Frigidaire dryer 3-4 prong plug. No ground?

Dryer Repair
1

I am replacing my 3 prong plug with a 4 prong, on my Frigidaire dryer model, FDE336RES1

The terminal block only has 3 terminals, and no ground strap is attached to the neutral. There is a green ground wire that comes out of the harness and is screwed to the chassis.

I understand there should be a connection of the ground strap or wire to the neutral, and I should disconnect it, when using a 4 prong cord.

Any help with this? Thanks

2

Please post a model number so we can see exactly which machine you have.

Thanks

3

Frigidaire dryer model # FDE336RES1

4

Ok, good

The basic Frigidaire dryers do not use a ground strap, but a ground wire serves the same purpose.

Take the green ground wire off of the screw in the cabinet. Attach the green ground wire on the power cord to the cabinet where the green ground wire from the dryer was attached.

Attach the green ground wire that was attached to the cabinet to the middle (neutral) terminal along with the white neutral wire from the power cord to the middle (neutral) terminal on the terminal block. The middle post should be silver colored.

Attach the red and black wires to the outside posts on the terminal block. Make sure all connections are very tight.

It goes without saying that you are unplugged when you do this, so I wont say it. (Yes, I have known people who did not do that).

That will do it.

5

Now I’m confused. I thought the idea of 3 wires and a separate ground was so the neutral wasn’t part of the ground circuit.

6

It is not. On your machine the components are grounded to the cabinet. Then on the three prong connection the green wire connects the cabinet to the neutral to the run the ground through the neutral.

On the four wire connection the ground on the four wire plug is connected to the cabinet, so the cabinet and machine is grounded through the 4 wire plug ground wire and not through the neutral. The green wire that was conducting the ground from the cabinet to the neutral has no ground function and is put on the neutral to store it, so it is ready to use if you or someone else goes back to a three wire plug.

7

[QUOTE=sidfink43;188515]It is not. On your machine the components are grounded to the cabinet. Then on the three prong connection the green wire connects the cabinet to the neutral to the run the ground through the neutral.

On the four wire connection the ground on the four wire plug is connected to the cabinet, so the cabinet and machine is grounded through the 4 wire plug ground wire and not through the neutral. [COLOR=“DarkOrange”][COLOR=“Blue”]The green wire that was conducting the ground from the cabinet to the neutral[[/COLOR]/COLOR] has no ground function and is put on the neutral to store it, so it is ready to use if you or someone else goes back to a three wire plug.[/QUOTE]

Please excuse my ignorance. I appreciate the help.

“the green wire that was conducting the ground from the cabinet to the neutral…” My machine didn’t have a green wire from the neutral to the cabinet.

8

Here is what you said

“There is a green ground wire that comes out of the harness and is screwed to the chassis”.
???

9

Yes a green wire does come out of the harness, and screws to the chassis. It doesn’t attach to the neutral.

10

Just to add my 2 cents…

Read what it says in the Installation instructions (page 8).

Here is the Wiring diagram.

Gene.