Swapping out a built in oven (cont.)

Nov 15, 2010 8 Replies
N

I remember someone asked if I could post what I found when I opening the boxes up and checked the wiring.



Before I started I figured out the counter top stove is on the same circuit.


2 single pole
30amp/30amp [Breaker] ? ?6 ? 12 30amp/30amp 16 [box]???????[fuse box]?????????[Oven] ? ? 12 30amp/30amp ?? ??????????[fuse box]?????????[Stove Top]

I doubt the line drawing will be legible, so I will try to explain.



Both single pole breakers were 30amp (one of the switches was chipped hence why my dad read 50amp on one.



The cable leaving the box was 6 gauge 4 wire.



when I opened the box under the oven I found 2 30 amp fuses and a 15 amp fuse. The wires coming into the box were 12 gauge 4 wire so I knew there had to be a box in the basement under the drop ceiling.



The old oven had 5 wires coming out and used the 15 amp fuse to protect the clock etc. The new oven only has 4 wires.



The box under the drop ceiling split the 6 gauge into 2 12 gauge runs one to the box under the oven and one under the stove top.



I did not check the gauge of the wire into the stove top but the wire that came with the oven is 16 gauge.



I replaced the two single 30amp breakers with a double pole 40amp.



I left the existing box in place and connected the new oven to the 30amp fuses and took out the 15amp fuse.


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R

Other than the fuses, that sounds like a kitchen appliance tap circuit. Typically the two cooking devices split out of a junction box, off one feeder. The feeder can't be larger than 50 amps and the taps can't be smaller than # 12

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H

box]=E2=95=90=E2=95=90=E2=95=90=E2=95=90=E2=95=90=E2=95=90=E2=95=90=E2=95= =90=E2=95=90[Oven]

=90=E2=95=90=E2=95=90=E2=95=90[fuse box]=E2=95=90=E2=95=90=E2=95=90=E2=95= =90=E2=95=90=E2=95=90=E2=95=90=E2=95=90=E2=95=90[Stove Top]

16 gauge to feed a multikilowatt oven? My garage extension cords are 16 gauge. Something does not compute here.
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N

Top]

I was as surprised as you... but I would hope Frigidaire knows what they were doing?

The old oven (Frigidaire) had thinner gauge wire then the new one - well all but the white neutral wire on the old oven. It was also 16 gauge.

Provided I am reading the gauge right?

14 solid copper = 16 stranded copper.
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K

Appliance wiring house wiring. The NEC doesn't apply.

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R

The Nec does apply when tapping two appliances off of one feeder. The conductor leads furnished with the appliance must be a minimum of 20 amp

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K

Does it say what gauge those 20A leads must be?

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R

No, just that it must be 20 amp, which leads me to believe that whatever gauge that wire is, probably asbestos covered, is rated for at least 20 amps

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K

It is *very* unlikely to be asbestos covered. It's not tightly enclosed, like Romex might be, so the temperature rise won't be as bad. All they need is a little engineering to verify that the wire won't melt (and convince UL, or similar).

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