Which Is the Hot Wire in a Kenmore Dryer?

How a Standard Household Electric Circuit Works

• A standard electrical outlet provides a power supply that is between 110 and 120 volts. Such an outlet contains one blade that is connected to the hot wire, one connected to the neutral wire and one connected to electrical ground. The hot wire carries electrical current to the electrical device to be plugged into the outlet, whereas the neutral wire carries current away from the device. The ground prong -- which is the small round prong on the bottom of the outlet -- is a safety measure; in the event that the device is energized but the neutral wire is not working properly, the ground connection carries electrical current to ground.

120-Volt Outlet vs 240-Volt Outlet

• While a 120-volt outlet contains one hot wire, a 240-volt outlet has two. This is because a household electrical service contains two 120-volt phases. One is used to power the 120-volt outlets on one side of a building, whereas the other phase is used to power the 120-volt outlets on the other side. The two phases may be combined to create a 240-volt differential which can provide electricity for high-power appliances such as electric dryers and air conditioners.

How a 240-Volt Outlet Works

• A 240-volt outlet contains, not one, but two hot wires. Some older homes have three-prong 240-volt electrical outlets that contain two hot wires and one neutral wire. This is because the wiring in many older homes lacks a grounding connection. Each outlet -- including the 120-volt outlets -- contains only a single neutral wire that acts as the return for the electrical circuit. Most homes built from the 1980s on contain four-prong 240-volt outlets. This outlet type contains two hot wires, one neutral wire and one ground wire.

Hot Wire on a Dryer Circuit

• Since many electric dryers are sold with a separate plug that must be installed at the dryer installation location, it is important to know which wires on this electric cord lead to the hot wires on the outlet. Since the electric cord uses the same wire colors that you would find on an electric outlet, the wire colors will help you determine which wires will be hot when the dryer is plugged in. The white wire serves as the neutral wire, the green wire serves as the ground wire, the red wire serves as one of the hot wires and the black wire serves as the second hot wire. The interior electrical connection interface on a Kenmore dryer is labeled as to where each wire should be installed. This electrical interface can be accessed by removing the exterior electrical access panel cover on the rear of the dryer.