Electric Dryer Plug.

[billt460]

We bought a new high end washer / dryer about a month ago. They are both manufactured by Maytag. My old dryer came with the plug shown below. The new Maytag came with a 14-50, 50 Amp plug. Lowe's installers switched out the plug and installed my old one.

They told me this is common practice, because most all new electric dryers today come with 14-50 plugs. And most older homes are wired for the more common plug like I have. We have been running the dryer for a little over a month now, and it operates beautifully. Even on the hottest setting.

No warm cords. No breakers tripping. Everything works just as it should. I forgot to ask them for the extra cord, just to keep. I have welder that comes with the same 14-50 plug. And I use a similar adapter off the same outlet when I weld. And have not experienced any issues either.

I asked about using an adapter, (because I had one), and they advised against it. Have any of you heard of this?

 

[jeepxj]

All you're really doing going from 3 to 4 wire. 4 wire is code now, 14-50s hence why they come with them.

 

[larry4406]

Most dryers come without a cord. You need to pick a 3-wire or a 4-wire based on the outlet you have which is dependent on when your house was built.

My 1987 house has a 3-wire outlet.

Note the grounding strap in jeepxj's photo - very important!

 

[billt460]

Thank you.

 

[American Locomotive]

Are you sure your dryer came with a 14-50? 14-30 is the standard dryer plug these days. The plug your house uses is 10-30.

 

[billt460]

Are you sure your dryer came with a 14-50? 14-30 is the standard dryer plug these days. The plug your house uses is 10-30.

Yes. The plug it came with would fit the 14-50 receptacle on my generator shown below.

 

[wyliesdiesels]

Ive never seen a dryer come with a 14-50...

I bet someone put the wrong cord on it...

Post a pic of the nameplate on the dryer...

 

[billt460]

Ive never seen a dryer come with a 14-50

They're very common today. As jeepxj said, 4 wire is code now. 3 wire was the norm when my house was built. (1991). My new dryer pulls 30 amps max.

 

[Norcal]

They're very common today. As jeepxj said, 4 wire is code now. 3 wire was the norm when my house was built. (1991). My new dryer pulls 30 amps max.

Not with a 14-50, that is used for electric ranges, RV's, & so on, a 14-30 is used for dryers.

 

[yatg]

Last time I bought a dryer it didn't come with a cord and you had to buy it separately to match the receptacle. Lowe's installer -experts- grabbed the wrong cord off the shelf.

 

[sparky 1971]

We bought a new high end washer / dryer about a month ago. They are both manufactured by Maytag. My old dryer came with the plug shown below. The new Maytag came with a 14-50, 50 Amp plug. Lowe's installers switched out the plug and installed my old one.


I have never seen a dryer that came from the factory with a cord. Lowes probably installed the cord before they delivered it. They guessed at it being four wire, then installed the wrong one. It should have been a 14-30. The 6-30 you have is what dryer outlets pre 1993 or 1996 were.


They told me this is common practice, because most all new electric dryers today come with 14-50 plugs. And most older homes are wired for the more common plug like I have. We have been running the dryer for a little over a month now, and it operates beautifully. Even on the hottest setting.

14-30, and it will work fine. Electric dryers need 30 amps.


No warm cords. No breakers tripping. Everything works just as it should. I forgot to ask them for the extra cord, just to keep. I have welder that comes with the same 14-50 plug. And I use a similar adapter off the same outlet when I weld. And have not experienced any issues either.

You might have a 14-50 receptacle, but the welder probably has a 6-50. The adapter here is fine because all you are doing is eliminating the neutral, which isn't needed for the welder.

I asked about using an adapter, (because I had one), and they advised against it. Have any of you heard of this?

The adapter here would be wrong because you need to put the ground in and the 6-30 doesn't have one. Technically, it wouldn't be much different than the neutral and ground being bonded in the dryer, which Lowes should have done when they switched cords, but it's still wrong.

 

[billt460]

Last time I bought a dryer it didn't come with a cord and you had to buy it separately to match the receptacle. Lowe's installer -experts- grabbed the wrong cord off the shelf.

That may have been the case here. I really have no way of knowing. If it was, they sure didn't admit to it.

 

[nadogail]

If your dryer is fed from your Main Entrance Panel the Neutral and Ground are connected to the same buss bar. If your Dryer is fed from a Sub Panel the Neutral and Ground are separated.

Any Technical information or advice you get from me is guaranteed to be worth exactly what you have paid me for it.

