10-30 standard 30A 240 volt 3-prong Dryer outlet found in homes built before 1996 Here is a brief list of those different plugs and their use: Are There Different Types Of 30 Amp RV Plugs? The plug you need for your travel trailer should be marked TT-30 and this is for those older campgrounds using an older electrical system that has been in place for a very long time. You need to take a few minutes to examine the prongs and see if they will work for your intended use. This means you just can’t walk into an outlet selling electrical parts and just pick up one and go home. Those dryer plugs can be for either 240 or 120 volts. The one you buy will depend on the make and model of the dryer. 3 were for a welder or plasma cutter (or similar work tools). They all have different purposes and they can be for either 240 or 120 power.ģ of those plugs were for your RV or travel trailer. On one chart we saw about 8 differently designed 30-amp plugs. Always turn off power and verify the power is off before working on any electrical system.No, they are not. Although this is a moderate DIY project if you a are the least bit uncomfortable or unsure, please consider Hiring an Electrician in Greenville for assistance. With the average cost of a new cord being less than $25 and the installation involving the removal of a cover plate, 3 termination screws, and 1 ground connection this qualifies as a DIY project with many YouTube Videos offering advice. What Can You Do?Īdding a 4 Prong Dryer Cord is the recommended course of action. Call an Electrical Contractor in Greenville for an evaluation. If your panel doesn't have breakers and still uses a cartridge and screw-in fuse it is time to think about a Panel Upgrade. If it is more than 30 amps, the Wrong Breaker was installed. Any faults that occur use the grounding path to the Ground Rods or Grounding System and voltage travels into the Earth instead of energizing the metal frame of the dryer.įact: Your dryer circuit should be supplied from a 2 pole 30amp Breaker. This wiring method safety carries all voltage back to the main electrical panel where the ground and neutral are bonded together. Modern homes are wired using 10-3 NM Cable (Romex) and have four prong dryer receptacles installed. The obvious solution was to add a neutral wire so the 120 volt components could operate safely without being used as a neutral path. A dryer using 5000 watts when supplied with 240v draws 20.83 amps while a dryer using the same 5000 watts when supplied with 220v draws 22.73 amps. What is the difference between 120v & 240v?įact: The term “220 volt circuit” is not accurate in the United States, we use 240 volts as a standard although most appliances still run off 240v or 220v. People are much more at risk if they are barefoot while using the dryer. Since the metal frame of the dryer is bonded to the incoming ground wire, there was a potential to be shocked by stray voltage when touching the dryer. This condition becomes dangerous because the voltage is cycling back and forth on a ground wire instead of the required neutral wire. The potential for electrical shock was starting to become more and more of an issue with the rise of digital displays and components utilizing 120v for their operation even though the dryer circuit was 240v without a neutral. The change like most code changes was made to increase safety by limiting the potential for electrical shock, and this why your new home has a 4 prong dryer outlet and your dryer cord won’t fit.įact: The first Electric Dryer sold to the public was in 1938 Why Was a Change Needed? Homes built before the mid 90’s only required 3 prong receptacles, but in 1996 the National Electrical Code (NEC) mandated all new home wiring use a neutral for Dryer and Range electrical circuits. This issue is common and doesn't mean your home has Bad Wiring, and it certainly doesn't mean you need to buy a new dryer. Either your dryer cord has too many or too few prongs to fit. So you moved into a new home, and your dryer plug does not fit the receptacle. Choosing the Right Dryer Outlet for Your Home
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