circuits in 2000 but it doesn t prohibit you from using your older dryer with a 3 prong cord.
A 3 prong dryer cord was the standard for dryers prior to 2000.
This may save you around 40 dollars depending on what the electrician will charge for a new power cord.
A cheaper alternative is to simply replace 4 prong dryer cable with a 3 prong.
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.
Purchase a 3 prong dryer cord.
So i had to change it.
Old house has a 3 prong dryer cord outlet but my dryer has a 4 prong cord.
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.
Installing a four prong cord to fit a four slot outlet.
If you have the related but opposite situation an older dryer with a three prong cord but a newer house with a four slot outlet it is equally easy to replace an old cord with a new four prong cord that will fit a four slot outlet.