How to Convert a Hardwired Oven to a Plug-In Oven
18 Apr 2019 Licensed Electrician
Many appliances come from the store with a cord that is designed to be hardwired into the home rather than plugged into a socket. This situation, where an appliance cord does not match a home’s electrical setup, is particularly common with ovens. If your home has an electrical socket for the oven to plug into, but the oven is designed to be hardwired in, it can be useful to know how to convert a hardwired oven to a plug-in oven. At Expert Electric, their team of licensed electricians has experience with adapting all kinds of residential electrical setups for appliances and they know how to make any kind of oven compatible with a home’s circuitry.
Tips to Change a Hardwired Oven into a Plug-In Oven
For the safety of your home and everyone in it, always consult a licensed electrician before making any changes to any electrical systems. Wiring changes to appliances can result in electrocution or electrical fire when done improperly, so electrical work should only be done by experienced and knowledgeable persons.
If you need to convert a hardwired oven into a plug-in oven, follow these steps:
1. Assess the Plug and Wiring Setup
Before beginning any work, check the metal ID tag on the oven and compare the data on the tag with the number on your 240v circuit breaker. If the numbers do not match up, cease all work and call an electrician. If the numbers do match, look at the outlet that the oven will be plugging into. Assess whether it is the outlet style for a 4-prong plug or 3-prong plug, and make sure that you have the equipment to adapt your power cord accordingly.
2. Separate and Strip the Oven Wires
Cut back the cord of the oven and separate each of the internal wires from one another. Strip each wire back, and make sure that you note which of the wires is meant to be hot, grounded, and neutral. For a 4-prong plug, there will be 2 hot wires, 1 ground, and one neutral. A 3-prong plug will not have the neutral wire.
3. Connect the New Plug to the Cord
Open up the new plug to expose the wire receptacles. Insert each of the individual wires from the hardwired oven cord into the corresponding wire receptacles. Make sure that none of the wires have copper showing where they connect to their receptacles. If they do, pull the wires free, trim them back, and reconnect them.
4. Close and Wrap the Plug
Using electrical tape, wrap the wires together at the base of the plug so that they are no longer exposed. Close the plug housing over the cord and wrap the connecting point of the plug and cord with more electrical tape if necessary. Before plugging the converted oven cord in, use a test kit to ensure that the new setup is operating properly.
To learn more about how to convert a hardwired oven to a plug-in oven, or to discuss any of their other residential services, contact Expert Electric at 604-681-8338. They offer a variety of services all over BC.
