Electric Range Power Cord-proprietary

[Tony Sade]

I just bought a new range, and IIRC, they don't come with a power cord, I presume because there are different plug configurations.

Do I have to buy a cord (3 wire) from the mfg. or will any d0? (from a reputable source-no sense burning down the house for the sake of $5-10. It's more a question of availability.

[Rod Sheridan]

Hi, you should be able to purchase one at any home renovation or electrical supplier.

Your new range will probably require a 4 wire cord.............Rod.

[Tony Sade]

Rod--thanks for the response. I haven't opened the box, so I don't know what the manual instructs, but the plug on the cord to my current range looks like this: (THe site won't let me make this to rough scale. Each of the "lines" representing a a flat prong about 3/8" wide should be evenly spaced around a circle-- upper left leaning 20 degree to right, upper right, 20 to the left, bottom vertical. No typical ground "prong". (That's a 3 wire, right?)




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[Brian Elfert]

Current electrical code requires four wires for a range. Three wire installations are grandfathered in so you can still use a three wire connection.

The reason for four wires is they now require a neutral wire. Most ranges have some 110 volt parts inside them. Three wire connections use the ground as neutral for the 110 volt needs inside the range.

[Tony Sade]

Thanks, Brian. I assume I (and the rest of us) will be safe with the three wire connection.

[David G Baker]

As has been stated, you really do need a 4 wire connection when adding a new appliance. The 3 wire is probably safe in "most" situations except when the insurance company shows up after the problem created by not having the 4th wire. Code is pretty much the same in most areas. I did the same thing, I used the 3 wire hook up and had run new wire from the main. It was 3 wire all the way, was copper and cost a bunch. I was angry and have left it as is until I do a bunch more rewiring and the price of copper goes down. I didn't read the instructions that came with the stove until I went to hook up the new cord.

[Brian Elfert]

Everything I read says a three wire connection is grandfathered in as long as it was in place before the code changed. Your insurance company should not care as long as it was to code at the time of installation. (If your house burns down due to non-code wiring would your policy really be invalidated?) Does the new range absolutely require a 4 wire connection? The range should not care if you use a separate neutral or use the ground as neutral. By code the ground and neutral need to connected together at the main panel.

You need to make your own decision if you're going to wire up for four wires or not. If it was my house and it was easy to run the wire I would probably do it, but if not I would just use the existing wiring.

[John McClanahan]

Are you replacing an old range? If so, can you just use the cord from the old range?

John

[Chris Padilla]

Are you replacing an old range? If so, can you just use the cord from the old range?

John

This is what I did when replacing my range. In fact, the guy I sold my old range to complained a bit when I told him the plug wasn't included. I left the plug installed to demonstrate the old range worked and then removed it and helped him load it in his truck.