OT electric

Going to a gas stove from a electric stove. I need 110 volt for the new gas stove. There is three big wires (what I think 6 gage) and one small bare wire (ground) for the 220 volt.
Can I just use two of the big wires and the bare wire and get 110 volt? I will change the breaker. Will this be safe?

Thanks BUDD

You could but then you wouldn't have any high current protection for the 110 volt circuit. Better to have a seperate circuit for the 110 volt system.

You would be more than fine. You can always use a heaver wire than the breaker is made for. You may have to nip a few strands of the wire to get it to fit in a 20 amp breaker but that would be ok. I would disconnect the red wire at the breaker box and just use the black and white.

(quoted from post at 05:29:06 11/13/11) Going to a gas stove from a electric stove. I need 110 volt for the new gas stove. There is three big wires (what I think 6 gage) and one small bare wire (ground) for the 220 volt.
Can I just use two of the big wires and the bare wire and get 110 volt? I will change the breaker. Will this be safe?

Thanks BUDD

Click to expand...

somebody posted a pic/link to an adapter that you plug into your 220 outlet and plug in your 110 cord. Maybe they'll chime in again....

make sure one of the big wires is neutral or you will get 220 and ruin the stove electric side. might put small breaker on the line you use for 110. Not to be a smart azz but if you dont know what your doing get someone who dose. Post for my old indiana friend john t or others on this

The wire doesn't provide any high current protection.

If it did you would have a fire hazzard.

As long as you change the wire hook up in the breaker box to match the plug you can use a wire that is bigger than required.

The problem you are going to have is getting 2 6ga wires into a 110 box and getting the 6ga wire to fit the 110 outlet and breaker. You could snip some of the wires on the end to make it fit but any stray wires could touch something and cause a short.

So while it could be done I would suggest running a new 12/2 w/ground from the breaker box to the stove. Would be MUCH safer to do it this way.

OKAY HERES THE REAL DEAL, YES IT CAN BE SAFE IF DONE PROPERLY

NOTE Two of the big wires as you ask and the bare wire do indeed get you 120 volts IF YOU DO AS NOTED BELOW, i.e. two of the big need to be one Hot and one Neutral for 120 volts, as the two big hots line to line = 240 volts!!!!!!!!!!

1) Based on what you say, I am assuming the three big wires are two Hots (L1 & L2, 240 VAC, maybe a red and black) and a Neutral (a GrounDED conductor, maybe white) while the small bare wire is the safety Equipment GroundING conductor.

2) If thats the case, to get a 120 volt circuit for a 3 prong convenience outlet (or the stoves hard wired 120 VAC input), you would use one of the Hots,,,,,,,,The Neutral,,,,,,,,,The Equipment GroundING conductor)

3) It dont hurt to use bigger then necessary wire in THEORY, HOWEVER a 20 amp outlet and a 20 amp breaker are designed for more like 12 gauge wire ya know !!!! Therefore for a PRACTICAL consideration you might wanna consider use of a junction box etc. where you splice the bigger 6 Gauge wire down to the smaller 12 gauge which connects to your convenience outlet or your stove.

4) At the main panel you would install a 20 amp SINGLE POLE 120 volt breaker and feed your stove from it NOT the old DOUBLE POLE 240 volt breaker of course.

5) At the stove or convenience outlet the safety equipment GroundING conductor bonds to the case/frame metal ground or the safety Green grounding terminal on an outlet,,,,,,,,,,Hot (black) to the hot line terminal,,,,,,,Neutral (GrounDED conductor) to the white/Neutral terminal.

Runnin late for church so if I missed anyhting the other sparkies can add to or correct this hopefully

John T Long retired EE and rusty on this stuff dont ya know

Get some white electrical tape and use it to mark both ends of the red conductor. That will tip off the the next person who works on it that it's the neutral for a 120 circuit rather than a hot leg for a 240 circuit.

Since there are three insulated wires plus a bare ground from the electrical box to the stove. How about a 20 amp T-slot split receptacle. There will be capacity there to operate the gas stove electrics. Plus a refrigerator and coffee pot.
Just marrette #12 onto the ends of the #6 and connected to a two pole 20amp breaker. And to a 20amp t-slot receptacle. With the bar removed from between the line 1 and line 2 connections. Leave the connection bar in the white neutral side.

As John T says, yes it can be done and be safe and legal. BUT, you can't use the existing groundING conductor for anything except that and you must provide a grounding conductor for the 120V outlet. You will need to replace the 240v-2 pole-probably40amp breaker or fuse with a 120v-single pole-20amp fuse or breaker. either the red or black wire can be connected to this which now becomes the "hot" for the receptacle. The other insulated conductor must be identified with white tape or paint whereever it is exposed, in both the panel and the receptacle box, and connected to the neutral bus in the panel. It now becomes the neutral for your receptacle. In a nutshell, you must provide an insulated hot protected at no more than 20 amps, an insulated identified white neutral, and a GROUNDING conductor to feed your new receptacle. Given the space needed to make splices to 12 ga. wire to fit a receptacle this may not be so easy. It probably will be easier to leave the old circuit intact and pull as complete new one. DO NOT USE THE EXISTING GROUNDING CONDCTOR AS A NEUTRAL AND DO NOT CUT OFF SOME OF THE WIRE IN THE EXISTING CABLE TO MAKE IT FIT THE RECEPTACLE ASND DO NOT USE THE EXISTING 30 OR 40 AMP PROTECTION. Good luck with the project.

Disregard some of my previous post. I did not realize you had a 4 wire circuit( a black, red, white, and grounding conductor), thought it was an old 3 wire one(black, red, & grounding conductor). You can get 120volts using the one of the existing hots, the existing neutral, and the existing grounding conductor. You will still have the splicing space problem, and as you mentioned the breaker will have to be changed to 20 amp. You could also do as B&D suggested, but probably not totally necessary for just your gas stove. Sorry for the confusion. email if you have questions.

An extension ring on top of the 4 or 4-11/16 existing stove receptacle box lurking behind the stove. Would make room for the splices & T-slot plug.
I never seen a kitchen with too many places to plug a frying pan, toaster over, toaster, coffee pot, microwave, fridge, vacuum cleaner etc into.
Having each load on it's own breaker and not having to plug & unplug is handy and safer.
When rooting around in the breaker panel. It wouldn't hurt to follow the ground system back to the ground rods and water pipes. To check integrity.