4 prong down to 3

[pushbutton]

Can it be done? If so ....which wire .. . to where? No colors on the 3 prong. Assuming the vertical prong/middle wire is the ground.....how about the right and left slanted ones...suppose one has to be dedicated hot ? Any repercussions from not hooking anything up to,  what I am assuming the middle, where the white wire is? 

[delcecchi]

This is 220, right?  there are two hots, a neutral, and a ground,  That is the red/black are hot. the white is neutral, and the green is ground. 

From what I see, looking it up, the ground isn't hooked up in a 3 wire 220 plug.  But check for yourself to make sure.  Or maybe an actual electrician will post. 

[pushbutton]

Yep, for an oven. Think you are right and that my "assumptions" are wrong....which is no surprise. Did end up googling a little and so far just found forum conservations with people with obviously a lot more knowledge about the subject than me, arguing over my head a lot about internal and phase grounding and changes to code. This has to be kind of a  common thing though....

[delcecchi]

A range needs the red, black, and white.  The two slant ones are hot, doesn't matter which one is red and which one is black.  The white is the other one.  I don't know how a range is grounded. Maybe it isn't,  or is in some other way. 

I just looked at the diagrams.  The code discussions might be about when or if a three prong plug is ok.

Edited August 11, 2015 by delcecchi

[pushbutton]

Saw that as well googling late last night. Thanks for some amount of reassurance. Sooooo I just hooked it up......go for it? Whats the worst that can happen.....lol Any non googling real electricians/appliance repair guys not working right now?

[pushbutton]

Thanks for your help Del. Just said the heck with it and plugged it in. Apparently something is grounded somewhere because it works and didn't get shocked....yet.

This is a serious upgrade to the man cave. Went from an old crappy little 3 burner can't fit a large size baking pan ....oven. ....to a a still old but newer full sized range and double ovens. Booya!!! Going to go bake something now.......

[delcecchi]

Mystery is solved.  If the range has a 3 prong cord, there is/should be an internal connection from the neutral to the frame of the range.  This prevents the frame from being "hot" if a short occurs.   

 

[Whoaru99]

Old topic, but for reference...

If the existing circuit was the earlier 3 prong range receptacle (two hots and neutral, neutral also serving as equipment grounding) that sort of connection is grandfathered (3wire circuit installed before 1996 or thereabouts to be grandfathered).

However, if the existing receptacle/circuit is four wire (two hots, neutral, separate equipment grounding) and or installed 1996 or newer, 4 wire is what you're supposed to be using per Code.

Since the range circuit is apparently a 4 wire/4 prong circuit, you should rewire the range with a 4-prong cord to separate the equipment grounding wire and chassis from the neutral, then the chassis would be separately grounded through the 4th prong. This would bring it to code compliance.

Edited October 11, 2015 by Whoaru99

[Whoaru99]

In regard to the last paragraph, I guess it isn't clear whether the supply circuit is 3 wire or 4 wire. If four wire then it's correct. If the existing supply circuit is 3 wire grandfathered then it's allowable to connect with three prong cord. In that case though, you should confirm the neutral is bonded to the case/metal of the range. If the range previously was connected with a four prong cord then it most likely is not bonded. But, again, it needs to be if it's 3 prong connection. The unit will function if neutral isn't bonded but it's unsafe because there's no grounding. If there were ever to occur a hot to chassis fault, the chassis will be live if it's not bonded.