According to DanG :
A stove/dryer is _not_ a 220 connection. It's a 240/120 connection. Stove/dryers have always needed at least three wires to operate.
Stoves and dryers need 110V connections.
Some stoves (I don't know about dryers) have a transformer to supply
120V to those devices that need it.
So you assume I don't know to disconnect the ground-neutral jumper at the dryer.
I've never seen one of those. It may be true with some all-electronic stoves. But certainly not anything with a 120V accessory outlet.
Transformers, for anything but very tiny loads, would be more expensive to manufacture than simply providing a fourth wire, or using devices that don't need 120V.
. . . .
Maybe so, but I don't know of anyone that's been killed by it yet, and what's the point of being a PITA, if it's not going to save lives? Most people change the circut eventually, anyway.
This is exactly what the 4 wire appliance cords do when they are connected this way and is considered the safest and most up-to-date installation.
But if you have a 4 wire plug, you need a four-wire receptacle with the two hots, neutral, and safety ground running back to the service panel. If there are only three wires here because you have the older type installation, then you are one wire short and will have a problem unless you upgrade the wiring.
Some have suggested "customizing" this arrangement by running a separate external ground from the frame of the dryer to some other grounded point (possibly the 120 V. junction box for the washer).
I am not aware of any section of the code that allows this. It defeats the concept of completely disconnecting the appliance from the wall with just the plug and I imagine that it could possilby lead to other problems as well.
Beachcomber
There are many examples of 240 Volt circuits with no neutral and a safety ground. These are typically used in the workshop for heavy duty drills presses, lathes, and other power tools. These are perfectly safe and meet the code requirements.
(in the US at least), you can't
I would think that is likely true.
Yes, that would make it harder to disconnect it. How about putting a
4-wire cord on the dryer (properly, not forgetting to remove the ground-neutral jumper), replacing the receptacle, and connecting it's ground to the ground wire on the 120V receptacle?
Sorry if I sound to be on the same note over and over again on this. Electrically, what you propose should work, although it is not code.
I have a friend whose house is wired with all white wires. Does it work? Yes... but God help the electrician who has to deal with that when adding outlets or upgrading circuits.
My brother bought a building where the electrical junctions were behind holes in the plasterboard. No junction boxes... just single insulated wires twisted together with wire nuts and plastered over. (This was not knob and tube wiring by the way - which would have been infinitely safer)
Does it work? Yes, but after attempting any electrical work on this house you might just decide that blowing your brains out is a better option.
You might be in your house for 10, 20, 30 years. You might die there but your non-code dryer installation will live on and someone who doesn't know what you did is going to be exposed to the consequences of what you did (should they need to replace the dryer).
Beachcomber
The 'WD' in WD-40 stands for 'Water Displacement', so by spraying the (water) wet contacts, you sprayed the water away from the contacts and left behind WD-40.
I have used WD-40 in the past to dislodge dead fire ants from the contactor in an A/C unit. I have to admit I cut all the power to the unit before removing the cover (I only LOOK stupid!). Never had any problems with electrical shorts or anything of that type after restoring the power, so I would say that at consumer-type voltages you are pretty safe that WD-40 is not going to conduct.
For more >It sounds like the dryer is grounded properly. And when spraying, the can
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