3 wire outlet 4 wire dryer

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jap

Senior Member
Occupation
Electrician
Are you sure the distributor or seller didn't install the cord. Lowes used to send the dryers out and give the installers cords to put on. In some cases the installers were putting the cords on before they got to the job.

I wouldn't think so because this cord is made just for it with the special quick connectors that match up to the male connectors inside the dryer.

JAP>
 

LarryFine

Master Electrician Electric Contractor Richmond VA
Location
Henrico County, VA
Occupation
Electrical Contractor
Or also leave the factory 4 wire cord on the dryer, change the receptacle out to a 4 wire, and, jumper the grounded and EGC I take it?
The factory cord on the dryer s not your standard eyelet type connection. It is male to female quick connectors.

Noooooo! Don't do that!

The correct procedure is to use the cord and plug that suits the existing circuit and receptacle. Don't forget to install the chassis-to-neutral jumper.
 

MAC702

Senior Member
Location
Clark County, NV
It's LG series dryer.

If you google it and look at images you can see some pictures that have the quick connects instead of the eyelets as I was describing.

Can you link directly to an image you see that is what you are trying to describe?

If the cord truly cannot be changed to a 3-wire with a bonded chassis, then you must properly and legally upgrade the circuit to a 4-wire. I would totally expect something like this from LG.
 

jap

Senior Member
Occupation
Electrician
Having trouble with the link but My search defaults to BING.

I type in LG DRYER CORDS then click on images.

Scroll down to about the 7th or 8th row and it shows the factory cord going into the makeup enclosure with the quick connect fittings on it.

JAP>
 

jap

Senior Member
Occupation
Electrician
Noooooo! Don't do that!

The correct procedure is to use the cord and plug that suits the existing circuit and receptacle. Don't forget to install the chassis-to-neutral jumper.

I wouldn't do that, but, the 3 wire cord and plug that suits the existing circuit and receptacle does not coincide with the factory quick connect wiring inside the dryer.
You'd have to cut the quick connects off of the factory wiring of the dryer and the eyelets off of the 3 wire cord to make the connection the way it should be.

Something about that just doesn't seem right.

JAP>
 

jap

Senior Member
Occupation
Electrician
Now, what do we do with something like that? :D

Start chopping into the factory wiring?

JAP>
 

jap

Senior Member
Occupation
Electrician
If it is truly a manufacturers installed cord I would upgrade the receptacle and the branch circuit if need be. I would not mess with the cord.

That was my first thought also although it wasn't a well received idea. :)

This type of setup made me think the only way to satisfy the code and not voiding any type of warranty on the dryer was to install a new 4 wire cable from the panel to the dryer location with a 4 wire receptacle.

Either that or buy a different dryer.

JAP>
 

oldsparky52

Senior Member
So, what happened? Customer found a great deal on a dryer and needs you to make it work?

LG puts a lot of faith in those connectors? I don't blame you for not wanting to touch this.

Is this product even listed for use in the USA?
 

jap

Senior Member
Occupation
Electrician
So, what happened? Customer found a great deal on a dryer and needs you to make it work?

LG puts a lot of faith in those connectors? I don't blame you for not wanting to touch this.

Is this product even listed for use in the USA?

No, I'm not part of it, I was just eaves dropping when I saw the cord he had while explaining his situation to another.

I'm not sure if he knows anything about the listing. It's just the factory cord that came with his dryer.

He didn't know if the Landlord was responsible to provide a 4 wire receptacle in this case or how to legally change the cord to a 3 wire with this type of setup.

Odd circumstance for sure.

Not sure what LG response would be but that would be my first phone call.

The male end was a standard 120/240v 30a Dryer Plug configuration.

JAP>
 

tortuga

Code Historian
Location
Oregon
Occupation
Electrical Design
The dryer is similar to an LG DLE1310W for what it's worth.

JAP>

Greetings, those dryers are pretty common around here the manufacturers instructions can be found here:
https://www.lg.com/us/support/product/lg-DLE1310W.ABWEEUS

From the manual on page 5
Do not modify the plug provided with the
appliance. If it will not fit the outlet, have a proper
outlet installed by a qualified electrician.
This appliance must be connected to a grounded
metal, permanent wiring system or an equipmentgrounding conductor must be run with the circuit
conductors and connected to the equipmentgrounding terminal or lead on the appliance.

I would run a #10 ECG back to the grounding electrode system.

Often we encounter a dryer breaker in a panel has been previously converted from a 'service' to a 'feeder' as part of a remodel or addition and it becomes necessary to deal with existing '3 wire' SE cable that has lost the exception under 250.140 Exception (3):
(3) The grounded conductor is insulated, or the grounded
conductor is uninsulated and part of a Type SE service-
entrance cable and the branch circuit originates at the
service equipment.
 

MAC702

Senior Member
Location
Clark County, NV
I would put this cost on the person who's ignorant enough to buy LG crap. As a landlord, I would NOT pay for this.

"Do not modify the plug provided with the
appliance. If it will not fit the outlet, have a proper
outlet installed by a qualified electrician.
This appliance must be connected to a grounded
metal, permanent wiring system or an equipment grounding conductor must be run with the circuit
conductors and connected to the equipment grounding terminal or lead on the appliance."
 

jap

Senior Member
Occupation
Electrician
I would put this cost on the person who's ignorant enough to buy LG crap. As a landlord, I would NOT pay for this.

"Do not modify the plug provided with the
appliance. If it will not fit the outlet, have a proper
outlet installed by a qualified electrician.
This appliance must be connected to a grounded
metal, permanent wiring system or an equipment grounding conductor must be run with the circuit
conductors and connected to the equipment grounding terminal or lead on the appliance."

I agree this is probably going to end up being the tenant's problem, but not for that reason.

The average person shouldn't have to have an electrical background prior to purchasing an appliance.

Most would not have known the unit was not convertible until they went to try and change the cord like this guy did.

JAP>
 
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