I have an electric dryer with a cord that has 3 prongs and an outlet that have 4 slots. I brought a new cord but it has four wires white black red and green how do we hool them up

remove the old 3 wire cord from the dryer,purchase a 4 wire plug and cord that will fit the receptacle then put the RED and BLACK wires on the cord on the 2 outer terminals on the dryer or L1 & L2 terminals,then the white wire on the cord to the center terminal between the L1 & L2 which may be marked "N" or NEUTRAL,then finally the GREEN wire on the cord is thje safety GROUND and this connects to any metallic portion on the dryer case

Hello,



It seems to get confusing where the wires go in the back where the cord connects to on your brand new,or previously dryer that you have brought to a home thats new to you

4 wires goes as such with the red wire going on the right side,the black wire going on the left,the white wire goes on the center terminal. Now what exactly do you do with the green wires is what your asking yourself. It goes onto the cabinet after removing that little link that went from the center terminal that was beweeen the cabinet and and the white wire terminal.Yes remove that link and install the green wire where that link was just attached to a minute ago.

GENE

Unplug the dryer then remove the terminal block cover and disconnect the 3-prong cord from the dryer. Note that the cord has red , black, and white wires but sometimes the red and black wires are both replaced by same color wire, usually gray and can switch places. There's also a ground strap wire also connected to the center terminal together with the white (neutral) wire.

Get yourself a 4-prong cord and note that it has red, black, white, and green/yellow wires but sometimes, like the 3-pronged one, the red and black wires are both replaced by same color wire, usually gray and can also switch places. All you have to do now is connect the 3 wires in the same manner they are connected as 3-prong cord to the terminal block. The ground strap wire now just need to be connected to the remaining 4th wire, the green/yellow wire instead of the center terminal together with the white (neutral) wire. Reinstall the terminal block cover and it's done.

It can be observed that converting a 3-prong cord to 4-prong cord is merely splitting the neutral line and the ground thereby increasing the number of prongs from 3 to 4 whereas, on the other hand, converting a 4-prong cord to 3-prong cord is merely joining the neutral line (white) and the ground (green/yellow) thereby reducing the number of prongs from 4 to 3.. The links below might enlighten you further on this matter.

Four-prong to Three-prong Electric Dryer Conversion
Three-prong to Four-prong Electric Dryer Conversion

You will not be able to connect a 3 wire cord you need to install a 4 wire cord and this is how it goes on
It seems to get confusing where the wires go in the back where the cord connects to on your brand new,or previously dryer that you have brought to a home thats new to you

4 wires goes as such with the red wire going on the right side,the black wire going on the left,the white wire goes on the center terminal. Now what exactly do you do with the green wires is what your asking yourself. It goes onto the cabinet after removing that little link that went from the center terminal that was beweeen the cabinet and and the white wire terminal.Yes remove that link and install the green wire where that link was just attached to a minute ago.

It's either you convert the 3-prong outlet to 4-prong or the 4-prong cord to 3-prong. But the latter is easier and more feasible. Unplug the dryer then disconnect the 4-prong cord from the dryer. Note that it has red, black, white, and green/yellow wires but sometimes the red and black wires are both replaced by same color wire, usually gray. The red and black wires are lines L1 and L2 reversibly, meaning they can switch places, while the white and green/yellow wires are the neutral line and ground, respectively.

Get yourself a 3-prong cord and note that it has red , black, and white wires but sometimes, like the 4-pronged one, the red and black wires are both replaced by same color wire, usually gray and can also switch places. All you have to do now is connect these 3 wires in the same manner they are connected as 4-prong cord to the terminal block. The wire strapped to the dryer cabinet and connected to the green/yellow wire of the 4-prong cord wire is now left hanging. The last step is to connect this hanging strap wire to the same terminal on the terminal block (center) where the white wire (neutral) is connected and it's done.

It can be observed that converting a 4-prong cord to 3-prong cord is merely joining the neutral line (white) and the ground (green/yellow) thereby reducing the number of prongs from 4 to 3. On the other hand, converting a 3-prong cord to 4-prong cord is merely splitting the neutral line and the ground thereby increasing the number of prongs from 3 to 4. The link below might enlighten you further on this matter.

Electric Dryer Prong Conversion

Hi,
Here is a tip that will help you with that...

Dryer Cord and Wiring Dryer 3 Wire or 4 Wire
http://www.fixya.com/support/r4496386-dryer_cord_wiring_dryer_3_wire_or_4_wire

heatman101

Your four prong cord has 4 wires. Black,Red,Green and White.
Remove the 3 prong cord from the dryer.
The Black and Red wires go to the outside terminals on the dryer. The White wire goes top the center terminal. The Green wire goes outside the terminal cover to any nearby screw for grounding.

Your four prong cord has 4 wires. Black,Red,Green and White.
Remove the 3 prong cord from the dryer.
The Black and Red wires go to the outside terminals on the dryer. The White wire goes top the center terminal. The Green wire goes outside the terminal cover to any nearby screw for grounding.

Dryer wiring (3 wires to 4) If ya move or get a new dryer and need a 4 wire setup instead of a 3 this might be of interest: Look at the terminal block. Most dryers have a red wire on one side, a black wire on the other side, and a white wire in the middle. I put my red to red white to white and black to black as pictured in the above link. The green ground wire gets bolted to the frame.




If you need further help, reach me via phone at https://www.6ya.com/expert/dan_73bbd84fe1d95b61

The old three prong, the vertical prong is neutral (white wire), the two slanted are 220 volts. The new plug, the extra prong is ground (bare wire). Shut off the outlet at the breaker panel, and remove the outlet to examine the wiring to it. It should be as above--the 220 volt wires are red and black or black and black. The ground wire is bare or green insulated. Inside the dryer case, tie the green and white wires to the dryer case, and tie the two outside wires where they went with the old cord. Check with an electrician if you are unsure about this.