How to Convert a 4-Prong Dryer Cord to Fit a 3-Slot Outlet

By
Lee Wallender
Lee Wallender
Lee Wallender

Lee has over two decades of hands-on experience remodeling, fixing, and improving homes, and has been providing home improvement advice for over 13 years.

Learn more about The Spruce's Editorial Process
Updated on 06/29/22
Reviewed by
Larry Campbell
Larry Campbell
Reviewed by Larry Campbell

Larry Campbell is an electrical contractor with 36 years of experience in residential and light commercial electrical wiring. He worked as an electronic technician and later an engineer for the IBM Corp. is a member of The Spruce Home Improvement Review Board.

Learn more about The Spruce's Review Board
Fact checked by Alexandra Kay
3 and 4 prong dryer cords on top of a dryer

The Spruce / Candace Madonna

Project Overview
  • Working Time: 30 mins - 1 hr
  • Total Time: 30 mins - 1 hr
  • Skill Level: Intermediate
  • Estimated Cost: $10 to $30

When moving a newer electric dryer into an older house, it's not uncommon to find that the cord and plug included with the new dryer doesn't fit the 240-volt dryer outlet. Before the mid-1990s, most electric clothes dryers operated with three-prong plugs that fit into three-slot outlets, but since 1996, the electric code has required four-slot outlets that accept only four-wire cords.

The mismatch can work both ways: You may find that a newer dryer doesn't fit an older-style outlet, or that an older clothes dryer doesn't fit a newer outlet. Some new dryers, in fact, don't include power cords at all, allowing consumers to buy the type of cord that matches their situation.

Three-Slot vs. Four-Slot Outlets

The change in electric dryer plugs and outlets was made for enhanced safety. In a traditional three-slot 240-volt outlet, there are two slots that carry hot current, plus a third slot that serves as both the grounding connection and the neutral connection. These correspond to the two hot and one neutral/ground wire in the three-prong cord. In these older configurations, the metal case of the dryer has a ground screw that is connected to the neutral wiring terminal of the dryer. In the event of a short circuit, the electrical current is intended to travel on the neutral wire back to the breaker box.

However, this configuration carries a slightly higher risk of shock to the user in the event that the metal case of the dryer becomes electrified. Also, in the case of a broken ground wire, the entire bare wire and the dryer case would be energized, allowing for the potential of shock. This led to the introduction of four-slot outlets and four-wire appliance cords. In up-to-date installations, the ground and neutral have separate pathways, thereby reducing the chance of accidental shock.

Don't panic if you have the older, three-slot dryer outlet. The Electrical Code allows this to remain in place, and you are allowed to replace the four-prong cord with a three-prong cord to match this outlet.

2:37

Watch Now: How to Change a 4-Prong Dryer Cord to Fit a 3-Slot Outlet

Before You Begin

If you are faced with the problem of a dryer plug and dryer outlet that don't match, there are two possible remedies. One is to replace the old circuit by installing a new four-wire cable and a four-slot outlet, each with a dedicated ground. This is a job for an electrician, and it brings the circuit up to code.

The other option is to replace the four-prong cord with a three-prong cord. This is an allowable remedy under the electrical code, which "grandfathers in" older installations. It is only new installations where the four-slot dryer receptacles are required; existing three-slot receptacles are allowed to remain.

Warning

Even though you will be working on the dryer while it is unplugged, it is best to be cautious and shut off the circuit powering the dryer before you unplug it or plug it back in.

Simply replacing the dryer cord is by far the easier solution and the one that most DIYers pursue when they are faced with the problem.

Need more help? Talk to an electrician near you

Our partners can help you compare quotes from top-rated professionals near you


Get a Quote

Advertiser Disclosure
The offers that appear in this table are from partnerships from which The Spruce receives compensation.

What You'll Need

Equipment / Tools

  • Voltage tester
  • Pliers
  • Magnetic nut driver
  • Screwdrivers

Materials

  • UL-listed three-prong dryer cord with strain-relief clamp

Instructions

Materials and tools to change a 4-prong dryer cord to fit a 3-slot outlet

The Spruce / Kevin Norris

  1. Shut Off the Power

    In the main service panel (breaker box), find the double-pole circuit breaker that controls the clothes dryer and flip the breaker to the OFF position. At the dryer outlet, check for power using a non-contact voltage tester.

