I am attaching a 3 prong dryer cord to a dryer. The middle connection is being stubborn. The screw gets to a certain point and is stuck. It will not tighten and the connection is very loose. Can I safely use a metal washer to tighten the connection?
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tight is tight. if all parts are tight, suggests good electrical contact.– bibCommented Feb 19, 2015 at 22:31
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3Picture would help, or a link to the exact plug replacement you have.– MazuraCommented Feb 19, 2015 at 22:51
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2Sure it's the right screw and it's properly mounted?– DanCommented Feb 20, 2015 at 7:06
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1It could be an incompletely threaded hole for the set screw and this is preventing the set screw from coming down completely. Do you have a set of taps to chase the threads all the way through?– BrownRedHawkCommented Dec 2, 2015 at 12:44
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1Trade the screws to determine if you have a bad screw, a badly tapped hole, or maybe a damaged hole.– whiskeychiefCommented Jun 25, 2019 at 10:11
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4 Answers
The important thing about the electric cord is that all connections be tight, so if the screw will hold then using a washer to pack the gap so that the connector is pressed against the conductor would create a safe connection.
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Its better to twist then fold the electrical wire into the fitting. or create an l-shaped shim which goes in first. basically trying to minimise the risk of a washer slipping out and causing shorts inside the plug Commented Jun 5, 2015 at 4:18
If the connection you are referring to is at the dryer end the connection is typically a piece of terminal strip, just replace it. You can buy lengths of terminal strip at a wholesaler for peanuts. I definitely don't recommend jamming anything in there that isn't meant to be there you could short it out or expose yourself to live electrical parts.
Using a washer probably isn't a good idea.
The screws on those terminals are critical and must work exactly right. The tightness of those screws makes the electrical connection secure and keeps it secure over months and years subject to heat, humidity, and vibration. If that connection is loose, it is not safe.
You might be able to figure out what's stopping the screw. It's possible there's some debris inside the hole, and if you can remove it without damaging the threads, the screw will work as it should.
If the threads in the hole were malformed or damaged, either by cross threading the screw when you tried to drive it or otherwise, that will stop the screw. If you force it in, it might hold the terminal down securely, but it might not hold up. I would not force it and hope for the best.
It's possible the screw that you're installing bonds the terminal to the metal frame of the dryer - the screw goes through the terminal block into a tapped hole in the sheet metal below. This bond is particularly important for safe function of the dryer. If the terminal block isn't aligned correctly with the tapped hole in the underlying sheet metal, you won't be able to land the screw all the way, and if you just force it, you may damage the terminal block. If this is the case, you may be able to move the terminal block around a little and get the block aligned with the hole.
If you have to buy a replacement terminal strip, do not assume that a generic terminal strip is a suitable replacement, buy one from the dryer manufacturer. Even if you buy a generic terminal strip rated for the voltage and current, if one of the terminal screws is a bonding screw as described above, a generic terminal block won't provide that bond, which would be a hazard.
answered Jan 24, 2020 at 9:52
You may have cross-threaded the screw in the hole. Back it out and try again and make sure it goes in straight.
It'll be more difficult now because it will want to keep going in crooked because the screw will have created a new set of grooves criss-crossing over the real threads.
Hopefully you haven't damaged the holes threads too much and can get it going right.
