Electric Stove Related Questions

Is your electric stove giving you problems? Are you wondering how to connect a new stove? Having a good working electrical stove makes life a lot easier when you rely on it for cooking for your family every day. The guidance of Experts can help you to solve any problems and connection issues. Continue reading to see a few of the many questions verified electrical Experts have answered.

Could a fault in the electric stove cause lights in one part of a home to flicker and go dim when it is turned on?

These symptoms do not normally point to a problem with the appliance being used. The dimming lights are an indication of a neutral connection being loose at either the utility electrical transformer, the meter socket or the main electrical panel. This is not very likely as if this is the case, the entire home, not just a part of it, would be experiencing the problem. More probable is that it could be that the circuit was wired as a shared neutral circuit. The flickering lights are probably caused by a loose hot wire termination or a faulty hot wire splice. If the problem is of a shared neutral circuit, the lights that are dimming should be on a double pole circuit breaker or 2 single phase ones. They should be located inside the main electrical panel and mounted one on top of the other. A loose neutral wire or defective splice could cause the problem. The correct way of determining the cause will be to contact the electrical utility to have them check their connections. If no issues are found there, the circuits in the home should be checked. In the unlikely event of no problems still being found, the electric stove should be checked.

Can an electric stove work on a receptacle that was previously being used for a gas range?

Case details: The electrical stove is currently on 120 / 208-240v 60 hz 40 amp.

This is not possible. Typically an electric stove requires both 120 and 240 volts while a gas range needs only 120 volts. A different circuit and receptacle will be required. The gas range will have NEMA 5-15P plug and the electric one a NEMA 14-50R. For the electric stove a 40 amp circuit with 4 wires comprising of 2 hots, 1 neutral and 1 ground will be needed. The hots and the neutral conductor need to be 8 AWG copper. The equipment ground should be 10 AWG Copper. The circuit should be fitted with a 40 amp double pole breaker.

How can an electric stove with 4 wires be connected to a 3 wire 30 amp double pole breaker circuit in a code complaint manner?

Case details: Electric stove connection: 120v/240v AC, 60 Cycle, max. 6.3kW, 26.5 amp; four wires are red, black, white and green/yellow. The three wires to the 30 amp pole breaker are black, black and off white.

The code specifies that for new installations 4 wires are required but if it is a replacement of an existing stove connection, a 3 wire connection is acceptable. The connections will be:

• Black from stove to one of the blacks from the house.
• Red from the stove to the other black from the house.
• White and ground (green / yellow) from oven to off white from the house.

If the control panel of an electric stove has stopped working (the burners work) is the problem with the stove or with the power supply?

First, check the power supply. The control panel works on 120 volts while the heating elements work on 240 volts. The panel may be faulty but that can only be confirmed by checking the power supply with a volt meter. One leads of the meter should be connected to the black wire from the wall and one to the white wire (or one to red and one to white). The reading should be 120 volts. Then the back to red reading should be taken and it should be 240 volts. If there is no 120 volt reading it is possible that the white wire has lost its connection. This is probably at the junction box where the stove and wall wiring connect or back at the main panel. If the power supply is correct, then the control panel may be faulty.

When rewiring a kitchen to accommodate a new electric stove, can the existing two pull out circuit breakers be replaced by a 2 pole 50 amp breaker and should #6 or #8 wire be used?

Yes, replacing the two pull out breakers with a 2 pole 50 amp one will be the correct procedure. Being a new installation the stove should be installed with 6/3 ground NM cable. This will provide for a 4 wire receptacle. #8 wire is rated for  40 amps in residential NM cables so it will not be large enough. #6 should be used. However, if the installation is completely in conduit from the panel to the stove location, #8 THHN wire may be used.

What could cause the control panel of an electric stove to not work when using the wire from the previous stove and wiring it to the new one?

Case Details: The outlet is a 3 prong type. One hot wire shows 240 volts with respect to neutral and the other 0 volts with respect to neutral.

With a 3 wire circuit for the stove there should not be a situation where 2 wires will show a zero reading on a meter. If there is 240 volts across 2 wires, they should be checked to see if they are both hots instead of one being neutral. These 2 wire should be put in the hot positions of the outlet. The breaker panel should also be checked to see if the other wire for the circuit is on the neutral bar and that it is screwed on tightly. If the problem remains, it may better to replace the cable.

What could cause power in part of the home to go out for a while when the electric stove is turned on?

Case Details: The breaker does not trip.

This could be a case of a defective breaker that has been damaged due to poor wire termination. This will affect the power supply but the breaker itself may not trip. Many mobile homes have 2 main breakers – one on a pedestal outside and one in the breaker panel inside. Both will need to be checked. This should only be done by a person experienced with working with live electricity. Otherwise it is advisable to call an electrician. The stove is not likely to be the cause of the problem.

Are electric stove problems making food preparation impossible? If you have any problem with your stove it is vital to get the most accurate and timely information available. The opinions and recommendations of Experts will tell you how to get the repairs or installation done in the right manner. Verified electrical Experts are readily available to assist you whenever it is convenient for you.