I just purchased a new Kenmore oven and the manual calls for a minimum of 8 Gauge solid copper on a 40 Amp circuit. I went to Home Depot and purchased 60 ft. of 8-3 with ground. When I got home I noticed that it is NOT solid copper but stranded copper. Will this matter? the manual specifically calls for solid. should I worry about it or is it ok since it will be on a 40 Amp breaker?

Just bought the place and don't want to burn it down! (wife would be angry) Thanks.

You probably should have gotten 60' of 6-3-G (because of distance if your wife cooks much). Stranded wire is fine. Solid copper is more difficult to work with.


[This message has been edited by Dspark (edited 08-21-2001).]

Your wire is solid copper in the sense that it is not copper-clad aluminum or pure aluminum either of which would require a heavier gage.

Todd,

It sounds like you are unfamiliar with this situation and would no doubt be better off with some help in this. I would suggest that you contact someone locally that is Licensed/Certified and capable of handling this. Everyone will sleep better at night.


Bill

I would ask Kenmore if that could be a typo

I think it just means pure copper rather than aluminum, steel, carbon, or anything else.

Probably;
I'm not aware of any 8-3 solid in a cable

8-3-G solid copper is not something I would want to have to unroll much less bend.

Stranded is fine.

Hmm... back to Home Depot I go! Good thing you can return cut wire there...

I didn't take distance into consideration when I read the owner's manual. Now that I think about it I know 6 will be a better choice. I am installing this into an 1950 house and the gap between the plaster and cinder block is only about an inch so I was worried about the wire being to big to install. I am going to install this in conduit because of this.

Although 8 on a 40 would have been safe... I don't want to be tripping breakers while trying to cook dinner.

Thanks for everyones advice!

On a purely resistive load such as this, the smaller wire would result in voltage drop and lower wattage available to cook. This would not cause the breaker to trip.
BTW,
Voltage drop at a full 40 amps(unlikely)on the # 8 will result in 236.2 volts at your range.
#6 will deliver 237.2 volts.
I'm not sure the excahnge, and the extra difficulty working the #6 is worth the time& effort.

Realistically it depends on how much the oven will be used. Even if someone bakes all day, the element is not always on.

Installing the 8-3-G will be quite a bit easier. Todd, you will be in for a surprise when you try to pull that through a 1" conduit.

Just as a side thought, if you were to have solid wire, you couldn't put it in conduit anyway (NEC 310-3).
I think DSparks right in that they intended to say pure copper.