How do I know my dryer is grounded?

Question

I converted my 4 prong dryer cord to a 3 prong today to fit my older outlet. Wen I opened up the dryer, the white (neutral) and green (ground) wires were both hung on the middle (white) s***w of three (black, white, and red). The sticker on the back of the dryer says that the dryer is "grounded through connection of the neutral to the center stud of the terminal block." There's a diagram that mentions a green ground s***w on the grounding strap -- I don't see any green on the terminal block.

I assume this was a 3 wire dryer (I got it on craigslist) that got rewired with a 4 prong cord before me and now I'm just putting it back? Is it correct to just put the 3 wires back on the 3 studs, making sure white is in the middle? I am not plugging it in until I get some reassurance as I dn't normally mess with electric stuff. :)

Answer 1

A 3 wire 240V circuit has 2 hots and a ground, no neutral.  There should be a wire that connects the center terminal to the body of the dryer, usually a s***w next to the terminal cover.  Connect the red and black from the cord to the outside terminals, and the green to the center and you should be set.  If this doesn't work, you may need to contact a qualified electrician.  Good luck.

Answer 2

If you want a SAFE ground, convert the 3 prong to a 4 prong outlet.  The neutral is a grounded conductor, not a grounding conductor.

Answer 3

The three wires on a 3-prong 240V dryer outlet are L1, L2 and neutral - not ground. It's not considered a "grounded outlet", so in that regard it's like the old 2-prong plug found in older houses.

You basically have it right except for one thing - there should be a ground strap from neutral (the center lug) to the dryer frame. This would have been removed when the 4-wire cord was installed, you need to put it back for the 3-wire one.

Link below has some photos.