Help installing 4 prong dryer cable from a 3 prong cable can you put the neutral wire on the grounding wire?

Question

Help installing 4 prong dryer cable from a 3 prong cable can you put the neutral wire on the grounding wire?

Answer 1

Some of the newer dryers have a 120 volt control and will need the neutral connection. You could connect the neutral and ground together but it would be better to run a 4-wire cable to the dryer plug.

Answer 2

I cant say I really understand your question.  do you have a appliance that requires four wire and you want to connect it using a three wire service ?

No, do not use a ground wire as a current carrying "neutral".  while the neutral and ground are electrically the same point back at the panel, do not use a ground wire to carry service current. The resistive losses will cause a voltage drop which will put that ground at some point other than ground.

Should you do that, then that appliance is no longer "at ground".

If you need four wire, both hots and neutral and a ground, then pull the right cable to it and do it correctly.

Thats the best I can give you based upon the information provided.

j.

Answer 3

No, however for 220V appliances the neutral is not required. Leave it unconnected and do not connect neutral to ground as there maybe voltage differences depending on location where neutral is earth grounded. The 220V service is a combination of hot wires from two 115V power source. Usually by connecting red and black wires will provide 220V single phase and if the ground wire is properly grounded, it will trip the circuit breaker in a incident of over current condition.