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Remodeling a 1970’s era condo. The current dryer receptacle has a NEMA 10-30R on a 30 amp breaker. While we are going to be using gas instead of a 240v dryer, I decided to pull the plate and make sure the lugs were snug and tight.

When I pulled the plate, I found the ground and neutral were both under the same lug which I “think” is supposed to only be for the neutral white wire (see photo).

Question:
If I were leaving the 10-30R receptacle, is this proper or should I pull the ground off the lug and just cap it leaving only the white neutral and both hot phases? I understand that ground and neutral are bonded at the main service panel and have learned bonding anywhere else is wrong in residential wiring.

I’m going to replace it with a NEMA 14-30R receptacle for proper grounding in this case, but would like to understand the issues, if any, of this current install.

enter image description here

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  • Not proper since 10-XX was hot, hot, neutral, no ground. So it is not wired/connected correctly. With all four wires your choice should be a 14-30, but could use a 6-30 if the neutral wire was not used(capped/wire nut). If had to leave the 10-30 then the ground has to come off, to make it legal(it already was there), but still unsafe.
    – crip659
    Commented Aug 18, 2022 at 21:43
  • @crip659 thank you for the comment. Yes, I’m replacing it with a 14-30, but, wanted the knowledge as to best practice if the 10-30 was remaining in place. If so, I appreciate your guidance to remove the ground.
    – Richard
    Commented Aug 18, 2022 at 22:08
  • It is only legal in the sense it was already there(what they call grandfathered in), and wired correctly, that it could be left there. Even then, inspectors/electricians will hym and haw about it being there. If a new circuit or they found out it was added after 1996(could be wrong on the date) then could be trouble.
    – crip659
    Commented Aug 18, 2022 at 22:24
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    If the 10-30 were staying, the defect of having the ground and neutral tied would have to be corrected. It should not be cut - just capped off. However leaving it is a terrible idea - the next person may get an electric dryer, and the installer will see the 10-30, tear the 14-30 plug off the dryer and fit a 10-30 plug. This is why 10-30 keeps coming back like a bad penny.
    – Harper - Reinstate Monica
    Commented Aug 19, 2022 at 4:51

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It's a 10-30 - obsolete, hazardous, should be disposed of.

If you actually have a 4 wire feed to the receptacle box, wired correctly, install a NEMA14-30 and send the 10-30 to scrap, where it belongs. Perhaps hit it with a hammer first to make sure it's scrap metal and not improperly re-used.

Leaving (or installing) a 10-30R where it was not a grandfathered install on cable without separate neutral and ground is wrong, period, so hypotheticals about doing that follow "don't do that" and there isn't a "right way to do it wrong."

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  • "If you actually have a 4 wire feed" the pic seems to very much show a 4-wire cable. ;)
    – FreeMan
    Commented Aug 19, 2022 at 13:48
  • No kidding. Which is why it's just wrong to have a 10-30 there at all. Ever.
    – Ecnerwal
    Commented Aug 19, 2022 at 14:20
  • @FreeMan thank you for the answer. As indicated in my question, I of course am replacing the obsolete receptacle. I was hoping to better understand what to do when you find a ground and neutral bonded together like that outside the scope of the main service panel? Should they always be separated? Is this dangerous under certain fault conditions?
    – Richard
    Commented Aug 19, 2022 at 14:31

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