[Paul8888]

I am converting a new dryer from the old direct wiring to a pigtail and receptacle. The accompanying directions on the receptacle box is rather vague, and I'd appreciate seeing a picture or illustration of the correct way to wire it.

I'd settle for a more detailed installation walk-through. I tried contacting the company that makes the receptacle, but I have heard nothing back from them.

Thank you for your help.

[hkstroud]

Really quite simple but depends on the number of wires in the cable. In older installations a certain type of cable was used which I believe was called SO cable. Has a fabric like outer covering. With that type of cable the neutral and ground shared the bare wire. That gives you three wires. With newer installations NM cable (Romex) is used. The neutral and ground cannot be shared in NM cable. Therefore, you must have four wires.


If you have three wires (black, white and a bare ground) in the cable you use a three wire receptacle and plug. You wire black to one hot terminal and white to the other hot and ground to the ground terminal (center terminal). At the dryer you connect the black wire of the cord to one hot terminal and the white to the other hot. Connect bare ground of the cord to the neutral of the dryer and to the frame of the dryer of the dryer (with a bare jumper). The center terminal of the dryer is usually the neutral. If this is a new dryer there should be a jumper between the neutral and the ground.

If you have four wires in the cable you use a four wire receptacle and plug. You connect the black to one hot terminal, the red to the other hot terminal. Connect the white to the neutral terminal and the bare ground to the ground terminal. At the dryer you connect the black and red of the cord to the hot terminals and the white to the neutral and the ground of the cord to the frame. If this is a new dryer there should be a jumper between the neutral and the ground. Remove it.

Post back if you have questions.