![]() ![]() Most home improvement stores, such as Lowes and Home Depot, sell both 3-prong and 4-prong dryer cables for about $20-$25 bucks. There are a couple of different scenarios ways workarounds, one of which is to purchase a new dryer cord. The good news is that you don’t have to purchase a new dryer if the current outlet in your home doesn’t match. This eliminates the possibility for a ground current traveling to the machine, as it features a separate return path for unused power. The more recent 4-prong dryer cords feature two hot wires, a neutral wire and a ground wire. If a current happened to make its way onto the ground wire, it could travel up to the dryer. 3-prong dryer cords contain two ‘hot’ wires along with a third wire that contained both the ground and neutral wire. So, why did the NEC make the decision to switch from 3-prong to 4-prong dryer outlets in new homes? Although the old 3-prong outlets were effective at providing power to dryers, they had one major flaw: the ground and neutral wires were grouped together, creating the potential for shock. Existing homes may still use 3-prong outlets, as the NEC changes are limited strictly to new homes. It wasn’t until 1996 when the National Electrical Code (NEC) was updated to require 4-prong dryer outlets in all new homes. Nearly all homes built before this time featured either a 3-prong outlet or range outlet (slightly different than a typical 3-prong dryer outlet). Up until the mid-1990s, 3-prong outlets were the standard used in American homes. In an effort to shed some light on this subject, we’re going to discuss the purpose of these cords and why there’s a growing popularity for 4-prong cables. Unfortunately, few people understand the difference between 3-prong and 4-prong dryer cords. Whether you move into a new home that has a different outlet or purchase a new dryer with a different power cord, this is an all-too-common scenario. A newer dryer run on a 3-prong system is an electrical hazard at best, even if nothing goes wrong, and a disaster if there is a short or loose wire.Most homeowners have run into a problem with trying to hook a 3-prong dryer cord up to a 4-prong outlet, or vice-versa, at one point or another. Never fall for the big box store “handyman fix” and simply replace the plug attached to your dryer! This is against National Electrical Code standards and while it may be a quick and easy fix, its a risky move. The solution is to hire a local licensed electrician to install a new dedicated circuit and 4-prong outlet for your dryer so you can safely plug it in. Unfortunately, many homes still have obsolete (and dangerous) 3-prong dryer outlets. So, if there is ever a problem inside the dryer, the electricity gets diverted away from the dryer frame into the ground, which generally causes the breaker to trip in the meantime and prevents any additional electricity from flowing into the dryer. This wire provides a solid path from the metal frame of the dryer back to the panel and then outside to disperse safely into the earth. ![]() This problem was solved with the addition of the fourth wire (a ground). Potential current could not flow back to the panel through the bare wire and instead would flow through unsuspecting home owners. ![]() This created problems because when the bare wire became loose or there was damage to the neutral line coming into the home, the dryer could become one large metal electrocuting device. The bare wire was used as a ground and a neutral conductor. You went to plug in your new dryer and, oddly, the plug did not fit! Your brand new appliance was suddenly nothing more than a useless (although fancy) ornament and you were looking at spending even more money to make it work.īefore 1996 dryers were wired with three conductors (two “hot” wires and one bare wire). Your savings account was a bit lighter, but your laundry room had gotten an instant face lift and you would soon have dry clothes again. Soon you had a shiny new dryer in your home, ready to go. ![]() Did it happen to you? Your old dryer died and you decided it was time to upgrade. ![]()
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