pfofit
Active Member
Only guessing, but to ground the frame, I'd need to drive a metal rod a few feet in to the dirt, and use it. Since the circuit breaker ground is being used as the neutral.
Well, whether your neutral wire is bare or has a white cover is not so important as to how it is bonded at the main box. Lots of older homes use a 3 wire system. The neutral is bonded in the dryer and that neutral carries current which can heat up a deteriorating connector like you had and provide a high resistance. However, being outdoors in the elements and although your not using it in the rain, you or some one else could be sweaty, in bare feat and combined with a high resistance in a burnt neutral connector provide the electrons an easier path to ground.
A 4 wire system, as well as isolating the current carrying neutral from the case, uses an independent ground which should not normally carry current and therefore not heat up that gnd blade/connector in the plug during normal operation. During a fault the "clean" ground connection should carry the load and not a poor sweaty bystander.
One may consider converting to a 4 wire system converting dryer wiring. Check out your dryer, mains box an local code for possibilities. I believe codes prevent people with a 3 wire system from running an external ground and require a upgrade to a 4 wire #10 run.
Trust no one, check your electrical codes.
cheers
Well, whether your neutral wire is bare or has a white cover is not so important as to how it is bonded at the main box. Lots of older homes use a 3 wire system. The neutral is bonded in the dryer and that neutral carries current which can heat up a deteriorating connector like you had and provide a high resistance. However, being outdoors in the elements and although your not using it in the rain, you or some one else could be sweaty, in bare feat and combined with a high resistance in a burnt neutral connector provide the electrons an easier path to ground.
A 4 wire system, as well as isolating the current carrying neutral from the case, uses an independent ground which should not normally carry current and therefore not heat up that gnd blade/connector in the plug during normal operation. During a fault the "clean" ground connection should carry the load and not a poor sweaty bystander.
One may consider converting to a 4 wire system converting dryer wiring. Check out your dryer, mains box an local code for possibilities. I believe codes prevent people with a 3 wire system from running an external ground and require a upgrade to a 4 wire #10 run.
Trust no one, check your electrical codes.
cheers