If the appliance calls for a 40 amp breaker that will be more than sufficient to provide enough power. If a 40 amp breaker trips there's something wrong and the solution is NOT that the stove needs a higher amperage breaker.Originally Posted by Battis
Good point.
New info:
I've been churning the info I got from this thread in my head and something dawned on me - I've been basing the decision to switch to a 40 amp breaker on what the salesman told me. DUH. I hadn't seen the owners manual (the stove will be delivered Saturday), only the spec sheet for the stove. So, I downloaded a copy of the owner's manual and searched it for the amp info. Sure enough, I found what I needed. It says, "This appliance must be supplied with the proper voltage and frequency, and connected to an individual, properly grounded, 40 amp (minimum) branch circuit protected by a circuit breaker or time-delay fuse."
The key word is right there - minimum. When I talked to the salesman about it, he said they'd never set a minimum. Well, they did.
So, everyone who told me that I didn't need to switch to a 40 amp breaker was right. The electrician who told me my warranty and home insurance might be nullified was wrong. In fairness to the electrician, he was going on what I had told him that the salesman had told me.
Plug it in and go.
Thanks for the replies.
Last edited by Battis; 12-15-2023 at 02:25 AM.
Glad you got it sorted out.
two issues ive dealt with in the past stand out in this discussion. "what the salesman said" in my experience they know very little except sell, sell, sell, especially if they get commission. the other thing worrying about warranty. in my past experiences warranty from most big manufacturers of consumer goods are not worth the paper they are written on,ive had thing go bad and after 60 or 90 days taking back to the store for refund forget about it give never ever been given satisfaction from manufacturer when their product goes bad "under warranty" this goes double for those extended warranties all the stores try to sell us.
just a couple observations from my past experience, yours may differ.
I'm an electrician. I just cringe when someone asks electrical questions on a bullet casting forum. There is good, bad and plain unsafe advice given, and the OP is usually left as uninformed as he/she started.
Edit...I didn't see any unsafe advice here, just good and bad.
No stove company is going to ask to look at your electrical box for a warranty claim. Insurance company yes... so they can try to deny a claim if you have a stove fire...
Where else would I ask a question? This forum has members from all trades, professions, backgrounds, etc. Look at some of the replies I got - some good, solid advice that led me to an answer. If I had read the manufacturer's requirements, and not listened to the salesman, I could have avoided this entire thread.
I cringe when I get different answers from licensed electricians.
If he convinces you to swap breakers, he gets to charge you $50 for the new breaker you didn't need and $100/hr to install it and fix the other problems he "found" in the process...
This is partially true. I would take exception to the 'didn't need' comment and the 'found' comment. That implies fraud and is bad form at best. Read post #35. It would be UNUSUAL if when the structure was built that wiring of sufficient size was installed where a 60 amp breaker would be appropriate. This is why I suggested to the OP that he should have someone knowledgeable inspect it. It might be fine. I can't see it so I've no way of knowing. Neither can anyone else who hasn't personally inspected it.
The OP has apparently decided he's going to leave the breaker alone. That's fine. His home and his appliance replacement. I personally wouldn't do that without having it inspected by a competent, knowledgeable electrician but I'm not going to chastise him for it.
If I didn't buy a new stove, the wiring issue would have been moot. The house was built in 1892 and we've done quite a bit of work on it over the years - electrical, structural, plumbing, etc. The old stove is at least 25 years old but the wiring is nowhere near that old. My wife's late father was a licensed electrician who did all the work for us, including upgrading the service to 100 amps. If an electrician came into the house, or a plumber, they'd certainly find things that need upgrading but nothing unsafe or illegal. From what I've read, and from comments on this thread, I now feel completely confident that the breaker is fine for the job.
+1 thank you!!
Long, Wide, Deep, and Without Hesitation!
I'm just a casual observer, but boy has this sure been beaten to death. LOL
Sure, the breaker is fine, but what about the wire it is attached to it? Remove the panel cover and check the wire, then you can be sure it is ok. If you are not comfortable doing that have your relative do so.
Spell check doesn't work in Chrome, so if something is spelled wrong, it's just a typo that I missed.
I did not go though all the posts did anyone explain why breakers are needed?
Wire only carries so much amperage before it heats up so the wiring past the breaker is protected by the breaker generally 14 gauge wire is 15 amp breaker and 12 gauge 20 amp breaker . The appliance itself should have adequate wiring for it's draw and a direct short usually (not always) snaps a breaker or fuse before the wires heat up . I have had the whole house 200 amp breaker pop along with the electric stove 60 amp breaker when a piece of wire got in the burner plug. The wire what was left of it was from a bread tie .
I have seen two terrible examples of idiots one with a guy trying to run his Travel trailer on 150 feet on 14 Gauge wire . It worked until he A/C compressor came on then it blew a 30 amp circuit. Not knowing what was wrong he put in a 40 amp breaker and ruined his A/C from the low voltage he ended up with as wire could not take the current .
Second one was "supposedly" a professional electrician in a commercial building fully inspected and built in 1994 . We had outlets in a work area for using 1500 watt heat guns if we used more then one voltage dropped and they worked poorly . I measured the voltage and it was low with no load I thought if I could blow the breaker I would find the problem and added a couple more heat guns voltage dropped into the 80 volt range no breakers popped . Finally they got it looked at someone had wired the circuit from one side of 230 volt lighting circuit for the overhead 400 watt Mercury lights.
When new wires got run we had a couple circuits in the area instead on one and they got labeled only one heat gun to each.
When I think back on all the **** I learned in high school it's a wonder I can think at all ! And then my lack of education hasn't hurt me none I can read the writing on the wall.
I had a friend who was an electrician and got a call to a new office building one time.
Their electric IBM 'goof ball' type writers were working so well, they were punching holes all the way through
a sheet of paper and made it look like a stencil.
Not sure how it can be done, but the wall outlet circuit they were plugged into was running 220V.
In school: We learn lessons, and are given tests.
In life: We are given tests, and learn lessons.
OK People. Enough of this idle chit-chat.
This ain't your Grandma's sewing circle.
EVERYONE!
Back to your oars. The Captain wants to waterski.
220 leg of a 3 phase panel
WingerED I have seen the same happen in a circuit when the ground is pulled out half of the circuit panel would be dead half would get 220 V . A tungsten filament light would explode on turning the switch on ! In one case a windstorm damaged the incoming line in the other someone did it on purpose to a homeowner.
When I think back on all the **** I learned in high school it's a wonder I can think at all ! And then my lack of education hasn't hurt me none I can read the writing on the wall.
GONRA's pretty sure I grew up in a "60 amp" home in WW II Chicago, IL area.
Remember Mid West Post War new housing developers bragging about "100 amp" homes.
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