Dryer plug, 4 prong.

Status
Not open for further replies.
Hey there. I know this is a common situation but I'm a little rusty. Customer moved into a house built in 1996. The Dryer receptacle is 3 prong. And there is not a ground wire. It is in a single gang plastic box. The Customer has a new dryer with a 4 prong plug. Thank you .

Sent from my Moto G (4) using Tapatalk
 

480sparky

Senior Member
Location
Iowegia
Option 1: Take a Cat D9, raze the house, and build a new one with a 4-wire circuit.

Option 2: Run a new 4-wire circuit in the existing home.
 

jeff48356

Senior Member
Hey there. I know this is a common situation but I'm a little rusty. Customer moved into a house built in 1996. The Dryer receptacle is 3 prong. And there is not a ground wire. It is in a single gang plastic box. The Customer has a new dryer with a 4 prong plug. Thank you .

It looks like you'll need to rewire the circuit with #10-3 Romex cable. And if it was built in 1996, I'm surprised it doesn't already have 4-wire, since the requirement for 4-wire ranges and dryers went into effect in 1994.
 
This might be a good time to suggest to the customer to run a new cable with ground to the dryer location and install a four prong receptacle. 1996 is before I started in the field but I am surprised that there would not be a ground there. The only other way would be to bound the neutral to the frame of the dryer and replace the four prong cord with a three. I believe the exception on pre existent wiring is still there, but to update is better but that is not knowing the details of what that all entails.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Location
NE (9.06 miles @5.9 Degrees from Winged Horses)
Occupation
EC - retired
This might be a good time to suggest to the customer to run a new cable with ground to the dryer location and install a four prong receptacle. 1996 is before I started in the field but I am surprised that there would not be a ground there. The only other way would be to bound the neutral to the frame of the dryer and replace the four prong cord with a three. I believe the exception on pre existent wiring is still there, but to update is better but that is not knowing the details of what that all entails.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Yes, suggest, but don’t loose sleep over the three wire.
 

growler

Senior Member
Location
Atlanta,GA
Hey there. I know this is a common situation but I'm a little rusty. Customer moved into a house built in 1996. The Dryer receptacle is 3 prong. And there is not a ground wire. It is in a single gang plastic box. The Customer has a new dryer with a 4 prong plug. Thank you .

Sent from my Moto G (4) using Tapatalk

It looks like you'll need to rewire the circuit with #10-3 Romex cable. And if it was built in 1996, I'm surprised it doesn't already have 4-wire, since the requirement for 4-wire ranges and dryers went into effect in 1994.


The OP list his location as El Paso so who knows what code was adopted at the time the home was built? Have to check with the AHJ to find out what code cycle was enforced at the time.

If the dryer cable was legal at the time of install then a 3 prong dryer plug can be installed on the dryer.
 

Jamesco

Senior Member
Location
Iowa
Occupation
Master Electrician
Hey there. I know this is a common situation but I'm a little rusty. Customer moved into a house built in 1996. The Dryer receptacle is 3 prong. And there is not a ground wire. It is in a single gang plastic box. The Customer has a new dryer with a 4 prong plug. Thank you .

Sent from my Moto G (4) using Tapatalk

Check NEC 250.140 Exception: for existing 3 wire outlet.
 

infinity

Moderator
Staff member
Location
New Jersey
Occupation
Journeyman Electrician
You are permitted to use a 3 wire plug on the new dryer. If the customer wants it brought up to current code then a new cable and 4 wire cord and plug is needed.
 

kwired

Electron manager
Location
NE Nebraska
Pretty certain 1996 NEC is when the change was made. Was and still is exceptions for existing installations.

These appliances leave factory without any cord because you need to select which one applies where you are going to place it.

If the house was built in 1996, may or may not have been on 1996 NEC yet. Some areas may still been on 1990 or even 1987 NEC.

If you do put three wire cord on the dryer, don't forget to re-install neutral to frame bonding jumper.

Occasionally you find whoever put the 4 wire cord on didn't remove the bonding jumper - kind of defeats the purpose of using a 4 wire supply.
 

growler

Senior Member
Location
Atlanta,GA
Customer moved into a house built in 1996. The Dryer receptacle is 3 prong.

The Customer wants it done right.

I just looked up the installation instructions for a new LG dryer and they state that a 4 wire circuit would be required for homes built after 1996.

If the customer wants to pay for the added safety that's great but I don't think it would be required .

It normally comes down to how much of the house will have to be torn apart to install a new circuit.
 

kwired

Electron manager
Location
NE Nebraska
I just looked up the installation instructions for a new LG dryer and they state that a 4 wire circuit would be required for homes built after 1996.

If the customer wants to pay for the added safety that's great but I don't think it would be required .

It normally comes down to how much of the house will have to be torn apart to install a new circuit.
That instruction is assuming 1996 code was in effect in 1996. Some places it wasn't. Others maybe wasn't early in the year but was late in the year.

Some places can be nearly 10 years behind on which code is in effect.
 

growler

Senior Member
Location
Atlanta,GA
And if it was built in 1996, I'm surprised it doesn't already have 4-wire, since the requirement for 4-wire ranges and dryers went into effect in 1994.

it was done right at the time of installation.


I think Jeff got his dates wrong. It's hard to keep all those dates straight.

I don't have a 93 code book but every reference I can find points to 1996 (after) as being the first years a 4 wire circuit was required. Here the 1996 code wouldn't have been adopted or enforced until 1 January of 1997.
 

growler

Senior Member
Location
Atlanta,GA
who knows what code was adopted at the time the home was built? Have to check with the AHJ to find out what code cycle was enforced at the time.

If the dryer cable was legal at the time of install then a 3 prong dryer plug can be installed on the dryer.

That instruction is assuming 1996 code was in effect in 1996. Some places it wasn't. Others maybe wasn't early in the year but was late in the year.

Some places can be nearly 10 years behind on which code is in effect.


Thanks I never would have thought of that. :slaphead:
 

LarryFine

Master Electrician Electric Contractor Richmond VA
Location
Henrico County, VA
Occupation
Electrical Contractor
The appliance bonding jumper can be confusing. We just converted a 4-wire-equipped dryer to 3-wire to suit the existing receptacle in an older home just purchased.

The dryer had an unconnected white wire in the compartment, so I landed it on the cabinet. Had it been green, I would have landed it on the neutral terminal instead.
 

kwired

Electron manager
Location
NE Nebraska
The appliance bonding jumper can be confusing. We just converted a 4-wire-equipped dryer to 3-wire to suit the existing receptacle in an older home just purchased.

The dryer had an unconnected white wire in the compartment, so I landed it on the cabinet. Had it been green, I would have landed it on the neutral terminal instead.

Older units always had a metal strap for a bonding jumper and was obvious, ranges typically still use a strap.

If not so clear I always check for continuity from frame to neutral terminal to be sure.
 

LarryFine

Master Electrician Electric Contractor Richmond VA
Location
Henrico County, VA
Occupation
Electrical Contractor
Yes, with rare exception, the correct procedure is to install the cord that matches the existing circuit and receptacle.
 

kwired

Electron manager
Location
NE Nebraska
Yes, with rare exception, the correct procedure is to install the cord that matches the existing circuit and receptacle.
What I would do, even if the house were built in 2010 and had three wire receptacle, unless there were gross negligence in wiring installation that says more troubles than just 3 vs 4 wire receptacle are present.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top