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I have a Kenmore Model 110.8 dryer which currently has a 3-prong NEMA10-30 cord. I want to replace it with a 4-prong NEMA14-30 cord.

This is how the current wiring looks like (apologize for all the dust):

enter image description here

You can see that the grounding wire comes from another internal wire in the back (don't know exactly where it's coming from, but it's not obviously connected to neutral)

I just want to confirm:

  1. The existing ground wire has to be connected together with the new Neutral to the middle clamp, despite having grounding color
  2. The new ground from the cable has to be connected where the current ground cable is.

The alternative way I could think of:

  1. Connect the new cable the same way as the old one (neutral goes to the middle clamp)
  2. the new ground from the cable gets connected to the existing ground cable on the frame

The reason why I believe the first option is correct because I think there is only one connection from chassis/frame to ground (which is the one in the picture). But since I am using just 3 prongs right now, neutral and ground have to be connected somewhere internally. Hence the first option makes sure that neutral and ground are separate and the actual (new ground) is only connected to frame.

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  • Usually on three wired 10-30 setups the ground is jumped to the neutral. The jumper(screw, piece of metal) is usually easy to see with the wires. With type 14 ground is separated from neutral as with your wiring. I would imagine that your alternative is the right way, unless some weird stuff inside. Could be who wired it before goofed up and did not use/took off the jumper by mistake. That lint/dust should be cleaned off since it can become a fire hazard.
    – crip659
    Jul 14 at 20:31
  • See the answer from @aaaaa says reinstate Monica. It does not seem to be the alternative but the first option. Yes, I will clean the lint.
    – divB
    Jul 14 at 20:47

1 Answer 1

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Consult the manual for your dryer.

However, the green wire inside your dryer comes from the neutral screw (ref).

So to install 4-prong cord:

  1. connect green cable inside the dryer to neutral screw (this is basically looping the wire and connecting it to itself)
  2. connect green cable from the cord to the case (green screw)

Do not connect green wire inside the dryer with the ground wire from the 4-prong cable

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  • Ok thanks. So this is my Option #1. I just cross-checked with my multimeter and unscrewed the grounding screw from the frame. Now there is still 0Ohm between Neutral and the green cable but open between frame and neutral/green cable.
    – divB
    Jul 14 at 20:46
  • I think the color coding of this wire is misleading. The wire should be white to indicate that it is connected internally to the neutral.
    – Jim Stewart
    Jul 14 at 22:56
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    @JimStewart yes that's corrects. And why I wrote despite having grounding color in my question.
    – divB
    Jul 14 at 23:10
  • @JimStewart that why NEC allows "grounding" through bonding to neutral at the level of appliance. Neutrals and grounds supposed to be bonded only at the main panel, but dryer has an exception. They call neutral "grounded circuit conductor"
    – aaaaa says reinstate Monica
    Jul 14 at 23:43
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    IIRC some appiances use white color coding for this jumper, which makes it clear that this is a neutral. It could even do with a label stating "from neutral". The instructions could even have a parenthetical sentence for the 4-wire connection: Connecting jumper to the neutral screw is simply to insure that it cannot come in contact with the case or with a hot wire. Jim Stewart
    – Jim Stewart
    Jul 15 at 0:41

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