I installed a new dryer in our house. It runs but won't heat. It has a 240V 3 wire connection. There is a 30 amp double pole breaker installed in the breaker box. (the box is very old) I've read that you should get 120V from each leg to the neutral which I do. I also read that you should get 240V across the two. Only a few volts register on the meter, not 240.
How is this possible and what changes should I make to correct this?
Electrical – Why only a few volts between the legs of a 240 V 3-wire dryer outlet
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Related Solutions
Yes, you wired the NEMA 14-30 receptacle correctly. That receptacle has two hot connections, each 120V but on different phases, resulting in a 240V potential. So if you take a voltage tester you will find it reads 240V between the two rectangular slots on the outlet, and 120V between either rectangle and the neutral or ground. You can check this using your voltage tester, but it sounds like you did it correctly.
Figuring out where that wire went is going to be tricky. If you can't find it visually or by process of elimination, the best tool to help would be a tone & probe kit. You'd hook up the tone generator to your mystery wire (after double-checking that it's not live) and take the probe component with you. When the probe is near the toned wire, it will beep, even if it's a few inches away inside a wall.
Based on your updated readings (120v between h1-h2, 120v between h2-neutral, and 240 between h1-neutral), it looks like Hot2 and Neutral have been reversed. Shutoff the breaker, verify there's no voltage, open the outlet, and correct the wiring so you can dry clothes without getting zapped. In the end, you should have this:
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Best Answer
Is it possible that both poles are connected to the same phase (e.g., if your house only has 120-volt service)?