The electric stove has become a popular choice for most of our family. We can control the heat and cook within a short time, and it has some other benefits. If you operate an old electric stove, you should plan to upgrade and move with an updated one.
If you buy a modern or updated electric stove, you can enjoy some advanced features of it. You don’t need an oven or any other skillet for cooking. You can treat your electric stove like all kitchen appliances.
Electric stove breaker size
The regular electric stove breaker size is a 50 amp circuit breaker. It’s for a regular electric stove that people use most. If you have an older version of an electric stove, you must have a 30/40 amp circuit breaker. Only a few electric stoves that make food will have a 60 amp stove breaker.
You see that the electric stove breaker size will vary from stove to stove. If you’re unsure about the circuit breaker, I suggest you go for the 50 amp breaker. It will be enough for your kitchen unless you have a business purpose.
It’s always better to check your electric stove breaker manual guidelines.
You will find the exact requirements of the circuit breaker there. It will be better to buy the updated electric stove and get a 50 amp breaker. In contrast, if you look for a large and powerful electric stove, you should use the 60 amp circuit breaker.
Moreover, the circuit breaker size will vary from brand to brand. Some brands will give you a 40 amp breaker size; others might come with a 45 or 50 amp circuit breaker to ensure the best safety for your kitchen.
In the section below, I’ll share three well-known brands and their stove circuit size.
It will be a detailed guideline, and you can use the right size circuit breaker. Although I will explain the three different brands, you will find similar circuit breaker requirements. It’s a sign of safety since you will operate high-power electrical appliances.
Whirlpool electric stove:
Since whirlpool is a famous brand, it always follows the industry standard. So, the whirlpool circuit breaker size is 50 for the regular kitchen stove.
If you buy the electric kitchen stove for your home, you will find a 50 amp circuit breaker from them. If you buy the stove for your business or company, you will get a 60 amp circuit breaker for a mighty machine.
Frigidaire electric stove:
Most Frigidaire electric stoves have 30-49 amp circuit breakers since they have 240 volts of an electric stove. But some of their large electric stove will come with a 50-60 amp circuit breaker that is only for the industrial electric stove.
If you look for a regular electric stove, it may come with a 40-50 amp circuit breaker.
Samsung electric stove:
Most of Samsung’s electric stove has a 40 amp circuit breaker size, mainly for mass people or regular users. If you go and buy an electric stove for your kitchen, you will mostly get a 40 amp circuit breaker with it.
When you buy the large size Samsung electric stove for industry or business purposes, it will have a 50 or 60 amp circuit breaker.
Can I use a 40 amp breaker for an electric stove?
You can use a 40 amp breaker for an electric stove since it has enough power and safety to handle a regular kitchen stove. Typically, the regular electric stove has 240 volts or something nearby.
In that case, you can securely use a 40 amp circuit breaker for your stove, and it will be sufficient.
If you have the older version circuit breaker, it will have lower volts and breaker size. In that case, you don’t need to check anything since you can safely use a 40 amp circuit breaker for it.
You should only be careful about the large or high powerful electric stove that will come with more circuit breaker requirements.
If you buy or have a large or high-power electric stove, you must use a 60 amp circuit breaker. Using the 40 amp breaker for an electric business stove will fail to support or maintain the electric safety.
So, checking your electric stove power and other requirements is always better before going for any particular circuit breaker.
2 things to consider while choosing breaker size for an electric stove
You must consider some factors and things while choosing the breaker size for an electric size since you can’t use any random circuit breaker and expect a safe stove experience.
It will be a serious problem if you use the wrong size or choose the faulty circuit breaker for your updated or newly bought electric stove.
Voltage:
While choosing breaker size for an electric stove, you must know what voltage and ampere will be most appropriate for your unit. You will find different types of electric stoves; most of the time, they require 240 volts.
Because of this, it will be best for you to go for the double pole circuit breaker. The double-pole circuit breaker must be on a dedicated circuit.
Amps:
Another thing to consider while choosing breaker size for an electric stove is precisely what amp you need for your unit.
In addition, the amount of ampere required for a breaker can vary depending on what size circuit breaker your house needs and how much it can generate.
If the circuit breaker you choose for your electric stove possesses a low ampere, your breaker will constantly trip, which can sometimes be very irritating. On the other hand, if it has a high ampere, there is a high possibility of an electric fire.
It is a genuine concern regarding safety.
That’s why you should only buy electric stoves which protect your panel from overcurrent issues.
How to calculate the breaker size for an electric stove?
Calculating the breaker size is not difficult if you know some tips and steps. I will share a common strategy that you can follow and calculate any breaker size in a moment. If you ask any DIY worker, they will give you the exact process to calculate your breaker size.
80 Percent Rule:
When choosing the proper circuit breaker estimate for your electric stove, it is fundamental to consider the 80% rule. This rule in electrical work refers to the thought that you must utilize at most 80% of your breaker’s capacity at full stack.
For example: if your breaker size is 50 ampere, it can be utilized in electric stoves, which require 40 amp power as 40 amp is 80% of 50 amp.
Smaller or Larger:
Before calculating the appropriate breaker size, you should understand whether the electric stove is older or industrial.
Because these electric stoves require a lesser amount of power and do not use more than a 40 amp, in that case, a 40 amp breaker would be more suitable.
Again, industrial units need more power and require at least a 50 amp breaker. That’s why more than 60 amp breaker sizes will be best for them.
Ampacity:
The breaker size for an electric stove depends on many factors like the amount of load it will take, what type of material you are using, and the overall temperature of the area.
Choosing a circuit breaker size of at least 125% of the cable’s ampacity is recommended. The wires must also be protected through CB.
What size wire do I need for an electric stove?
Since most electric stove comes with a 50 amp circuit breaker, the wire size should be 6-gauge that you need for your electric stove. 6-gauge wire is a perfect solution for a 50 amp circuit breaker. It will give support and will flow the electricity without any major issues.
Moreover, the wire size can be 4-gauge in some cases.
If you buy a large or powerful electric stove with a 60 amp circuit breaker, you can use the 4 & 6 gauge wire for that. But the 6-gauge wire is always the safest option for any circuit breaker since it has enough space and capabilities to bear the load of your powerful circuit breaker.
If you cut this wire, you will find four different types of cable in it.
Once you’re sure about the wire size, you must consider the wire types. You will find both copper & aluminum wire that you must use in your circuit breaker. You should check the circuit breaker or your electric stove requirements to choose the best compatible wire types.
Final Thoughts
Although the breaker size differs from stove to stove, 50 amp is the most popular and used circuit breaker for the regular electric stove. It could be 30/40 if you have an old electric stove. In contrast, the circuit breaker size would be 60 for a mighty electric stove that the company mostly uses.