# Need to match breaker size to oven amps?



## iminaquagmire (Jul 10, 2010)

Current code requires a 4-wire feed meaning a black, a red, a white, and a green. The oven should have a 4-wire cord or cable. And yes you should have a 30A breaker. All wire should be 10ga. What you have now is grossly undersized wire for the amperage of your breaker and the possibly for the case of your oven to become energized.


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## Saturday Cowboy (Nov 29, 2009)

we are grandfathered in with the 3 wire supply. No it will not cause the oven frame to become hot. It is not inherently unsafe, maybe not as safe as a 4 wire supply.


Now If indeed you have 10ga wiring it should NEVER have been put on any breaker bigger then 30a.(a smaller breaker is ok). It is not uncommon for the neutral to be undersized. (not a great thing but ok)

SO since it asks for a 30a breaker lets give it one.

Do you feel comfortable working in a hot electrical panel? If not call a professional.


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## Speedy Petey (Feb 1, 2004)

dbrew said:


> *I've seen plenty on raisng the breaker rating if the unit draws more than the breaker* but haven't seen much on lowering the breaker.


Anyone who gives advice like this without knowing every detail is a plain FOOL!


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## Just Bill (Dec 21, 2008)

Check manufacturers directions!!!! But definitely 4 wire cable sized for the breaker.


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## dbrew (Dec 2, 2006)

It looks like I should go to a 30 amp breaker regardless due to wire size. A 50amp may not have been a good choice to start with.

There is a green wire also so it is four wires, sorry I forgot to put that in the original post.

Thank you all for you input on this.


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## a7ecorsair (Jun 1, 2010)

dbrew said:


> My wire is 10AWG for black and red and 12AWG for the white.


Just curious; are you saying the existing wiring that fed the old range was #10 and it was connected to a 50 amp breaker?


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## dbrew (Dec 2, 2006)

Yes, the wiring to the old range is #10 and it is connected to a 50amp breaker. I'm not sure if that's the way the house was originally wired but the oven was an original Hotpoint oven.

I have just removed the 50amp breaker and will go get a replacement 30amp this afternoon.


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## a7ecorsair (Jun 1, 2010)

dbrew said:


> I have just removed the 50amp breaker and will go get a replacement 30amp this afternoon.


:thumbsup:


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## hhuggles (Feb 21, 2011)

dbrew said:


> I have just removed the 50amp breaker and will go get a replacement 30amp this afternoon.


:thumbup: You brought a smile to my face!!

It is okay to oversize the wires used to supply appliances.
NEVER overfuse!


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## dbrew (Dec 2, 2006)

Thanks everyone. The breaker is changed with a Square D 30amp . Not too hard. The wires connected to the breaker are very thick stranded wires. They must get down sized somewhere else.

Moving on to the next task.


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## SparkandArc (Feb 13, 2011)

Are you sure that your new oven is only a 30 amp? Every other "Double Oven" I have seen or installed called for a 50 or higher. I just wanted to be sure, maybe with these new efficient appliances they are lowering the ampere ratings.:thumbup:


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## kbsparky (Sep 11, 2008)

dbrew said:


> Thanks everyone. The breaker is changed with a Square D 30amp . Not too hard. The wires connected to the breaker are very thick stranded wires. They must get down sized somewhere else....


Chances are, you had a combination circuit for both a cooktop and an oven.

The _Code_ allows for a single circuit, such as 50 Amp to feed both appliances, even if each appliance only requires a 30 Amp circuit. In fact, the tap rules allow for a 20 Amp appliance to be fed off of a 50 Amp circuit, without having to change the breaker.

I'd be willing to bet you have a splice box somewhere near that oven where the #6 ("very thick stranded wires" as you stated) changes over to the #10 conductors. Look under the floor in the basement/crawl space, or even hidden in your kitchen cabinet. 

Now IF you no longer have an electric cooktop present, then changing the breaker to 30 Amps is no big deal.


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## Stubbie (Jan 7, 2007)

20,30 and 40 amp double ovens are very common ... 50's are a little rare unless you go buying Viking ovens or the like. 

I have to side with Kbsparky that you have 6 awg stranded to a junction box and tap wiring from there for the appliance (s). This was pretty common before the manufacturers started requiring individual branch circuits.

Also I'm not sure if 4 wires will be needed as there are far more double ovens that are 240 volts only than 120/240 volts.

I'm thinking you probably will just need 2 hots and ground and will cap the neutral.

Do you have the model # of your GE oven ?


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## dbrew (Dec 2, 2006)

The oven is a GE Profile PK956SRSS. It calls for a 30amp breaker. I also called them to double check.

I did find that the cook top is on its own 40 amp breaker. The old oven was a 1981 Hotpoint oven and microwave combination. Maybe they needed more back then. I've also checked everything I could think of and have not found any other items on the same breaker.


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## frenchelectrican (Apr 12, 2006)

Most Americian and European double oven { wall verison } useally take 30 or 40 amp breaker but few case super top of line it will take 50 { not very often but veirfy with nameplate }

But Stubbie and KBsparky did hit on the nail right on the spot and I have done the same thing as well that one of very limited rules I can use that but it have restriction in there and both Stubbie and KB address it pretty clear on it { it have to be part of Applanice whip not the feild connections items }

Merci,
Marc


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## Stubbie (Jan 7, 2007)

Looking at the installation instructions for your model on the GE web site the power requirements show 240 volts at 7200 watts 30 amp branch circuit.

However the installation instructions say the oven comes 4 wire and requires a neutral , showing an appliance whip with red, white, black and green ground.

Do you have four wires in the existing branch circuit to connect the oven 4 wire power cord?


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## dbrew (Dec 2, 2006)

Yes I do have the 4 wires you have mentioned so it looks like the connections should be pretty straight forward.

Thanks you all for all your advice and effort on this.


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