Attaching dryer cords

I would not really suggest using "alligator clips" to temporary hook up the dryer cause the amp draw on them may be too much (when starting).
Might make them really hot. Might consider wingnuts instead of regular nuts for a temp. hookup.

Please don't take any short cuts.

30 - 50 amps @ 220 volts is lethal.

It only takes one error in judgement.

I like the wingnut idea
If there in decent shape why not try talking to a few used appliance dealers in your area.
try and work a mutually beneficial deal.

make sure you know what you are doing. my boss told me about someone that took a shortcut, and ended up grounding a hot wire. put 30 amps to the skin of the dryer and killed a kid

Originally Posted by nutpie

I have 4 dryers right now. I have had them for a while. Whenever I try to attach the 220v cord to the dryer to test them I always get frustrated and curse the dryer. The last one I tried to attach the cord, I got frustrated and scrapped it. It was in good condition and it may have worked. I have scrapped a few dryers because I get annoyed attaching the cord. I don't want to scrap anymore (possibly) working dryers if I can sell them. But i won't sell a dryer untested. So, is there a trick to attaching the dryer cord easily? If only temporarily for testing. I was thinking of using those fancy paperclips type things just to hold the metal to metal, for testing. Ideas?

If it was a dryer I was going to use, I would take the time to hook it up right. But time is always limited and I don't want to take too much of it hooking up a dryer that is dead.

Your obviously very inexperienced and your asking advice on how to jerry rig an electrical connection. NOT ON THIS FORUM

On a dryer most of the components maybe tested with a multi meter with out live power.

cant agree more. do it right or not at all.

schematics can be found for free on most appliances and are worth the time if considered resale anyways.

I use a rachet and deepwell socket after making sure I got the proper rated cord for the job. put too light of a cord on and you are back in the same boat with electrocution risk and maybe even a fire.

Use a cord with open ends on the connectors. With practice tou put on a cord in less than 2 minutes. Piece of cake.

Originally Posted by Hurrikane

I've installed hundreds of cords on dryers and sometimes on used machines they can be a pain. screw heads might be stripped or terminal block crumbles if you put too much torque on it. please install properly and check your work before plugging in. As I said, I've done hundreds of the cords and almost had a really big problem last week with one. I was distracted I guess and hooked up a hot to the wrong lug. plugged in and an arc of electricity shot out of the outlet and hit the flex duct next to it and caught it on fire. It was pretty wild and scary the arc that came out was at least 12 inches long. No one was hurt. Did have to spend several hours on smoke and soot cleanup in the room and in the dryer itself.

From what your describing you used a circuit with out breaker protection.

From my observations on the dryer terminal block two screws or terminal spades are brass coloured these will be your hot lines. You will also note the wires attached to the outside brass coloured spades are colour coded red and black indicating those to be intended as L1 and L2 - Hot while the centre white is neutral aka ground or in the UK earth.

Hope that you were not doing a house call working on a customers machine.

As APH said. Find a dryer cord with open connector ends. If you cannot find a dryer cord with open connector ends, make your own by cutting the eyelets open on a standard dryer cord. I have a couple of dryer cords that I have kept strictly for testing dryers. I used a pair of dikes(diagonal cutters) to cut a small portion of the eyelet connector. Just enough to push the now open ended connector onto the terminal block. Most dryer terminal blocks have screws holding the cord connectors. You only have to loosen the screws a couple turns to get the open ended connectors on. So simple and pretty dam quick. Did I make any sense just now?