Kitchen Large Electric Appliances - switched out dryers, new one has diff plug

i just switched out my cheap dryer with a better maytag unit,

my old dryer had three straight prongs (one at top center and two forming a V below) recepticle says LEVTRON 50A 125/250a

the maytag has an L at top center and two straight forming a V below

on another site i was told adaptors are NOT safe and its best to purchase a new cord to match my existing (old) recpticle

can i pull the cord off the old dryer and put it on the newer dryer???

how do i find out if its safe to swap cords

thanks

JC

Someone goofed at your house by putting in a 50 amp older 3-prong range recepticle at your dryer wall. This does not hurt anything, though. But just make sure there is only a 2-pole *30* amp breaker or fuses at your panel box and not 50 amp. You do not need 50 amp. And it be to your advantage to only have 30 amp so that if something shorts out in the dryer, the breakers or fuses have a better chance of shutting down/faster.

The cheapest thing you can do is to buy a 3 prong range cord to match your recepticle.

{{If you do this, it is absolutely imperative that you then re-hook up the bonding strap inside the back, at the terminal block. A brass strap, that you will probably see hanging there, hooks up to the CENTER SCREWPOST TERMINAL of that terminal block where your 3 appliance cord wires hook up; and the other end of the bonding strap is screwed to the METAL BODY of the dryer. And that is what it may be dangling from right now. DO NOT use that dryer without that bonding strap, in 3-wire/3-prongs/3-slots applications, or risk possible electrocution at some point in time! }}

[In 4-wire/4-prong/4-slot applications you must leave OFF that bonding strap - if you decide to rewire from the box with 4-wire!!] In 4-wire, the bare or green ground wire of the 4-wire then gets directly screwed to the body of the dryer, and NO bonding strap is to be used.

Carefully re-read the last 2 paragraphs.

Someone goofed at your house by putting in a 50 amp older 3-prong range recepticle at your dryer wall. This does not hurt anything, though. But just make sure there is only a 2-pole *30* amp breaker or fuses at your panel box and not 50 amp. You do not need 50 amp. And it be to your advantage to only have 30 amp so that if something shorts out in the dryer, the breakers or fuses have a better chance of shutting down/faster.

The cheapest thing you can do is to buy a 3 prong range cord to match your recepticle.

{{If you do this, it is absolutely imperative that you then re-hook up the bonding strap inside the back, at the terminal block. A brass strap, that you will probably see hanging there, hooks up to the CENTER SCREWPOST TERMINAL of that terminal block where your 3 appliance cord wires hook up; and the other end of the bonding strap is screwed to the METAL BODY of the dryer. And that is what it may be dangling from right now. DO NOT use that dryer without that bonding strap, in 3-wire/3-prongs/3-slots applications, or risk possible electrocution at some point in time! }}

[In 4-wire/4-prong/4-slot applications you must leave OFF that bonding strap - if you decide to rewire from the box with 4-wire!!] In 4-wire, the bare or green ground wire of the 4-wire then gets directly screwed to the body of the dryer, and NO bonding strap is to be used.

Carefully re-read the last 2 paragraphs.


ok great,

i was going to get the old plug that is still attached to my old dryer and switch it out with the cord thats on the new one

i may have failed to mention that my house is 50 + years so the recepticle is old.

i found a tag on the new dryer "maytag ELITE"
says use 3 or 4 prong cord 120/240V

do you think is OK to use the cord off the old dry.....i know it will fit the rececpticle and will not cost me anything

thanks

JC

If the cord is in good shape you van use it. Make sure it's not frayed or the ends there you connect to the dryer have not been burnt.

- and be sure to reattach that bonding strap!