dryer cord hookup

[diyguy]

If someone were to hookup their dryer cord wrong could this effect the heating element, causing it to go out (break)?

I ask this because before working on a persons dryer the other day I noticed that they had the ground from the cord and the neutral from the cord under the same terminal. As an apprentice I wanted to know from other sources if this could cause the heating element to break, although I don't think it would, just needing some verification

[JWWebster]

It would not kill the heater element but it needs to be correctly connected. The green wire should be connected to the frame. The white wire to the middle terminal of the block with red to one side and  black to the other side.

[Repair-man]

At the end of the day, you will find that Neutral and  ground are basically the same thing. If you have ever seen the inside of the breaker box, you know that the white Neutral bank is also connected to the brass ground rod down at your feet.

[Icehouse]

Hey RM,I guess you don't want me to write another long winded explanation of "Grounding" 

[whirlpooltech]

Hey RM,I guess you don't want me to write another long winded explanation of "Grounding" 

I would be interested in what you have to say about it.

[Icehouse]

Hey RM,I guess you don't want me to write another long winded explanation of "Grounding" 

I would be interested in what you have to say about it.

Right here: http://appliancejunk.com/forums/index.php?topic=3225.msg12675#msg12675

[RegUS_PatOff]

If it's a 3-Wire Cord, the Ground and Neutral are connected together at the Dryer.

[shieldcracker]

The neutral(grounded) wire is not the same as as the grounding(green or bare) wire.
Although both wires should ideally have little if any voltage with respect to earth the former is intended to carry current back to the source under normal conditions while the latter is intended to provide a low resistance path to the source under fault conditions.
It is a violation to tie the neutral and groundig wire together, presently it is required by code to have new dryer installations wired with a 3 pole 4wire plug. 

[RegUS_PatOff]

He never said it was a new installation...

It could be an old (3)-wire cord Dryer that was installed years ago,
and he now just noticed the ground/neutral connection.

[shieldcracker]

I thought I was clear...
It is a violation to tie the neutral and grounding wire together, presently it is required by code to have new dryer installations wired with a 3 pole 4wire plug.

The above implies that existing (old) installations are not required to comply. Most changes in building codes are not retrocative anyway.

If the dryer manufacturer allows the neutral and grounding to be shared in one line (most still do) and you have an existing wiring it is legal and safe to connect the dryer with a 3 pole 3 wire plug.