    Unplug the dryer and move it to a location where you have access to the back panel. You may need to disconnect the dryer vent to move and work on the dryer. Make sure you have plenty of light while working.

    Tip

    Most dryer circuits have 30-amp breakers, indicated by a "30" stamped on the switch bar of the breaker. A double-pole breaker is twice as wide as a standard (single-pole) breaker, and most service panels have only a few double-pole breakers.

    Clothes dryer plug being checked for power with non-contact voltage tester

    The Spruce / Kevin Norris

  2. Remove the Dryer's Electrical Connection Cover

    Use a screwdriver to remove the cover on the electrical connection box on the back of the dryer. It is located just above where the power cord comes out of the dryer and is attached with one or two screws. Set the cover and screws aside.

    Removing the electrical connection box cover on the back of the dryer with a screwdriver

    The Spruce / Kevin Norris

  3. Detach the Electrical Cord

    Remove the strain-relief clamp holding the cord by removing the two screws that join the two halves of the clamp together. Separate the two halves of the fitting and pull them out of the hole individually.

    Using a magnetic nut driver or screwdriver, disconnect the black and red cord wires from the left-side and right-side terminals on the dryer's terminal block. These are the hot wire connections. Disconnect the white wire from the center terminal. Disconnect the green grounding wire from the machine case by unscrewing the green grounding screw.

    Slide the four-prong cord out of the connection box.

    Screwdriver disconnecting black and red wires on dryer's terminal block to detach electrical cord

    The Spruce / Kevin Norris

  4. Jumper the Neutral to the Ground

    For a three-prong cord to work correctly, you must connect the dryer's neutral terminal to the case ground by means of a jumper.

    Locate the white machine wire that is connected to the neutral (center) screw terminal. Disconnect it and reconnect it under the green grounding screw. Tighten the screw firmly.

    Alternatively, the dryer may have a metal bonding strap (typically connected under the ground screw) instead of a white machine wire. If so, attach the strap to both the ground screw and the neutral (center) terminal.

    Dryer's white machine wire screwed firmly to green grounding screw

    The Spruce / Kevin Norris

  5. Connect the Three-Prong Cord

    Thread the loose end of the three-prong cord through the hole in the electrical connection box. Connect the outer two wires (the hot wires) on the cord to the outer two screw terminals on the dryer, one on each screw. Connect the center wire to the center (neutral) terminal.

    If there is a bonding strap for the ground, it must be connected to the neutral terminal along with the center cord wire.

    Tighten all wire connections firmly.

    Screwdriver securing wires through three-prong cord in electrical connection box

    The Spruce / Kevin Norris

  6. Install the New Strain-Relief Clamp

    Slide one-half of the strain-relief clamp into the hole under the cord wire. Fit the other half of the clamp in the same way but on the top of the cord. Squeeze the two halves together with pliers and thread the screws into the holes. Tighten the screws until the cord is secure.

    Warning

    Do not reuse the original strain-relief clamp with the new three-prong cord. Clamps for four-prong cords are round and will not properly fit the flat shape of a three-prong cord. Use the strain-relief clamp that comes with the new cord, or buy a compatible clamp separately.

    Strain-relief clamp secured around cord wires with screwdriver

    The Spruce / Kevin Norris

  7. Plug in the Dryer

    Reattach the connection box cover plate with its screw(s). Slide the dryer into place, and reconnect the dryer vent duct, if necessary. Plug the cord into the outlet. At the main service panel, turn the dryer's circuit breaker back to the ON position, then test the dryer for proper operation.

    Clothes dryer plug inserted into wall outlet

    The Spruce / Kevin Norris

Installing a Four-Prong Cord to Fit a Four-Slot Outlet

If you have the similar but opposite situation—an older dryer with a three-prong cord but a newer house with a four-slot outlet—it is equally easy to replace an old cord with a new four-prong cord that will fit a four-slot outlet.

Most of the steps described above will be the same, with one important difference: The neutral terminal and ground screw will not have a jumper between them, and each will be connected to its own cord wire.

Article Sources
The Spruce uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

  1. Dryers Safety Information. General Electric.