The 120 volt service is for the dryer s timers sensors and other electronics while the 240 volt service supplies power to the heating elements.
Electric dryer plug wiring diagram.
Lets look a how the electric dryer is wired and what to do if your cord does not match the plug.
A 4 prong dryer outlet is wired as a 120 240 volt circuit.
Below each diagram i will cover some information concerning the difference between a 3 prong and a 4 prong dryer outlet.
Electrical wiring for a dryer power cord has a typical 240 volt electric power cord with 3 wire and 4 wire wiring configurations many people may experience the situation of trying to make a older dryer work with an new four wire receptacle.
Grip the last 1 2 inch 1 3 cm of the wire in the jaws of the wire stripper and squeeze the handles together.
There really isn t a lot of difference in the wiring theory other than some changes in electrical codes throughout the years.
Wiring for a 4 prong dryer receptacle.
Strip 1 2 in 1 3 cm of insulation off the ends of each wire.
Work on 1 wire at a time or else you won t remove the insulation as well.
After this update all dryer receptacles are required to have four wires instead of three.
The nec requires that dryers have a dedicated circuit with a minimum of 30 amps.
One of the updates in the 1996 national electric code was to require grounding on 220 volt circuits such as dryer outlet wiring.
Pull the wire stripper toward the end of the wire to cut off the insulation.
The code requirement doesn t apply to houses built before 1996 though.
This article will explain what options you have to get your dryer wired and running.
See an electric dryer installation with a typical 240 volt electric power cord wiring system.