3 wire outlet 4 wire dryer

Status
Not open for further replies.

LarryFine

Master Electrician Electric Contractor Richmond VA
Location
Henrico County, VA
Occupation
Electrical Contractor
Yep, according to LG, the only acceptable (and compliant) solution is the 4-wire circuit. Offer the customer the option of paying for the work or returning the dryer for one that can be 3-wire wired.
 

K8MHZ

Senior Member
Location
Michigan. It's a beautiful peninsula, I've looked
Occupation
Electrician
Yep, according to LG, the only acceptable (and compliant) solution is the 4-wire circuit. Offer the customer the option of paying for the work or returning the dryer for one that can be 3-wire wired.

But, there is this:

Old Style Dryer 10-30P 3-Pin Male 220/250V Plug To New Style Dryer 14-30R 220/250V 4-Prong Female Receptacle Socket Outlet Adapter, Electrical Power Connector Cord Convert NEMA UL-FX1107-D


https://www.amazon.com/4-Prong-Rece...t=&hvlocphy=9017374&hvtargid=pla-813872542684
 

MAC702

Senior Member
Location
Clark County, NV
Interesting. So it takes the bootleg ground and gets it out into the open instead of hiding it in the outlet box. Hmmmm...

For $70 each, I need to go through my scrap pile and make a few for eBay.
 

ramsy

Roger Ruhle dba NoFixNoPay
Location
LA basin, CA
Occupation
Service Electrician 2020 NEC
The water line would only be a part of the Grounding Electrode System if it were the portion within 5 feet of were the piping enters the building.

(C) Nongrounding Receptacle Replacement or Branch Circuit Extensions. The equipment grounding conductor of a grounding-type receptacle or a branch-circuit extension shall be permitted to be connected to any of the following:
(1) Any accessible point on the grounding electrode system as described in 250.50.

I see, 250.50 to 252(A)(1) may consider 10ft of electrically-contiguous water pipe in contact with earth a suitable electrode, however, if contact with earth isn't readily apparent from the laundry area, why not use #12 EGC from laundry duplex, unless converting NEMA 10-30R to NEMA 14-30R with undersized EGC violates the device listing.

250.130(C)(4) does not disqualify EGC extensions from another branch circuit for conductor-size differences.
 
Last edited:

tortuga

Code Historian
Location
Oregon
Occupation
Electrical Design
I see, 250.50 to 252(A)(1) may consider 10ft of electrically-contiguous water pipe in contact with earth a suitable electrode, however, if contact with earth isn't readily apparent from the laundry area, why not use #12 EGC from laundry duplex, unless converting NEMA 10-30R to NEMA 14-30R with undersized EGC violates the device listing.

250.130(C)(4) does not disqualify EGC extensions from another branch circuit for conductor-size differences.
Thats an interesting interpretation of it.
I would think a wire type ECG would need to still meet 250.122.

My thought is large appliances are hardly using a neutral anymore and the american standard for large appliances like ranges, dryers and hot tubs should be a straight 200-240V. Many appliances these days (ductless heat pumps) have electronically controlled motors and work off anything from 200-240. Then all the 3 wire infrastructure thats out there can stay the same and you could just pull a 10/2 for a dryer. I have seen ranges start to go this way, you can tell when you go to wire up a cord and there is no internal wiring connected to the neutral block. The one drawback is finding those little GU base 240V replacement bulbs for the light.
 

sparky1118

Senior Member
Location
Massachusetts
Occupation
Master Electrician
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.

JAP>

Really?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

jap

Senior Member
Occupation
Electrician
Really?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Really.

And my point being is because the NEC's exception of allowing a 4 wire appliance to be allowed to still have the neutral and ground tied together in this day and age is just silly.
It doesn't solve the neutral return current being induced on normally not current carrying parts of an appliance at all.
This puts us no closer to resolving the neutral to ground connection being made after the service entrance for dryers and ranges no matter how you want to sugar coat it.

I think the LG connection is actually pretty smart on their part. They seem to have a better grasp on what it actually takes to enforce the rule.

To defend a neutral to ground connection made at an appliance even though it's not correct, but, disagreeing with jumping the neutral and ground at the receptacle which is also incorrect,for those same appliances, is simply hypocritical.

JAP>
 

jap

Senior Member
Occupation
Electrician
The manufacturer's instructions say to change out the receptacle to the correct 4 wire grounded type. That's the way it should be regardless of Manufacturer instructions.

JAP>
 

oldsparky52

Senior Member
To defend a neutral to ground connection made at an appliance even though it's not correct, but, disagreeing with jumping the neutral and ground at the receptacle which is also incorrect,for those same appliances, is simply hypocritical.

JAP>

Well, ... IDK.

I feel the neutral/ground combined in the machine is an understood practice and since it's still allowed must not really be too unsafe.

Wiring the receptacle with the neutral/ground combined misrepresents what is there. I'm pretty sure it's an NEC violation.
 

jap

Senior Member
Occupation
Electrician
Well, ... IDK.

I feel the neutral/ground combined in the machine is an understood practice and since it's still allowed must not really be too unsafe.

Wiring the receptacle with the neutral/ground combined misrepresents what is there. I'm pretty sure it's an NEC violation.

I agree it's an understood practice, but, as far as safety or misrepresentation, that's a catch 22 when it comes to this subject.

JAP>
 

ramsy

Roger Ruhle dba NoFixNoPay
Location
LA basin, CA
Occupation
Service Electrician 2020 NEC
Thats an interesting interpretation of it.
I would think a wire type ECG would need to still meet 250.122

If AHJ was hearing arguments, I’d point out joining different sized EGC’s together in raceway boxes is a required wiring method. 250.130(C)(4) simply clarifies where EGC extensions to non-grounding branches are considered bonded. EGC size is irrelevant.

I’d also mention code structure thru-out NFPA-70 treats old work specifically. In last sentence of §250.130 Part VII , treatment of “existing installations” clarifies when EGC extensions are allowed between branches, and appears later in the code, consistent with not being bound to previous new-construction code, such as §250.122 in Part VI.
 

ramsy

Roger Ruhle dba NoFixNoPay
Location
LA basin, CA
Occupation
Service Electrician 2020 NEC
My thought is large appliances are hardly using a neutral anymore.. ..I have seen ranges start to go this way, you can tell when you go to wire up a cord and there is no internal wiring connected to the neutral block. The one drawback is finding those little GU base 240V replacement bulbs for the light.

Roger that, no control xfmr keeps production costs down, and 240v Euro appliances are not designed to break right after warranty period.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top