Register Now

Login

Lost Password

Lost your password? Please enter your email address. You will receive a link and will create a new password via email.

Add question

How to Install a 220 Volt Outlet 4 wire or Dryer Outlet

4/5 - (79 votes)

In this video, I show you how to install a 220-volt outlet using 4 “wire” The fourth wire is neutral (white wire). Most dryer wires will be a 10 gauge wire for 30 amps. However, the wire shown in the video was a #6 wire for a 40 – 50 amp.

Please watch my video on how to install a 220-volt outlet (20 amp) and my other article on just wiring a dryer.

Connections to a stove, oven, or dryer.

Oven connections,220 volt outletPin
Connections to electric oven
  • I just bought a new dryer. Upon delivery it didn’t work. The repairman sent by the manufacturer didn’t find anything wrong with the dryer, but the voltage was weird across the plug connections when plugged in. (Black was 240v, Red was .75v). I find that the neutral is not connected at the breaker box. My question is how did my old dryer, also a 4-wire plug, work for 10+ years without it, and why would the electrician who wired the house leave it unattached. Can I just hook up the neutral without doing any damage? I’ve verified that the outlet is correctly wired with all 4 wires.

    • What you need to do. Unplugged, check voltage across the two hots, red and black. You should between 220-245 volts. And 120volts across each hot to the neutral.

      How did it work before, I would have to assume it’s because of the ground. Just make sure that is connected in the panel

  • Hello & thank you for you Sharing the wisdom in electronics wiring I’m looking to Provide battery back up power and free energy generator power provide battery back up power and free energy generator power wired straight into my 100 amp Fusebox using a 100 Amp Double Pole Breaker , the batteries will have an Inverter or 2 totaling about 6-7000 Watts continual but my generator Will be a car alternator bypassing the DC conversion will be using straight AC current straight off the stator , how to add a neutral wire into this ? The power sauce only has positive a negative ?

    • An alternator can not provide you will a neutral. If you don’t need a return path than a neutral shouldn’t be needed. I think about using that ground perhaps.

  • Hi
    I have #10 wire with black white and ground. I want to put a dryer plug in. Can I use the wire I have and use the black and white as hot and just not have a neutral in the breaker box? I assume there are dryer outlets that have 3 prong or am I wrong? I am fixing to get the power company to put a pole in my mothers back yard for my camper so I need to buy a breaker box. I already have a breaker box for my camper so I guess I can just run the #10 from a 30 amp breaker from the main breaker box that the electric company will hook to to my camper breaker. Then I want to run the wire from the main box to my storage shed and put the dryer outlet in it. I will also need a 110 for a washer. So would I run two #10 2 with ground wires to the shed. One use the black for hot , white neutral and ground for the 110 and the black white as hot and ground for the 220? I know basic electric so I hope I know what I’m talking about. If not please tell me. And do it for dummies please. LOL Thanks

    • What you should do is just run a sub panel from the main house. Or if you’re just trying to get power to the trailer, maybe run a sub panel from the pole to where you need the 220 power.

  • I have two 220s in my kitchen and one I’m not using. I want to run that one to the laundry room for my dryer. Laundry room might be 15 feet away. How do I go about doing it? Would I need to go underneath the house and run the wire through the floor where the dryer will be? My breaker box is outside (old house) and the extra 220 that’s in the kitchen is wired there.

    • Well dryers need a 30 amp line. Chances are that the 220 line you have is only 20 amp so that wouldn’t work for you.

  • I would like to wire 220V into my garage. When I run the wire, is there a specific code one should follow? For example, does the wire have to be so far off the ground or wire must be routed X distance from certain appliances? Also, does it require conduit if it is routed through walls with insulation or is the outside insulation of the wire sufficient?

    • No not really. Don’t place it right on the bottom plate and never right up against a appliance. And as long as the wire is in a wall you don’t need to use conduit. protection and not exposed is the idea.

    • Most if not all wire is rated for 600 volts. It’s the amperage you need to be concerned with. So a quick answer to your question for the wire I think you’re talking about, no.

  • On my dryer why am I reading 110 from each leg but both legs together reads 0? It turns on but won’t heat up.

  • >