Home appliances are a part of our everyday lives and have become so synchronous that it is difficult to imagine a day without them. Such appliances save us time and effort and provide us with comfort as well.
So it is crucial to know about them when you are out to purchase a new appliance – which you can learn by following along.
Do stoves, ovens & ranges come with power cords?
Stoves, ovens, and ranges do not come with power cords in the packaging because the manufacturer does not know what type of outlet the users have at their homes. There are no standard electric codes for stoves, ovens, and ranges therefore the power cords are excluded from the packaging.
Electric stove, oven, or range mainly has two variants of power cords, one is the 3-prong power cord whereas the other is the 4-prong power cord. To power the stove, oven, or range, these power cords must fit into the correct type of outlet with the right amperage.
Houses built before the mid-’90s have the old variant which is the 3-prong power cord and newer houses have the 4-prong ones.
The manufacturer has to make stoves, ovens, and ranges that properly function in both variants, therefore the power cord is sold separately.
Buyers can then inspect which variant of the power outlet is installed in their homes and then buy the appropriate power cord for their stove, oven, or range.
Besides the two types of power cords used, the user might consider connecting their stove, oven, or range with a hardwired connection. Hardwired connections connect the electric panel box directly to their appliance, therefore reducing the need for a power cord.
Since there are various types of power outlets in homes across the US, manufacturers, therefore, do not include a power cord because of the high chances of packaging an incompatible power cord.
This is why users either buy a power cord based on their outlet type or choose to hardwire their stoves, ovens, or ranges.
What type of plug and wire does an electric range, oven, or stove use?
The type of plug and wire is dependent on the power rating of your electric range, oven, or stove, and plugging them on lower ratings would give less efficient output and higher ratings would damage your appliance.
However, there are some plugs and wires for the most common ratings of these appliances.
An electric stove and electric range with a circuit breaker rating of 50 amps and 240-volts will require a 6-gauge long wire whereas the 40 amp variant requires an 8 gage long wire.
Regardless of what circuit you use, they will have three wires embedded in the cord in both 3-prong and 4-prong cords, whereas the latter will have an additional bare copper wire.
You might wonder if you could plug your electric oven into a normal socket around the house. But this is not possible because houses come with dedicated sockets for electric ovens for a specific reason – electric ovens have a high degree of electricity consumption.
Normal sockets are built for usually low-power consuming appliances that cannot provide enough wattage for your ovens.
Therefore there is a separate socket just to plug in your electric oven and you should not try to plug in other appliances in that socket alongside your electric oven.
When installing your electric stove, you should not overlook your wire size. A 220V stove with a 40 amp breaker requires an 8 gauge wire, a 6 gauge wire for a 50 amp breaker, and a 12 gauge wire for a 20 amp breaker.
How to get the right power cord for your electric range?
There are a variety of power cords available in the market, so you have to identify which variety is suitable for your range. You can identify the type of power cord you need from the guide below:
3-prong power cord:
First off, you need to check which type of power outlet your house has by taking a look at the power outlet. Older outlets only fit 3-prong cords, so either replace the outlet or use the corresponding cord.
4-prong power cord:
All new electric ranges support 4-prong power cords and all homes built after the 2000s are fitted with the new type of power outlet. If your house has a modern power outlet, you just need to purchase a 4-prong power cord.
Hardwired:
If you want to avoid the mess of power cords, you can contact a professional electrician to directly hardwire your range to the panel. Remember, hardwired ranges are permanently fixed in place.
Are stove, oven, or range power cords universal and interchangeable? Can I use an old power cord for the new one?
Stove, oven, or range power cords are universal and interchangeable because they do not have any power cords or plugs exclusively designed for them.
The lack of standard code or outlets for stoves, ovens, and ranges are the reason why manufacturers do not include them with the appliance.
So, as long as you know what type of power outlet your house has, you can buy a corresponding power cord for your appliance.
If you are replacing your stove, oven, or range, you can use your older cord with the new appliance as long as they are the same type and the cord does not have any wear, tear, or signs of damage.
How to hook up an electric stove to a power cord?
Installing an electric stove is a pretty straightforward process and should only take around an hour if you are a novice at electric work. Follow along the guide below to properly connect the power cord to the electric stove:
Gathering the necessary materials:
To start with the wiring procedure, we need some essential tools to deal with the screws. So get either a Phillips screwdriver or a quarter-inch nut driver. You can get a pair of strain-relief clamps but that is optional, and lastly the power cord.
Unscrewing the terminal:
First, locate the terminal block which is located at the back of the electric stove, and use the screw/nut drivers to unscrew the cover off the terminal block. Next, you will see 3 terminals connected to the black wire on the right, white wire on the middle, and red on the left.
Each of them has an additional nut screwed onto them which you have to unscrew.
Connecting the corresponding wires:
Before anything else, if you have stress-relief clamps – fit them to the entrance and pass the cord through it and then tighten the clamp. For 3-prong cords, there will be red, white, and black wires which you have to screw onto the terminals of the same color.
But if you have a 4-prong cord, you will have to make a little modification by unscrewing the bridge that connects the white terminal to the stove frame.
Next, connect the red, white, and black wires to the same colored terminals while connecting the green wire from the cord to the stove frame. Once that’s done, screw the terminal block cover back on and you are good to go.
Can I use an extension cord for my electric stove?
Sometimes you may place your stove in such a spot in your kitchen that you find your power cord has difficulty reaching – to which, an extension cord is not the solution and should not be used for an electric stove.
Electric stoves have high electricity consumption which an extension cord can’t handle and pose a fire risk if used for a long time as it cannot withstand heat.
However, you can use an extension cord for temporary usage. If you have to move your electric stove away due to kitchen re-decoration or some other temporary reason, then you can use an extension cord for the time being as long as it is not running continuously.
Extension cords are not a permanent solution.
Do gas ranges need a power cord?
The answer to this might come as a surprise to you because gas ranges do need a power cord. Gas ranges need a spark to ignite and the electricity used is nowhere close to an electric range.
You can still run a gas range by turning off the electricity after it has been ignited because the electricity the gas range uses is not for heating but for igniting.
However, you should know that you can use a gas range without a power cord, in that case, you would need a matchbox or an external igniter.
Final Thoughts
Stoves, ovens, and ranges do not include power cords in their packaging since the manufacturer is unaware of the type of outlet the consumers have at their homes. The lack of standard electric codes for stoves, ovens, and ranges are the reason why the power cords are excluded from the packaging.