Installing Electric oven.. 12AWG leads?

[mcfly32]

I'm about to install an electric oven in our house to replace an existing gas oven. The oven's installation instructions state that 8AWG wire should be used to power with 40A breaker protection. Ok, makes sense.

Here's the question: The oven has factory installed leads running out of the oven via flexible conduit. There are two hots (a black and a red), a neutral and a ground. The two hots are #12 wire, and the neutral is #16! Is this safe to use, or should I re-wire to use #8 into the oven? The leads are probably about 5-6ft runs.

Thanks!

-Eric

[RBM]

More likely it's #10, and possibly a high temperature insulation, but in any event, if it has a U.L. label on it, I'd assume it has been tested and is safe. The internal wiring of equipment is done under different standards than those used in building wiring

[Nate Nagel]

Agree, and would also like to ask why the heck anyone would ever consider replacing a gas stove with an electric? I thought electrics were only bought by people who lived out in the sticks and couldn't get a gas hook up?

nate

RBM wrote:

[hallerb]

short internal run of lighter weight wire no problem, on long run big problem. if it UL approved no problem but do install the specified wire..........

[mcfly32]

The wire in the flexible conduit is most definitely labeled 12 AWG. Whether or not it is mislabeled, I don't know.

The labeling on the red wire is as follows. Black is similar if not the same:

12AWG E-44576(14) AWM 3173 600V 125C -- LL14432(14) CSA XLPE CL1251 125C 600V FT2

I think this means it is #12, rated up to 600 volts and 125 degrees Celsius (so better ampacity than standard THHN, but 10A better?).

Thanks for the reply. The oven is UL rated, but I purchased it "open box". I just want to make sure that the leads are safe.. it appears it came from the factory this way by the way it was crimped into the internal electronics of the oven (same crimps and crimp connectors as others on the unit, very clean). But #12 just seems too small, thus I'm conflicted :)

-Eric

[mcfly32]

My understanding is that electric ovens have better heat control while cooking than do gas. Plus, I have solar panels producing electricity for me :)

Sounds like the general consensus is that the #12 leads are OK. Thanks for the help and responses, everyone!

-Eric

Nate Nagel wrote:

[Steve Barker LT]

Electrics are for people who eat out. No amount of real cooking can be done on one.

[RBM]

Clearly it's high temperature, sometimes the conductors are made of Nickel as well

[Nate Nagel]

I disagree; personally, I find adjusting a gas flame to be much more intuitive than a rheostat controlling a coil of unknown resistance. Also the gas burner has almost no thermal mass; if you want to stop cooking something immediately (such as pasta that has achieved the perfect level of doneness) on an electric, you either have to move the pot to a spare burner or if there's none available, you need to have a trivet handy. On a gas stove, you simply turn the knob to "off." Now as for the oven itself, I can't say that I've noticed much difference, although I hardly ever bake anything more complicated than a pizza (that's the girlie's department.)

Now that is an argument I can respect; while I far prefer cooking with gas, cooking for free is a good inducement to switch.

nate

[Don Fearn]

I think it was Nate Nagel who stated:

Ovens. You're talking stovetops; mcfly32 said ovens.

Stovetops are MUCH better gas -- IMNSHO . . . .

[oldal4865]

Just installed one a few weeks ago.

If you read the instructions word for word, you may find. . . .as I did. . .a short blurb to the effect that although the factory-supplied wire looks to be too thin, it will do the job because of the superior insulation.

Regards Al

[hallerb]

Plus, I have solar panels producing electricity

so how many giga bucks does it cost to run a electric stove off solar panels?

[Steve Barker LT]

About $3 a watt minimum. And that's just for the panels. then you have battery banks, inverters, and charge controllers.

[hallerb]

so you in the desert southwest? on or off grid? all solar or supplement?

how big is your battery bank?

I have a friend with a windmill since 1960, its largely ineffective. his battery bank is a large number of used car batteries, done for cost reasons.

are you actually using a solar system to power your electric stove/ oven?

[Tom The Great]

IMHO:

Breaks down to this truth, the oven is [should be] UL tested. Home wiring isn't, so home wiring is 'beefed' up.

Just guessing....

tom @

[trader4]

Most high end kitchens are now dual fuel. Gas for the range and electric for the ovens. It's clear to me why gas is preferred for the range, but not so sure about electric for the oven. Perhaps it's that dry heat is better for certain applications, like baking?

[Mikey S.]

Actually for most bread baking wet heat is better, and a pan of water is often used to humidify the oven while baking breads to improve the crust. Gas makes a lot of moisture while burning and that helps keep the oven humidity higher. I believe the electric oven is supposed to provide more accurate temperature control than the gas, but my gas oven seems to do just fine.

[Steve Barker LT]

None of the above, just replying to the question. I am fixin to put about a 100w system of some sort on a detached building however. It will be only for a garage door opener and an 80w circulator pump on a solar heated radiant floor.

[Stormin Mormon]

You want to second guess the manufacturers? After all the work and research they went through?

More seriously, yeah, manufacturers are getting blooming cheap ass these days. Like the inverter I got, the 12 volt DC leads weren't heavy enough to run the inverter. Yeah, get larger wires.