"Stormin Mormon" wrote in message
...
On 11/16/2013 11:35 AM, wrote:
On Sat, 16 Nov 2013 06:31:21 -0500, Stormin Mormon
I've been trying to figure if the cold wire of a
three wire dryer is a neutral or ground. I'd thought
it was a ground, but some folks on the list and
on the web thought it's a neutral.

It *is* a ground. It's connected to the case of the appliance. Would
you connect a neutral to the case?


Oh, now I'm all confused.

In a 3 wire dryer circuit it is acting as a neutral and as a ground.
It is more of just what you want to call it. As most dryers use the 120
volts from one leg to power the control circuits and light , the third wire
is acting as a neutral. At the same time it is connected to the frame of
the dryer and is acting as a neutral. I am sure if you search the
electrical code there will be some name for this wire.

On the 4 wire dryer wiring , you do have a seperate ground and neutral wire,
but they both connect to the frame of the breaker box so in effect it is
just one wire but they go to two differant places on the dryer. Outside the
fact they may be differant sizes and color code differantly to meet the code
it would not really mater which wire was hooked to the neutral or ground at
the dryer as they both go to the same place in the breaker box.

Having a seperate ground wire for the dryer just gives an extra layer of
protection.