geochurchi
Senior Member
- Location
- Concord,NH
- Occupation
- Retired electrician
Hi All, new dryers, ranges now come equipped with 4 wire cords,what does the NEC require if the existing receptacle is a 3wire?
Geo
Geo
Hi All, new dryers, ranges now come equipped with 4 wire cords,what does the NEC require if the existing receptacle is a 3wire?
Geo
You are not required to upgrade the premises wiring. I would remove the provided cord and install a 3 prong cord. follow the manufacturers instructions to bond the neutral and the ground on the appliance.
If the appliance is "moved", requiring the removal of the three wire receptacle, you have to go to the four wire receptacle and, of course, change the cable and remove the jumper.
What about if originally fed from a sub panel?
Don't know if 3 wire out of sub panel was ever code compliant.
What about if originally fed from a sub panel?
The recpt fed from a sub panel was legal if the neutral conductor was insulated.I was referring to the receptacle not the wire.
That is what I am seeing. If the seller sends out someone to deliver and install it - they just put on whatever cord matches the receptacle present - and usually have no clue if it is code compliant as is, but IMO that is what they should do anyway - they are not installing premises wiring - if it is wrong then it is the fault of the installer of premises wiring.I've never seen a dryer or range come with a cord. I know they don't ship with them.
An appliance store or "big box" store may send one with the delivery but if you look at your invoice it will be charged extra for. They usually (sometimes) will ask if you need a cord and how many wires but they just don't automatically come with one.
Since the 3-wire is still acceptable they have no way of knowing what the customer has for wiring, 3 or 4-wire.
3-wire is acceptable for existing installations, installations done since the adoption of the 1996 NEC are required to be 4-wire, it was a change long overdue.
Did 3-wire dryer and oven connections actually ever create problems that 4-wire resolves? Fire, shock-hazard, ground loops? I've always wondered if there was actual hard evidence for the code change.
I found that the Installer had put one of the ungrounded leads on the center terminal, and of course the jumper was connected to the Dryer cabinet.
Easy fix.
But any wiring method is dangerous when done incorrectly so I don't see that proving a need for the code change.
This is correct but I'd like to add to this - the vast majority of appliance retailers are out there to sell appliances and have no clue as to what is required to be code compliant. If a HO tells them that they have a 3-prong receptacle, they'll ship a 3-prong cord, make the cord connection to the unit (H-N-H) and install the dryer. However, if the HO tells them they have a 4-prong receptacle, they'll ship a 4-wire cord, hook it up (H-N-H-G) but forget to remove the metal strap on the neutral terminal thereby bonding the neutral to the frame of the dryer. At that point, (other than the correct plug-receptacle fit) there's no point in having a 4-wire circuit, receptacle, cord and plug.That is what I am seeing. If the seller sends out someone to deliver and install it - they just put on whatever cord matches the receptacle present - and usually have no clue if it is code compliant as is, but IMO that is what they should do anyway - they are not installing premises wiring - if it is wrong then it is the fault of the installer of premises wiring.
That is correct, how do you propose to solve that problem? Even appliance installers (who really have little or no electrical know-how) will not remove the bonding jumper when they install a 4 wire cord. This can effect an entire panel and related loads supplied from a four wire feeder effectively making it a three wire feeder.This is correct but I'd like to add to this - the vast majority of appliance retailers are out there to sell appliances and have no clue as to what is required to be code compliant. If a HO tells them that they have a 3-prong receptacle, they'll ship a 3-prong cord, make the cord connection to the unit (H-N-H) and install the dryer. However, if the HO tells them they have a 4-prong receptacle, they'll ship a 4-wire cord, hook it up (H-N-H-G) but forget to remove the metal strap on the neutral terminal thereby bonding the neutral to the frame of the dryer. At that point, (other than the correct plug-receptacle fit) there's no point in having a 4-wire circuit, receptacle, cord and plug.