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Joined: May 2003
Posts: 74
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My understanding is that dryers, ranges, and ovens need 3 wires plus a ground. A/C, well pumps, and cook tops can use 2 wires plus a ground.
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Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 9,930 Likes: 34
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That "the war is over" thing was 3 cycles ago. They decided in 96 we didn't need to save the EGC copper on dryers and ranges anymore. (It started in WWII)
Greg Fretwell
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Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 456
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I have heard of cooktops needing a neutral.
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Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 5,445 Likes: 3
Cat Servant Member
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This does underscore the need to be specific..."3 wire" is sort of vague. For example, 12/3 NM and 12/3 MC do not have the same numberof wires! One does not 'count' the ground.
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Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 717
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Not to be a pain in the neck, but out of curiosity, has any of our members ever come across any real deadly situations where the older ranges or dryers using 3 wire hookups were a problem vs if they had of been 4 wire instead? I am actually for this code change, but was wondering if there was any reality based substantiation for the change, or was the change based on apprehension, foresight, or were we aligning ourselves with Canada's code as I have heard it rumored.
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Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 79
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gfretwell,
I had heard somewhere that originally "Code" required 4 wire before WWII and the ground/neutral was combined to save copper. Is that true and is that what you were referring too?
On another note, I have never seen a real problem w/3 wires in my years.
Steve
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Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 8
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I once went for a short ride when I stood at a sink and touched a range case that had a loose aluminum ground in the panel. NOT FUN! I always recommend updating when I see 3 prong ranges and dryers.
Butch
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Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 25
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Ground wires should not carry current under normal circumstances. The ground system, including its wires, is (first of all) a safety system.
Bonding neutral to ground in the appliance, or in the receptacle (even having neutral and ground conductors, or using the ground wire as neutral-ground) will cause current circulation through the ground wire and could become a real hazard if the neutral-grounding circuit is interrupted (the chassis of the appliance could be “hot” now).
Joe.-
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Posts: 1,158
Joined: May 2003
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