 

[billt460]

It is fed from the main panel.

 

[wyliesdiesels]

They're very common today. As jeepxj said, 4 wire is code now. 3 wire was the norm when my house was built. (1991). My new dryer pulls 30 amps max.

Umm Im not talking about a 4-wire plug. Dryer circuits have been required to be 4-wire since 96 code cycle.

Im referring to the 14-50p, which is definitey NOT common for a dryer. As i said Ive never seen a dryer that needs 50a circuit or comes with a 14-50p

 

[The Cobbler]

I'm wondering if the OP is sure it was a 14-50 , as with a quick look they look similar to 14-30.
I can't imagine why a dryer would come with a non standard plug from the factory

 

[wyliesdiesels]

I'm wondering if the OP is sure it was a 14-50 , as with a quick look they look similar to 14-30.
I can't imagine why a dryer would come with a non standard plug from the factory

the difference is the neutral tang. on the 14-30 its L shaped. on the 14-50 is straight. The OP said he's sure it was a 14-50p as it match the 14-50R on his generator so...

 

[wyliesdiesels]

I have never seen a dryer that came from the factory with a cord. Lowes probably installed the cord before they delivered it. They guessed at it being four wire, then installed the wrong one. It should have been a 14-30. The 6-30 you have is what dryer outlets pre 1993 or 1996 were.

you mean 10-30? The OP has a 10-30R.... 6-30 is 240v grounded.

The adapter here would be wrong because you need to put the ground in and the 6-30 doesn't have one. Technically, it wouldn't be much different than the neutral and ground being bonded in the dryer, which Lowes should have done when they switched cords, but it's still wrong.

youre mixing up nema numbers again. a 6-30 has a ground pin. 10-30 does not.

 

[sparky 1971]

you mean 10-30? The OP has a 10-30R.... 6-30 is 240v grounded.


youre mixing up nema numbers again. a 6-30 has a ground pin. 10-30 does not.

Correct. I had a brain fart. I had welder receptacle, 6-50, on my mind.

 

[William Payne]

I take it your guys dryers run on 220-240? I’m not familiar with “Dryer” plugs so hoping to educate myself.

 

[jeepxj]

I take it your guys dryers run on 220-240? I’m not familiar with “Dryer” plugs so hoping to educate myself.

we have gas and electric clothes dryers here. gas dryers take a normal wall outlet to run the motor and electronics:




electric dryers run on a couple kinds of 240v plugs depending on the age of your house due to the 5kw roughly heating element in it:


3 wire older version



4 wire "modern"

 

[wyliesdiesels]

we have gas and electric clothes dryers here. gas dryers take a normal wall outlet to run the motor and electronics:




electric dryers run on a couple kinds of 240v plugs depending on the age of your house due to the 5kw roughly heating element in it:


3 wire older version



4 wire "modern"

In the third pic, the receptacle on the right is a 3-wire version

 

[jeepxj]

In the second pic, the receptacle on the right is a 3-wire version

huh odd. i know i wrote 4 wire modern next to 3 wire old surface mounts.

oh well. yea, on right is the same as the above recept only pic.

 

[bwringer]

Dryers do not come with cords, in my experience. You buy the correct cord separately.

Ideally, installers would carry both 4-wire and 3-wire cords and install whatever is appropriate for the outlet in the house.

Re-using the old one is slightly hinky, but should not be dangerous if it was in OK shape.

However, if they charged you for a new cord, but re-used the old one, I'd want that money back pronto. If it did come with the dryer, then I suppose you're not out anything.


I once installed a dryer for my MIL, and it turns out the drunk who installed the last dryer had swapped two wires inside the receptacle, then swapped the same wires at the other end of the cord at the dryer to match. 15-20 years later it took me an embarrassing amount of time to figure that one out. Why he did this, I can't imagine. Drunks gotta drunk, I guess.

 

[wyliesdiesels]

huh odd. i know i wrote 4 wire modern next to 3 wire old surface mounts.

oh well. yea, on right is the same as the above recept only pic.

aww ok so the text is missing

 

[Norcal]

I take it your guys dryers run on 220-240? I’m not familiar with “Dryer” plugs so hoping to educate myself.

They require 120/240V, so they won't work too well your way. There were threads on various forums where people bought dryers made for the US market to the 415/240V world, 'cause they were way cheaper then appliances made for the local markets, because the motor, timer, & light if equipped are 120V, the appliance will not work without a transformer, plus 50 Hertz with 60 Hertz applainces.