#220 dryer plug adapter code

The 3-prong configuration connected the ground and neutral wires together, which created the possibility for the wire’s current to flow onto the ground wire and energize the metal frame of the range or dryer.

#220 dryer plug adapter code

In 1996, the National Electric Code (NEC) required all new construction to make the change to 4-prong 220/240-volt outlets. Homes built before the mid-1990s were constructed with 3-prong outlets for their 220/240 appliances, such as ranges and dryers. What’s the advantage of using a 4-prong cord instead of a 3-prong cord? Using a dryer cord on a range could result in a fire. Since the dryer’s cord is only rated for 30 amps, it can’t handle the amount of electricity that a range requires to flow through its wires. You are playing with fire, quite literally, if you attempt to go the other way. You could technically use an electric range cord on a dryer, so long as the receptacle matched it, because the range cord is rated at a higher amperage, and it could handle the dryer’s lower rating. Both require the same amount of force, or volts, to move the current through the wires however, they need different amounts of current to operate. Now for the answer to the question about whether the cords are interchangeable between the two appliances. AmpsĮlectric dryer cord: rated at 30 amps Electric range cord: rated at 40 or 50 amps Range cord: The fourth bottom, prong is flat like the two hot prongs. The neutral wire on each plug is shaped differently just like that of the 3-prong plug.ĭryer cord: The fourth bottom, prong is shaped like an “L”. They each have the two flat hot wires on either side of the plug, and they each have the round ground wire placed at the top of the plug. The 4-prong cords for both the range and dryer are configured with the ground and neutral wires separated. Range cord: The third prong is flat like the other two. It’s the neutral or ground wire, and it is also shaped differently for each.ĭryer cord: The third prong is shaped like an “L”. The third prong on each appliance is the one that’s the furthest away from the cord. Each prong is considered hot, and it feeds 110/120 volts (for a total of 220/240 volts) into the range or dryer. 3-prong cordsīoth the dryer and range cord have two flat prongs positioned closest to the cord. What’s the difference between a range cord and a dryer cord?Īlthough each appliance cord is designed to carry a much greater electrical charge than smaller home appliances, their plugs are configured differently, and they each carry a different amount of current, which is measured in amps. Electrical current also needs force to move it through the wire.

Think about the force water needs to be pushed through the hose. Voltage (volts): The force at which the current is pushed through the wires. Amps are comparable to the amount of water that passes through that hose during a certain period of time. Compare the motion of electrical current to water passing through a hose. What are amps and volts?Īmperage (amps): The measure of the amount of electricity, or current, that flows through the wires. They should not be interchanged, with one exception, which we’ll get to in a minute.Ī basic understanding of the meaning of both volts and amps will help clarify some of the differences between the two cords. That’s really the extent of a range and dryer cord’s similarities. Both appliances require a 220/240-volt circuit. It’s easier to begin by answering that question with a look at how the two cords are the same.