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WillR
07-01-2009, 06:56 PM
I've just purchased a like new antique electric range (stove) that used to be hard-wired directly to the houses circuit board. The wiring is a simple 3-wire/prong system, with the usual red black and white. My house also has a 3-wire for our current stove which recently broke down. To avoid re-routing a 4th wire (with new ranges), I bought this older stove so that I can use our current wiring.

My question is that the antique stove I just purchased does not have fuses as a part of the range itself, whereas the stove I'm replacing uses fuses for the elements and its lighting. Would the antique stove then be more dangerous with out the fuses to guide and stop heating capacities, or would the fuses blow in the main circuit board if there was a problem?

As well, when re-connecting the antique stove to the house's wiring, what are the possible issues I'd run into with the difference in the stove's having fuses and not having any? Any guidance here would be helpful. Thank you.

RegUS_PatOff
07-01-2009, 11:14 PM
I'm not an electrician, and the rules may vary by municipality, but you should be OK.

The 4th wire is only for new installations, of either the wall outlet, or a new Range.

The house Fuses should be OK.

Usually Ranges have 50A House Fuses to supply the various total wattage the Range could use ..

4 Burners & Oven & Broiler, etc ...

If you check the rating plate on the Range, that may tell you the total Amps it uses and you could use smaller Fuses if so desired.

WillR
07-02-2009, 06:46 AM
Okay, thanks for the help.

I've found that my circuit board is just breakers, which I suppose has the same purpose as fuses. I can't find any fuse capacity on the antique stove, but if something goes wrong I would hope the breakers would trip anyways.

I've found the antique stove wiring has an extra single 'wire' with no casing, so I'm theorizing that this is the neutral wire. There is 4-wires on the antique stove, but only 3 from the circuit board 'stove' wiring.

If this is the case, should I buy a 3-prong receptacle, and attach the neutral bare wire to the aluminum ground from the house?

RegUS_PatOff
07-02-2009, 05:57 PM
Red is one "hot" side of 240v power (120v to Neutral or ground)

Black is another "hot" side of 240v power (120v to Neutral or ground)

White is Neutral

Green or Bare is Ground.

Neutral & Ground are connected together (usually only) inside the Main Breaker box,
but on 240v 3-Wire appliances, they connect the Neutral and Ground together at the Wall Outlet and on the appliance.